You are allowed to be a beginner
Adult classes at Dancemania are not children’s classes with taller people in them. The pace is different, the explanations are fuller, and nobody is working towards anything they have not asked to work towards.
No experience needed. No partner needed. No one is watching you — everyone else is busy counting.
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Beginners welcome
Adult Ballet/Lyrical
Classical ballet and expressive lyrical for adults, at a pace that assumes you have a job, a body that has opinions, and possibly no ballet since you were nine.
Adult ballet is not a children’s class with taller people in it. The pace is different, the explanations are fuller, and nobody is working towards a grade unless they specifically want to.
What most people actually come for is posture, strength and an hour where their phone is in a bag on the other side of the room. Those are excellent reasons.
What to expect
- A proper barre, taken at a sensible speed, with the terminology explained rather than assumed.
- Centre work and short travelling sequences — no pressure to perform.
- Strength, posture and flexibility that you will notice outside the studio within a few weeks.
- Absolutely no expectation that you have done this before.
What to wear
Leggings or joggers and a fitted top. Ballet shoes if you have them, socks if you do not.
When and where
- Wednesday 6.30pm – 7.15pm · St Kenelm's Hall, Minster Lovell · Kelly
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Beginners welcome
Adult Beginner Tap
Tap from the very beginning, for adults. The most fun you can have while counting, and genuinely good for your brain.
Tap is the adult class people are most sceptical about and most likely to stay for. It is rhythmic, it is loud, and it asks your feet to do something your brain has not agreed to yet — which turns out to be extremely satisfying once it lands.
No previous dance experience of any kind is needed.
What to expect
- Tap technique and terminology from step one — beginner really does mean beginner.
- Rhythm and timing work, broken down until it clicks.
- A routine built up gradually across the term.
- A room full of people who were also nervous at their first class.
What to wear
Tap shoes and comfortable clothes. If you are not sure about buying shoes yet, come in hard-soled shoes for the first week and see how you feel.
When and where
- Tuesday 8.00pm – 8.40pm · Burwell Hall, Witney · Kelly
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Open level
Adult Jazz & Commercial
Choreography, energy and a proper sweat. Commercial jazz for adults who want to dance rather than exercise.
This is the class for people who miss dancing, or who have watched a music video and thought I could probably do that. You probably could, and this is where you find out.
The choreography is real commercial material and the energy is high, but the teaching assumes adult bodies and adult schedules. Come as often as you can manage.
What to expect
- A warm-up that doubles as a conditioning class.
- Commercial and jazz choreography that changes regularly.
- Technique taught alongside the routine, not instead of it.
- Permission to go full out and not be self-conscious about it.
What to wear
Trainers and whatever you can move in.
When and where
- Monday 7.30pm – 8.15pm · Burwell Hall, Witney · Megan
- Tuesday 7.15pm – 8.00pm · Burwell Hall, Witney · Kelly
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Beginners welcome
Adult Heels
Commercial choreography danced in heels — technique, control and a great deal of attitude. Beginners genuinely welcome.
Heels is a technique in its own right. Dancing in them changes your balance, your weight transfer and the line of everything you do, so the class starts by training for that rather than pretending it does not matter.
After that it is commercial choreography, performed with the confidence the shoes are supposed to give you. It is one of the most popular adult classes we run, and almost everybody in it started as a beginner.
What to expect
- Ankle and core conditioning specific to dancing in a heel — this is taught, not assumed.
- Commercial heels choreography, built up across the class.
- Work on posture, weight transfer and confidence.
- A supportive room. Nobody is watching you; they are all busy counting.
What to wear
A block heel you can stand in comfortably to begin with — stilettos are not required and not recommended for a first class. Knee pads are welcome.
When and where
- Monday 8.15pm – 9.00pm · Burwell Hall, Witney · Megan
Questions adults actually ask
Our adult classes are welcoming, inclusive and suitable for all abilities, from complete beginners to those with previous dance experience. Our friendly teachers will work with you at a pace that feels comfortable, helping you build confidence and enjoy every class. Tutorial videos can also be provided for extra support and practice at home, so you can learn at your own pace.