Who We Are
Des Moines Ballroom is proud to provide highly-qualified, professional dance instruction. Our instructors are experienced in various styles of social and competitive ballroom dancing and we are known for our inspiring attitudes to make learning fun.
Whether you want to learn for fun, perform in shows, or compete on a national stage, we are here to help you reach your goals!
Des Moines Ballroom has served the dancing community of Des Moines for over 30 years.
It began as a cohort of amateur social dancers who got together a few times a week to practice together and has evolved to a professionally run ballroom dance studio. In 2018 the studio moved from the original location on Douglas Ave. to East Village. In 2021, the studio expanded to a two-story building in the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood.
Meet the Instructors
Anne Bates
Lead Instructor &
Director/ Choreographer of Performance Teams
"I love watching the joy in people when they reach their goals, whether they are learning the basic, performing a routine, or competing at the highest levels."
- Anne
Joey Rochford
Instructor
"Turning first steps into smooth moves – it's my passion to help beginners find their rhythm on the dance floor!"
- Joey
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What should we wear for our private lessons?Be comfortable! Come in clothing that you can easily move in. If you are wearing special shoes for the wedding dance, we suggest you bring them to practice in.
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Do we need to have a song picked out?No, of course not! We can help with that too! If you do have a song picked out, we will help you determine what style of dance will work best for what you've selected.
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Will this be choreographed?Our priority is to teach you to dance with each other, which involves some lead and follow. But, we totally understand that your objective may be to wow your guests and we are all for that! We will ensure that your moves will be arranged so that you can remember what you need to do on the dance floor.
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Will you help us recreate something we saw on a video?We'd rather create something spectacular with you that will be viral-worthy, if that's what you're going for. Please keep in mind that our instructors are unable to completely copy from other sources.
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What if four lessons isn't enough?We have been doing this for quite a long time, and we find that the majority of our couples feel very prepared by the end of their fourth lesson. However, you can always add additional sessions as needed, or take advantage of our guided practice sessions for additional practice time.
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If we book the Gold or Platinum packages, do the group classes have to be completed before we can do our private lessons?No! Of course, this may be helpful in creating your first dance together if you already have some dance moves, but you can certainly take your course at any time, even after the wedding day!