Beginner-friendly ballroom, all over Hawaii
Come dance with us. No partner, no experience needed.
Learn waltz, swing, cha cha and more in relaxed eight-week classes taught by patient, trained instructors. Then put it to use at chapter parties and socials, where everyone gets asked to dance.
New classes start every January, April, July and October. Register online or just show up in the first two weeks.
$60 or less
gets a brand-new student started: membership plus eight weeks of class
1959
Teaching Hawaii to dance for over 60 years
8 chapters
Six on Oahu, one on Maui, one on Hawaii Island
300+
members who dance together
501(c)(3)
Volunteer-run nonprofit
How to get started
Three easy steps to your first dance
You don’t need to sign up online first, buy special shoes, or bring a partner. Here’s how most of our members started.
1
Pick a chapter near you
Each chapter meets one evening a week at a community park, temple hall or studio. Choose the night and neighborhood that fits your week.
Most Oahu classes run 7:00 to 8:30 pm.
2
Register online or in the first two weeks
Classes start fresh each quarter. Register online ahead of time, or come to either of the first two sessions, sign up right there, and pay your dues and class fee.
Wear comfortable clothes and smooth-soled shoes. No rubber slippers.
3
Learn two dances in eight weeks
Every quarter your chapter teaches two dances, step by step, at a conversational pace. By week eight you’ll be ready for the floor at any party or social.
Partners may rotate in class, and singles are always welcome.
Next session begins in October.
Registration is open now for October, November and December classes.
Why people keep coming back
Good for your body, your mind, and your social life
Stay active without a gym
Ninety minutes of gentle movement, balance and memory work each week. Our mission is healthy minds and bodies, and it shows.
Truly affordable
Membership is $20 a year and eight weeks of two classes is $40. That’s less than a single private lesson almost anywhere else.
Make real friends
Three hundred members across the islands, potlucks, holiday balls and chapter socials. Many of us have danced together for decades.
Patient, trained teachers
Our volunteer instructors train through the Telemark program and teach an easygoing American Social style, not competition drills.
“HBDA is the best organization to belong to because their teachers are so patient, kind, and talented.”
An HBDA member
What you’ll learn
Sixteen dances, two at a time
We teach the American Social style: relaxed, conversational, and made for real dance floors.
Waltz
Foxtrot
East Coast Swing
Cha Cha
Rumba
Tango
West Coast Swing
Nightclub Two Step
Swing Hustle
Viennese Waltz
Bolero
Samba
Merengue
Bachata
Mambo
Salsa
Highlighted dances are the ones most beginners start with.
Your first class
What to expect when you walk in
Most new students are nervous the first night. Here’s what actually happens.
✔ You’ll be greeted by name.
A chapter officer signs you in, collects your registration, and introduces you around.
✔ Everyone starts with the basic step.
The instructor demonstrates, then the whole room practices together. Nobody is singled out.
✔ You may dance with several partners.
Many chapters rotate partners during class. It speeds up learning, and it means singles fit right in.
✔ Assistant instructors circulate to help.
Most chapters have two or three helpers on the floor, so you get individual attention.
✔ You’ll leave knowing one real dance pattern.
And by week eight, two complete dances you can use at any wedding, party or social.
Plain pricing
$60 or less to start
The class fee is always $40 for eight weeks. Membership dues cover the year from April through March and drop by $5 each quarter, so the later you join, the less you pay.
| When you register | Dues | Class | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| April to June | $20 | $40 | $60 |
| July to September | $15 | $40 | $55 |
| October to December | $10 | $40 | $50 |
| January to March | $5 | $40 | $45 |
Register online or in person during the first two weeks of class. Questions? Ask any chapter officer.
Chapters
Find the chapter closest to home
Every chapter is run by its own volunteer officers and teaches the same HBDA curriculum. Pick the evening that works for you and just come.
Oahu
Mondays · 7:30–9:00 pm
Aiea Chapter
Aiea Hongwanji Mission
99-186 Puakala St, Aiea
Tuesdays · 7:00–8:30 pm
Manana Chapter
Breene Harimoto Manana Community Park
1310 Waimano Home Rd, Pearl City
Wednesdays · 7:00–8:30 pm
Kapolei Chapter
Makakilo Community Park
92-1120 Makakilo Dr, Kapolei
Thursdays · 7:00–8:30 pm
Nuuanu Chapter
Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin
1740 Lusitana St, Honolulu
Fridays · 7:00–8:30 pm
Dance Studio Chapter
Destination Dance Hawaii, Studio B
98-019 Kamehameha Hwy, 2nd floor, Aiea
Maui
Tuesdays · 6:00–8:00 pm
Central Maui Chapter
Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Omori Studio
1 Cameron Way, Kahului
Hawaii Island
Tuesdays · 6:30–7:30 pm
East Hawaii Chapter
Hawaii Island Adult Care, Sunshine Wing
561 Kapuna Pl, Hilo
About HBDA
Where dancing begins, since 1959
Eugene and Harriet Ichinose founded the Hawaii Ballroom Dance Association to make ballroom dancing fun, affordable and available to everyone in Hawaii Nei. More than six decades later, HBDA is one of the largest dance organizations in the state, run entirely by volunteers and instructors who came up through its own classes.
Our dance program is led by Dance Director Romeo Quemado and Associate Dance Director Miriam Quemado, with instructors trained through the Telemark program. HBDA was nominated for Best Ballroom Dance Lessons in Honolulu Magazine’s Best of Honolulu awards, and we’re still going every week.
Have a question? Just ask.
Call or email and a real HBDA member will get back to you. Or come to a class and ask in person. We’d love to meet you.
Hawaii Ballroom Dance Association
Oahu (808) 282-9888 · (808) 781-2076
Maui (614) 975-9127 · (808) 385-8881
Hilo (808) 935-9807
Email romeocquemado@yahoo.com
Studio 98-019 Kamehameha Hwy, Ste 211A/212A, Aiea, HI 96701
