Ypsilanti Township’s Dance Pavilion, which opened its doors last June, is quickly becoming a local hot spot for “top-notch adult social dancing, entertainment and fun,” according to owner Ron Brown. Not only does the dance studio offer an impressive selection of group dance classes and private lessons that are appropriate for dancers at any skill level, the space is also a popular entertainment venue that hosts a regular schedule of weekend parties and special events.

The Dance Pavilion’s staff and specialty teachers “cover the whole gamut,” Brown says. Interested students have their pick of classes: waltz, quick step, bolero and mambo, tango, hustle, rumba, salsa, nightclub 2 step, foxtrot, fitness fusion, bachata, latin rhythms workout, Detroit club ballroom, Argentine tango, East Coast swing, west coast swing, and country 2 step.

The facility features a 2,800-square-foot wooden dance floor akin to the floor featured on the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” as well as an impressive sound system and top-notch lighting. The space also features a large lobby and reception area where people can relax and socialize. “It’s a little like walking into a Marriott, but not as stuffy,” Brown explains.

Brown has been teaching dance all over the country for the last 30 years. He has worked for both of the large franchises, Fred Astaire Dance Studios and Arthur Murray Studios, as well as independent studios around the country and his first independent studio, which he opened when he was 25.

Beginning at the age of 12, Brown studied ballet, tap and jazz for 13 years. As a young man he was drafted into the service, where he took up boxing. After his tour of duty ended, he says he started taking a particular interest in ballroom dancing, and by the 70’s he was most focused on ballroom and Latin.

“I didn’t always have a desire to open a studio,” Brown says. However, after working for other people’s studios, “I started looking at the things I didn’t like. I saw things that I wanted to change. I saw a vision for what I thought things should be like. That vision turned into a want and a desire to do it.”

A major part of Brown’s vision for the studio was to “have everything you are looking for under 1 roof,” an idea that he wanted to convey by calling the space a pavilion. “It would be crazy is this economic environment to only offer ballroom or Latin. We’ve got the whole gamut of top-notch adult social dancing covered,” he says.

“If Mom and Dad are sitting around the table talking about whether or not to take social dance lessons, I want them to say, ‘Well let's go to the pavilion. They've got everything,’“ Brown says.

One thing Brown did not want was to create a space that is “all about me” like a lot of other dance studios, which “are built around 1 or 2 star champions. I’m not saying that’s a bad idea, but that’s not what this studio is about. The Dance Pavilion is about the studio as a whole, the activities that happen here, the entire staff, the students, and having fun,” according to Brown.

The purpose of any dance studio is to teach people to dance. However, what sets the Dance Pavilion apart is that it also functions as an entertainment venue and a social gathering space for “anyone 18 to 80 years old,” Brown says. “I’ll be the first to tell you that dancing is almost a byproduct. You are going to learn to dance. That’s inevitable. That’s what we do for a living. However, it’s the other things that come along with the dancing that are important — the sociability, the fun, the entertainment, maybe meeting somebody new, and just getting out there and having a good time and being active,” Brown explains.

As a teacher, Brown hopes that his students find “a passion” for dance, and he says that he and the other teachers at the Dance Pavilion are committed “to making people the best dancers that they can be,” he says. However, he knows that people take dance classes with all sorts of personal goals in mind, from becoming serious dancers to looking for a new experience and a bit of fun. When you walk in the door, “there is no pressure, no contracts and no interest,” Brown laughs.

A few months ago, Brown was explaining his vision to a student, who said something like, “So Ron, what you are doing is building a place where if people are sitting around saying, why don’t we do someplace, then they will say, let’s just go to the Pavilion. There will be something going on there. We will have something for you. That’s really what I’m going for,” he says.

The Dance Pavilion is already hosting a schedule of social dance parties and special events. Every Friday, the studio hosts open dance parties beginning at 9 p.m. with pre-party group classes preceding the parties at 8 p.m., which are “built around the students and anyone else from the public that wants to come,” according to Brown.

The studio also offers hosted events on Saturday nights, and they are beginning to establish a regular rotation of these open dances. The Saturday events will focus on specific types of dance, and Brown reports that “we are going to have 4 different venues,” which include a ballroom and Latin night once a month, a second Saturday night that alternates between Detroit Club Ballroom and Salsa. Beginning in March, 1 Saturday per month will be predominantly devoted to Hustle and Swing. This leaves 1 Saturday per month open for additional ideas and special 1-time events.

“You’re never gonna come to one of my events and just find dancing. You’re gonna have singing, comedy, a DJ, and you’re gonna have dancing,” Brown says. So far, this format is working well for him. “In 7 months, I’m about where I need to be in putting the whole venue together. More and more people are coming. They have even started nicknaming the place the DP,” which is a good sign that the studio is gaining in popularity as a local entertainment venue, according to Brown.

The Dance Pavilion is located at 1918 Whittaker Road. Phone: 734-369-9700. View the Dance Pavilion’s calendar for a full listing of classes and events. Dance Pavilion events are also listed on the AnnArbor.com calendar.