371 George Street Fitzroy 3065 03 9415 7929 or info@bjsdancecenter.com.au

1/21 Reserve Road Melton 3337 03 9746 0788 or info@bjsdancecenter.com.au

Saturday Night Dance
Sunday Tea Dance

Learn to dance Salsa , Modern Ballroom , Latin American , Argentine Tango , Street Latin , Dancesport , New Vogue , Sequence /Oldtime , Social Dancing and more at Melbourne's friendliest Latin and Ballroom studio!

Fitzroy is located in the heart of Melbourne's cultural centre.

Melton is located in the western suburbs.

BJ's offers you the best dance instruction from the finest instructors.

IT'S ALL HERE! Great Classes, the Best People, Qualified Staff... Over 30 group dance classes each week.
Dance lessons for all levels, all styles, all ages
Private Lessons
Group_classes
Practice Classes Classes Melton, Practice Classes Fitzroy

No partner necessary Go to BJ's Coaches Corner below to meet us:

Modern Ballroom
Standard
Latin American
Social Dancing
Street Latin
Argentine Tango
Tessa Dodemaide
Rebecca Jones
Dancesport
Oldtime / Sequence Dance
Bob Courts
Ashleigh Geason
New Vogue
     
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Private lessons are booked at times convenient to you. Your teacher will instruct you in the dance or steps that you personally wish to learn.

Yes - more than one person may attend and the cost is then shared between you. If more than 4 people are in attendance then the lesson classified as a private group class and a cost per person attending is charged.

The advantages of private lessons are that you can be instructed at your own pace, at times that suit you, and with information that you personally require.

All teachers at BJ's Dance Center are qualified with the ADS or the FATD, and hold Dancesport Australia coaching accreditations.

The dance floors at all BJ's Dance Centers are shared floorspace and this includes private lessons . More than one class or teacher may be instructing at any one time.

Private start at lesson $56.00 per hour with 24 hours notice needed. Discount apply to members

     
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Medal classes are group learning process and are always based on social interaction. They can be a very effective way to learn to dance.

Classes are run on a 10 to 15 week program with the teacher ensuring that during these weeks you learn a variety of steps and dances to suit the level of the class.

At the completion of the course you will able to present the steps and receive a sash &/or trophy, with a critique proving you have completed that level.

Class times and particulars are studio specific and it is recommended that you visit FITZROY STUDIO or MELTON STUDIO web pages for times, styles & teachers.

Group classes start at $8.00 per 1/2 hour teaching class. Discounts apply to members.

     
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Each studio at BJ's runs a practice class at least once a week.

The classes always consist of stretching, Aerobic warmup, endurance work and personal development.

The class is hard work but always rewarding as you are asked to step out of your personal comfort zone.

This may seem difficult at first but as you progress and improve it become second nature to improve yourself.

     
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Coaches Corner

Sarah is a qualified FATD Student Teacher and a Dancesport Level O Coach. Demand for Sarahs time is high since completing BJ's Teacher Training Program. Sarah juggles part time teacher at BJ's Fitzroy, University and Competitive Dancesport.

Sarahs other role at the studio is to promote to our Schools program within primary and secondary schools.. Organisational skills, self motivation and love for dancing are her assets.

 
     
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Debbie has been teaching at BJ's for 3 years and we are proud to say started in BJ's medal classes and teaching program. Debbie is a qualified FATD Student Teacher & Dancesport Level O Coach.

Debbie teaches all styles and is available Monday to Saturday at Melton (except Wednesday). Wednesday Debbie is available at Fitzroy.

 
     
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Barbara has been dancing for long time and is a very experienced social dancer and ex-dancesport competitor. Barbara is a ADS student Teacher and Dancesport Coach.

This is probably why the Sunday Tea Dance is so popular with our clientele. Barbara's attentions to detail and need to ensure the people she associates with are happy make her so popular.

 
     
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Tessa has been a student of BJ's for many years. She started in the Friday Night Medal Classes and soon developed an interest in competition dancing.

Tessa also qualified as a FATD Student Teacher and a Dancesport Coach through the BJ's Teachers Program. While successfully studying at University (psychology), Tessa has become a very popular teacher with all her students.

 
     
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One of the studio proprietors. Rebecca is a qualified Level 2 coach and hold Licentiates in all dancesport styles.

Rebecca adjudicates on national panels throughout Australia.

 
     
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Ashleigh is a very successful dancesport competitor, a FATD Student Teacher and Dancesport Coach.

Ashleigh started when very young with BJ's (in the tiny tots Classes to be precise) and has developed a wonderful reputation as a teacher.

 
     
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Passionate about Dance, Dancesport and New Vogue. Bob is a major contributor to the development of competitive dancing in Australia.

Bob is only available for competitive couple lessons at very select times. Please contact us 03 9415 7979 to organise an appointment.

 
     
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Zac is our Friday night DJ and is currently studying to become a student teacher.
 
     
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Maria is a FATD student teacher and Dancesport coach. Marias enthusiasm and love of dance is so infectious. She is extremely popular as a teacher with all students at all levels.

Maria runs the babies classes, kids classes and teens classes on a Friday Night, they (and we at BJ's) all adore her.

 
     
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Steven is one of the studio proprietors and holds several licentiate qualifications.

Steven and coaches at both studios.

 
     
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Dance Style Profile

Smooth, graceful and full of old world charm this style is as popular as it has ever been. It comprises of several rhythms that are then split into 5 dances. The Modern Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz and Quickstep.

In the 1920s this style was developed (and basic techniques perfected) to enable this style to remain a standard to which most partner dancing styles aspire. Large dance floor, a keen sense of timing with a good understand of basics will have you moving around the dance floor in a few weeks.

 
     
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This fast paced, moving and sensual style was developed in the 1920s becoming very popular throughout Europe during the 1950s by Pierre in England.

This style's rhythms and ability to adapt to current music fashions makes it so appealing. Cha cha cha, Rumba, Samba Paso Doble & Jive are the Latin American signature dances. Smaller dance floors, mood lighting and someone else who has a passion the move in time to music is how you start.

 
     
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This style of dance is less formal and technical than Latin American. Street Latin is the commercial name given to this style including dances like Salsa, Merengue, Mambo & Lambada

The style was originated on the street of any city or town in the world. The rhythms are predominantly Latin American but with a new world twist. Always exciting and new it is the style most people are looking to start when they commence classes and specialise.

 
     
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This style is separated into the following categories:

Standard includes Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep. Latin includes Samba, Rumba, Cha cha cha, Paso Doble & Jive. New Vogue includes the fifteen championship New Vogue dances.

This is very much a performance-based dance style usually danced a competitions throughout the world.

The Next Lets Dance Competition

 
     
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Is a social dance and a musical genre that originated in Argentina and moved to Uruguay and to the rest of the world later on. It is commonly confused with Ballroom Tango, though this is a later derivation.
 
     
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A very popular style of dance danced at halls and venues around Australia.

With hundred of dances to learn and plenty of versions of them to go around it's a never ending job just keeping up with it!

The dances are usually easy to learn and we will have you dancing in no time.

 
     
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Is the name given to the 15 championship sequence dances. Medal dances at BJ's include all 15, plus a selection of old time and social dances.

This style accommodates all levels and is very easy to start and progress through. It is a cousin of Oldtime and Social Dancing. Very much the middle of the road between the two styles.

The music is becoming more top 40 as a wider variety of popular artists are producing music catering to the dancing scene.

 
     
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This style is always popular as it is fast paced and the music is always modern and top 40.

The dances are traditionally progressive (meaning changing of partners is required). This is also why it is so popular with  beginners, as they can quickly pick up the steps and  dance with experienced partners.

 
     
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The commercial name given to competitive modern ballroom in the 1990s. It's similar to Modern Ballroom, but with restrictions on choreography and rhythm.

It is danced as a part of the Dancesport competition scene and is affectionately known as the grand style of competition dancing. Two people moving as one unit - the couple need to use balance and natural laws of physics to move with varying degrees of speed around the room.

 
     
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This is one of the most popular social dances in Melbourne nowadays, as there are plenty of Latin clubs, and plenty of great Latin dancers! The cutting edge of development for Salsa music is in Fitzroy and Sydney, both areas with large Latin communities.

Salsa works on the basis of Mambo - a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. At this school, we call it Salsa if the pattern of steps begins on the "one" beat of the music, and Mambo if it starts on the "two" beat. Salsa is a more contemporary name for the same step pattern, and came about when dancers started mixing up Mambo with Ballroom Cha cha cha steps.

 
     
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