The Des Moines Dance Scene
The Des Moines dance scene is diverse; many different styles are actively danced with thriving communities surrounding and growing each style of dance. In fact, the dance scene is so diverse, one community member remarks that it takes time to find the one that fits you best. Spoiled for choice, there’s always a place to dance to whatever you’re in the mood for.
Another community member recommended several of the more prominent communities. Join Heartland Swing if you’re in the mood for some swing dancing. Des Moines Ballroom is the place to go for the traditional dance styles. Miss Kitty’s country bar out in Clive has a thriving Latin community. And if you’re in the mood for something old-fashioned, the Polka Club of Iowa is your ideal fit.
Despite describing the many dancing communities across Des Moines, the community member lamented that there weren’t many opportunities to experiment with niche dance styles, such as the Viennese Waltz or Argentine Tango. However, Des Moines’ dance scene is very welcoming to new styles. New communities are known to crop up around specific dance styles, such as the various West Coast Swing communities across Ames and Des Moines.
With so many communities and dance styles, there is a thriving dance scene in Des Moines. What’s perhaps even more exciting is to see a community that appreciates all dance styles begin to emerge, tying the distinct communities together. This community, the Des Moines Social Dance group, began only a year ago, but has since exploded to several hundred members.
Des Moines Social Dance Community
When speaking with Michael Davis, the founder of the Des Moines Social Dance group on Facebook, he relayed that there were many reasons why the group was created.
Originally, the idea was to create a space for people who were traveling to Des Moines to see what dance events were available while they were in town. It quickly grew to become a space for new dancers living in and around Des Moines to find dance groups that they could participate in. Today, barely a year later, the group has evolved into a network of dancers supporting each other across Des Moines. Michael described this community as a dance family.
The characteristic of Des Moines’ dance communities as diverse and welcoming to new styles directly feeds into the success of the Des Moines Social Dance group. The group is an avenue for dancers to embrace the diversity of dance styles and communities, to bring all the styles and dancers together. Most importantly, though, it is a space for new dancers to learn and belong to a community.
