WE RUN OUR CLASSES IN A MONTH LONG SERIES PROGRAM.
DROP INS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME…
however, the later in the term you drop in, the more advanced the class.
Masks optional but encouraged
No partner required. We will be rotating partners in class for those who choose to, but it is not mandatory to do so.
If you would like to book a private individual, couple, or small group lesson, call or text 503.708.2167
Despite its misleading reputation as being a “white persons” dance, Lindy Hop came from the thriving black burrow of NYC, Harlem, in the 1930s. The Savoy Ballroom, which had an unusually liberal non-discrimination policy for its time (like the Palladium Ballroom), was the birthplace of Lindy Hop, and the talented Black dancers Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, George Snowden, and Freida Washington (among others!) made Lindy Hop a quick hit among the young, multi racial, club goers of New York City. Lindy Hop quickly evolved and spread across the country, inspiring numerous offshoots of “Swing dancing” that varied as much as the communities they were born in. Balboa, from California in the 1920s, has had its own evolution, as has West Coast Swing, which rose out of the Country Swing dance scene in LA in the 40s and 50s. Charleston and Shag have similar trajectories, albeit, different locales. What they all have in common is that they are rooted in jazz and black culture. It is our privilege and mission to teach the ever evolving Swing dances popular today, and continue their evolution, while honoring the roots and origins of this incredible American art form.
BEGINNING SWING
Intro/Beg
Instructor: Darcie
Tuesdays 6:30-7:30p
New to Swing dancing? Been to a few drop-in lessons around town and looking for more? This is the class for you! It’s designed as a 3-month series (taken in no particular order), each month-long session focusing on a slightly different aspect of what makes this dance so great. With its roots in Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and Charleston, Swing dancing continues to steal hearts all over the world.
Join the fun!
Here are the themes of each session:
1. Footwork - Learn the most commonly danced patterns and the goods that go with them: rhythms, lead/follow skills, turns, and doing all that to a range of musical styles and tempos.
2. Movement - Create fluid and interesting sequences in your social swing dancing stacking moves together like building blocks.
3. Jazz it up - Improvisation is a key element of Swing and Jazz music, and dancers take note! With proper connection and a little new vocabulary, we can spruce up our basics with some cool outside-of-the-box ideas.
april sign up:
4/2 , 4/9 , 4/16 , 4/23 , 4/30
may sign up:
5/7 , 5/14 , 5/21 , 5/28
INTERMEDIATE SWING
Instructors: Colin + Darcie + Rachael
Prerequisite: Minimum of three months of Beginning Social Swing or instructor approval.
April Tuesdays
7:30-8:30 Lindy 1
8:30-9:30 Lindy 2
May Tuesdays
7:30-8:30 Charleston 1
8:30-9:30 Charleston 2
Lindy Hop is a dance form that was born in Harlem in the late 1920s. One of the many “Jazz dances that belongs in the Swing family (along with Charleston, Balboa, Shag, and East Coast Swing) and has evolved over the decades into one of the most beloved partner dances in the world.
April - Intermediate Swing: Lindy Hop 1: The "Swingout"
In this series you will learn the stylish, dynamic, and quintessential Swing dance move known as “the Swingout”. We'll dig into the nuances that make Lindy such a dreamy dance through fun drills and lead/follow concepts. It's all about momentum!
April - Intermediate Swing: Lindy Hop 2: “Lindy Plus”
Let’s add on with more Swingouts, Swingout variations, and other moves based on the same rhythm. We’ll bring in other classic Swing moves to push you to the next level with beautiful move combinations! Material covered in this class will vary, and students are encouraged to take it multiple times.
May - Intermediate Swing: Charleston 1: “Charleston Fun!”
As in Fun-damentals. It’s not just for flappers anymore! Charleston was revitalized in the Lindy Hop era and was (is!) a very popular option when partner dancing, especially to fast music. The Lindy version of Charleston is a little more grounded than its 1920s forefunner, is usually danced side by side, and offers opportunity to mix in exciting new footwork!
May - Intermediate Swing: Charleston 2: “Charleston Plus”
You got it down, now how about some kick-throughs? Tandem? Hacksaws? Just a few of the moves you may see this month. Let’s kick it up a notch and have some fun with the playful side of Charleston (and other vintage Jazz steps)!
april
lindy 1 sign up:
4/2 , 4/9 , 4/16 , 4/23 , 4/30
lindy 2 sign up:
4/2 , 4/9 , 4/16 , 4/23 , 4/30
may
charleston 1 sign up:
5/7 , 5/14 , 5/21 , 5/28
charleston 2 sign up:
5/7 , 5/14 , 5/21 , 5/28
SOLO JAZZ FUNDAMENTALS
all levels
Instructors: Darcie + Rachael
TBA
Want to develop your Lindy hop styling? Want to groove without a partner, but don't know what to do? Ever watch a vintage jazz line dance and wish you could jump in? Then Solo Jazz is for you! In this weekly class we'll practice fun, classic vernacular jazz steps that are must-haves for every aspiring and current Lindy Hopper, and anyone else who is curious! We'll take some of the most popular moves from the Charleston and Lindy Hop eras, break them down, and dance them out to fabulous swing, jazz, and Rhythm and Blues songs. We'll also cover basic phrasing and offer variations of each movement, then string them together in bite-size combinations.
THE BIG APPLE WORKSHOP
intermediate-advanced
Instructors: Darcie + Rachael
TBA
$35 per person
The Big Apple is a swing line dance in-the-round first recorded in the 1939 film Keep Punchin', performed by elite dance troupe Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. Its fast pace, circle format, and exciting sequence of both familiar and novel moves make it a favorite challenge for lindy hoppers around the world. Full disclosure -- we love all-levels classes, but this routine is best learned with some solo jazz under your belt. If you've learned The Big Apple before, you'll be glad to know we'll start with the second half of the routine Check out the original footage here: https://youtu.be/H1K5M5xluZs?si=k6zFSqYP8fsaz5tf
SIGN UP
ADVANCED LINDY HOP
Instructors: Colin
TBA
Prerequisite: Lindy Hop 1 & 2, Charleston 1 & 2; social swing dance experience and/or instructor approval.
Take it to the next level in skill and aesthetics! Lindy can be a truly blood pumping experience, as well as being subtle and finite. Learn how to make your Lindy more versatile and dynamic with some gems out of the bottomless treasure trove of inspired concepts Melissa and Colin bring each month. Students at this level will work with musicality, stylistic embellishments, interesting movements, and a little rule-bending. The possibilities are endless, and so are the number of times you can repeat this class and always learn something new ;)
SIGN UP - IN PERSON
SIGN UP - ZOOM
SWING QUICKSTART WORKSHOP
Intro/beg
Instructor: Melissa
TBA
$55 per person
The Swing QuickStart workshop is geared to get you from Swing-spastic to Swing-tastic in just 3 hours! The class will cover Swing origins, rhythm and timing. You'll learn the foundational basic steps of Swing, some footwork play, a turn, some musicality, and the evolution of Lindy Hop as well as what the umbrella "Swing" includes! You might be surprised by what you learn :)
Post pandemic we are keeping our class sizes small, so this workshop will fill up fast, so sign up ASAP!
This class is not offered via Zoom
SIGN UP
TIPS FOR SIGNING UP:
1. To get the video link you MUST BE OPTED IN to receive emails from us.
2. When you click on SIGN UP you’ll be directed to the mindbody registration software. Mindbody will redirect you to pay for the class if you have no existing credits in your account (if you do but they expired, email us and we will adjust so you can use them :)
3. If you have credits, just click SIGN UP and you’ll be good to go. If you are redirected to pay, you must go back and click SIGN UP once more ! We don’t know why mindbody does this, sigh.
4. Now check your inbox for the REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION email (not the receipt of payment) - that’s where instructions about class and your zoom, or video download link will be :)
5. Dance your lovely face off!
WEEKLY CLASS PRICING
Drop In - $16
4 class pass - $55 online, expires 45 days from activation
8 class pass - $100 online, expires 45 days from activation