Queer-led. Beginner-friendly.
Fabulous.
About QStep
QStep is Portland's only queer-centered ballroom dance community.Classes are beginner-friendly, but athletic and fast-paced, designed to keep you moving and having fun.We'll primarily explore Latin styles – Cha-cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, and Paso Doble – delivered in monthly series.Classes are held every Thursday evening at Dance with Joy Studios
(8051 SE 16th Ave)7:30 pm | Beginners
(drop-ins welcome)
8:30 pm | Intermediate
QStep
Beginner-Friendly Classes.
No partner or special shoes required — just bring yourself (socks work fine!). Join our queer-led ballroom dance community and get moving.
Queer. Fierce.
Fabulous.
QCrew
For those who want to push further. QCrew will train weekly for regional competitions leading up to the 2026 Gay Games in Valencia, Spain.Experienced dancers and motivated beginners welcome.
Queer-led. Beginner-friendly.
Fabulous.
Meet Jake Heart
In a manner that is not entirely off-brand for me, I started dancing ballet when I was 5 years old. By the time I was 7, I had moved onto hip-hop, and then naturally ended up in a variety of musicals throughout and beyond grade school.
While conducting research at UIUC in the summer of 2016, I discovered and fell in love with ballroom DanceSport and proceeded to join UPenn's team when I returned home to Philadelphia.Since then, I've founded the Stanford ballroom team, which is now thriving, as well as the PSU ballroom team here in Portland.Ballroom dancing is traditionally overwhelmingly heteronormative, but over the last few decades, there have been movements to queerify ballroom. Given all of the fabulous talent of the queer community here in Portland, it seems like a perfect place to launch QStep PDX: Portland's queer-led ballroom dance community.My vision is simple: QStep PDX is a place where queer folks can learn, laugh, and shine – whether you're a total beginner or training for the world stage.
Join QSTEP Today!
✨ “Want to stay in the loop? Join our mailing list for updates on classes, socials, and all things QStep.