From ‘Two Left Feet’ to 27 Hours a Week: How One Adult Student Found Her ‘Home’ at DJD

Walking into a dance studio for the first time can feel like standing at the edge of a cliff. It’s easy to convince yourself that you don’t belong, especially if you’ve never taken a class before. But DJD is a community dance school, and something that’s profoundly important to us is that everyone is welcome to dance, no matter their age or ability.

We have a place for professional dancers, but we also have a dedicated place for people with “two left feet.” The invitation to move here is never elitist or exclusionary. We don’t expect you to know anything about dance before you arrive. In fact, if you can tap your toes, snap your fingers, clap your hands, and bob your head, you’re already dancing.

Ready to start your own journey? View our adult class schedule. With the purchase of a $25 membership (which includes one free drop-in class) you can drop-in to any of our Winter Session classes, or register for our full Spring Session. Early Bird pricing for our Spring Session ends April 10th, so hurry!  Not sure which classes to take? Come to our $5 Class Week, April 27 – May 2, and pay $5 per class, for as many classes as you want! 

If you’re still looking for an excuse to put it off, you need to meet Aisha.

Aisha’s journey is the ultimate proof that you don’t need a background in the arts to find your rhythm. When she first discovered DJD back in 2023, a friend asked her to tag along for our “$5 Class Week.” At the time, Aisha was not a dancer. She had absolutely zero experience. It’s easy to assume you need prior “movement experience” to take a dance class, but at DJD, that couldn’t be further from the truth. We know how intimidating it can be to start, which is why we never want people to feel like they don’t know enough to walk through the doors.

Aisha decided it was easier to just take a class and experience it for herself. Her very first class was “Diva Styles,” and it was packed. Standing in the back of the room, not knowing exactly what she was doing, she felt a little irritated at first. But having a friend there to share the moment helped ease the tension. Her first impression of the DJD Dance Centre was incredibly positive; she thought the environment was pretty and absolutely loved the view from the studios. Instead of letting those initial beginner nerves win, she stayed and immediately took a theater dance class right afterward.

She kept coming back, and the commitment has been entirely transformative. DJD has changed her life “in all aspects,” impacting her both physically and mentally. Aisha had previously undergone two knee surgeries, and her surgeon explicitly recommended she get some exercise to aid her recovery. But traditional home workouts or gym sessions lacked the motivation she needed. More importantly, she was navigating a period of personal depression. Looking back, she notes that taking up dance and finding a community essentially “saved” her during that heavy time.

Today, she works a standard 40-hour work week, yet she manages to dance an incredible 27 hours a week! She dances seven days a week, relying on the convenience of DJD’s underground parking when she drives in, and occasionally grabbing a coffee at the Starbucks behind the Hotel Arts before class.

While it’s normal to feel nervous at the start of a class, Aisha has found that forcing herself to face those challenges leads to a massive sense of accomplishment upon leaving. She remembers one specific “aha moment” where she successfully pushed through a highly difficult sequence, feeling like she was “dying,” but still managed to reach the end of the combination.

That perseverance is supported by the studio environment. Aisha notes that the teachers focus heavily on encouraging people to engage and simply have fun. She specifically credits instructor Kristen, who offered a piece of advice that stuck with her: “This is your class. It’s your moment to enjoy. If you cannot do it, don’t do it”.

Once you’re in the classroom with our instructors, we will not only teach you how to dance, but we will also teach you the history of that dance style, the roots, where it came from, and where it’s going. For Aisha, this context has sparked a deep love for a variety of styles. Her weekly rotation now includes Bollywood, Afrobeats, and Heels. She also developed a new appreciation for the West African class, which she describes as “crazy” in the best way possible. Beyond taking classes, watching the DJD professional company’s performances has been “mind-blowing” for her, giving her an entirely new visualization and appreciation for traditional jazz dance.

While the back-to-back class schedule can sometimes make the student body seem “shy” or “reserved,” Aisha has built great friendships simply by consistently showing up to the same classes over time. That consistency is what has made DJD feel like “home.”

Aisha firmly believes that no one should ever say they are “too old to start” or “too busy to dance.” She did not start dancing until she was 25 years old. She points out that your mind decides a lot of things, and if you simply try your best, you’ll be surprised by exactly how much you can accomplish.

Your first step doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be a step.