New? start here

If this is your first time stumbling on Cape Town Swing, or the swing dance community in general, this is where you'll find your questions answered.

Ready to become a Lindy Hopper?

If you've never done any swing dancing before, the best thing to do is to try out a class that is marked as Beginner, and either "drop-in" or "first-timer". Depending on the time of year, location and teaching capacity, we typically have at least a couple of options available, such as:


taster classes

A 20- or 30-minute introductory class, usually right before a social dance or at a party

EVENT CALENDAR

Weeknight Courses

Comprising 1-hour classes, usually on weeknights, where first-timers can drop in for the first class of the course

FIND A COURSE

Weekend Workshops

Usually a 2 or 3-hour intensive on weekends, with a focus theme or topic

JOIN A WORKSHOP

Private Lessons

These can be requested of our teaching team, and are a great way to get concentrated, and personalised learning of swing dance foundations.

BOOK A PRIVATE LESSON

Beginner Courses & Workshops

Since Lindy Hop* originated as a vernacular dance language that was not formally taught and featured lots of improvisation, the way we teach the dance is to imbue some of its characteristics into a facilitated movement space, and to simplify it into patterns that can later be deconstructed.
* There are also other dances in the Swing Dance family (i.e. partner dances done to Swing Era jazz music), such as Blues and Slow Drag, Balboa, St Louis Shag and more… However, our primary focus is Lindy Hop.

As such, it takes a bit of time to learn these building blocks of Lindy Hop, and to become comfortable enough with them to start “improvising” or social dancing. In our community, we work with the following building blocks:

  • Rhythm and connection
  • Solo jazz and musicality
  • 6-count rhythm basics and social dance vocabulary
  • 8-count rhythm basics and swing out foundations
  • Charleston fundamentals

Beginners need to take a full course or workshop in each of the above areas, and to practice regularly so that it’s possible to social dance these building blocks. Once you’re feeling more confident with all of the above, you’ll be able to join the Improver classes. Please read our Class Levels page to get a better idea of the requirements for each class, and check in with one of our Teachers to get an idea of which class level you’re ready to join.

Here are some upcoming beginner-friendly classes, workshops and social events to look out for:

October 2024

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Class & Social Dance Etiquette

Here are some class expectations from our side:

  • Make sure you arrive at least 10 minutes early to sign in, so that classes can start on time. We need you to sign in for every class, even if you’ve paid upfront, so that we may keep track of numbers.

  • To help make our classes delightful for everyone you’ll be dancing with, try to squeeze in a shower before coming to class – or if you don’t have time, wear a fresh change of clothes and slap on some deodorant.

  • Take a minute to brush your teeth before class, and bring breath mints to stay fresh after hours of dancing.

  • If you tend to get really sweaty social dancing, bring extra clothes to change into. If your shoulder or back are not dry to the touch, it’s time to change! Consider it a badge of honour – you danced hard enough to warrant your second wardrobe change of the night!

Frequently Asked Questions