Best Places To Go Dancing In Minnesota
Lift your mood with happy feet. Dance is the ideal social activity to build confidence, break the ice with new friends and pave the way to meet new friends. Everyone enjoys the excitement of dance and dance music. It is a whole-body workout that builds confidence, improves your heart, builds strength, helps build balance, endurance and fitness.
Best Venue for Live Music And Dance
First Avenue
701 1st Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-8388
www.first-avenue.com
An internationally recognized, independently owned and operated music venue, First Avenue is housed in what once was an abandoned Greyhound bus station and now features two separate performance areas. The First Avenue Mainroom boasts two levels, a 1,000 square foot dance floor, six different bars and 1550-person capacity. Pick a dance night, as the club does concerts, video premiers, fashion shows, political events, book launch parties and everything that matters in the Twin Cities.
Best Latin Dance Club
Conga Latin Bistro
501 E Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 331-3360
www.congalatinbistro.com
Grab a seat by the dance floor and feel the energy of the colorful Latin beats. You will not sit still the entire night. The dance club schedules bands on certain nights and live DJs on others. Check the schedule online to know when your favorite music is playing. You will find live Flamenco music and dance in the midweek. Weekend nights rock with Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia Merengue and Reggaeton style of music. The food is an eclectic mix of Spanish, Mexican, Latin American and Caribbean cuisine called Nuevo Latino Cuisine.
Twin Cities Biggest Line Dance Party
Starks Saloon
3125 Dodd Rd.
Eagan, MN 55121
(651) 454-8251
www.starks-saloon.com
www.facebook.com
Dates: Every Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. at 8:00 P.M.
Price: $5.00
Five bucks gets you four hours of dancing to country music by DJ. People pack the bar every Wednesday night for "Keeping it Country." Start with line dance and country two step lessons every other week at 7:30 p.m. "Thursday is your best shot if you are new to line dancing," says Ken Douglas, who organizes the music events at Starks. Thursday nights are all lessons. Beginners start at 7:00 p.m. Intermediates start at 8:00 and end at 9:00 p.m. All for a $5 cover. No Registration required. Come every other Friday for the Twin Cities Biggest Line Dance Party. The club welcomes those under 21 before 9:00 pm. Go to Facebook to get the schedule.
Swing Night On Thursdays
Wabasha Street Caves
215 Wabasha St S
Saint Paul, MN 55107
(651) 224-1191
www.wabashastreetcaves.com
Dates: Every Thursday at 6:00 P.M.
Price: $8.00
We have been dancing the Lindy Hop and derivatives like the Shag, Balboa or Lindy Charleston since the 1930s. Learn how from an Arthur Murray Studio instructor at 6:15 and then Jitterbug to live, big band music from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Every week of the month features a different band in rotation, including The Moonlight Serenaders, The Minnesota Jazz Orchestra, Beasley's Big Band and Swing Beat. Wabasha Street Caves brings in special bands on fifth Thursdays like Jerry O'Hagan Orchestra, Bend in the River Big Band, and Red Rock Big Band. Swing Night has been popular for all ages, as many younger dancers like to boogie too.
Related: Best Swing Dance Clubs In Minnesota
Best Dancing For The Under 21 Crowd
Barfly
711 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 333-6100
www.barflyminneapolis.com
www.facebook.com
Barfly is a trendy dance club destination that welcomes 18 to 20-year-olds. It is housed in the Skyway Theatre complex, a major music venue in the Midwest with total capacity of 1,800. Minors are allowed to mingle with the dance crowd every week from Tuesday through Saturday by sporting a big "X" on their hand. Leave your grubbies at home, as the posted dress code is casual chic. Boogie to the latest of techno and dub-step artists. Get on down to DJs playing all time dance anthems, the latest dance tunes, mashups and electronic music. Check the events page on Facebook for current information on scheduled entertainment.
Related: Best Minneapolis Dance Clubs
Robin Johnson was born in Annandale, Minn. and graduated from Richfield High School and then the University of Minnesota where he studied Political Science, Business and Industrial Relations. A writer for Examiner.com, he also consults with a variety of organizations and individuals helping them develop and grow. His work can be found at Examiner.com.
