Where to Go Dancing in the Twin Cities

Quick answer

The easiest way to practice ballroom dancing in the Twin Cities is a recurring social dance. Most start with a short group lesson, then open dancing, and several say outright that you don’t need a partner. For ballroom, start with USA Dance Minnesota (third Saturdays), Cafe Bailar (second and fourth Saturdays) or Tapestry’s Ballroom Variety Dance (first, third and fifth Sundays). The lists below cover Latin, swing, tango, country and polka, too.

Waltz, foxtrot, rumba, cha-cha and more

Ballroom & Smooth

Ballroom variety dances are where most students first use what they learned. The DJ usually changes styles every song or two, so one night can include a waltz, a foxtrot, a rumba, a cha-cha and a swing.

Competitions group these dances into four styles: American Smooth (waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese waltz), American Rhythm (cha-cha, rumba, East Coast Swing, bolero, mambo), International Standard (waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, foxtrot, quickstep) and International Latin (cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, jive). At a social, you will hear mostly the first two.

The dances

• Waltz: the graceful three-count classic with a gentle rise and fall
• Foxtrot: smooth and traveling, made for big band standards
• Ballroom tango: sharp, staccato and dramatic, and a different dance from Argentine tango
• Viennese waltz: the fast, turning waltz
• Quickstep: a fast, light cousin of the foxtrot, seen mostly at competitions
• Cha-cha: a playful Latin rhythm built on the cha-cha-cha triple step
• Rumba: slow and romantic, and a favorite for wedding first dances
• Bolero: a slower, sweeping relative of the rumba
• Mambo: fast and punchy, with a strong Latin pulse
• Nightclub two-step: a soft, easy partner dance for slow ballads
• Hustle: the smooth, spinning partner dance from the disco era
• Samba, paso doble and jive: competition Latin dances you will see more on Dancing with the Stars than at a social

Where to dance them

Salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia

Latin & Salsa

Latin nights lean toward salsa and bachata, often to live bands, and they run late. Many start at 9 or 10 PM. If you learned cha-cha or rumba in a ballroom class, salsa will feel familiar: the timing is close, but the feel is looser and more social.

The dances

• Salsa: quick and lively, danced on 1 or on 2 depending on the crowd
• Bachata: a smooth four-count dance from the Dominican Republic with a small hip lift
• Merengue: the easiest Latin dance to start with: a steady march with turns
• Cumbia: a relaxed, rolling Colombian rhythm
• Cha-cha: you will hear it at salsa nights, too

Nervous about your first salsa night?

Amy teaches salsa, rumba and the other Latin dances privately. A lesson or two on a solid basic, a couple of turns and how to follow or lead them makes a crowded Latin night feel fun instead of fast. See private lessons.

Where to dance them

East Coast, West Coast, Lindy Hop and blues

Swing & Blues

The Twin Cities swing scene is friendly to newcomers: big band nights usually start with a free beginner lesson, and the West Coast Swing clubs teach a lesson before every dance.

The dances

• East Coast Swing: the bouncy six-count swing for oldies, rockabilly and big band
• Lindy Hop: the original 1930s swing, energetic and playful
• West Coast Swing: smooth and stretchy, danced in a slot to pop, R&B and blues
• Blues: slow, close and grounded, danced to live blues
• Single-Time Swing: the simplest swing basic, and a great place to start

Want a head start? Try Amy's free Single-Time Swing video lesson before your first swing night.

Where to dance them

Milongas and prácticas

Argentine Tango

A milonga is a tango social dance. A práctica is a more relaxed practice session where it is normal to stop, talk and try a step again. Prácticas are the easiest place to start.

The dances

• Tango: the slow, close embrace most people picture
• Vals: tango danced to waltz-time music
• Milonga (the dance): a quicker, playful rhythm played in sets during the night

Amy teaches Argentine tango, too. If you want a comfortable embrace and a few clean steps before your first milonga, email Amy.

Where to dance them

Two-step, country waltz, line dances

Country & Line Dancing

Country nights mix partner dances and line dances, so you can join in with or without a partner. Partner dances travel counterclockwise around the floor; line dancers stay in the middle.

The dances

• Two-step: the classic country partner dance: quick, quick, slow, slow
• Country waltz: a smooth, traveling waltz in boots
• Country swing: East Coast Swing moves to country songs
• Line dancing: set routines danced together, no partner needed

Illustration: a country dance night (fictional dancers).

Where to dance them

A Minnesota hall tradition

Polka & Old-Time

Polka and old-time dances fill halls all over Minnesota, usually on Sunday afternoons with a live band. Read more about the tradition in our polka and Oktoberfest guide.

The dances

• Polka: quick, bouncy and turning, and pure fun to a live band
• Old-time waltz: the friendly, everyday waltz of Minnesota dance halls
• Schottische: a light, easy step-hop dance you will hear between polkas

Where to dance them

Live Farther Out?

We define the metro generously, from St. Michael to Chaska to Lino Lakes. Right now the outer-suburb nights we could confirm are in Plymouth (line dancing), Burnsville (salsa), Lakeville (big band) and Columbia Heights (polka and bachata).

This list keeps looking. New nights are added as soon as their own host confirms them, and nights that end come off on their own. Know a regular night near you? Email Amy and we will check it.

Get ready with Amy

Walk In Feeling Ready

A private lesson before your first social night makes a big difference. You work on the dances you will actually hear, how to lead or follow a few easy patterns, and the floor manners nobody tells you about.

Amy Hanson is the three-time defending Dancer's Cup Tour Top Teacher. She has danced professionally and internationally and built friendships with dancers many people recognize from Dancing with the Stars. People who think they are not coordinated are exactly the beginners she loves to teach, and experienced dancers keep progressing with her, too. No partner needed. Based in the Twin Cities, Amy teaches in Saint Paul, Roseville, Shoreview and Plymouth and welcomes dancers from across the metro.

Amy typically replies within one business day. Not sure which lesson fits? Try the Find Your Lesson guide.

See You on the Dance Floor

Tell Amy which dances you want to use and when you hope to go out. She will help you get there.

Listings are public events run by clubs, community groups and venues, not by Ballroom by Amy. Times and prices come from each host’s own page; plans change, so confirm before you go.

Listings are checked automatically every week. Last check: October 21, 2026.

AI assisted with some images on this page: the two dance-night scenes are illustrations of fictional people. The photo of Amy is real.