Business Details
21 Years
experience
Your Premier Dance Studio in Louisville for Ballroom, Salsa & More
Dance Louisville has been transforming lives through dance for over 17 years. Founded in 2005 by 5-time world champion Brian Barakauskas, our studio offers expert instruction in ballroom, salsa, swing, country, and Latin dances. With a team of award-winning instructors boasting over 100 combined years of experience, we cater to adults, children, and wedding couples. Our 2,500-square-foot facility hosts 36+ group classes monthly and has served 1,000+ wedding clients. Recognized as Louisville's friendliest dance studio, we emphasize community building through showcases, social events, and competitive programs.Our instructors, including UCWDC Hall of Fame inductees, combine global teaching experience with personalized attention. We maintain flexible scheduling with private lessons available 7 days a week and offer online learning options. Our commitment to quality has earned consistent local media recognition, including features in the Courier Journal.
Services
Ballroom Dance Lessons
Salsa Dance Instruction
Wedding Dance Preparation
Kids Dance Classes
West Coast Swing
Private Dance Lessons
Group Dance Classes
Online Dance Courses
Country Dance Instruction
Dance Showcases
Details
- Year established: 2005
Highlights and features
- 17+ years of dance instruction excellence in Louisville
- Award-winning instructors with 100+ combined experience years
- Offers 36+ group classes monthly across all dance styles
- Proven success with 1,000+ wedding dance preparations
- Recognized as Midwest's friendliest dance studio for 3 consecutive years
What people say
Felt comfortable dancing
Instructors are great
Wonderful experience
Great dancers
Cool place to learn
Services
Ballroom Dance Lessons
Our ballroom dance instruction covers classic styles including waltz, foxtrot, cha cha, and tango. Certified instructors teach proper technique and partner connection. Students benefit from structured curricula for both social dancing and competitive preparation. Classes available for all skill levels from complete beginners to advanced dancers.
Wedding Dance Preparation
Specialized wedding dance instruction helps couples create memorable first dances. Our instructors choreograph routines tailored to your song choice and comfort level. Packages include music editing, costume coordination, and unlimited practice sessions. Over 1,000 couples have perfected their wedding dance with us since 2005.
West Coast Swing
We offer comprehensive West Coast Swing instruction from basic patterns to advanced styling. As home to the world's largest WCS YouTube channel, our certified instructors use proven teaching methods. Classes focus on musicality, connection, and versatility across multiple music genres for both social and competitive dancers.
Kids Dance Classes
Our youth programs teach ballroom, hip hop, and tap to children aged 3-18. Classes develop coordination, confidence, and social skills in a fun environment. Instructors with dance education backgrounds create age-appropriate curricula. Performance opportunities include biannual student showcases and competition teams.
Salsa Dance Instruction
Expert salsa instruction covers New York style, LA style, and casino rueda. Certified instructors emphasize proper timing, partner connection, and cultural context. Group classes and private lessons accommodate all experience levels. Students gain skills for social dancing and performance settings.
People
Brian Barakauskas
Owner, Master Instructor
5-time world champion dancer with 25+ years teaching experience across 23 countries. Inducted into UCWDC Hall of Fame in 2017. Founded Dance Louisville in 2005 to make dance accessible to Louisville residents.
Emily Larsen
Master Instructor, Manager
BA in Dance from University of Texas at Austin with 13+ years ballroom experience. Joined Dance Louisville in 2014, specializing in creating welcoming environments for new dancers while managing studio operations.
Megan Anderson
Master Instructor
Professional dancer since 2004 with competitive success in ballroom, country, and Latin styles. 2015 UCWDC ProPro Female World Champion. Combines ice skating background with dance expertise in her teaching approach.
Minh-Tuan Nguyen
Instructor
Former Louisville Ballet company member with 6 years professional dance experience. Teaches ballet foundations for dance technique. Focuses on movement education and injury prevention for social dancers.
Brook Jenkins
Instructor
Active member of Louisville dance community specializing in wedding choreography and new student instruction. Also performs as DJ for Derby City Bop events, connecting social dance communities.
Questions
What dance styles do you teach?
We offer ballroom, salsa, swing, country, and Latin dance instruction including waltz, foxtrot, cha cha, West Coast Swing, and bachata.
Do I need a dance partner?
No partner required for any classes. Singles and couples welcome, with partner rotation during group lessons.
Are there age requirements?
We teach ages 3+ with kids classes starting at 3 years old and adult instruction for all experience levels.
Can you help with wedding dance preparation?
Yes, we've taught 1,000+ couples their first dance. Packages include choreography, music editing, and unlimited practice sessions.
What should I wear to lessons?
Comfortable clothing that allows movement. For ballroom styles, leather-soled shoes recommended but not required.
Do you offer online learning options?
Yes, we provide virtual dance instruction through our complete online learning platform accessible from any device.
Videos
Reviews (7)
Michael Hayden
Feb 01, 2022
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Wow! At first impression I thought it may be a little dorky. Man was I wrong. Smart, vested and caring instructors! Megan Anderson was outstanding, and great personality. First lesson ever, left knowing a few salsa steps. Great experience. Big fan and will be going back! Highly recommend
Molly Murtaugh
Oct 13, 2019
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We took private lessons with Megan at Dance Louisville to learn a surprise swing dance to perform as our first dance at the wedding, and it was such a fun & rewarding experience! If you're looking for a unique bonding opportunity with your fianc in a fun atmosphere with a supportive instructor, Dance Louisville is a great place to go! (You can even grab a beer next door at the local brewery after your lessons! My husband loved that!) We enjoyed Dance Louisville so much that we plan to keep going back!!
Melanie K.
Jan 28, 2019
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Pretty affordable and great for making friends! We found Dance Louisville on Meetup.com. Every Sunday at 4pm/5pm they offer beginners ballroom classes. The types of beginner classes change monthly. For January they offered Tango and East Coast Swing. You can do one class for $10 or two classes for $15. Dance Louisville has additional group classes a couple nights a week and they also offer private lessons. After your first group class you can even get a 30 minute private dance lesson for free! Our instructor very friendly and easy to follow. You learn leader steps, then follower steps, then
Megan A.
Sep 12, 2017
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My father and I had the pleasure of taking Dance Lessons for my upcoming wedding at Dance Louisville with Kelly. Wow! I cannot recommend Kelly enough. I cannot recommend this studio enough. The woman who answers the phones (Joanne-- spelling?) is amazing. She scheduled around my dad's and my schedule with ease. My father lives in Columbus, OH and round tripped the drive twice a week for our hour lesson (and dinner/lunch). Joanne had no problems scheduling in advance for this! My dad and I are not the most rhythmic individuals, but Kelly was there to always encourage us. We did the 10 lesson
Brandon Meeks
Jun 21, 2017
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Been coming for nearly three months. To the point. Dance Louisville is great. The staff are friendly and experienced, the atmosphere is one of support and encouragement, and the students are good about welcoming and dancing with new people. The pricing packages are great for new students, giving you enough group classes and private lessons to decide which pricing options best fit your dedication and skill level as you progress further. If you are a casual dancer looking for a fun night out, the parties are a great way to spend an evening socializing. If you are an experienced ballroom dancer, there
Shanz Yoga
Dec 24, 2016
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I started taking lessons at Dance Louisville about 2 years ago. I live an hour and a half from the studio but I couldn't imagine going anywhere else. I began taking both group and private lessons. They offer great instruction and a wonderful atmosphere. After my first class, I was hooked. I began to perform at the summer and winter showcases, which are always a highlight of the year for me. Dance Louisville has so much to offer. I have never loved dance this much! Dance Louisville is truly the studio of my dreams.
Ginger Johnson
Oct 20, 2016
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Discovered Dance Louisville back in Jan and have made several trips from St Louis to Louisville to work with this awesome team. They are warm and friendly and certainly knows their stuff. Every session makes me want to move there so I could take even more lessons! I plan on being a part of this group in the years to come as I improve my dancing. I recommend them to anyone wanting to learn to dance for fun or competition. They are the best and Louisville is one lucky town to have them there.
