Halfway through an episode of
“Dancing With the Stars,” you pause the recording, thinking that
you could probably pull off that twirl-hop-twist thing you just
watched. After all, if an inexperienced celebrity can do it, why
not you?

But executing these classic
movements as gracefully as they appear on your screen, as you’ll
quickly discover, is not as easy as it appears — especially not
without help from an expert.

That doesn’t mean you can’t learn
all your favorite ballroom styles, but since Derek Hough probably
isn’t available, you might need to look for instruction a little
closer to home. Luckily, whether you truly were struck by
inspiration while watching the popular reality show this season,
you’re hoping to learn some classic moves before your wedding, or
your New Year’s resolution for 2026 was to try something new,
there are a myriad of places in and around Sacramento where you
can take beginner-friendly lessons on how to jive, swing and
tango, just like the stars.

Where to learn to dance in
Sacramento

Linda Fontaine is the owner
of Spotlight Ballroom
in West Sacramento, one of
several studios that offer group classes for adults locally. On
Monday and Tuesday evenings, Spotlight hosts beginner ballroom
and Latin dance classes, teaching everything from the foxtrot, to
the Viennese Waltz, to salsa and rumba. They also offer private
lessons, but Fontaine says group classes are a great option for
beginners to help them focus on their basics, learn from the more
experienced people in class with them, and take classes at a much
cheaper price point — Spotlight’s group classes are offered for
$13 for one, $55 for five, or $88 for 10. They also offer drop-in
ballroom dance parties with a brief lesson at the beginning every
Saturday night.

Each week of the month, the group
classes teach a different style of dance, so there’s no pressure
if you miss a week, and it’s a great way to experiment with a
wide range of dances to find out what you like.

“Everybody has their
favorite dances,” Fontaine says. “One dance you might love and
another you might try and then go, ‘I don’t want to do that ever
again.’”

If you feel confident about what
you’re interested in, Ballroom of
Sacramento, a studio
located in Rosemont, has a full schedule of monthly progressive
classes in a variety of styles with the goal of helping beginners
spend a little more time diving into a specific style of dance.
The first class of the month focuses on the basics, and each
subsequent weekly class builds upon what you’ve learned
previously to help you achieve progressively more difficult and
technical moves. Ballroom of Sacramento also
hosts Q-Rated Sac, a
Sacramento dance company that specializes in teaching the
LGBTQ+ community but is open to everyone. 

Apart from just trying
everything, other ways to decide exactly what style you’re
interested in include picking a style you like the music for, or
choosing a style you can use at social events. In Sacramento,
Fontaine says that salsa and swing tend to be the most popular,
because people can use what they learn in class at social dances
or bars.

And ballroom really is designed
to be social, even and especially outside of the classroom. If
you start to explore the world of social dancing, you will find
quite the variety of regular local events, sometimes with live
music, designed for people to practice their moves, dance with
new partners, and meet new people.

Amber Kaufman, a manager at
Ballroom of Sacramento, says that the great thing about social
dances like the ones that her studio hosts is that attendees
range from having 20 years of experience, to being complete
first-timers, making it a great place for beginners to learn new
moves from experienced pros.

In case you’re worried a social
dance like this might feel like a competition or a talent show
that you’re woefully unprepared for, Kaufman reassured beginner
dancers that this isn’t the mindset at all.

“It’s just all of these people
coming together to do this thing they love together,” Kaufman
says.

Most importantly, both women said
to not expect perfection from yourself when you’re first starting
out.

Dancing With the Stars “makes it
look easy, and it isn’t,” Fontaine says. “It’s like any hobby.
You don’t go into a bowling alley your first week and expect
perfection — it takes a little bit of work.”

Can men learn to dance?

For the men reading, this next
section is for you: Although Fontaine encourages anyone
interested in dance to give it a try, she’s especially hopeful
that more men will step onto the dance floor this year.

“Getting men out to lead is hard
because they don’t want to look silly in front of the women when
they’re learning,” Fontaine says. “But women just like to dance.
If you just learn the basics, you’ll be the most popular guy
around.”

She pointed out that beyond bars,
having some confidence in basic dance skills is great for
parties, weddings, and even cruises, and you really don’t have to
know much to shine on the dance floor.

“People who don’t dance don’t
know what you’re doing wrong — they’re just impressed by what you
do know,” Fontaine says. “You get out there and you look like
you’re on Dancing With the Stars to them, and everyone wants to
dance with you. It’s a good thing to have in your back
pocket.”

These two studios are
certainly not the only places in the Sacramento area to take
ballroom classes, but they are both great starting places. If
you’re looking for opportunities to try out your new moves once
you’ve taken a couple of classes, try Thursday night line dancing
at Ruhstaller’s Farm in Dixon, Argentine Tango and blues social
dances at Firehouse 5 in downtown Sacramento, or the wildly popular
swing-focused Midtown Stomp events on Friday nights.

“Starting is the hardest part,”
Kaufman says. “You’re going to make mistakes, you’ll mess up, but
you don’t have to be perfect, and no one expects that. We just
want you to come out and find the fun in it.”

And if you need added
encouragement? The
Dancing With the Stars tour
is coming to Sacramento April 21, featuring a cast of pros along with
celebrity guest stars Robert Irwin, Jordan Chiles, and Andy
Richter. Maybe this is your sign to treat yourself to a ticket as
a reward for having the courage to follow through with going out
of your comfort zone to take some dance classes — plus, you’ll
enjoy the show even more after you gain some personal experience
to help you relate with the celebs’ dance journeys.

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