Contemporary Dance Classes in Seattle, WA
Open-level contemporary, technique, improvisation and floor work in a light-filled Capitol Hill studio. Drop in, move honestly, leave lighter.
A Room for Moving Honestly
Driftform opened on 12th Avenue in 2018 as a home for contemporary dance outside the conservatory: a place where former ballet kids, curious beginners, working dancers and teenagers with big ambitions can all take class side by side.
Our teachers perform with Seattle companies and teach technique that respects bodies — floor work before flight, release before force, and improvisation as a skill rather than an afterthought. The studio is sprung, sunlit and deliberately quiet about mirrors.
- ✓Open classes for every level, seven days a week
- ✓Teachers who perform with Seattle companies
- ✓Sprung floor, big windows, curtains over the mirrors
- ✓Teen program for ages 13 to 17
Classes
Six ways in. Every class is 90 minutes unless noted.
Open ContemporaryAll levels
Our core class, taught every day. A warm-up on the floor, traveling phrases and a combination you'll dance by the end. Every level welcome — the teacher offers options throughout.
Contemporary TechniqueIntermediate+
A faster, more demanding class for intermediate and advanced dancers: spirals, off-balance turns, jumps and longer phrases.
Improvisation LabAll levels
Structured scores and prompts that build your own movement vocabulary. No steps to learn — just attention, curiosity and play.
Floor Work & ReleaseAll levels
Rolling, sliding and weight transfer to and from the floor, taught slowly and safely. Knee pads recommended.
Teen ContemporaryAges 13–17
Technique and creative work for ages 13 to 17, with a showing each term and audition coaching for college and summer programs.
Choreography Lab8-week session
Eight-week sessions where dancers make short pieces with mentoring, ending in an informal studio showing.
Four Principles in Every Class
Floor Before Flight
Every class starts close to the ground. Strength and trust in the floor come before jumps and turns.
Options, Not Levels
Teachers offer a simpler and a harder path through each phrase, so a beginner and a professional share the room.
Improvise Every Week
A few minutes of improvisation in every class, so you build your own vocabulary alongside ours.
Mirrors Are Optional
We teach facing different walls and often draw the curtains — you learn to feel a movement, not just watch it.
Weight, Breath, Momentum
A Small Company for Studio Dancers
Each fall, twelve dancers from our classes join the Driftform Collective: a season of rehearsals with guest choreographers, two evenings of new work at a Capitol Hill theater, and a free outdoor performance in Cal Anderson Park.
Auditions are open to anyone 18 or older who has taken at least ten classes with us. You don't need a résumé — you need curiosity and a year you can commit to.
- ✓Auditions every August for dancers 18+
- ✓Two rehearsals a week, September to May
- ✓Two evenings of new work each spring
- ✓Guest choreographers from the Pacific Northwest
Pay as You Go, or Move All Month
Your first class is half price. Teens save 20% on every pass.
Drop-In
One class, any level.
- Reserve by form or walk in
- Mat and knee pads to borrow
10-Class Pass
Valid for four months.
- Any open class
- Share with a friend
- Pause for travel or injury
Monthly Unlimited
Every open class, every week.
- All 40 weekly classes
- Priority for workshops
- 10% off choreography lab
- Cancel anytime
What to Expect
Pick an Open Class
Anything marked Beginner OK is a good start. Send the form and we'll hold a spot.
Wear Something Soft
Clothes you can roll in, bare feet or socks. Knee pads are handy for floor work — we lend them.
Arrive Ten Minutes Early
Tell the teacher it's your first time and about any injuries. They'll offer options all class.
Stay for Tea
The lobby has tea after evening classes. It's where most friendships at Driftform start.
Before Your First Class
I've never done contemporary. Can I come?
Yes. Open Contemporary, Floor Work and the Improvisation Lab are for every level, and teachers offer simpler options throughout.
What's the difference from ballet or jazz?
Contemporary uses the floor, breath and weight more than shape and position. Many dancers come to us from ballet, jazz or yoga.
Do teens take class with adults?
Teen Contemporary is for ages 13 to 17. Teens 16 and up may also join open adult classes with a parent's permission.
What if I have an injury?
Tell your teacher before class. Floor work in particular can be adapted, and you're always welcome to sit out a section.
Can I rent the studio?
Yes — Studio 2 is available for rehearsals by the hour when classes aren't running. Email us for rates.
Do passes expire?
The 10-class pass is valid for four months and can be paused for travel or injury. Monthly Unlimited renews monthly and cancels anytime.
Weekend Intensives with Guest Teachers
Two or three times a season we bring in choreographers from across the Northwest for a weekend of classes. Ask to join the list.