Voted #1 Dance Studio - Reader's Choice Awards, Community Newspapers

Articles

Take a Dance Break

Wanna raise your energy in the middle of your day when you’re stuck in busy mode? Take a dance break. You can be in the worst mood, feeling grumpy or just too busy, and a dance break can turn your day around. Or at least your hour. Put on a song you love, high energy… Read More »

Is Nightclub Freestyle Dancing For You?

If you feel really awkward when faced with a dance opportunity in a club, party, wedding or social event, you can find relief in just one private lesson in nightclub freestyle dancing, (sometimes known as “fast dancing”, or “freestyle”.) This is the informal kind of dancing where you’re not touching your partner, just boogieing freely–… Read More »

Dinner and Dancing

Are you wondering if your dance partner will be as excited as you are about learning to dance? Do what so many of our students do: try a new cafe and make an evening of it! Dance class night becomes Date Night with your spouse, your sweetie, or your best friend. There are some unique… Read More »

Dancing While Queer

Note: OUT to Dance welcomes people of all sexual orientations: heterosexual, queer, etc. We offer both Dance Classes for Everybody and LGBTQ Classes. This post focuses on the dance classes we offer specifically for LGBTQ folks. 🙂 LGBTQ, same-sex, queer, gay, bi, trans and lesbian partner dancing has a rich history in Boston dating back… Read More »

Thanks For Making My Day!

Sometimes I get a comment from a student that makes my heart swell with joy. It’s one of those moments that really makes my day. I’d like to share two of them, from Julie, Laura and Kathleen, three queer students. “I recall my well-meaning sisters scoffing when I said I was too embarrassed to take… Read More »

Reviews

What our customers are saying

These dance classes are pure joy- the high point of my week.

Sarah Bassler, Boston, MA

My girlfriend and I took 10 lessons in merengue and salsa from Liz. I had never succeeded in dancing, despite many efforts, prior to taking these lessons.

I am a self-confessed, lifelong failure at dancing. It looks like it could be fun and it has been important, in each of my relationships, that dancing become a part of our time away from kids, work, and responsibility. I have taken salsa and swing lessons many times and, each time, I have completely embarrassed myself. I am not a natural at this and I grew to hate the thought of dancing, dance lessons, etc.

I am now settled and my life partner has desperately wanted me to learn to dance. After several years of avoidance, I reluctantly agreed to sign up for 10 lessons with Liz Nania at Out to Dance.

Bottom line: by the 4th or 5th lesson I started to enjoy it. By the 7th or 8th lesson, I could actually dance. Fred Astaire, I’m not. But I’m good enough to have fun and not embarrass myself. And, for my girlfriend, it is important. We just agreed to go out dancing on New Year’s eve. I would have never done this before taking lessons with Liz. I highly recommend her – especially if you are new to dancing and certainly if you, like me, have felt as though it is impossible to learn. She is funny, lively, and she is an expert in teaching novices. If you are considering dance lessons, I recommend that you give Liz a try. She makes it easy. I got more than my money’s worth.

J. Britt, Newton, MA

This is “the place” for dance lessons in Boston. Liz Nania is amazing and I’d give her 6 stars if I could. My partner and I started taking lessons this winter, and with Liz’s help I’ve gone from avoiding the dance floor to looking forward to dance in just a few sessions. She is knowledgeable and patient, and focuses on what you are doing right before moving on to ideas to make you even better.

Her class is the perfect end/beginning to the work week, and it seems she also has a strange telekinetic ability to attract some of the nicest people I have ever met to her classes. 🙂 In addition, her rates are extremely affordable and she offers discounts for taking more than one class in a term.

Tim Bussey, Boston, MA

We were afraid the song we picked would be hard for us with four left feet. But, all it took was one lesson from you and our wedding dance was awesome. You helped calm our nerves by teaching us the basics like leading and following (who knew that two leads is one too many!). On the Big Day we remembered your instructions and we looked elegant. We even slipped in the twirls you taught us and people cheered! Thank you, Liz!

Stephanie Higgins, Director of the film "The Gay Marriage Thing", Belmont, MA

Liz, you are a truly amazing teacher—unfailingly upbeat, encouraging, and inspiring. You make even the most challenging steps fun to learn! I only wish I’d started taking these classes years ago, but I’m amazed by how far I’ve come in a few short months. No matter how tired I am when I come to dance class, I always leave feeling energized. Thank you for all you have taught me!

Suzanne W., Roslindale, MA

I really can’t believe I let my fear of looking like an idiot get the better of me for so long; if I had found you sooner, I’d have been dancing for years now!

Michael O., Dedham, MA

When Jason and I were dancing at a wedding, I’m not joking when I tell you that lots of people were coming up to us afterward asking how we learned how to dance like this, including the DJ. When a DJ from the NYC area, who I assume sees lots of weddings/dancing asks us this, this has to be attributed to your fantastic teachings!!! We had a blast in your class and are looking forward to more lessons in the future. Thank you!!!!

Karin and Jason, South Shore

Liz’s dance lessons are lighthearted, fun, and unintimidating. Those of us with little dance experience or aptitude learn easily, and have a great time; more advanced students get a little something extra to keep them busy as well. Liz is a delightful and effective instructor, and I highly recommend her classes!

Marilyn Yohe, Somerville, MA

We had the most wonderful time; never having taken partner dance lessons you immediately made us feel comfortable and excited. We had such a great time learning swing, and as two teachers we couldn’t stop raving about what a great teacher you are and how wonderful your style was.

Sharon L., Quincy, MA

I just want to say thank you for being so patient, kind and fun throughout all of our classes. When I come to your class my heavy load of the week at work or home just melts away, so I thank you from my heart.

Susan Glasper, Boston, MA

My partner and I went to Liz to learn swing dancing steps for our wedding, and we took ten private lessons. I consider myself as someone with “two left feet,” but after these lessons I felt like a pro! I am still unable to believe how much I learned, and how confident I now feel on the dance floor. We were amazing at our wedding, and now we go out swing dancing together! We took a follow up group class with Liz for intermediate swing where we learned new steps and met lots of fun other people. We cannot say enough great things about Liz, for she is a wonderful dancer, a patient instructor, and her enthusiasm and joy light up the room. We would highly recommend Out to Dance, and we can’t wait to go back!

Sherri S., Boston, MA

We had a great time in our ballroom dance lessons and will now feel much more at ease dancing in front of everyone at our wedding, and I’m sure we’ll look a lot better in our wedding video, too! We will definitely recommend you to our friends!

John and Amy Perry, Boston, MA

Liz, an accomplished and beloved social dance teacher, has the blessed ability, good heart, and talent to make each and every student of any age, level, ability, and persuasion, feel confident, make progress, get in touch with their individual self expression, and learn the basics and many great moves of all popular forms of social dance. As the executive artistic director and co-founder of the BCCA, and also as a life-long dancer, choreographer, and instructor of many styles and fusions of classical, folkloric, and modern genres of solo and partner dances, I can wholeheartedly say that Liz is the best social dance instructor I have ever met!

Liz has made an art of distilling the essence of every ballroom dance and many other social/popular dances into palatable forms, in combination with a great taste for music, and an ability to show both the fun, cardiovascular, rhythmic, and classy nature of every dance, and over the years, Liz has always been my first choice to recommend a social dance instructor to those interested!

Dan Yonah Ben-Dror Marshall, choreographer for Walt Disney's "The Finest Hours"; Executive Artistic Director, BCCA

Your relaxed, fun and inviting way makes it so easy for us to participate, learn and have fun. Everyone commented on how you were such a wonderful salsa dance instructor.

Sharon Bueno Washington, Jamaica Plain, MA

A family member gave us 3 private dance lessons as a wedding present a few months before our big day. We were nervous for our first dance, and we also were initially nervous about these dance lessons! Would we be the worst students Liz had ever had? Would she be able to teach us in 3 hours to look good on the dance floor? After the first five minutes with Liz, we knew our worries were completely unfounded; she is truly wonderful. Unbelievably to us at the time, dance lessons with Liz became the part of wedding planning we most looked forward to, and the lessons are one of the parts of the process we remember with the greatest fondness. Needless to say, we highly recommend Liz and Out to Dance!

Julie Bowerman, Somerville, MA

Not only did I get better at swing dancing, I got better at dancing in general! Liz built up my confidence in moving my body to music such that I felt more comfortable no matter the style of dance.

Mike S., Boston, MA

Who knew that two novice, nervous dancers would acquire enough skill and confidence to pull off a swing dance to Natalie Cole’s L-O-V-E as our first dance? Our family and friends cheered in the middle of it when we did the fancy move you taught us! We can’t thank you enough for helping us learn to dance, trust each other, build confidence, and then let go and have fun. We’ve never danced so much or had as much fun as on our wedding day- it was just what we were hoping for! We will be recommending OUT to Dance to everyone we know.

Jamie and Ashley Davis, Somerville, MA

Doing the private lessons before our wedding didn’t just teach us how to dance, it also provided a much needed respite from the chaos of planning and preparing. We would be super stressed out and grumpy when we arrived and then your happy spirit and the joy of moving would inevitably seep into us and we’d always leave smiling and relaxed. Many people think the dance is a nerve wracking bit of the wedding event, especially if you “can’t dance.”

Learning your dance seems like an impossible task when you already have so much to think about, but this was the exact opposite of our experience. We didn’t learn a choreographed dance, we just learned how to move together and a few steps to do so with “flair.” Ultimately, on the wedding dance floor we weren’t dancing, we were just spending time together, alone in the middle of the party, taking a break and enjoying each us other’s company as newlyweds.

It was possibly the best part of the event and I am 100 percent sure this is because of the way you approached teaching us. Thank you!!!!

Angela H., Boston, MA

Liz Nania is a gentle, playful and highly skilled dance instructor. If you think nobody could teach you to be a fancy dancer, she will change your mind!

Kathleen Sands, Boston, MA

Taking these dance lessons literally changed my life.

Eileen Thurston, Hyde Park, MA

Liz is quite simply the best dance instructor I’ve ever had. Whether in a group setting or in a private lesson, she gives excellent instruction, and is always positive and encouraging with students of all levels.

Ailsa Wu, Lexington, MA

Liz is an exceptional dance instructor. I have hired her extensively over the last 2 years for special events and she is top notch! A joy to work with and she makes everyone feel like they could be on Dancing with the Stars!

Kristen Porter, Boston, MA

Jess and I had an extraordinary wedding! Our dance was most beautiful and magical. Thanks for all your teaching and coaching – it made a difference in the way we are together!

Michael Lynch and Jessica Day, Newton, MA