Whether it is a 5-year-old girl who walks pigeon toed or a football player trying to increase his speed and flexibility, anyone can learn to dance. 

If you are looking for instruction for yourself or your children, there are a variety of places to fit most every need and dance style. Before settling on a school or instructor, here are some tips on finding the best dance school which best suites you.  

First figure out what kind of dance you want to learn. For some people, ballet is a good place to start because many other genres of dance originated with ballet. For those who want to express themselves through dance, jazz or modern dance is ideal.  

Next decide if you want to take individual or group lessons. Check out the Web sites of the schools and the instructors. Most any Web site will explain the dance philosophy and give information on performance possibilities. Some schools provide private instruction and group lessons while others focus on one or the other. Read the bios of the instructors and learn their teaching styles. 

Lastly, visit the school and take a complimentary class. Many area schools will allow you to try a class before making a commitment. Be sure to research all the potential schools in your area so that you know if the lessons are providing cutting-edge instruction. 

Before signing a contract, know what you are committing to. Be sure that if you PCS or move during the middle of a school year that you are under no obligation to pay off the remainder of the contract. Some schools have no contract and offer month-to-month lessons. However, a majority of the schools have to set their budgets and require payment in full if you withdraw before the year ends.

Below are some dance studios and schools in Pierce and Thurston Counties to check out.  Many of these schools offer special incentives for military children and adults. For more information, contact the school directly or visit the Web sites.   

Action Dance Academy
1010 S. 30th St., Tacoma
(253) 627-7837
www.actiondance.com

Children's Dance Theater
1811 Howard Rd. Ste. 100, Auburn
(253) 833-1891

Dance Academy at South Hill
812 39th Ave. SW #A, Puyallup
(253) 848-8876
www.thedanceacademy.wa.com

Dance Theater Northwest
2811 Bridgeport Way Test
University Place
(253) 778-6534
www.dancetheaternorthwest.org

Debbi's Dance Etc.
6715 Martin Way E, Lacey
(360) 456-6350
www.debbisdanceetc.com

Elite School of Dance, North
108 N. Meridian, Puyallup
(253) 840-3029

Friends of Youth in Dance
802 N 2nd St., Tacoma
(253) 230-3628

Harbor Dance
2615 Jahn Ave. NW, Gig Harbor
(253) 858-5550

Little Dancers
3929 N. Defiance St., Tacoma
(253) 752-7098

Ninth Avenue School of Dance
33639 9th Avenue South, Federal Way
(253) 924-0621
www.ninthavenuedance.com

Payette's School of Dance
15921 99th Avenue CT E, Puyallup
(253) 841-8830

Studio West Dance Academy
1025 Black Lane Blvd. SW Ste. 3b, Olympia
(360) 956-9378
www.studiowestdanceacademy,com

Tacoma City Ballet, Inc.
508 6th Ave., Ste. 10, Tacoma
(253) 272-4219
www.tacomacityballet.com

Washington Contemporary Ballet
4020 S. 56th Street, Ste. 105, Tacoma
(253) 857-7063