How to Try (Swing) Dancing

I tell all my friends, and really anyone who will listen to try dancing, specifically swing dancing. Though I realize I’ve only verbally given those people ideas, so here’s the post that will show you the basics.

If you attend a university first see if your school has a club, its a great way to meet people. Plus most clubs find social dances to attend as a group anyway. 

If You’re Somewhere Else

Facebook is a surprisingly great first place to check for dances, just look at events and type in swing dance (or some variation thereof) and look up the places that pop up online. If you want to get beginner lessons type swing dance into google with your area listed and any local studios should pop up. If you’re scared to take your dancing anywhere public. 

When I move I’ll update this with what I find in my new city!

Trying Dancing Without the Dance First

If you’re taking lessons I recommend starting with East Coast, then moving on to Lindy Hop, I found the former to be a much better starting point. Country Style Swing is even more basic footwork, but often moves are piled on far more quickly so watch out for that. Most dance styles have at least some kind of YouTube presence, and if you can follow along, you may be able to get your footwork down this way. 

If you’re in the Twin Cities of Minnesota

There’s a number of ways to get your feet wet.

If you’re looking to get dancing soon social dances are available every week. I’d recommend first going to a First Saturday swing put on by TC Swing, these dances include a lesson, dancers of every age, a live band, and tables to mingle at. Plus these are social dances so even if you are coming with a date/spouse, you are allowed/encouraged to ask any random person to dance, and by that same token if you get asked, either take the dance, while being willing to preface if you’re new to swing, or kindly decline but wait a couple songs to take your next dance so as not to appear rude. 

TC Swing also puts on Late Night Swing every Thursday evening after 10 pm, this one is only about $6 but the music is DJd and there’s no lesson, its great if you want to jump in head first, have taken basic lessons, or want to be consistent with your practice, or are coming with a group or friend that wants to learn, though it is also a social dance. This one also has a birthday dance with “stealing” practice (a perfectly legitimate practice in some settings where dancers cut in smoothly with a dancing couple and take over, ask the host of a dance if you’re not sure if a dance encourages “stealing”). This dance also has a couple of line dances usually, that allow you to dance by yourself, in a big group where you can usually follow along even if you’ve never done it before. 

The Wabasha Street Caves host a live band swing dance every Thursday as well. This dance is not as social though from what I understand tends to be a date or group oriented dance, also the dance floor space is far more confined. It’s a very cool location though. 

Other social dances include Rhythm Junction and Rhythm Royale. Junction is weekly on Mondays, and Royale is monthly on third Fridays. These events are mostly Lindy Hop oriented. Neither have lessons, but its a very cool vibe at both, plus its a social dance.

My alma mater, Bethel University, also hosts annual dances that are open to the public, and are social During the Christmas season, it’s Swinging on the Egg, this is at Bethel on a structural feature of the school called the “egg”, it features the university jazz bands, plus its free! (Coming up on 12-6!). They also host Swinging by the Lake, this is hosted at Como Park Pavilion and is again open to the public, and features the jazz bands. 

My personal favorite though is The Hangar Dance, hosted by the Commemorative Air Force Wing of Minnesota. It’s a fundraising dance with a 1940s theme. There’s fun costumes, a terrific live band, and old artifacts and vehicles, plus its a social dance. It also has quite a bit of space for dancing. This comes twice a year. 

There are other dances, but these are the ones that I’ve been to, enjoyed, and still happen. 

So try going dancing sometime, and let me know, because I’m more often than not happy to dance with a newbie. 

I’ll also add that swing dance is hardly the only kind availible! So try everything you can from foxtrot to urban, to Charleston, to tango, to even Zumba, and modern. Dancing is easy to at least try your …feet at. 

Message me @katherineglader if you want more information on swing dances, or fill out my contact form – happy dancing.