Nope. Just show up, ready to dance (and in some cases, dressed to sweat!) HOWEVER, please note that there are space limitations at a few of the locations. Admittance will be first come, first served, so we recommend that you arrive early to ensure that you will have a spot. You may sign in for a workshop up to 15 minutes before the class begins. Students may not sign in for multiple workshops in a row to ensure that new dancers who arrive also get a chance to join in. However, if space permits, you are absolutely welcome to take several consecutive classes at the same venue.
In response to overflow issues in past years, we will offer a limited supply of “guaranteed spots” for a $2 donation to Dance Day only at the smaller studios where space is tight. The majority of the spots at these venues will still be designated for free walk-ins in keeping with the mission of the event, this is simply an option we came up with to address concerns from those who were turned away from certain classes in past years. Links to these non-refundable tickets will be posted on the workshop schedule. These pre-registered spots are non-refundable and must be purchased online before Dance Day. If you don’t show up by the time the class starts, the spot will be released to a walk-in. These tickets will apply to the following studios only:
- Major Moment Studio (capacity 30)
- Studio 1831 (capacity 25)
A volunteer will be monitoring check-in and capacity at each location. We do not anticipate having any trouble accommodating dancers at the other locations, including Headlong Studios, the YMCA or the Ethical Society, where the evening events will occur.
As noted above, we’re only offering advance tickets for our smallest studios. In past years there is often more demand than space available in the smaller studios, so this is a way for advance planners to secure spaces if they wish. Most of our locations have sufficient space to accommodate the full demand of dancers. Please note, it is not necessary to purchase tickets. If you arrive early enough for a session, you’ll still be able to get in since only one third of the studio capacity is available for advance purchase.
No, these tickets are only to secure a guaranteed spot. You can still get into the workshops by planning ahead and arriving early. At least two-thirds of the studio capacity will be available for free walk-ins.
We recommend that you bring a bottle of water, though we will have extras available at some of the studios for 50 cents. Some people also like to bring a small sweat towel. If you have dance footwear, you should bring that, too:
- Ballet slippers are ideal for barre or balletEXTREME classes, however socks work fine if you don’t have them.
- Ballroom shoes, or heels for ladies and smooth-soled shoes for men, for ballroom workshops (salsa, tango, etc)
- Dance sneakers are great for Zumba, Jazz, Hip-Hop, etc. Regular old sneakers will do the trick, too.
You will be asked to sign a waiver before attending the workshops. The YMCA may require a more extensive waiver and ID so we recommend that you arrive a little earlier to those workshops to sign in.
For the daytime workshops, you can’t go wrong in fitness attire. It’s July and you’ll be moving – so even though there’s air conditioning at all of the studios, you will likely sweat. It happens to the best of us.
Partner dancing classes are much less strenuous, so streetwear (shorts/jeans and tshirts/tank tops, etc) is fine.
Most of the workshops are geared toward teens and adults, but there are also some specifically for kids. A few others are open to all ages and children are welcome to attend:
- Open Movement
- Sh’Bam and Body Jam Mashup
- The Zumba & Cardio Pop party. Zumba is designed to be accessible to all dance levels and abilities. Children as well as adults will get an exhilarating workout with plenty of “sabor.”
- The hip-hop master class at the Ethical Society. Some choreography is more advanced, but the moves and music are suitable for dancers of all ages.
This, of course, is the issue with driving in the city. None of the studios have parking lots, which means you will need to find street parking or pay for a lot if you decide to drive. Parking will be more difficult closer to Rittenhouse Square and the Art Museum area, however, you can sometimes get lucky finding spots on the weekend. Parking at a garage in Center City can range from $10 to $25.
Those attending the evening events at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square should note that EZ Park and Central Parking operate several lots within a half mile of the Ethical Society Building. You can print a coupon for discounted weekend rates at a few of the Central Parking lots.
All of the workshops offered before 4 p.m. are completely FREE. To attend any of the evening events held at the Ethical Society, there is a one-time $5 donation requested. This fee helps cover the cost of the volunteer-run event, which includes renting venues, printing promotional materials and purchasing snacks for participants.
Yes. The first “National Dance Day” was held in 2010 and has continued ever since on the last Saturday of July. After the 2017 Philadelphia Dance Day, the next event will take place on July 28, 2018. All of the dance groups volunteering to lead classes during the event also run ongoing group classes year-round, so you can take whatever classes fit your schedule, any time! The logos on the home page of this site link to the websites of each group, where you can find their respective class schedules.
Did you know that there’s also an International Dance Day, usually held in April, and a National Tap Dance Day held on May 25 every year? And you can’t forget about National Dance Like a Chicken Day on May 14.