Best Dance Studio in Seattle

  As much as I love Seattle I am not sure if dance life is as rich here as in New York, LA or even Salt Lake City. Obviously, New York and Los Angeles are the best places for performers but why include Salt Lake? Well, being interested in modern dance I found that there is a bigger crowd of modern dancers in Utah than in Washington. Perhaps, the reason is that there are more affordable universities and colleges with very good dance programs in Utah. Unfortunately, there are not too many opportunities for dancers in Mormon state. Maybe, I am completely wrong but it's my opinion.

  In Seattle there are a few options for modern, contemporary dancers who are 18 and older and who don't intend to recieve education in dance. Three studios are worth your attention.
 First and my favorite would be Velocity Dance Center http://velocitydancecenter.org/ It's located on Capitol Hill and has a variety of classes (modern, jazz, contemporary, yoga, jazz funk, hiphop, Gaga) from beginner to advanced levels. Most of instructors also teach at UW (University of Washington).

  Second best would be Westlake Dance Center that is located in U District, north of downtown Seattle. http://westlakedance.com/ The classes are great there as well. Beginner levels in both Velocity and Westlake are super easy. Westlake has more classes scheduled than Velocity. Also, both studios don't charge much. Usually they charge about $10-$15/lesson. There is no registration fee because you don't have to register for a semester or a quarter. It's very convenient for our busy schedules.

I would rank Spectrum Dance Theatre third. It actually may be the best studio to go to in Seattle if you are serious about dance. It is way more expencive than the other two and you have to register. It is more of a school, not just a hobby. Even though the instructors are great Byrd himself doesn't teach much. He has enjoyed a long and varied career as a dancer and choreographer, with exposure to many different techniques, training styles, and performance venues. He has danced with Twyla Tharp, Karole Armitage, and Gus Solomons jr. He has choreographed close to 100 works.
 He travels a lot and writes about it in his blog. His name makes brings the studio new students. Most of the students are under 18. http://spectrumdance.org/