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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Swing Dancing?
Do I need a partner?
What should I wear?
How much does it cost?
Where do you buy your shoes?
How can I get better?
What music do you recommend?
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Swing dancing refers to a family of social dances, usually danced by couples to music of the 30's and 40's. Each
couple consists of a "leader" and a "follower". The leader (traditionally male) suggests the direction of the dance.
The follower (traditionally female) responds to the leader's suggestions, adding her own embellishments.
The style of swing typically taught to beginners is called "East Coast" or "6 Count Swing". Some other types of swing include Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Blues.
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No! Our group classes rotate partners regularly to ensure that you get to meet and dance with lots of people.
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Shoes: Wear comfortable shoes that will stay on your feet. Flip flops, clogs, and high heels are NOT recommended. Tennis
shoes will work fine.
Clothes: Wear clothes that you are comfortable moving in. Also take into consideration that dancing is a physical activity, and you may get a bit hot and sweaty.
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The cost for beginners is usually $5 or less for a 45 minute to 1 hour lesson followed by a 2 hour social dance.
See our calendar or links page for more information on specific events.
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We usually buy our shoes from dancestore.com. There are
also beautiful (but very expensive) shoes at Remix Vintage Shoes.
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Practice! Dance with lots of different people. Take classes from lots of different instructors. Learn both the lead and follow parts. Then practice some more.
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Here's a short & sweet list of some classic swing musicians:
Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Glen Miller, and Artie Shaw.
Many freely downloadable songs can be found at Jazz On Line