Ah, push it—push it real good!

Here are the two things I love most about college breaks: enjoying a home cooked meal (as opposed to grabbing gross dining hall takeout) and hittin’ the floor at my local dance studio to rock out to Ne-Yo’s latest song. For all you fellow college-goers, I know you’ll agree there’s nothing better than stopping by the original dance place that taught you to love leaping, jumping and grooving for an enjoyable, nostalgic-filled dance class.

After studying abroad in Italy and dancing in a foreign studio (and in a foreign language!), I waltzed into dance class at my Westchester studio, ready to feel in my element. There’s something so great about going back to a place you know. You’re familiar with the teachers, the dance styles, the classroom etiquette…I can totally take my own water break!

But after being in Italy’s intimidating environment, I felt almost too comfortable in my studio. Looking to once again put myself in a slightly more challenging dance situation, I headed to the streets of NYC with our DS Assistant Fashion Editor Lauren Levinson (fun fact: Lev and I have been dancing together since our high school dance team!) Last summer we hit up Broadway Dance Center for a rockin’ hip hop class, where I found it humbling to know that I can’t necessarily “pop n’ lock” like the best of them. But this summer we ventured off to the Upper West Side to Steps on Broadway. To anyone who has never taken dance in the city, here’s a piece of advice. There’s a bit of a discrepancy with definition of the dance levels in the city. Okay, fine a HUGE difference. “Beginner’s Class” in the city, for example, is by no means for a true beginner. In your local dance studio a beginner’s class may have been something you took back in the days while you were still sporting a pink tutu. But in NYC classes you ought to have years of dance training behind you to keep up with all the dancers who use these dance classes as jumpstarts for their careers. (The people who come in decked out in the coolest dance gear, just waiting to be noticed).

Well I will say Lev and I held our own. It was cool to be around all kinds of dancers and people from all over the country. It was really cool to pick up on a different kind of style than I am used to—more of a funk, street hip-hop. But the coolest part was to see that we were still able to shine in our own ways in the bigger, badder NYC class.

It may be a good idea to exercise a degree of modesty your first time in a NYC studio and opt for the beginner’s class, like we did, just to get a feel for the class (even though a great dancer like yourself might cringe at the word beginner). Yet after that first class, when you see that you can hold your own, go out there and nail the Advanced Beginner or even the Intermediate class! Because if I have learned anything while in Florence, true dance is one that challenges you and pushes you harder than you ever thought possible. And, hey if you are having a lot of trouble, at least your class will be in English!