Mobtown Ballroom & Cafe — Restaurant in Baltimore

As fun at it looked...dancing was just not my thing. That all changed this year when the notion of how much fun going dancing was continued coming up.

Finally, I decided to jump in... with both left feet.

I was pointed towards this reputable (and seemingly popular) dance hall/instruction studio, The Mobtown Ballroom.

So I signed up.

I had no idea what to expect. The first class I had was on a Monday night. It was a drop-in special... "Learn how to Swing Dance!" It was a rudimentary class. A basic step, how to hold your partner, a couple basic hold, and a couple spins.

The instructors, Michael and Nina, were not only knowledgeable.. but they brought a tremendous amount of humor and fun to each class they lead. They have no problem showing over and over again what things look like along with hopping into rotation and giving one on one time with everyone. These guys really make this fun.

I found out at the end of this class that Monday nights they have a social dance directly afterwards. It was then that I was able to use my new basic knowledge to dance with a couple people. It was fun... but I still had a long way to go before being comfortable.

I decided to go ahead and sign up for their more "advanced" class... the Lindy Hop. A quicker paced version of swing. It is a 6 week course with the same instructors.

Now, I am in my 4th week of the classes and I have picked up a lot of great basic steps, turns, transitions, and swings.

Last night was my first social dance with a live band. It was a blast! Throughout the night I asked and was asked to dance with many people. Each song had a similar, but different feel. I got to try out everything from slow and bluesy... to songs with a very quick tempo. I was a great lead with girls who where great followers and saw plenty of room for improvement when I danced with girls who were better dancers, but often expected me to lead them as a more experienced dancer.

I watched as the people who have been doing this a long time made everything look smooth and easy.

I can see myself really picking this up. I have been told often that I am doing very well for how little a time I have been dancing. So my confidence remains high.

There were a couple dances last night that it was clear that I was a novice... but every now and again I pair up with a girl who followed well and made the dance and everything I did look like I knew exactly what I was doing.

It was those dances that let me know... I might just get the hang of this thing.

The night ended with the same type of flair that the best dancers brought to the floor.

As the band started its last set, the entire room gathered in a hurried pace to a circle around the middle front of the dance floor. Two by two, experienced doubles swung out from the crowd and held it down for a few dazzling moves and disappeared back into the crowd making way for the next two. The room filled with clapping and stomping to the beat of the drums, hooping and hollering, whistling and yelling after each mini performance.

Then it got better... with the wave of a single hand the entire ballroom rushed the stage while the band continued the high pace jam.... stomping and clapping ensued with each member of the band wailing away. Like a orchestral conductor, a couple guys at the front of the crowd raised their hand to single the crowd to go into a soft clap/stomp as each solo member took the spotlight.

The whole room had a intense in-sync hop as the drums went crazy... the floor was hammered and you could feel the room shake to the beat....we were all quietly hopping in place to the fevered pace..... just when you thought it could get no quieter, the trumpet and drums lit up, causing the whole place to burst into a massively loud stomp and clap.

It quickly turned from a dance hall to a rock concert, with the visiting band from Seattle, center stage.

After the last song... the entire crown bursted into a thunderous applause and the night came to an end.

All in all.... It was pretty...

I have been taking aerial classes here for about a year and a half. I have had many different instructors and different apparatuses. The instructors are knowledgeable and safety is the priority. The director is easy to communicate with and very responsive. They offer classes for children as well. It is an old church, so the ceilings are nice and vaulted. The crash mats are nice and thick maybe 8 in height opened all the way, and have recently been upgraded. I have fallen on the mats a few times without experiencing any kind of injury or pain. I would highly recommend taking the workshops when they are offered so that you can try out different apparatuses of interest, but don't write off an apparatus too early- I ended up really likely ones I thought weren't for me and disliked initially. I did three months of aerial silks and sling at another studio before COVID, but, unfortunately, the studio closed during lockdown. I am glad I found Mobtown ballroom as I have branched out to other types of aerial art. I wish I had found it sooner. They offer wheel classes too, German wheel and Cyr wheel, which I have never seen offered in other studios...

Mobtown has fun and friendly dance nights for a small door fee on Mondays and Fridays. I recommend going for the drop-in lessons beforehand, which are great for learning a few steps and meeting your fellow dancers. Alternatively, you can sign up for their group lesson package which is VERY reasonable (something like $12 a lesson when you do the math which is less than a dinner out).

The owners and staff place an emphasis on having fun. Their philosophy is that dance is a social and living art form, so the steps and rules are there to help the dancer and not to browbeat people with. You are also expected to be courteous and respectful of your fellow dancers, which has always been my...