Dancing in and around Philadelphiaand Eastern PennsylvaniaA guide to places to dance in Philadelphia and surrounding communities (Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Country & Western). Information on locations, prices, schedules, directions, and general description of establishments. Philadelphia borders on New Jersey; so see Dancing in New Jersey for additional local dance venues.
Contents:How to find the information you need? For additional dance related information, see Aria's Dance Page.
Short List(in alphabetical order)
Long List
Springwater Plaza, Route 202, Glen Mills, PA 610-558-4010 1500 sq. ft. dance floor. Open dances every first and third Saturday of the month, admission $5, includes soft drinks and light snacks. Casual attire. Studio owned by John and Kristin Davis. The Arts League See the entry for University City Arts League
Rittenhouse Square (corner of 18th and Locust St.) 215-545-0300 NOTE: The dances at the Barclay have been discontinued.
319 E. Lancaster Avenue, Exton, PA 19341 610-363-8677 Located adjacent to the Exton Mall, Blue Moon Dance Studio offers Private Lessons, Group Classes and Special Seminars. There are dance parties every Saturday, 8 - 11 pm, with a mix of Smooth (Modern), Latin and Swing dances. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Both singles and couples are welcome. For more information contact Susan.Matyas@fortesystems.com. Directions: From Route 100, travel East on Route 30. Go through two lights, and make a left into Exton East Shopping Center. Blue Moon Dance Studio is in the rear of the shopping center.
2590 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114 215-677-8700
251 W DeKalb Pike (Route 202), Suite BG-300, King of Prussia, PA 19406 610-337-2180 Joan DeMarco, owner and manager of this studio, passed away under tragic circumstances in February 1998. The studio is permanently closed.
800 North Delaware Ave. Phila. 215-922-1000 Friday swing dances. Also classes by Greg Avakian. Call to enquire.
St. John Chrysostom, 605 S. Providence, Wallingford 215-485-7274.
34 Bank Street, Philadelphia, PA 215-574-0070 The Five Spot is a live music supper club/lounge and is located between 2nd and 3rd street just south of market on Bank street in Old City Philadelphia. Live music most nights ranges from Jazz to Swing to Latin. The small dance floor is linoleum, but the atmosphere is very good. There is a full bar and dinner menu. Many waitresses and bartenders dress vintage. Closed on Mondays. Jazz night on Tuesdays, beginner-level Swing lesson at 8pm. Wednesdays Swing dancing with live music, 9:30pm-1:00am, no cover charge, intermediate-level Swing lesson at 8pm. Thursdays are Latin Nights, with both DJ and live music, $5 cover charge, Latin dance lesson at 8pm. Fridays and Saturdays are usually a nightclub scene with non-dancers and rather crowded, $5 cover. Sundays swing dance lessons at 7pm, dancing 9pm-12am, $5 cover charge.
613 S. 4th St., Philadelphia, PA 215-629-3686 Located on 4th Street above "The Latest Dish". Entrance on side, no sign outside. Very nice blue wood dance floor. Last Tuesday of the month: Daddy-O cover $5, $3 with "Swank Attire." The DJ spins swing music with an occasional latin number from the swing era. He has a tendency to slip into 60's psychadelia once it gets late.
At Eighth Floor 215-476-8287 (Greg Avakian) Greg Avakian teaches a variety of Swing and WCS classes in the area. He used to teach at Silver Rose in NJ before it closed. Later on he started teaching classes at Eighth Floor. Call to enquire. Greg is also reachable at SwingboyPA@aol.com. It has been reported that most Fridays, Greg sponsors (along with Bill Poulter) East and West Coast Swing dances at the B & R Full Health Club, located at 1040 Millcreek Dr Langhorne, PA 19053 Tel:215-355-2700. Dances are 7-10pm, mini-lesson 7-7:30, $8 admission.
2701 Old York Road, Jamison PA, 18929 215-343-1336 Closure: It seems that Miriam Ellis the former owner of Jamison has sold the dance studio and the new owners have no plans to use the property for dancing.
Kimberton & Prizer Roads, Kimberton, PA 19442 610-983-3886 Note: Kimberton Dance Society that used to be at this location has gone out of business. However, there are some Saturday night dances ongoing in the same location under the name Kimberton Ballroom. Call to enquire.
Easton 610-258-6881 Dances on first Saturdays of the month, but also other dates. Call for more information.
Oxford Jewish Community Center, Algon and Unruh Aves. 215-659-7783. First, third and fifth Monday of each month: 8 to 11 p.m. $4; $3 members, includes group dance lesson.
Latin dancing every Friday night from 8pm to midnight to DJ music. Salsa, Mambo, Rumba, Cumbia, Cha-Cha, Merengue, Bolero and Tangos all night.
Allentown 610-437-6884 Dances on second Saturday and Fourth Thursday of the month. Socials feature 1 hour dance lessons before the dance. Live music, starting on 7:00pm on Thursdays and 7:30pm on Saturdays. Admission is $8. For more information, call Don Ritter, president of the chapter, at the number given above.
An event held on the fourth Sunday of the month in the Philadelphia area, featuring live music and a repertoire of 75% Walz music.
4501 New Falls Rd, Levittown; 215-547-2311
The Philadelphia Swing Dance Society sponsors swing dances on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at the Commodore Barry Club located at Carpenter and Emlen Sts. in the West Mt. Airy section of Phila. Beginner's lesson begins at 7:30 and the dance begins at 8:15 PM. (Dates and location occasionally change. Call to verify.) The PSDS dances are great for beginners due to the lesson and the reinforcement of dancing swing all night with several partners. Contact: Jim Zacc (609) 953-9248. Directions (from Center City Phila.): Take 76 West (expressway) to the Lincoln Drive exit (just after Rte.1/City Ave exits heading west.) Use the center lane on the bridge for Lincoln Drive. The drive will wind and curve. Carpenter lane is approximately the 9th light. Turn right. The Commodore Barry ballroom is on Emlen St, the first Right after the RR bridge. Park and walk before that point. The ballroom is on the 2nd floor of the 2nd building on the left. There will be signs. {If you miss Carpenter, the next light on Lincoln Drive is Emlen. Turn right. Emlen does a "dog-leg" at Carpenter (left, go 50 yards then turn right.)}
PO Box 466, Ambler, PA 19002 215-628-3524
Following information courtesy of Bill Sherman.
Ongoing tango events are as follows:
49 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, PA 19003 610-649-6655 Formerly "Touch Dancing Studio". Dance social last Saturday of each month. $7 Admission.
B&R Full Health & Fitnes Club, 1040 Mill Creek Drive, Feasterville, PA 19053 215-355-2700 Swing dances on most Fridays (see this web site for updated schedule). Dancing 7-11pm, admission price is $8 adults, $5 for ages 12-17 and also any students w/ valid student ID. The dancing is open to kids as young as 12, but 12-17 year-olds must be signed in by an adult. Features include 2 spacious rooms (one for East Coast Swing - capacity about 100 and one for West Coast Swing - capacity about 50-60) on impact-absorbing floors (easy on the knees and feet), complimentary refreshments, free parking, and occasional appearances by some of the biggest names in Swing, e.g. Robert Cordoba. A variety of music is available, and requests are welcome - bring your favorite CD's! Dancers of all levels are welcome. The organizer of these dances is Bill Poulter, who prefers to be contacted *not* at the health club, but rather at his own phone number directly at 609-393-6773 or pager at 609-615-1562.
Tel: 302-798-6330 Brian Wells runs a dance at Charles and Leslie's on the first two Saturays of the month. Comments are as above. A great place to go on a Saturday evening if you want to dance.
W Wayne Ave, Wayne, PA 19087 610-688-9746 Wednesdays starting Jan. 13 (formerly Thursdays). Main Line Swing 7pm-12am at the Saturday Club in Wayne, PA (easy directions from Rt. 476). All ages, beginner lessons from 7-7:45. Music provided by DJ Sound and Lighting. For more info, call 610-859-7621 or purevintage@nni.com
5th & Spring Garden, Philadelphia, PA 215-592-8838 Formerly known as Silk City Lounge, this cocktail lounge has a small Small linoleum Dance floor. With occasional swing bands and DJ's. First Thursday of Every month: The Rat-Pack Cocktail Party DJ/Swing Dancing. No cover charge.
327 Kenmore Road, Havertown, PA 19083 610-446-6356 This dance venue is not exactly along the lines of others represented in this page, but is interesting enough to be worth noting. The Tapestry Dance Ensemble is a semi-professional troupe which researches and performs historic dances from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In addition to weekly dance sessions, Tapestry is available for workshops and Historic period balls and assemblies. Classes are held every Thursday evening in Ardmore, PA (just west of Phila.). New and experienced dancers are welcome (no partners necessary).
3114 Willtis Rd. Philadelphia, PA 19134 215-676-3100 Variety of group and private classes, including smooth, latin, West Coast Swing, and Hustle. The classes and dance parties are held on a 21x36 sq. ft. dance floor. Dance parties usually start at 8pm on Sundays, admission is free first time and $10 afterwards. However, call before you go, because sometimes the parties change to Sunday afternoons, or they go out dancing.
Has changed name to "Quickstep, Inc."
122 Lombard, Society Hill, Philadelphia, PA 215-922-2515 Fridays and Saturdays 9pm-12am, Sundays 8pm-11am. Beginner lesson 1 hour before dance. Admission is generally between $7 to $10.
2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 215-542-6147. Dance parties every Sunday evening from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. $10.00 admission at the door, buffet supper and beverages included. Recorded music, strict tempos, smooth and latin, complementary dance lesson by Ken Kalowy mid evening. Many of the dancers (very mixed abilities) who used to frequent Dancing at the Warwick attend. Mixed ballroom and Argentine tango nights every so often.- call for schedule.
4226 Spruce Street 215-382-7811 The University City Arts League has ballroom, Latin and swing lessons given by instructor Kelly Ray. Twice a month he has dance parties with recorded music on oak hardwood floors. There is dancing in three rooms. One is a general mix of all dances, in another one can dance Swing/Lindy/WCS, and in the third Latin club dancing. There is a beginners lesson each Saturday 8:30-9:30pm. Admission for lesson and dance is $4 for current students and $5 for general public, refreshments included. Also Milongas (Argentine Tango) on the first four Fridays of each month, 8:30-11:30pm. Admission is $5, light refreshments included. Kelly and Lesley teach Argentine Tango at various levels, in private and group classes. The Arts League is at 4226 Spruce St. in the middle of the block across from a church parking lot. Contact: 215- 382-7811 (League office: 10-6 M-F) or any time 215-574-9555 (Kelly or Lesley) Directions: Take Route 76E from Center City or western suburbs to South Street exit. (Note: the exit is on the left.) Turn Right at the end of the exit ramp. At the five point intersection bear slightly left onto Spruce Street. Follow it to 4226 on the left across from the church parking lot.
Upenn Campus The ballroom dance society at the University of Pennsylvania has a large number of classes and dance activities. All events are open to UPenn students, faculty, staff, as well as the general public. Although prices may be different for those not affiliated with UPenn. The big social events sponsored by this club are the Winter and Spring balls. They also participate in a number of collegiate competitions. See their web page for further details.
4350 Chestnut Street, Emmaus, PA 18049 610-967-4897 Studio owned by Lynn Kulik. Instruction in Ballroom, Country Western, etc. Social dance at the first Friday and Saturday of the month. Admission $2, refreshments provided. Lynn also teaches Ballroom and Latin in Northampton and Lehigh county community colleges.
108 Station Road, Wayne, PA 610-642-0206 Dancing and dance instruction on the second and fourth Sunday of the month. Call for more information.
Radisson Hotel of Bucks County, 2400 Old Lincoln Highway, Trevose, PA 19053. 215-638-8300. Formerly known as Bumpers, it went through renovations and was renamed in early 1998. It used to offer Monday night Hustle events, but apparently no more....
Other local information
How to find the information you need?This page provides dance information in two main sections. The short list is a glossary of the places to dance locally, including addresses and phone numbers. This section should serve as a quick reference. If you already know where you want to go, and need the address or the phone number, this is the place to look. Because of its brevity, finding an item is often easier here.If you need more extensive information, then the long list will probably serve you better. This section contains comprehensive information on the times, locations, and prices of dance events. In many cases, directions and maps are also provided. To facilitate the finding of specific dance venues, dance types are grouped into the following classes:
If you feel that the information you need is not represented here, please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) before contacting me. About this page:Standard Disclaimer: While I make every effort in ensuring validity and timeliness of the information in this page, I cannot be held responsible for any inconvenience that may result from the usage of this information.Thanks are due to Bill Sherman, Kishor Ganguly, John Pandjak, Bunny Williams, Mike Pandolfo, James Stasheff, S. Mitteldorf, Maureen Galie, Matt Cunniff, Brad Cope, Rick Schelberg, Jennifer Kirkwood, Linda Etzel, Jewel Kurland, Janice McDermot, David Talaga, Joan Anderson, Mike VanBuskirk, Tim Carr,Steve Armer for contributing information to this page. The material in this page constitutes no express or implied endorsements. Last modified 12 October 1999 Back to Aria's Dance Page These pages have been accessed times since 2/1/96 Copyright (c) Aria Nosratinia 1997, 1998, 1999 |