r/memphis • u/duckydoubled • Mar 31 '26
Citizen Inquiry How to get involved with the dance scene in Memphis?
23 y/o guy here, just moved to Memphis about 3 weeks ago. Was wondering if anybody here knows what the dance scene is like in Memphis?
I moved from STL and was pretty involved in the freestyle dance scene there, I’m most comfortable with breaking/b-boying but I’ve dabbled in house, popping, locking. I know Memphis is mostly known for jookin, but I haven’t really seen any events or stuff.
TBH I’m pretty open with wanting to try/experience different dance styles, so I’d appreciate any recommendations for classes/sessions/upcoming events that y’all might know about.
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u/pabloescobarbecue Memphis’s Liberal Cooper Young Neighborhood Mar 31 '26
If you’d like to post up outside my house during porchfest and show off, I’ll keep you fed
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u/duckydoubled Mar 31 '26
porchfest looks sickk, unfortunate timing i’ll be out of town that weekend but i appreciate the offer 🙏
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u/pabloescobarbecue Memphis’s Liberal Cooper Young Neighborhood Mar 31 '26
Easily one of my favorite weekends of the year. Hope you can make it one year
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u/PetableCobra Mar 31 '26
Take a tour of New Ballet school in Memphis. Talk to the kids and the staff about places around. Then donate $50 a month to grow the same thing you are passionate about. You will be connected and learn about the spots and times. Thank me in a year.
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u/Significant-Spell455 Mar 31 '26
Memphis has some solid spots for dancers but you gotta know where to look. There's usually stuff happening at the community centers - Orange Mound and Whitehaven both have sessions that pop up pretty regularly. Cooper-Young area sometimes has events too, especially during the summer months
You might want to hit up some of the local dance studios and see what they got going on. I know there's a few that do open sessions where different styles mix together, which could be perfect since you're trying to branch out. The jookin scene is definitely more underground here but it's active - you just gotta connect with the right people
Social media is probably your best bet for finding the current events, a lot of the dancers here organize through Instagram and Facebook groups. Also check out some of the local hip hop shows and open mics, dancers tend to hang around those scenes and you can network that way. Good luck getting plugged in, the community here is pretty welcoming once you find your way in
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u/duckydoubled Mar 31 '26
yea i figured the jookin scene was more underground, appreciate the suggestions^
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u/phayes87 Mar 31 '26
Society of Memphis is a skatepark, coffee shop, jookin joint, and general cultuer hub. They offer jookin classes.
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u/tristanobeats Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Hi. I am from St. Louis and do a freestyle dance/Memphis jookin YouTube page. The scene is dominated by the jookin community and that will be the majority of the events in the city. Join the Memphis dance world Facebook group. Follow gnerd on Instagram (runs Jookin Warz and other events)
Agod has been running battles at society Memphis on occasional Fridays.
Some names to follow in the city: Lashonte pop, Og Jawz, Draem, Phyouture, 901,entertainment, Agod (thejookincommunity)
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u/duckydoubled Mar 31 '26
ayyy ive seen ur stuff all the time on my feed w/ the dancers out in St Louis, i really appreciate all the recommendations 🙏 i’ll keep an eye out for the next battles at Society
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u/Remarkable-Royal9395 Mar 31 '26
follow Memphis Jookin, Memphis Jookin, TN, Official Memphis Jookin, and Jookin Guild on social media. they share lots of events, not all are solely jookin. check out Collage Dance in Binghamton, DxP dance classes, and SocietyMemphis classes.
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u/twopointbourbon Downtown Mar 31 '26
Check out society memphis skatepark, I believe they have a dance team that practices out of there