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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:

December 2024

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6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Swing Out Foundations | 4-week Beginner BlockWeekly

Observatory Community Centre

Events for 12 December

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6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Drop-in Beginner ClassesWeekly

Cape Town High School

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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

The term “swing dancing” refers to a variety of dance styles that originated in the 1920s and ‘30s in African American communities – particularly in Harlem, New York. They include Lindy Hop, Charleston, Shag, Balboa and others, each of which has its own unique “flavour” and character. They are mostly quite athletic and energetic, drawing inspiration from the big bands of the Swing Era that played a variety of jazz music for large crowds in ballrooms all over the country. Swing dancers ground their movement in the rhythm section of the music, emphasising syncopation, musicality, improvisation, humour and self-expression.

Not particularly. There are many ways to enjoy swing dancing, within a wide range of music tempos (from 80-300 BPM) as well as a wide range of movement energy (from slow drag, to lindy hop and balboa, to charleston and shag). Having a certain fitness will help you unlock more ways of dancing, but it’s not a prerequisite. Plus, the more you dance, the fitter you'll get, so it's a win-win! Of course, if you want to dance a lot and to faster tempos, building up your cardio fitness with a bit of cross-training is a bonus.

If you’re here to learn and grow as a dancer, we encourage you to commit to at least one class a week, with regular social dancing. Listening to swing music in your own time is a great way to get the music “in your bones” – so that moving to it feels more natural over time. Practice what you learn in class (having friends to practice with makes this easier!) and going down YouTube rabbit holes is a good way to keep yourself inspired. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out!

In partnered swing dancing (as with most partnered dancing), there are two roles: ‘leader’ and ‘follower’. The leader initiates movement, and the follower interprets the leader’s suggestions. These roles are not gendered; you may learn either role. It’s usually more effective to learn one role at a time, and then to try the other role later on if you like. Being an ‘ambi’ dancer means that you’re proficient at both leading and following – which means you can dance with everyone! More fun right there…

There is an enormous treasure trove of swing music for you to discover. Classic swinging jazz from the 1920s-’40s big bands and small group ensembles should be your go-to. We’ve created a variety of Spotify playlists for you to enjoy, available from our Music page. Our DJs put many hours into sourcing, tagging and categorising swing music from the archives to play at our parties. If you love the songs they play, go up and tell them!

Yes, there are. While we focus on dances that were done to Swing Era jazz such as Lindy Hop, Charleston and Solo Jazz, the dance culture evolved over the years in various communities, and different styles emerged such as West Coast Swing, Rodeo Swing, Hand Dancing, Shag, Jive, East Coast Swing, and Jitterbug. These are typically all referred to as “swing dances” and are danced to a variety of music, not only jazz.

The best way to progress is to be consistent: attend classes regularly, practice at home (solo or with a dance buddy) and get on the social dance floor as often as you can. You’ll probably learn as much on the social floor as you will in class. Listen to lots of swing music, practice between classes, and take inspiration from Swing Era elders. You can also make a habit of trying something new each time you go to a social. It's better to build up slowly and have a good foundation of the basics, rather than being a move machine with sloppy technique.