Discover the Best Kid's Dance Classes in NYC
Kids love to dance, and dance classes for kids are a fun way for children to express themselves while they learn the art of dance. Classes in NYC with an experienced dance instructor are a safe and supportive environment where kids can explore dance styles, develop coordination, and build their self-confidence.
Children have participated in cultural traditions of dance for centuries. From the Maypole Dance of northern Europe to the Chinese Lion Dance to lively Brazilian Samba, children have learned dance as a way to celebrate and communicate.
Children today can choose from various dance genres like ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, and many others, where they can benefit from creativity, movement, and expression. Dance classes for kids aren’t just about physical development. They promote discipline, teamwork, and artistic appreciation.
Why Kids Should Learn Dance in NYC
Dance and music are naturally wired into children. They love to move and they are full of energy. Dance is more than just a fun way to move their bodies, it is filled with joy, growth, and self-expression. Children who learn dance experience much physical and emotional development.
Dance classes in NYC boost children’s fitness, strength, flexibility, and coordination, but they are about so much more than learning dance. Kids express their individuality and let their spirits shine with each twirl, jump, and gesture. Studying dance cultivates confidence, discipline, and perseverance in the child, qualities that benefit them far beyond the studio.
By taking dance classes, kids will make new friends who share their love of dance, and become part of a community that promotes healthy movement, teamwork, and creative expression. Some NYC organizations and dance companies support dance for children.
National Dance Institute is a NYC-based non-profit organization that brings children together through dance and music programs. They believe that every child should have access to learning in the arts, and they impact the lives of thousands of children around the world.
Another NYC-based non-profit organization, Dance to Unite, aims to utilize dance and guided conversations about values as a vehicle to teach and celebrate cultural diversity. They partner with after-school agencies in NYC to provide dance classes for students during the day and after school.
In-Person Kid's Dance Classes & Schools in NYC
Dance classes are a fun and engaging experience for many kids, especially those who learn best with a live, in-person teacher. Many children love the social experience of dancing and moving to music along with their class. When they’re learning, it helps to have a close-up look at new dance moves and a chance to ask questions as they go.
In-person courses get kids off to a good start and ramp up their skills quickly. Whether they want to learn ballet or hip hop, there’s a class to suit them.
Stepping for ages 6 to 14 at Fit4Dance in Brooklyn, New York teaches this percussive, highly-energetic art form that originated with song and dance rituals performed by African-American fraternities and sororities. The body is the instrument when you do stepping. Footsteps, claps, and spoken words produce complex polyrhythms. Stepping has been described as “one of the most exciting dance forms created in the 21st century.”
Ballet for ages 6 to 10 at Fit4Dance in Brooklyn, New York teaches kids ballet techniques like body alignment, ballet terminology, and musicality. Kids learn the foundations of ballet alignment, basic positions, carriage of the arms, and class etiquette, along with articulation of the feet and ankles, rotation of the hips (or “turn out”), skips, and jumps. Students progress to explore challenging barre exercises, turns, leaps, slow balances (adagio exercises), and complex combinations.
Fit4Dance brings quality and affordable dance and fitness instruction to communities that need it. In their comfortable space, kids learn to dance, improve their fitness and health, meet new people, build community, explore other cultures, and have fun in a safe, warm, and welcoming environment.
a petits pas for ages 3 to 5 at French Institute Alliance Française in New York City immerses your child in French language and culture through hands-on and age-appropriate activities. Your child will soak up the French language and use it in fun activities like arts-and-crafts projects, dancing, games, and stories. French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) offers New Yorkers a journey into the diversity and richness of French culture through innovative and unique programs in education and the arts. FIAF seeks to generate new ideas and promote cross-cultural dialogue through partnerships and new platforms of expression.
Summer Theater Camp at The Children's Acting Academy in New York City offers the Summer Intensive Theater Program for young performers. Your child will be introduced to the professional theater world with classes in acting, improvisation, movement, voice-overs, wardrobe, makeup and hair, TV, auditioning techniques, stage combat, singing, and dancing. Industry professionals in theater, broadcasting, TV, and film provide students with hands-on, real-life experience in the performing arts. The Children's Acting Academy offers kids a mix of professional acting training with individual instruction and performance opportunities. Students learn acting, concentration, and relaxation through sensory exercises and scripted work. Every class emphasizes improvisation, speech, and voice.
Virtual Kid's Dance Classes & Schools
Online kid’s dance classes deliver all the fun of in-person classes without leaving home. If there are no dance classes for kids in your neighborhood of NYC, or you have conflicts with your schedule or transportation, online classes are a great way for your child to learn dance. Make space in your home for dancing, and ensure you have an internet-enabled device to access the class. If you don’t see the class you’re looking for, consider other ways to keep them busy and give them a creative boost. Your young dancer will learn new skills and broaden their means of personal expression by taking classes in acting, fashion, music, and art.
Virtual Kids' Fashion Camp for ages 11 to 14 teaches kids to express their creativity and grows their love of sewing. This is a beginner-level class, so everyone can follow along and even repeat their class projects at home for family and friends. Kids create fun seasonal projects that they’ll be proud of.
This camp covers fashion sketching and mood boards, threading and using a sewing machine, basic sewing techniques and terminology, sewing accessories and clothing, hand and machine stitching & seam finishes, appliqué and trim application, and embroidery. Students complete fashion sketches and mood boards, embroidery, a tote bag, and a summer top.
All project supplies are included, but students will need to have a sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins, ruler, colored pencils, mechanical pencils, and magazines that can be cut and used for mood boards. The average class size is eight students.
Kids' Advanced Sewing and Fashion Camp for ages 9 to 11 and Kids' Advanced Sewing and Fashion Camp for ages 12 to 14 are the next step in your child’s sewing experience. They can enroll in this camp more than once because they’ll make new and updated projects every session. Kids will learn fashion sketching, design, and sewing clothing and accessories that are on trend for the summer. Plus they’ll learn hand embroidery and get to watch a fashion show.
All supplies for projects are included. Students will also need a sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins, ruler, colored pencils, mechanical pencils, magazines that can be cut and used for mood boards, and poster boards. The average class size is eight students.
Online Summer Art and Creativity Camp for Kids for ages 5 to 8 offers friendship, laughter, connection, unbounded creativity, and fun. Kids will love this live, online camp experience that is exciting and magical, all from the safety of home. Creative online activities for kids and teens of all ages include drawing classes, painting projects, manga, watercolor painting, realism, abstraction, art journaling, collage, mixed media, comics and cartooning, crafts, landscape arts, portraiture, art history fun facts, graffiti, creative lettering, group art games, team spirit, and socializing with friends.
You can register your child for three, four, or five days or half days. You’ll need to order materials from a provided list before the class begins, or use materials you already have. The average class size is eight students.
Private Group Kid's Dance Classes in NYC
If you’re looking for a kid’s dance class for your party or event, Coursehorse has just what you need. Coursehorse offers private group kid's dance classes for NYC and other activities that they can deliver just for you. Entertain and teach your young performers with these exciting classes for kids.
In the Virtual Group Magic Trick Workshop, kids learn the secrets and theories behind magic tricks. They’ll learn fun and sophisticated close-up tricks, so they can perform magic for you and their friends. They’ll leave feeling like they are part of the exciting and secret world of magic. This is a private, interactive workshop led by a professional magician.
You’ll need a deck of cards, loose coins, and a dollar bill. Or, schedule the all-inclusive magic trick workshop with all materials included. You can invite up to 500 people to join your magic workshop.
Virtual Team Olympics divides kids into teams to compete in creative challenges. They’ll complete a series of fun, team-based competitions that will have them laughing as they aim for the gold. Silly challenges like type-racing, Family Feud-style challenges, racing to build the tallest marshmallow towers, creating balloon animals, and playing harmonicas will entertain and delight your group of kids. The class includes a game platform with interactive elements and scorecards for participants. Coursehorse provides all of the props.
Virtual Group Stretching and Alignment is a one-hour class that helps your child become more flexible. They’ll learn techniques used by dancers to expand their personal range of motion and prevent injury. Exercises have variations so that your young movers can safely challenge themselves regardless of their background and fitness level. Their body will feel lengthened, strengthened, aligned, and move freely. Your child should be prepared for class with comfortable clothing, space to stretch, and an optional mat if working on a hard surface. Up to 500 people can participate.
What kid doesn’t love pancakes? Inthe Virtual Pancake Art Workshop, your child will make art good enough to eat. This one-hour class covers everything about pancake art, from making the batter to drawing to eating. Kids start with easy shapes like flowers, stars, and letters, then work their way up to more advanced techniques like layering to create darker shades, or making faces and animals. All they need to bring is imagination.
All ingredients will be shipped to each participant, including pancake mix, one squeeze bottle, one funnel, and one bottle of pancake syrup. You’ll need to provide butter or oil for greasing the pan, a large mixing bowl, a rubber spatula and turning spatula, a whisk, a nonstick pan or griddle, scissors or knife, and four to five kitchen towels. This class can accommodate up to 100 participants.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Coursehorse can create a custom class just for your group or event. Contact them through the Contact Us button on their website. Booking a class with Coursehorse is easy. Just estimate your group size, pay the minimum deposit, and secure your date. You can let them know your final group size up to one week before your class date. You can customize your event further for a $150 fee by adding games, requesting specific questions or a themed game, or adding another event with materials included.
CourseHorse recommends using the Zoom platform for your class, but they can accommodate Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx. Many courses can even come to your office or home space if you’d like.