Junior Ballroom Latin. Rumba & Cha Cha for kids.
The dances kids see on Dancing with the Stars, taught the real way at Chicago's home for ballroom and Latin dance since 2003. Two classes by age. One hour a week. A December showcase on our floor. And for dancers who want it, a shot at the Windy City Open.
- Two age groups · 6–9 & 10–14
- Tuesdays · 4:30–5:30 PM
- Sept 1 – Dec 8 · 15 classes
- $300 prepay or monthly plan
- 14 dancers max per class
The one kids dance class the North Side doesn't have.
Ballet, tap, and hip-hop are everywhere. Junior ballroom Latin, the competitive style danced worldwide, isn't taught anywhere else in the neighborhood. Rumba and Cha Cha build musicality, posture, coordination, and confidence, and they open the door to a sport kids can grow in for years.
Rumba
We start here on purpose. Rumba is the foundation of all the Latin dances. It is slow enough to learn correct technique, weight transfer, and timing from day one. Every dance your child learns after this will be built on Rumba.
Cha Cha
Once the Rumba basics are in their feet, we speed things up. Cha Cha takes the same figures and adds the playful, syncopated rhythm kids love. By December, your dancer will perform both.
Pick the class that fits your dancer.
Both classes meet at the same time with their own teacher and their own room. Both learn Rumba and Cha Cha, perform in the December showcase, and can train toward the Windy City Open. The difference is the pace they move at.
Juniors · Ages 6–9
A playful introduction to real ballroom Latin. Rhythm games, basic figures, and correct fundamentals from the very first class, built for young dancers with no experience.
Preteens · Ages 10–14
A faster paced class for older beginners who can dig into technique: Cuban motion, timing, styling, and performance skills. This is the class for dancers with their eye on the competition floor.
Every class builds toward something.
This isn't drop-in dance. It's a season with a beginning, a stage, and for dancers who want it, a competition floor.
Rumba fundamentals
Basic figures, Latin rhythm and timing, posture, and floor presence. Small class, real technique, lots of encouragement. No experience or partner needed.
Cha Cha & showcase preparation
Dancers add the Cha Cha and rehearse two short routines, one in each dance, for the winter show.
Costume & showcase fee: $100, billed in OctoberThe Winter Showcase
Classes wrap on Tuesday, December 8, and the following Sunday every dancer takes the floor. Each student performs two numbers, their Rumba and their Cha Cha, alongside performances from our adult students and instructors. Drinks and snacks are provided, and families receive photos and video of the show afterward. Costumes, music, applause. The real thing.
The Winter Open
The first stop for dancers who catch the competition bug: an NDCA Dancesport competition in the Chicago area where our juniors can take their Rumba and Cha Cha onto a real competition floor.
Optional · Additional entry fees applyThe Windy City Open
Dancers who want to take it further can train toward Junior Solo Star Latin single-dance events at the Windy City Open, one of Chicago's premier NDCA ballroom competitions. Solo events mean your child competes individually, so no partner is required.
Optional · Additional entry fees applyFrom first class to competition floor.
Dancers who want to compete have two Chicago area events to aim for. The Winter Open, an NDCA Dancesport competition, comes first at the end of February. The Windy City Open follows and draws ballroom dancers from across the country to Chicago every spring. Its Junior Solo Star Latin events are built for young dancers taking their first competitive steps: a single dance, danced solo, judged and awarded like the pros. Our instructors have decades of competitive experience and will prepare interested dancers for the floor.
Winter Open · February 28, 2027 · Windy City Open · March 29, 2027Competition participation is completely optional. Every dancer's season ends with the December showcase; the competitions are there for those who catch the bug.
Two ways to pay. Both simple.
Pay by the Month · $320 total
Billed automatically at the start of each month, priced by the number of class weeks in that month:
| September | 5 classes | $105 |
| October | 4 classes | $85 |
| November | 4 classes | $85 |
| December | 2 classes + showcase | $45 |
Season Prepay · $300
Pay the full fall session (September 1 – December 8, all 15 classes) up front and save $20 per dancer. One payment, no monthly billing, your dancer's spot locked through the showcase.
Sibling discount
Each additional child saves $15 every month of the plan, or pays $240 on the season prepay. Siblings can enroll in different age tracks.
Costume & showcase fee
Billed in October for every dancer. Covers your child's costume, the showcase production, refreshments, and the photos and video your family receives after the show.
Each class is limited to 14 dancers so every child gets real attention. Because the curriculum builds week to week, enrollment closes after the second week of classes on September 8. Semester prepayments are non-refundable after the second week of class except for medical reasons or relocation. Competition entry fees are separate and only apply to families who choose to compete.
Taught by people who actually dance this.
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Ballroom is our specialty
We've taught ballroom and Latin dance in North Center since 2003. Rumba and Cha Cha aren't a side offering here. They're what this studio was built on.
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Instructors who train competitors
Our teachers bring decades of competitive and social dance experience. The same instructors who train adult competitors will be teaching your child correct technique from the very first class.
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A neighborhood studio
Second floor at 3868 N. Lincoln Ave., easy for families in North Center, Lincoln Square, Roscoe Village, and Lakeview.
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A path, not just a class
Showcase in December. Competition in March for those who want it. New dances each season. Your child can grow here for years.
What parents ask us.
How does billing work?
Which class is right for my child?
Does my child need any dance experience?
Does my child need a partner?
What should my child wear?
Is the competition required?
Can I watch the class?
Reserve your child's spot for fall.
The class builds from the first week, so everyone starts the season together on Tuesday, September 1. Spots are limited to 14 dancers per class and fill on a first-come basis.
Dance Center Chicago · 3868 N. Lincoln Ave., 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60613
dance@dancecenterchicago.com