Being active is healthy for everyone, at every age. Active fun activities for kids can give them all the health benefits, and kids don’t even realize they’re exercising. This can be the case with dance.
Dance classes offer kids an opportunity for creative expression and fun, cardiovascular exercise, lung capacity and muscle building, not to mention mental health benefits.
Participation in group dance or music classes contributes to social development, as dance involves both personal and group participation. Students learn routines and perform them with their peers, fostering teamwork.
So prepare your little ones with comfortable clothing that allows for easy movement and appropriate footwear (or none, depending on the style), and enroll your little dancers in one of the best dance classes for kids in Boston!
TOP 20+ Dance Classes for Kids in Boston, MA
1
Urbanity Dance
When looking for dance classes for kids, this school is truly one of a kind. With three studios in the South End, children of all ages and experience levels can enroll in a variety of styles and genres, including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, creative movement, and hip hop classes for children.2
Tony Williams Dance Center
Home of the Urban Nutcracker and the City Ballet, the Tony Williams Dance Center offers a wide range of kids’ dance classes. Among the most traditional styles are contemporary, jazz, modern, tap, and ballet lessons for beginners. They also provide acro and hip hop dance classes for children in the region.3
Mass Motion Dance
Mass Motion Dance offers several toddler dance programs. One highlight is the Tiny Tots class, which introduces young movers to basic coordination exercises, stretching and flexibility development, music appreciation, and a foundational hip hop dance class featuring age-appropriate music and moves.4
Boston Ballet
The Boston Ballet School has been a leading dance education institution in New England for nearly 70 years. There are programs for every age, including the children's program (16 months to age 7), the classical ballet program (ages 8-18), adaptive dance (ages 2+), and adult dance programs for ages 16 and up. Look no further for ballet dance classes for kids in Boston!5
Joanne Langione Dance Center
If you’re looking for the best dance classes for kids in Boston, specifically for toddlers, look no further! From Early Childhood Movement to the signature School for Excellence, JLDC classes nurture talent at all ages. The Playdance program is perfect for babies and toddlers, helping them develop physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.6
Greater Boston School of Dance
The Greater Boston School of Dance features celebrity-status professional instructors and a fun and fully equipped dance studio. More specifically, they offer ballet classes for kids in Boston of all skill levels. Here, you'll discover competitive dance teams for kids, providing them with the opportunity to prepare for a bright future in dance.7
The Dance Inn
The Dance Inn offers various levels of dance classes based on age. Each class is designed to meet its students' individual needs while considering their emotional maturity, attention span, and developmental stage. This dance school also offers modern, contemporary, and hip hop classes for children.8
Koltun Ballet academy
Koltun Ballet Academy offers instruction in both classical and contemporary ballet styles for children ages 3 to 9. Their classes emphasize a fun learning experience while instilling discipline. Additionally, the Academy provides an advanced dance class for kids in Boston, designed to develop aspiring ballet dancers.9
All That Jazz Dance Studio
All That Jazz offers several dance programs for kids near Boston. The GROW WITH US! program features age-based classes designed to help young movers discover the joy of dance as a creative outlet. As dancers grow, they also gain knowledge and skills in preparation for single-style classes in the EXPLORE WITH US! school-age dance program at All That Jazz, starting at age 7 and above.10
Spotlight Dance Academy
Spotlight Dance Academy stands out for offering online dance classes for kids. They even have a virtual dance studio where kids can learn everything from ballet to hip-hop. Spotlight’s instructors are highly qualified both in-person and online, so parents can feel comfortable with live instruction.11
Crystal Joyce Dance Academy
Is your kid into hip-hop or jazz? Look no further than Crystal Joyce Dance Academy! They offer a variety of classes, including acrobatics, pointe, lyrical/contemporary dance, and ballet lessons for beginners. You can enroll your child in various age-based programs like Dance with Me! and Kinderdance. This academy also offers creative movement sessions in Boston.12
Star Dance School
This is the perfect place for your little one to study ballroom or modern dance. Star Dance School features private dancing classes for kids in Boston and group classes, both offered in competitive and social ballrooms.13
Hip Kids
This dance studio offers toddler dance programs. Not only that, but the curriculum includes dance techniques, music essentials, and more! Although they do not offer free dance classes, they do have affordable pricing options that would allow families to save money in the long run.14
Velocity Dance Company
Velocity Dance Company is one of the best dance studios for kids in Boston. Here, your kid can learn modern and contemporary dance moves from expert instructors. The studio goes beyond traditional ballet, acro, jazz, and pointe classes. What’s more, they do not see themselves as a competitive dance studio; instead, they focus on building self-confidence in their dancers.15
West Roxbury School of Dance
The Westbury School of Dance has been in business since 1984, offering dance classes for children ages 3 and up in classical ballet, lyrical ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. All children’s classes culminate in an annual recital in May. Be sure to check out their curriculum when looking for the best dance classes for kids in Boston!16
The Dance Complex
The Dance Complex features several programs, from Saturday dance workshops to youth and teen classes. For example, they offer Kindermusik, which is an early childhood music and movement program that believes every child is musical and every parent is their most important teacher. Children will enjoy powerful learning through musical play.17
UpTown Dance Center
Whether you are looking for a once-a-week class or an intensive program designed to put your child on the path to a professional career, Uptown Dance Center is for you! The center offers co-ed classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and tumbling.18
Acrobatic Rock-n-Roll Academy
Kids who have a lot of energy, love music, dance and movement, and want to learn gymnastics, acrobatics and tricks will have a blast in these classes! Acrobatic Rock-N-Roll Academy offers unique dance classes for children that combine dance moves with acrobatics and partner work!19
Deborah Mason School of Dance
You'll find a variety of unique dance classes for kids in Boston at this school. For the little ones, the Basic Beginnings program for ages 3–7 includes multiple options such as Creative Dance (ages 3–4), Tap/Musical Theater Combo (age 5), Tap (ages 6–7), Musical Theater (ages 6–7), and ballet lessons for beginners.20
Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre
The Young Dancers Program is the JMBT's year-round training program for students ages 3-18, with studios in Harvard Square, Cambridge, and Dorchester, Boston. The program welcomes students to join a truly personal and productive community that provides the most enjoyable and effective training in ballet, ensuring that all students excel technically and artistically beyond their expectations.21
Mini Movers Studio
Mini Movers Studio is an on-site dance studio offering dance classes for kids in Boston. It fosters an inclusive, nurturing, and fun environment for children of all backgrounds, while instilling confidence and creativity in young movers!Through dance, we connect with our bodies but also with something else that drives us on an emotional level. For some reason, when we dance, we feel joyful, as if we are enjoying the moment. This is why encouraging emotional and physical development, something that also happens with yoga and martial arts, is so important for the little ones.
So now you know! If you’re looking for the best dance classes for kids in Boston, any of these studios and dance academies offer a variety of styles and rhythms. Now let the music play and get dancing!