Every Thursday night we host a DJ’d dance to blues music in the Back Room of the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, just outside of Washington, D.C. Come join us!
Back Room Blues on Thursday Nights
Where: The Back Room (of the Spanish Ballroom)
Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Blvd
Glen Echo, MD 20812
When: Thursdays, lesson at 8:15pm, social dance 9–11:30pm
Cost: $10. Includes admission to the all-levels lesson in blues dance foundations at 8:15pm and the dance at 9pm. Cash and credit cards (via Square) are accepted. Volunteers can get free admission—contact us for more info.
What else to know: If you can, wear shoes that can slide. Please avoid wearing strong fragrances. Most people come to dance with everyone there (but if you’d prefer to stick with one person, that’s okay too).
The lesson: 8:15–9:00pm
Rotating instructors keep our Blues Foundations lessons fresh and different. Our instructors are usually local dancers who are as excited about this dance as anyone, and they’re here to share that with you. No experience or partner is required.
We occasionally host one-off and series classes for dancers of various levels. Check the Classes page for info.
The dance: 9:00–11:30pm
Every week we have two DJs playing classic blues tunes. They might mix it up with contemporary blues, soul, or whatever the dancefloor is feeling that night.
Occasionally we host live blues bands who are experienced at playing for dancers. (These nights cost $15.)
The Back Room has nice smooth sprung hardwood floors, air conditioning, and a water cooler! Bring your own water bottle and help us save the planet one dance at a time.
Getting to the Back Room
The Back Room is located at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD.
The Back Room is in the same building as the Spanish Ballroom, which is directly next to the picnic area in the center of the park.
Facing the main entrance to the ballroom, turn left and walk to the side of the building, where you’ll see a few stairs and a Capital Blues sign marking the entrance to the Back Room.
Driving and parking:
If you drive to Glen Echo, you can find parking in the small or big lots noted on the Google map above, or on Oberlin Ave or Tulane Ave by the Irish Inn. (Please do not use the Irish Inn’s parking lot unless you are also a customer.)
Public transportation:
Glen Echo Park is served by the Route 29 Ride-On bus, which leaves from both the Friendship Heights and Bethesda Metro stations on the Red Line.
The bus trip from Friendship Heights or Bethesda to Glen Echo takes approximately fifteen minutes and leaves every 30 minutes. Bus fare is $2. Note that the last bus leaves around 10pm on Thursdays and 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so the bus is more useful as a way to get to Glen Echo than as a way to get home.
The Glen Echo bus stop is located at the Amoco gas station at the end of Goldsboro Road. The stop is lighted and there is a public phone available. From the bus stop it is a 5-minute walk along MacArthur Boulevard to the upper entrance of the park.
You can usually find a ride back from one of our friendly dancers, and we can help connect you with one during our announcement period around 10:15pm if you let a front desk volunteer or organizer know.
Other Dances
We host Red Hot Blues & BBQ, a weekend of music, dance, and delicious food on Memorial Day weekend.
We post about special events on our Facebook page. Save us a dance!