One thing that impresses a girl of my persuasion is a guy's willingness to take a tango class with me, or hit up a salsa club despite lack of previous experience. So far, the gauntlet still lays on the ground, cold and lonely. Partner dancing, it seems, ranks up there as one of the more intimidating dating activities in existence.

An answer for this dilemma? We in Shanghai now have a number of dance studios to pick from. One of the originators, Jazz du Funk, moved into a fantastic new space in the beginning of the year and offers a the widest range of classes on the studio circuit: street jazz- with hip hop and 'urban' dance influences, tap, Broadway jazz, salsa/merengue, flamenco, belly dance, hip hop, ballet, the list continues. The studio has been open for two years, and is the most established of the bunch, offering classes for children on Saturday mornings, logo-emblazoned dance wear for sale, and a more conventional dance-studio experience overall. Instructors are recruited from-literally -around the globe, and the studio prides itself on its collective passion (most instructors are part of the Jazz du Funk dance company) and everyone, down to the marketing manager, has a dance background.

Pole dancing has blazed a new path in the Shanghai dance scene (note: another strategy for incentivizing would-be dance partners - all out bribery. Every guy I have mentioned pole dancing to has asked for a demo), and is the mainstay of business at Idancing, which pioneered the trend in Shanghai. I took the class out of curiosity (okay, okay, my friend convinced me to go with her), and found it to be really fun, not goofy at all, as was my concern. It starts with jazz-based warm-ups, progresses to some simple choreography, and then the group is divided evenly amongst the four poles in the room, and the pole skills begin. (And, before anyone asks, no one in my class climbed the pole upside down via inner-thigh power and did the splits on the ceiling. Strangely, I have fielded this question multiple times.) The class is a great workout for the upper body ¨C hauling your own body weight around poles is no joke ¨C and suddenly you have a whole lot of respect for the women we have all seen shaking it for a living. Pole dancing instructor, Julia, keeps you laughing and completely comfortable throughout the class, a big plus.

Idancing owner Jessica Zheng is passionate about dance and its ability to change lives. She herself experienced the confidence-building effect of learning to salsa when she went to her first salsa party three years ago. A self-proclaimed dunce at physical activity, she discovered new facets of her own capabilities when she pushed herself to continue to learn dance. Zheng sees the idancing studio as a way to share her experience, especially amongst Chinese women, whom she feels are much shyer about their physical presence.

Similarly, June Weng, manager of the newly-opened Souldancing studio, believes that dancing is a way to open oneself up and gain self-confidence. She gathers groups of students who are too shy to venture into clubs on their own to attend club nights en masse, which she says helps the students feel more comfortable about dancing and therefore helps the process along. Souldancing has caught the pole dancing fever as well and is adding it to their schedule, augmenting the belly dance, salsa, pilates, and hip hop classes already on at the month-old studio.

Most studio schedules are geared towards the individual dancer looking for a physical activity. But for people like me who like the social aspect of partner dancing, what are the options? I would recommend (for those who are completely new to the scene) at least a couple of classes to learn the basic footwork and then just joining the throngs in the club scene. Newcomers would benefit from downing a couple of shots at the bar and then going for it. Guys ¨C to address the current problem that studios and clubs are having with male attendance shortages, keep in mind that your lessons are frequently subsidized by the studios or the clubs with discounted fees or free drinks during specific party nights. Also, there is no better way to start a conversation with a girl than by the physical contact of dancing. The perfect icebreaker, and you get to touch without buying her dinner first!

The salsa party schedule in Shanghai, like most cities, is packed with a plethora of options for just about every night of the week. Silver Moon, the original salsa spot, is getting competition from JZ Club on Friday nights and Park 97 on Saturday nights with live bands at both venues. During a recent tango lesson in Hong Kong, I heard (and later watched) the Argentine tango night at South Beauty 881. Hosted by Casa Tango Shanghai, this Saturday night gathering is the oldest tango meeting spots in the city and the most established.

Aside from the disparate dance societies available to those intrepid online trollers, I was hard-pressed to find a ballroom-only studio. Jazz du Funk offers private ballroom instruction, and began this month a partners-only salsa class on Sunday afternoons. My salsa class at souldancing was at the mercy of whomever attended that night; short on men, I learned to lead a bit that day to help balance the dynamic. Phone calls to Blackpool Dream Club ¨C seemingly the only ballroom studio in Shanghai ¨C went unanswered. However, most club nights offer lessons in the hour before the party begins, and entrance usually covers a drink or two.

Dance gear, like most things here, can be located on the cheap. Studios encourage dressing for comfort (as the recipient of significant pole burn, for pole dancing I would advise wearing full-length yoga or workout pants) so your first few classes may be in sneakers. But I prefer to dance in heels, especially for salsa or tango when you spend most of the time on the balls of your feet anyway. Inexpensive dance shoe options are available at 506 Changle Lu at Shanxi Lu; standard ballroom shoes will set you back about RMB 78, a steal compared to the 0 USD I have paid in the past. For the clubs, of course, you just grab your sturdiest stilettos and hail that da zhong.

Schedules and details:
Jazz Du Funk - www.jazzdufunk.com
Idancing - www.idancing.cn
Souldancing - www.souldancing.cn