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No doubt you have driven by the building’s glass facades, and odds are you stare at them each time you drive by, maybe to the point of fender-bender. You are drawn to the windows and are fascinated by all of the people dancing in front of the mirrors inside. You likely think, “What makes people want to do this?”

Maria LaNave, a relatively new instructor at the studio said, “It is natural for everyone to dance. If you can walk, you can dance.” With this motto, she has been a favorite of students at the studio. She specializes in private lessons with men and couples and will teach any kind of dancing from ballroom to salsa. Maria never turns away beginners, no matter how horrible they may think themselves to be.

“You don’t have to be born with the talent; no matter what level you are at, you can get better,” LaNave said.

Why do people dance? “For fun, to exercise, to meet people. It is a great social place; anybody can come,” she said.

In fact, every Friday the studio has a public party at 9 p.m. All people are welcome, no matter what their skill level. While the instructors cannot guarantee these students will always get the girl, they can guarantee that the lessons will be fun and the student will improve in dance ability.

What about the ladies though? It is commonly thought that women just love to dance and are born with more talent to dance than guys, but is this really true? Definitely not. Many women are just as unfamiliar with dance as their male counterparts.

“I would definitely give consideration to signing up for classes here; however, I would prefer to take a class with people similar to my age group, rather than middle to older aged men and women,” said University of Minnesota first-year Justine Gilbertson.

There is a tendency for older-aged men and women to be in classes at the studio, and there is no definite reason for this. It is perhaps because younger people (under 30) may be preoccupied with other things.

Many types of dance are taught at the studio, with the waltz, tango, salsa, and swing being among the most popular. The styles offer many classes, from beginner to advanced levels. These classes, usually taught in groups, generally have a divide of men and women, about eight each per class. You can attend these classes for as many sessions as you want. You can pay per class or sign up for a package.

Upon first impression of the studio, beginners may feel nervous and intimidated. Two of the dance floors face the busy street, so the students are often self-conscious the first few lessons. There are two walls of mirrors inside the rooms as well, which also may add to the nervousness. The tendency, however, is for students to get into the “groove” of things within three classes; they start to ignore the road and the constant traffic on it, as well as forget about the mirrors.

There is not only dancing for those individuals who can walk. Babies can dance too. Recently incorporated, “Baby Ballroom” has started classes this past month and is exactly what the name implies. A parent brings their child (newborn to 2-years-old in age) to class, and the baby serves as the dance partner.

There is interest in this class too. It has two levels of skill: beginning baby ballroom, and for those exceptionally talented babies, advanced baby ballroom is an option.

The studio does more than simply teach dance; instructors perform for outside parties too. It is common for a selection of skilled dancers to perform for business conferences, often with more than one thousand people in the audience. The routines performed frequently involve only a few dancers, usually as couples. The dances are complex, fast and flashy, and the crowd loves them.

If you are interested in taking lessons, take a drive down Snelling to 99 N. Snelling. The studio offers a free 25 minute introductory lesson, so if you just want to check out the place without committing to anything, you are in luck. The phone number is 651-641-0777; call if you have any questions, or go to www.dancersstudio.com.