Dance Lessons in Upper Arlington

Arthur Murray has been a leading name in franchise dance since 1912, when the entrepreneur began selling mail-order dance lessons. Expanding his reach, he enlisted teachers to spread his signature dance lessons on first-class steamships and skyrocketed to fame in the '30s after introducing the public to such dances as the Lambeth Walk and The Big Apple. By the 1950s, Arthur and his wife, Kathryn, were hosting their own highly popular TV show on ABC, The Arthur Murray Dance Party, which ran for 12 years. Today, Arthur Murray's team prepares students for rug cutting at special events and weekend nightclub jaunts. Clients who arrive to lessons partnerless will be paired up with other classmates as the instructors assess their current skill level and make recommendations on the most appropriate program. Throughout lessons, instructors teach the foundations of two to four dances from a long list of styles that range from Latin to country-western, helping students to learn basic step patterns, timing, and the ability to lead or follow.

Cofounded by professional dancer Alexander Thomas and personal trainer Daniel Hamilton, Diamond Dance & Fitness works to foster active, nutritional lifestyles through a varied schedule of programs and periodic group outings. Classes are headed by experienced instructors—the studio's signature ballroom course has teachers who are competition-trained. Meanwhile, dance-fitness courses such as Zumba help to put an upbeat spin on classic exercise techniques without the added risk that comes with practicing the moonwalk on a treadmill.

Melodies rhythmically flood the studio's space on Salsamante Saturdays, when guests trace bachata, merengue, and salsa steps across the dance floor. In addition, visitors can get custom fitness advice in personal-training sessions and in-depth nutrition advice from health coaches.

At Salsa by Todd, veteran instructor Todd the Salsa Guy leads patrons through sultry steps as they build their fitness abilities and hone their Latin-dance techniques. During weekly group salsa classes, students pair up to master beginner- and intermediate-level routines replete with hip swiveling, partnered twirls, and choreographed piggyback rides. Todd's private lessons reveal the secrets of salsa and Latin styles such as bachata and merengue, accelerating the learning process with personalized attention. Neither class style requires previous dance experience, and the studio welcomes students who arrive solo, in dancing duos, or backed up by a posse of imaginary friends.

Arthur Murray Dance Studio has been a leading name in franchise dance since 1912, when the entrepreneur began selling mail-order dance lessons. Expanding his reach, he enlisted teachers to spread his signature dance lessons on first-class steamships and skyrocketed to fame in the '30s after introducing the public to such dances as the Lambeth Walk and the Big Apple. By the 1950s, Arthur and his wife, Kathryn, were hosting their own highly popular TV show on ABC, the Arthur Murray Dance Party, which ran for 12 years. Today, Arthur Murray's team prepares students for rug cutting at special events and weekend nightclub jaunts. Clients who arrive to lessons partnerless will be paired up with other classmates as the instructors assess their current skill level and make recommendations on the most appropriate program. Throughout lessons, instructors teach the foundations of two to four dances from a long list of styles that range from Latin to country-western, helping students to learn basic step patterns, timing, and the ability to lead or follow.

With more than 30 years of combined experience and numerous competition wins, Rachel and Adam Maynard of Inspiration to Movement lead students in dance and Pilates classes. A sprung floor acts as the stage for classes such as Vaganova ballet—a Russian method developed esteemed dancer Agrippina Vaganova and beta-tested by thousands of music-box ballerinas. The Pilates studio peers over Franklin Park, providing a scenic location for cultivating strength, flexibility, and balance. The dancing partners also offer music-editing services for dance performances, and perform themselves for special functions.

Lifelong dancer Leyla Soleil stumbled upon her first belly-dancing class while living in Miami in 2001, and, as she describes it, “everything just clicked.” The high-impact dances she’d previously enjoyed, such as ballet and jazz, were proving increasingly hard on her joints, and with a new child thrown into the mix, Leyla was searching for a new way to express herself physically. After that first class, she grew passionate about belly dance and its ability to build a bridge between cultures. Later living in Akron, she built a thriving studio and dance company—Dance du Soleil—before moving her family to Columbus. Now, when she's not teaching classes at her new studio, Leyla juggles performing, starting a dance-photography business with her husband, and keeping involved in her Akron endeavors.

In her accessible, beginner belly-dancing classes, Leyla teaches fundamental moves that build a strong abdominal core, enable women to embrace their feminine side, and unravel the mystique around the dance form. Part of her philosophy on dance includes its health benefits, as evidenced by one of her former students—a woman who struggled with beginner moves but lost weight and decreased her health problems as she progressed to an advanced level. Middle Eastern music energizes each movement during Leyla's studio sessions, and she often announces each song’s country of origin to illuminate the cultural beauty inherent in the songs.