What is TIPDI Original?

What is TIPDI Original?  It’s our 3-day, 4-night Intensive!
Our full TIPDI event is a cross-training intensive for adult dancers and dance enthusiasts. Enrollment is limited to 120 dancers total (roughly 20 dancers with prior experience per style), to ensure small class sizes, and personal attention. At TIPDI, there are no stand-alone workshops. Our classes are progressive, meaning each one builds on the next, and the intensive is inclusive, non-competitive, rigorous, and genuinely fun.

What does that mean?
It means you spend three days, 7.5 hours per day, taking classes in all 6 of the dance forms we offer - three partner dance forms and three classical dance forms. Our partner dance forms For TIPDI Original 2026 are West Coast Swing, Forró, and Samba de Gafieira. Our classical dance forms are Ballet, Modern, and Afro-Haitian.

All six?!
Yes.  All six. 

How does TIPDI work?
At TIPDI, just about everyone is pretty good at one of our six styles, or a related style. However, you may not have any experience with any other dance forms. We use your prior movement training as a foundation for accelerated improvement in the other forms. 

We also place all of our emphasis on technique. At TIPDI, we are focused on making you a better DANCER, and that means spending hours on all of the little technical things that separate a pro from an amateur. You will not be learning long sequences, flashy patterns, or competition choreo. At TIPDI, our goal is to improve all the deep technique issues that you might have, and to send you on your way as a better, more confident dancer.

At night, we party! It’s the perfect opportunity to practice what you learned during the day, in a community of enthusiastic dancers who love to move.

Why?
You're ready to be the best dancer in the room. 
- You already have experience in one of our forms, but you want to take your dance abilities to the next level. You want to spend focused time on learning all of the deep technique that separates the amateurs from the pros.

You want to expand your dance vocabulary.
- You're a Swing dancer who's always wanted to try Modern. You're a Tango dancer who's always wanted to try West Coast Swing. You're a Ballet dancer who's always been curious about Forró. You’re a gymnast, figure skater, or acrobat who wants to add new movement elements to your competition or performance work. You're a Musical Theater performer or Commercial dancer who wants fast, intense exposure to different styles so you can book your next job.  

You want to be a dancer again.
- You're an adult who danced as a child or teenager, but then stopped. Now you want to get back into the studio, in a community of equally focused adults.

You like to keep your movement skills and ideas fresh.
- You are a teacher, studio owner, dance historian, dance ethnographer, or dance therapist who wants to continue to grow as a mover, as well as an educator.

It is actually super fun to dance with lots of other adults who love to move.
- TIPDI is a one-of-a-kind event that is in its 11th year. Over the last decade, we have welcomed nearly 1800 dancers from all over North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. You can check out what some of our TIPDI alums have to say about the program here. 

TIPDI is the perfect place for you.
Improve your musicality, connection, and balance in the partner dance classes. Ramp up your flexibility, power, and lines in the classical dance classes. You'll come away from three days with us looking - and feeling - like a better, more confident, stronger dancer.

How do you do this?
We bring in 10 world class instructors from around the world to work within a pre-set curriculum that is designed to help you improve quickly. Our award-winning staff are all cross-trained in multiple dances (nearly all top dancers are), so they can speak to you in whatever "dance-language" you speak.

How do I get started?
Click HERE or use the “Register” button above. TIPDI is limited enrollment to ensure that everyone receives personal attention. Come dance with us!