Beginner Dance Classes Online

You don't need to know what you're doing before your first class. Start with online dance classes you can pause, slow down, and repeat, so you build real foundations and walk into your next class with confidence.

Browse beginner classes See plans and free trial

Being a beginner is not the problem

The hardest part of starting dance is rarely the steps. It's being dropped into fast choreography before you understand rhythm, weight shifts, direction, or how to learn movement at all. That's how most people decide they "can't dance", when really they started in the wrong place.

DancePlug has taught dance online since 2008, and our beginner classes are built to give you that missing foundation. They don't replace a teacher in the room who can see and correct you. They give you a private place to learn, repeat, and get comfortable, so your next studio class feels like a step forward instead of a test.

At a glance

Start at: basic if you've never taken class, beginner if you have
Practice: two or three short sessions a week
Gear: a clear floor and comfortable clothes
Ages: classes are best suited to dancers 12 and up

Basic or beginner: which level first?

DancePlug classes run across four levels: basic, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The first two are easy to mix up.

If you're unsure, take one of each. If the beginner class feels like chasing the video from start to finish, spend another week or two in basic. Not every style has basic classes. Contemporary starts at beginner level, so many dancers begin with hip-hop, jazz, or ballet and add contemporary once the fundamentals feel steady.

Basic

Classes break fundamental steps and concepts down slowly. Start here if you have never taken a dance class, or if counting music and following movement still feels unfamiliar.

Basic classes

Beginner

Classes assume you can follow along at a moderate pace and put simple steps together into short combinations. Start here if you have danced a little before, or once basic classes feel comfortable.

Beginner classes

What to learn first

Counting music

Find the downbeat and count in eights. Almost all class choreography is taught this way.

Weight shifts

Knowing which foot your weight is on is the difference between getting stuck and flowing into the next step.

Posture and alignment

A stable center makes turns, balances, and quick direction changes possible.

Direction and facing

Knowing which way to face and travel. This is why following the back view helps so much at the start.

Memory in small pieces

Learning one eight-count at a time is a skill in itself, and it gets faster with practice.

How to take an online class as a beginner

Watch a section once without dancing. Just notice the counts and the direction of travel.
Switch to the back view and follow along at a slower playback speed.
Loop the section until you can do it without checking the screen on every count.
Return to normal speed, then join it to the next section.
When you can get through the whole class, take it again on another day. The second time is where it starts to feel like dancing.

Anh's Basic Ballet Class #1 with Anh Dillon

Try it with Anh's Basic Ballet Class #1 from DancePlug co-founder Anh Dillon.

A four-week starting plan

The goal of the first month isn't to learn the hardest choreography. It's to build timing, coordination, confidence, and a way of practicing you can keep using for years.

Week one

Two or three basic classes in a single style, with a short warmup before each.

Week two

Retake your favorite class from week one and add one beginner class in the same style.

Week three

Focus on repetition. Pick one class and retake it until you can dance it through at full speed.

Week four

Film yourself, compare with the mirror view, and decide whether to stay at this level, move up, or try a second style.

A checklist for every class

The four-week plan tells you what to take. This is how to take it, so a class becomes training rather than watching.

Before: clear the floor, then watch the first section once without dancing.
During: practice smaller than you think you need to, until the pathway is clear.
After: write down one thing that improved and one thing to repeat next time.

That last habit is the one people skip, and it is the one that turns a class you enjoyed into a class you learned.

Practice safely at home

Clear a space and check the floor. Socks on tile or polished wood are one of the most common causes of slips.
Warm up before every class, even if it's only five minutes of gradual movement.
Match your feet to the style: clean sneakers usually grip well for hip-hop, while ballet slippers or bare feet suit ballet and contemporary on a safe surface.
If a movement causes sharp or joint pain, stop and skip it. You can always come back to it another day.

DancePlug classes are best suited to dancers aged 12 and up.

When you're ready for the next step

At some point you'll start wanting feedback no video can give you, and that's a great sign. Try a drop-in class or a beginner course near you. You'll arrive knowing how class works, how to count, and how to pick up movement, which makes the experience far less intimidating.

If you're starting as an adult or coming back after time away, our guide to online dance classes for adults covers training around a busy schedule and looking after your body.

Learn from the instructors

Start slow with Ben Bigler

Ben Bigler has toured with Cher and appeared on shows including HBO's Westworld, and his basic and beginner classes break movement down into clear, manageable pieces. Start with his warm-up, then learn the exercise and combination below.

Teaching completely fills my soul. What I love most is teaching dancers over time and watching consistent growth in their performance and technical abilities.

Ben Bigler, in Why You Should Keep Showing Up to Class!