Lesson Information

What exactly does the Swing Dancing Club do?

We are a group of students who love to dance. We dance, hang out, travel, and have a helluvalotta fun. We have lessons where the more advanced members of the club teach lessons to the newer members.

Do the dances cost anything?

All Swing dance club events are free.

Do I need special shoes?

They should be comfortable when worn for long periods of time (in other words no 6 inch stilettos). Try to stay away from heavy shoes. They will slow you down and tire you out. Also, a bit of slippiness on wood floors is helpful, but not necessary. Our dancers dance in everything from five-year old tennis shoes to Aris Allen suede and leather sole swing shoes.

What should I wear?

Short answer: Wear anything in which you feel comfortable.

Long Answer: The people who come to our dances run the full gamut of clothing styles. There will be people dancing in suits and ties or old fashioned dresses. There will be people dancing in faded t-shirts and blue jeans. Some people enjoy getting dressed up for a night of dancing, others are just checking out the event for the fun of it. In other words, you will not be overdressed, and you will not be underdressed. Be yourself. If I were to offer any advice on clothes, it would be this: Wear clothes which will keep you cool (This refers to temperature only). Ladies, do not wear shirts which are tied closed. Chances are that somehow the tie will come undone (usually by accident). Don’t wear jewelry which could injure a person when impacting them at high speed. Don’t wear clothes which will rip at the seams from bending the wrong way.

Do I need a partner?

Absolutely not!!! Everybody dances with everybody, and there are so many people you will never be unable to find someone to talk to/dance with.

I can't dance… So there’s no way that I can have any fun…

First of all, I’ve heard this one a million times. I have yet to meet a single person who really CAN'T dance. More often it’s WON'T or HAVEN'T TRIED. Even if you really find that you don't like dancing, you can still have lots of fun meeting new people, listening to the music, and watching some great dancers do their thing. At the very least, give it a try!

East Coast, West Coast, Lindy Hop, Savoy, Hollywood, Balboa, Charleston… What do these things mean?

These names refer to different styles of swing dancing. We cover the exact meanings in our lessons.

I'm shy… I don't think I can ask somebody to dance…

We'll break you of this habit ;), but in the meantime, the other person will ask you. Also, girls ask guys to dance just as much as guys ask girls. So don’t worry.

Those people who are doing all the fancy stuff… How can I dance with them without boring them?

I hear this all the time from new dancers. I once asked this very question myself. The answer is that you won't bore them. The best dancers you will find in the club are very big on helping out new people.

Why doesn’t anybody do Aerials?

For those who don't already know, an aerial is stereotypical swing, throwing the follow into the air, or around the neck, or down the back, etc… THIS IS NOT WHAT SWING DANCING IS. These steps are not only dangerous, they have no place on the social dance floor. The ONLY time these steps should be done is in a performance, or at the most in a jam circle.

What is a Jam Circle?

A Jam Circle is one of the best parts of a dance. It's a spontaneous occurrence where everybody forms a big circle and claps to the beat, while one couple at a time goes in to the middle to show off a bit… Nobody has to go in, and it’s usually the more advanced dancers who do this anyway, so no worries!

What is a typical HUB dance like?

The dance starts off with a lesson for beginner dancers. We separate the leads (usually men) and follows (usually women) to teach them the basic footwork. We then have everybody partner up and we teach a series of additional things you can do, such as turns. After the lesson, either a DJ or a band plays music, and the event turns into your typical high school, er, college dance.

I saw a guy dancing with a guy… Is this normal? Do I have to do it?

Some of the more advanced dancers in the club have learned both the lead and follow parts of the dance. So sometimes you will see, particularly in a jam circle, two guys or two girls dancing together. 99% of the time, however, this is not the case, and you certainly are not required to do it if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Isn't dancing kind of … well, for girls?

Nothing could be further from the truth. Usually, there are a few more girls than guys at the first dance of the year, but by later in the year, the guys typically outnumber the girls!

I've already taken a lesson somewhere else, or in ballroom class. Will it be a waste of time for me to take the lesson?

Absolutely not. Every teacher teaches differently and you can always improve. Even those of us who have been dancing for 3 years still take the beginner lessons, if not to pick up new stuff, then to help out beginners.

Why are you playing slow music??? Why are you playing hip hop music??? Why are people swing dancing to this stuff?

A popular misconception is that swing dancing is equivalent to swing music. This is not the case. The stereotype of swing is that it is fast, bouncy, and only done to old big band music. Swing dancing is far larger than this. Some of it is fast, but some of it is very, very slow. We dance to everything, because we can.