3 Salt Lake classes for people who don’t think they’re ‘that kind of person’

Ebb & Flow is an adults-only movement studio for complete beginners, returning dancers and people who are not sure whether they count as dancers at all.

Its schedule can look wonderfully overwhelming: ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hip-hop, jazz, heels, K-pop, Dirtylicious, Pilates, yoga and more. The studio’s advice is to stop searching for the objectively correct first class.

“It’s less about picking the ‘right’ class and more about matching their mood or the way they want to feel in their body.”

Amanda Mulia, Ebb & Flow

If you want something slower and focused on technique, the studio recommends ballet, contemporary or lyrical. If you want a quicker pace and upbeat music, start with Dirtylicious, hip-hop, jazz or K-pop.

Ebb & Flow intentionally pushes against the competitive atmosphere many adults remember from childhood dance. Perfection is not the point. Instructors make that real through small things: how they give corrections, encourage someone attempting a new movement and help beginners connect with others who once felt just as unsure.

Over time, Amanda has watched those class connections turn into friendships outside the studio. People begin by wondering whether they belong, then motivate one another to return each week.

First-time students at La Bombe often arrive worried that they will not be able to keep up or perform the movements. Then they discover that Intro to Pole was designed for exactly that starting point.

The boutique studio keeps classes small, and every student gets a dedicated pole. That detail matters: no waiting for a turn, no losing practice time and no trying to learn while feeling watched by a partner.

“When students have their own space, they can truly hone new moves and techniques.”

Eleonora Nedobukh, La Bombe

Eleonora still remembers being a student and wanting enough time to focus on her own skills. The one-person-per-pole format grew from that experience. It lets instructors keep the class moving consistently while giving each student room to repeat a grip, spin or transition at their own pace.

Her favorite moments are often simple: an instructor explains a move clearly, a new student tries it and it works on the first attempt. The room gets to celebrate the progress together.

Handcraft Revival is part folk school, part handcraft café, part market and part gathering place. It offers traditional skills including weaving, woodworking, natural dyeing, embroidery, knitting, sewing and basketry—but you do not need to arrive with a chosen craft.

“You don’t have to know what you want to make before you walk through our doors. That’s part of what we’re here for.”

Jennifer Samuelson, co-founder of Handcraft Revival

Instead of asking what object you want to produce, begin with how you want to spend your time.

• ClassStructured guidance in a specific skill.
• Folkcraft SocialAn easygoing project with other beginners and no long commitment.
• Open HandworkBring your own project and work alongside other makers.
• Handcraft CaféBrowse, have tea and let a project catch your attention.

The deeper appeal is the change of pace. Making something by hand pulls attention away from screens and back toward physical materials, repetition and the satisfaction of holding something that exists because you made it.

Belonging there is not dependent on producing anything. Handcraft Revival even hosts trivia nights. You can visit to learn, make, meet people or simply spend time around curious and creative neighbors.