Downtown Los Angeles · Los Angeles
Downtown LA's dance ecosystem is unusually institutional. Three of the four active studios sit inside organisations larger than themselves — a 1950-founded music conservatory, a professional ballet company performing exclusively to live music, and an internationally directed contemporary company that opens its studio for community classes. The fourth is a Historic Core social-dance studio teaching Argentine Tango, salsa, and bachata for adults. There are no generalist children's recreational studios in DTLA; the institutions cover the pre-professional and child-track work, and the social-dance studio covers the adult community-floor work.
Where they sit: Bunker Hill, across from Walt Disney Concert Hall (Colburn on South Grand, ACB at Bank of America Plaza on South Hope) · Arts District, east of the river on Washington Boulevard (L.A. Dance Project) · Historic Core, South Spring Street (Let's Dance DTLA).
Three Downtown institutions running pre-professional pathways alongside community classes. The Colburn School is a 1950-founded performing arts conservatory whose Trudl Zipper Dance Institute teaches from age three through adult, with the audition-based Colburn Dance Academy training pre-professional Balanchine-style ballet. American Contemporary Ballet is a professional ballet company at Bank of America Plaza — the only LA company performing exclusively to live music — with affiliated Trainee and Training programs for dancers aged eleven to twenty-two. L.A. Dance Project is choreographer Benjamin Millepied's nonprofit contemporary company, opening its Arts District studio for community ballet, contemporary, improvisation, and somatic classes taught by company artists.
Downtown Los Angeles
Ages 3–19
Downtown LA conservatory offering pre-professional ballet through the Colburn Dance Academy and broad children's and adult dance classes via the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute.
Downtown Los Angeles
Ages 11–22
Downtown LA ballet company with pre-professional Trainee and ACB Training Programs, the only LA ballet company performing exclusively to live music.
Downtown Los Angeles
Benjamin Millepied's contemporary dance company in the DTLA Arts District, opening its studio for community ballet, contemporary, improvisation, and somatic classes.
Let's Dance DTLA is a Historic Core social-dance studio for adults — Argentine Tango, salsa, bachata, waltz, rumba, and cha cha across group classes, private lessons, and practicas. No partner required; the format rotates leads and follows through the room.
Downtown Los Angeles
Historic Core social-dance studio offering Argentine Tango, Salsa, Bachata, Waltz, Rumba, and Cha Cha group and private lessons.