Have you ever felt so in tune with your dance partner that you’re sure you’ve somehow fused, and you’re moving as one entity? For me, this is the most euphoric moment of a dance, that perfect synchronisation: hitting the break in the music together, somehow, with no verbal communication, matching each other’s sweep or cheeky kick-ball-change. You wonder how you …
This February, Cape Town Swing is thrilled to welcome Nancy Hitzig, Cat Foley, and Annette Walker for a month-long teaching residency packed with classes, workshops, open practices, and plenty of chances to dance together. It doesn’t matter what level you are; total beginners and advanced dancers alike will get so much from this residency, which is designed to meet you …
Every year, there’s one weekend Cape Town Swing dancers look forward to more than any other, and this past November, Swing Camp once again proved why it’s the highlight of the CTS calendar. From 20th–23rd November 2025, we returned to the Fynbos Estate, where the olive groves, big skies, and warm community spirit set the perfect backdrop for a wonderful …
When I first started learning swing dance, I was focused on the steps, the spins, and keeping time (and also on not making a fool of myself!). But as I grew in confidence, relaxed, connected to the music, and tuned into my lead, I noticed something unexpected: a space emerging. A space between the rhythm, the moves, the two people …
The jam circle is a Swing institution. For those who are new to the scene, a partnered or solo jam circle is the place to show off your best moves. It’s where those crazy airsteps that you see in the old movies, forbidden on the social floor, finally get a chance to shine, and it’s where your solo jazz vocabulary …
Having already fallen in love with Lindy Hop in 2022, about a year ago, I started learning West Coast Swing and instantly fell in love with that, too. The two styles feel so different; in fact, when our founding group at West Coast Swing Cape Town first began socials, intended to entice dancers from other dance scenes, we decided to …
“The longing to touch/be touched. I feel gratitude when I touch someone—as well as affection etc. The person has allowed me proof that I have a body—and that there are bodies in the world.” Susan Sontag, from As Consciousness Is Harnessed to Flesh. “Well I was born to dance. It’s a sacred duty, like being in love, and eventually I’ll …
On April 23rd – William Shakespeare’s date of birth and death- school kids and the bookworm adults among us celebrated World Book Day. But why am I talking about this in a Swing blog? Well, a few days later, I discovered that in 1939, Shakespeare met Swing in an epic Broadway show called Swingin’ the Dream. It was an innovative …
Hiya, Muriel here! This little blog post took me by surprise – an outcome of my preparations for the Swing Music workshop that I’m hosting online next week. I’ll tell you, I’ve been swing-obsessed for years now: I fell in love with the dance BECAUSE I already loved the music. And the more I dived into the landscape and history of …
What makes a swing dance floor truly come alive? The answer lies in the music! Of course, we all have different ideas of what makes a great song to dance to, but there are those special nights when everyone seems to be united in a rhythmic trance that can only be cast by a DJ who knows their music. We’ve …
