The best hip-hop dance classes in NYC

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (yes, the world-famous company) has dance classes of all kinds geared toward real people at Ailey Extension. Running the gamut from absolute beginners to dancers who are waaay more experienced than you are, students attend hip-hop classes here that promise popping, locking, breaking and more—and are taught by pro instructors. This kind of cardio? Yes, please.

There are many different levels under one roof at Broadway Dance Center. With two ranks before you even crack into beginner, there really is a class for everyone—all the way up to pro. The instructors, who are almost all working professionals themselves, teach fundamentals as well as the freshest trends in the industry. And though it’s a few notches above the basic level, the Hip Hop in Stilettos class is something we want in on before next Saturday night.

One of the largest dance studios in the city, Steps On Broadway has kept New Yorkers groovin’ since 1979, hosting up to 50 classes a day, seven days a week. If there’s anyone who can help you out of your Running Man rut, it’s the instructors at this place. Check the class-level key before you sign up to be clear on what exactly advanced-beginner hip-hop classes are (they’re for anyone with at least two years of training).

Owner and instructor Brandon Chow started this studio in 2010 for people looking to learn something new and sneak in some fitness. All ages and all ethnicities flock to the classes—suitable for complete newbies—for basic moves mixed with new tricks. Sign up for a single class or join a five-week course to learn how to nail a full routine. HHDJ even offers private lessons if you’re not quite ready to cabbage patch in public.

Think more fun, less fitness at DivaDance. Here, the focus is on self-confidence in movement and being free—you know, like that feeling you have when you put on headphones and have a private dance party in your bedroom to “Sorry” (not sorry). The classes are geared toward all levels, and you should absolutely hit up the Beyoncé Brunch, a once-a-month Sunday-morning class where you learn to move like Queen Bey.

Brooklyn-based Dancewave, a nonprofit dance center, hosts a Monday-night hip-hop class taught by Rolanda Ledain, an instructor with a cult following. (She’s worked on Shaggy’s music videos, so yea, she’s a pretty big deal.) Not only is it super high energy and geared toward all levels, it’s also super affordable at just $12.