On Friday December 12, the floors of Club 412 were packed for You Should Be Dancing's "An Evening with Abakua," Afro-Latin dance party, hosted by Frankie Martinez and Manny Blackett. It was an energetic, happy crowd and the vibe casual and very welcoming. The only time I saw any wall flowers whatsoever was when dancers made space for some very talented student performers to showcase their work. (Party is 9 pm to 1 am; $10 per person.)

Just half a dozen blocks away another exuberant party had the dance floor shaking. Stepping Out Studio's annual Holiday gala, with a buffet and bar, fantastic live music (provided by Los Banditos), and a performance by professional dancers, went long into the wee hours. At Stepping Out you can always count on a high level of elegance and spectacular level of dance as well—as exuberant fun. (More on the Stepping Out Studios Holiday Gala.)

Busy dance floor at You Should Be Dancing Photo © & courtesy of Sarah Hart

Dancers from one of Abakua's performance dance series Photo © & courtesy of Sarah Hart

Perfect coordination Photo © & courtesy of Sarah Hart

Watching the performance Photo © & courtesy of Sarah Hart