Back to School with Patrick Swayze

Joy to the world: kids are back to school. There’s a very particular kind of happiness that happens right after drop-off—the gate closes, backpacks disappear down the corridor, and suddenly you’re free. Free and loose in that final dance of Dirty Dancing kind of way.

You walk back to the car, keys in hand, and for a brief, glorious moment, you can almost hear the music. You are Patrick Swayze—hips relaxed, shoulders back, mentally dancing your way into work with ease, relief, and an impressive amount of swagger. The holidays are over, routines are back, and while the soundtrack may be imaginary, the feeling is very real: movement, structure, a fresh start.

You are complaint-free, noise-free, mess-free—basically, kid-free.

And it’s exactly in this mood that I want to use this post to talk about dance. About giving kids a place to channel all that post-holiday energy into something joyful, disciplined, and beautifully expressive. Because if there’s one lesson we can borrow from the after-Christmas blues (and maybe from Dirty Dancing), it’s this: bodies need to move.

I love dancing. I danced professionally for years, until I couldn’t anymore. A foot injury, and later the sensible pull of university, put an end to that chapter—but the love, the need, never went away. Dancing is universal: you don’t need to speak a language to understand it. You don’t even need to make sound (unless you want it). You let your body say everything.

That’s why in this week’s post, I’m sharing a few places where you can take your kids to experience the gift of dance. New year, new skill—and one that, no matter where life leads them, has a way of always bringing joy.

Dance Center Valencia — Avenida Pérez Galdós, 71
A contemporary dance school offering a variety of styles—urban, hip hop, experimental, and more. Classes start from age 4 and focus on developing coordination, balance, and body awareness through movement, with a strong emphasis on urban dance.

Magic Dance — C/ Honorato Juan, 14
A great option for children interested in more traditional and competitive styles. Their program includes flamenco, competitive dance, and salsa, combining technique with stage presence and discipline.

Stylos Dance Academy — C/ Santa Teresa, 7
This academy offers more general dance lessons and welcomes children from as young as 3 years old. If you’re keen to see your little one in soft pink ballet shoes early on, this is a lovely place to start.

So, don’t forget to turn the music on as you commute to work—and feel free to throw in a move or two. You deserve it. 

Happy dancing!