Getting your body moving is always a good idea, especially at a young age! Whether it is rock climbing, jumping at trampoline parks, or swimming at the many community pools in and around New Orleans, kids need to do some physical activity to strengthen their muscles, stimulate their motor skills, and benefit their health.
Children are natural dancers regardless of their ability, but if they’ve found a true passion for dancing, maybe it’s time to enroll them in a dance class for kids. However, with so many prestigious dance schools in the area, the choice can be a daunting one.
To simplify it and allow you to focus only on selecting the appropriate class that best suits your kids’ tastes, we’ve gathered some of the best dance classes for kids in New Orleans. Take a look at our extensive guide so you and your little one can decide which one is perfect for them!
Most Popular Dance Classes for Kids in New Orleans
1
New Orleans Dance Academy
Classical ballet, flamenco, jazz, tap, and even hip-hop dance classes for kids are some of the genres your little ones can explore at this New Orleans academy. They also offer Story Time Ballet dance classes for kids (young ones) and all levels to put their skills on display at the Annual Spring Performance!2
Dancing Grounds
This school offers dance classes for kids in New Orleans. Students can choose from contemporary, modern, and many more styles, including hip hop dance classes for kids of different ages! Dancing Grounds is also a top school for ballet classes for kids. For a more comprehensive program, they provide summer camps, workshops, and field trips.3
Off Broadway Dance Studio
For over 40 years, this studio has provided dance classes for kids through a variety of genres, including Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, and Contemporary; you can even enroll your toddler ballet dance class (Tiny Dancer)!4
Passion Dance Center
Dancers as young as 3 years old can join this dance center for ballet, tap, jazz, tumbling, contemporary, and hip-hop dance classes for kids. They offer a youth program that allows students to graduate after 12 years of training, as well as an internship program and other options to suit your experience.5
Art In Motion Dance Academy
Art In Motion Dance Academy delivers some of the best dance classes for kids in New Orleans! Students can enroll in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, and Pointe while developing artistic expression in a family-friendly environment. Plus, dancers get to perform at many events throughout the city! The academy welcomes children starting at 3 years old.6
New Orleans School of Ballet
This school specializes in classical ballet dance classes for kids and offers a comprehensive program for ages 18 months and up. Top ballet instructors from the Preparatory Program, the Conservatory Program, and the Pre-Professional Training Program teach at this school. Kids can also sign up for private instruction to reinforce balance, alignment, and coordination skills.7
Imani Dance Academy
From jazz, ballet, tap, acrobatics, hip hop dance classes for kids to cheering and majorettes, students will explore different styles at a young age. Classes are provided in small groups to focus on their individual needs. They also offer mentoring programs and summer camps!8
Mari Milnar Dance Academy
This location offers Creative Movement classes for ages 16 months to 2 years and Tiny Stars and Shining Stars for higher levels. For ages 8-12, the Show Stars program offers jazz and ballet dance classes for kids, while ages 13 and up can participate in the Advanced Stars program.9
Metropolitan Dance Theatre
With 22 years of experience, this family-friendly studio offers dance classes for kids in New Orleans, including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, pointe, jazz, ballet, musical theater, and acro. They welcome young dancers as young as 3 years old.10
Tari's School of Dance
Tari’s School of Dance teaches technique, balance, and timing through unique dancing classes for kids.Some of the genres that young dancers will get to experience include tap, pointe, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, acro for gymnasts, tumbling, and ballet dance classes for kids.11
The Studio School of Dance
This amazing school offers a variety of dance classes for kids including Mommy + Me, Creative Movement, Petite Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Tumbling, Ballet 1, and Ballet 2. They also offer The Academy program for 8 to 17-year-olds, plus a Tumbling Program for dancers to explore gymnastics! You’ll also get a free dance class for kids (new students only).12
Lelia Haller Ballet Classique
Your children will learn many unique styles of classical ballet at this school. They will perfect their core stability and movement as well as their musicality and physicality skills at many different levels. Lelia Haller Ballet Classique also offers jazz and tumbling lessons for children ages 6 and up. Overall, this is a great place for ballet dance classes for kids in New Orleans!13
Hazel's Dance Academy
This family-friendly dance academy, which offers dance classes for kids in New Orleans, has more than 20 years of teaching experience. From ages 3 to 16, little dancers explore their artistic side through Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Creative Movement, Modern, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, and Ballroom.14
Winter Dance
Young dancers as young as 12 months can join the Winter Dance Academy. The dance genres and styles taught here are quite diverse, ranging from creative movement, jazz, cheernastics, ballet, tap, to hip hop, liturgical/mime, contemporary, and lyrical. The academy also offers summer camps, annual dance recitals, and even free classes for kids (Ballet/Pre-Point only).Nowadays, kids tend to focus on entertainment in the virtual world, leaving reality behind. We can allow them to explore an area of interest that may grow deep within them and find a passion in it. Coding classes are perfect for kids who are really into gaming or computers, and if you have a toddler who loves to doodle, art classes are also great.
The same goes for dance classes. Most academies offer many different genres and styles of music, even some that go beyond classical, like Bollywood dance classes for kids, and more! In the end, what’s important is that your child exercises both mind and body; with that, happiness will follow!
