"Dancing Like The Stars"

Celebrities strutted their way into the living rooms of more than 20 million viewers of last week's season premiere of "Dancing With the Stars" - the show's best debut yet.

While some may have tuned in just to see if Heather Mills' artificial leg would take flight during a complicated kick, the dance moves alone were enough to keep the rest of the audience mesmerized.

And New York City dance studios are cashing in on the hype.

"The show has been great for business," says Andrew D'Angelo, general manager of Dance Manhattan. "We've had a lot of people coming in because they want to learn how to dance like the dancers on the show. It's been snowballing since the show began, and a lot of the dance studios are enjoying the wave while it lasts."

So why sit on your butt and watch the stars have all the fun when you could be toning it up for the summer? Get off your couch and conga over to one of these classes.

Pole Goddess at Exotic Dance Central, 1261 Broadway, suite 1108, Manhattan; (212) 679-2540
Cost: Must take a four-week course for $240
Targets: Full body - triceps, biceps, abdominal muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings and the legs.
Open to: Women 18 and over

In this combination class, you'll learn the art of exotic dance, from floor moves to pole dancing and strip tease. "The students take off a layer of clothing each week, from a button-down shirt to a T-shirt," says instructor Alieesah Williams. "They're also [required to] wear 6-inch stiletto heels for support, to teach them poise, posture and stability, and also help them with their sensuality of walking and their body language."

The Ailey School, 405 W. 55th St. (at Ninth Ave.), Manhattan; (212) 405-9500
Cost: $12.50 to $15, depending on whether you buy a single class or a 10-class card.
Open to: Men and women, 16 and over

This modern dance class is school founder Alvin Ailey's tribute to his idol and teacher Lester Horton, who developed his own technique emphasizing flexibility, strength, coordination and body awareness. "[The class] runs the gamut of strength and stretch," says Yvette Campbell, director of the Ailey Extension. "It was created by Mr. Ailey in the '70s for the fans to come and take a class that they saw performed on stage and [want to] get that kind of strength and power." There's also a live drummer in every class, providing rhythms to move to.

Cargo pants, jeans and sneakers are welcome during this kicked-back course that attracts young adults from all over the city and beyond. Students move to the beats of artists like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ciara and Mary J. Blige.

"Every class, you will learn something new so you don't have to know what they did last week," Campbell says. "Hip hop is actually an extension of the African culture that is part of [the Ailey School's] own African-American experience. So a lot of the African dances, you'll see pieces of them in hip hop."

The school holds courses in all types of traditional dances, including swing, ballroom and the Hustle. But Lorenz specializes in teaching Latin styles, including salsa - then turning students loose on real dance floors across the city.

"We take 'em out to the clubs," says owner Howard Lorenz. "A lot of people are under the false impression that the best dancers are at places like the Copa, and they're nervous about going there. So we bring people out after they learn how to dance, to let them know that they're some of the best dancers out there, too."

Like most of the bigger schools in the city, Dance Manhattan offers a wide variety of courses in partner dancing, including Argentine tango, salsa, swing and ballroom.

But one of the more popular attractions at the massive Manhattan school is its one-day crash courses in foxtrot, salsa swing and waltz. Many of the students are engaged couples who want to look good on the dance floor on their wedding day.

"People put in a month's worth of work in one day," says general manager Andrew D'Angelo. "We get a lot of wedding couples who do it, but now we're starting to see people on dates, too."

DanceSport, which recently moved to a much more spacious location next to the Empire State Building, isn't merely a place where one learns such classic dances as salsa, mambo, Argentine tango, ballroom and swing - it's a hangout, too. It features a cafe where students mingle - and practice what they've just learned in a comfortable social setting.

"People are taking a step back and treating dancing like a celebration of life," says owner Paul Pellicoro. "It's all about getting into the groove and working with the harmony that dance brings."

Instructor Arianna Halima al Tiye teaches to the beats of music from Egypt, Lebanon, India, West Africa and Spain. She occasionally has a live percussionist, but plays CDs most of the time. "I teach my students how to work with their breasts, how to get in touch with their inner wombs, and their inner stomachs, connecting their bodies to a lot of the spiritual elements of the dance," al Tiye says. "I have everyone, from the novice who never stepped foot in dance class to professional ballerinas.

BY ROBERT DOMINGUEZ AND GINA SALAMONE