By Nanette Wiser
If you’re a dancing queen…or king, here are some of our favorite spots from St. Petersburg to the beaches. You can take a class, join a club, go alone or with your dance partner. Corey Avenue Market, 1st Friday events in downtown St. Pete, and Seminole City Centre and the upcoming April Blues Festival will draw out the dancers. The best part? Dancing is good for your mental and physical health! Check out our faves. (Be sure to follow them on social for event listings and hours; some are weekend only for dancing.)
In St. Petersburg
Dozens of bars with music beckon dance fans, including The Ale & The Witch, Bayboro Brewing, Grand Central Brewhouse, Cage Brewing, Jannus Landing and more. Stylish clubbers flock to Amorama Latin Nightclub, Blur Nightclub, L8 Night Flights and Club Storm. Latin-flavored cocktail lounge COPA serves Afro/Cuban/Latin dishes with hot musical nights that include Sunday jazz (Latin, flamenco, gypsy), salsa and get your dance groove with weekend DJs. Enigma Bar & Lounge features top DJ’s and recently hosted a Lady Gaga Mayhem release party. These cool cats celebrate the musical tastemakers who fuel our dance fever. The Estate features mind-blowing audio-visuals, VIP experiences and the best of Copper Shaker’s spirited adventures. Floridian Social Club mixes up the week, with Latin music, Emo, Martinis & Gentlemen Prefer Blonde theme party, a speakeasy as well as Bryan Hughes and The Crew Sunday evening and BoHo Sideshow Sunday afternoons. Goodnight John Boy is the ultimate “Staying Alive” disco joint, with VIP experiences and bottle service for boogie nights…and we hope they bring their Gong Show back monthly. There’s live music nightly at Ruby’s Elixir Jazz & Blues with the beloved Family Funk on Sundays.
On the Beaches
We are looking forward to the return of Jimmy B’s and dancing at the tikis and hotels. For now, sashay over to Branzini, Paradise Grill (PAG), Isla del Sol’s Deck Bar & Grill, Daiquiri Shak, CJ’s Backstage, CoCo Crush IRB, Crabby Bills IRB, Island Grill & Raw Bar Tierra Verde, Clearwater Beach’s Shepherds (and Evy’s when it reopens), 82 Degrees, and OCC Roadhouse. For country, check out the One Night Stand, Cowboys Dance Hall, and Welcome to the Farm.
DANCE CLUBS, CLASSES + STUDIOS
Show off your moves at Savoy South Dance Hall (4350 16th St. N) and enjoy East Coast swing, ballroom and more. Suncoast Ballroom teaches foxtrot, waltz, Latin dance, quickstep, West Coast swing for any level and hosts tea and social dances. For lessons and social dancing, check out Corinne Rungo’s Dance Depot and Pasadena’s Fred Astaire Studio. You can find meetups on Facebook which take place everywhere from Bardmoor to Tuesdays at The James. On Fridays, there’s a public party at the Bayou Dance Club, where you can sign up for merengue, hustle, rumba and more.