• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism Logo

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism

Travel, Hotel and Visitor Information

Bellingham Outdoors Animated Logo
  • Home
  • Places to Stay
    • Hotels / Resorts
    • Vacation Rentals / Bed & Breakfasts
    • Camping / RV Parks
    • Hotel Packages / Special Rates
    • Park n’ Fly Hotel Packages
  • Places to Eat
    • Restaurants
    • Craft Breweries
    • Wine, Spirits & Wineries
    • Coffee Shops & Sweets
  • Things to Do
    • Events Calendar
    • Annual Events
    • Agricultural
    • Attractions
    • Bicycling
    • Bird Watching
    • Cannabis
    • Casinos
    • Fishing
    • Golfing
    • Hiking
    • Itineraries
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Parks & Playgrounds
    • Running
    • Scenic Drives
    • Shopping
    • Snowsports
    • Spas & Health
    • Theaters & Music
    • Tours
    • Water Adventures
    • Summer Activities
    • Fall Activities
    • Winter Activities
    • Spring Activities
    • Whatcom Arts Project
  • Outdoors
    • Bicycling
    • Bird Watching
    • Fishing
    • Golfing
    • Hiking
    • Parks & Playgrounds
    • Running
    • Scenic Drives
    • Snowsports
    • Water Adventures
  • Getting Here
    • Maps
    • Ground Transport
    • Air Transport
    • Water Transport
    • US/Canada Border
  • Blogs
  • Communities
    • Bellingham
    • Birch Bay
    • Blaine
    • Downtown Bellingham
    • Fairhaven Historic District
    • Ferndale
    • Lummi Island
    • Lynden
    • Mt. Baker
    • North Cascades
    • Point Roberts
    • Sumas
  • Media
    • Media Request Form
    • Articles & Coverage
    • Press Releases
    • Photo Contest
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Weather
    • Request Information
    • Jobs & Volunteer
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Industry Resources
    • Membership
    • Member Directory
    • Services
      • Event Planning
      • Relocation
      • Business
      • Education
      • Financial
      • Medical
      • Out of Area
Home / Insider Blogs / 10 Dance Venues in Bellingham and Whatcom County You Need to See

10 Dance Venues in Bellingham and Whatcom County You Need to See

By Lorraine Wilde / January 13, 2020

It was writer and educator William Purkey who said, “You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there nobody’s listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” Luckily, when you come to Bellingham and Whatcom County, it’s pretty easy to find a place to get your dance on.

Whether you see dance as exercise, a way to meet new people, or just a whole lot of fun, our area has several options that will have you gliding (or stomping) across the dance floor. For help on this article, I consulted my fellow Bellinghamster and talented friend Damian Cade who has competed nationally and internationally and has been teaching dance since 2009. Damian’s favorites are swing, lindy hop, charleston, solo jazz and balboa. 

To start, check out the Dance in Bellingham website for the latest up-to-date information. The site has a directory of dance clubs and groups as well as a calendar that can be filtered by the type of dance (tango, swing, salsa, contra, ballroom, etc.). There you’ll find free meet ups, drop-in gatherings and a whole host of classes.

Below are just a few drop-in dance suggestions for you to explore, whether you’re flying solo, in town for business, spending an evening with your sweetie or painting the town red with your gals.

As always, it’s a great idea to check individual websites before you go in case details have changed or a meet up is occasionally canceled.


  • Bellingham Rapatroy Dance Whatcom County

📷 : Bellingham Repertory Dance


BhamHop

Damian and Bailey McCully are instructors with BhamHop and regularly teach scheduled classes in a variety of dances including swing and lindy hop at Presence Studio.

Drop-ins for any class are always welcome at a rate of $15 ($12 for students) and the price can be put towards the monthly series. Their social dances occur opportunistically, when a band and venue are available, so check their website when you know the dates of your next visit.


Swing at Makeworth Market

  • Mondays: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Swing dance every Monday night to a live jazz band at Makeworth Market. There’s no cover, and it’s a beautiful atmosphere in Bellingham’s downtown arts district. While you’re there you can try their premium coffee, shop for chic presents, or try some beer, wine, cider and small bites in the tap room. You might even bump into Damian since this is one of his new favorite places to dance.


  • Photo By Julia Phillips12
  • Photo By Julia Phillips17

📷 : Julia Phillips


Blues Fusion with Muse Fusion

  • First and third Saturdays: 7:30 p.m. – Midnight

On the first and third Saturdays of each month at Inspire Studio you can appreciate the social dance known as Blues Fusion. Blues Fusion pulls together elements of blues, swing, tango, Zouk, salsa, ballroom and others. No experience or partner is required.

The evening begins with a lesson and practical and then is followed by a social dance. All for just $5 to $12.


Salsa Night with Rumba Northwest

  • First and third Saturdays: 9:30 p.m. – Closing

Salsa can be such a fun, sexy and energetic dance and so is the Cuban dance music that accompanies it. My friends love how fast and loose the dance is, saying that it’s a great way to meet new people.

Salsa Nights meet in the downtown Bellingham all ages, authentic Peruvian deli Café Rumba. The evenings start with an intro to Salsa dance class and are followed by hours of salsa dance party to a great mix of Latin tunes.

Damian says, “Antonio and Heather are fabulous instructors and people, and their classes feel like social dances. I can’t recommend them enough.”

The cover charge is just $5 and beer and wine are available for those over 21.


Tango with Tango Popolare and Rebecca’s TangoLife

Tango is such a sensual ballroom dance. I love watching the romance as they glide across the floor. Luckily we have more than one option in our area. Check out All Bellingham Tango to see their calendar.

Every third Saturday, Tango Popolare offers a evening of Argentine Tango. No experience or partner is required. Held at Presence Studio, the evening begins with a free orientation class from 8 to 8:45 p.m. followed by an evening accompanied by a contemporary playlist of Traditional, Nuevo and Alternative tunes. The Milonga is just $10 which includes some snacks and beverages.

Rebecca’s TangoLife hosts weekly All Community Tango Practica on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Majestic. You can come an hour earlier for the lesson.


  • Tangolife By Dwayne Rogge (2)
  • Tangolife By Dwayne Rogge (1)

📷 : Dwayne Rogge


Club Dancing

If dancing with a partner isn’t your thing, there’s always dancing with your friends in Bellingham’s hopping night life. My gal pals and I go when we need to blow off some steam. We once celebrated a friend’s divorce by dancing the night away in several of these downtown clubs in Bellingham.

Rumors Cabaret is fun, centrally located downtown and unpretentious. You can dance into the night almost any night of the week to a DJ, bathed in a dynamic light show. This club is especially LBGTQ+ friendly and usually has an affordable cover charge (if any).

When you’re also in the mood for live music, you can dance during a show at Wild Buffalo, The Shakedown, or The Firefly. Choose your venue based on the kind of music you like to dance to.

Downtown Bellingham’s Wild Buffalo offers the widest variety of live music in our area. You can dance to reggae, hip hop, funk, soul, Americana, and electronic to name just a few. The dance floor is large, the sound is good and loud and some big names visit Bellingham on their way between Seattle and Vancouver. You’ll also see plenty of local performers and it’s usually quite a party.


  • Beats Antique At Wild Buffalo By Kenneth Kearney
  • Deadly D At Wild Buffalo By Kenneth Kearney Photography

📷 : Kenneth Kearney


The Shakedown is where to go for rock n’ roll, especially if you were ever a fan of 90’s grunge and other alt rock music. They also bring some big names to town while also being the go-to for local rock musicians. Co-owner Hollie Huthman was recently elected to the Bellingham City Council buoyed by support from the local music community.

The dance floor is always open and it can often become a mosh pit on the weekends.

The Firefly Lounge also has a comfortably worn wooden dance floor with a great view of the live band and occasional DJ. They host a wide variety of performers so check their calendar to find the right fit for you. Some nights are open mic, karaoke, singer songwriter, Celtic or sting band.

You can learn more about Bellingham’s other live music venues in my Insider Blog. – 9 Great Music Venues in Bellingham and Whatcom County.


Jazzercise & Zumba

If staying fit during your visit is your goal, I recently wrote about some of the ways you can stay healthy while visiting Bellingham and Whatcom County. But to use dance as your vehicle to fitness we have at least a couple options for you.

Both Jazzercise and Zumba offer options that allow you to drop-in on existing classes. If you’ve never been, you’ll see how much fun these aerobic and strength exercise dance classes can be.

Jazzercise’s One Week Trial pass is just $20 (plus tax). Their studio is located conveniently downtown. Ther crowd there is super positive and friendly and their post-workout photos prove that this dance burns calories.

Every level is welcomed and you don’t have to be a good dancer to enjoy the music and exercise of these classes. It’s a solid, fun work out. Love to Move Studioz on Iowa Street offers several Zumba classes each week. They offer a one-time $10 cash drop-in rate (excludes Yoga).

Of course, there are too many options to list them all here. Plan to try some of these dance options on your next visit.


Wwu Flicker, Taylor Dock

Want more Bellingham?

  • 5 Ways to Stay Warm & Active in Bellingham This Winter
  • Favorite 5 Fall Hikes in Bellingham and Whatcom County
  • Bellingham’s Makeworth Market a Welcoming Place to Chill
  • Waypoint Park: The Perfect Place to Start Your Waterfront Adventure in Bellingham
  • Year Round Hiking at Whatcom County’s Baker Lake

Share:

Filed Under: Insider Blogs Tagged With: Dance classes in Bellingham, dancing in Bellingham, Things to do in Bellingham, things to do in Whatcom County, where to dance in Bellingham WA, Where to dance in Whatcom County

About Lorraine Wilde

Lorraine Wilde has immersed herself in so many of Whatcom County’s vibrant communities over the past 25 years. Owner and Publicity Strategist for Wilde World Communications, Lorraine has connected with locals as a writer, actor, scientist, teacher, filmmaker, singer, and mom. Lorraine has performed improv and staged works in several of Whatcom County’s theatres and she is active in the Bellingham Film community. She is also a big supporter of the local music community. When she has a spare second, its spent with her children outside exploring a new adventure.

Footer

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229

Hours: Due to COVID-19, the Visitor Center is open limited hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10am-3pm. Masks required.

Phone: 360-671-3990
Email: tourism@bellingham.org

Join

Sign up to receive Bellingham Whatcom County events & information!

Share

site by highwaters.net