Tag Archives: Courses

by | August 21, 2019 · 7:25 pm

Add Some Fun to Your Life

When was the last time you rolled down a grassy hill or stomped in a puddle or made up a silly song? These days we all find ourselves spending far too much time working and planning and networking and generally adulting and we forget to make time to just have fun!

At Swing Dance Leeds we’re here to help. We want you to have a go at swing dancing, not so that you can become a pro and impress all of your friends–I mean that’s okay too–but mostly we want you too see how much fun it is! We think you’ll love it and that you’ll enjoy spending time with other people who have set aside the time to just do something fun for the hell of it.

How to get started

Our Fundamentals course will get you off to a great start and help you feel confident in your new found dancing skills. Classes are small so you will meet a lovely group of new friends and find out all about the swing dancing community in Leeds and other activities you can get involved in.  This course is appropriate for absolute beginners and anyone else who wants to re-visit their basics in a structured learning environment.

Course Details:
Wednesdays 25th Sept – 16th Oct
6:30-7:30pm
at Dance Studio Leeds
Cost: £32 for the 4wk course

Pre-booking and payment required in advance
to register email: swingdanceleeds@gmail.com

For a full list of beginner lessons and drop in classes have a look here. And for those who might be feeling a bit nervous about their first class, check out this blog post: How to Survive Your First Dance Class

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by | August 10, 2019 · 12:47 pm

How to Nail Your Swingout

If you’re just at the start of your lindy hop journey, chances are good that you’ve seen a swingout in videos or on the dance floor and thought “Wow! When will I be able to dance like that?!” Swingouts have that effect on people–two dancers effortlessly whizzing round each other and don’t even get us started on swivels! Whenever you’re ready to take the plunge we’ve got a whole four week course dedicated to swingouts to help you really nail this iconic lindy hop move.

Swingout Course
Wednesday, 25th Sept – 16th Oct
8:30 – 9:30pm at The Dance Studio Leeds
£32 whole course

The course will go over the basic shape of a swingout and progress to more in-depth technique, styling, and a couple of variations to spice things up a bit. As usual with our courses numbers will be limited so we can give you personal feedback on what you need to make your swingout awesome.

This course is a good follow on from our Fundamentals Course for those who are feeling confident with the basics. It is also appropriate for those who have learnt a swingout before and want to improve on their technique, learn to dance faster and add some styling.

swingout.jpg

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by | July 31, 2019 · 11:15 pm

Science Says Learn to Dance!

It seems like every few weeks a new article is published with scientific studies demonstrating various health benefits of dancing. The latest article making the rounds states “researchers interviewed 1,000 people and found that often those who were dancing not only reported feeling happier, but also more satisfied with their lives, especially in relationships, health, and the goals achieved over the years.”

Dancing is great for your physical and mental health, can ward off dementia, and improve your quality of life. We’ve collected a few more articles on the benefits of dancing here. If you’ve never tried “proper” dancing don’t worry–the need to dance seems to be in our DNA! With just a bit of guidance you’ll be on your way to a healthier, happier life (according to science!).

Start with the basics

Our Fundamentals course will give you a solid foundation in fundamental lindy hop moves and techniques, ideal for people who’ve never danced before. With small class sizes you will meet a lovely group of people, so you’ll have friends to dance with when you come along to a social dance or drop in class.  It is appropriate for absolute beginners and anyone else who wants to re-visit their basics in a structured learning environment. We run these courses regularly–the next one starts end of August.

Course Details:
Wednesdays 28th Aug – 18 Sept
6:30-7:30pm
at Dance Studio Leeds
Cost: £32 for the 4wk course

Pre-booking and payment required in advance
to register email: swingdanceleeds@gmail.com

For a full list of beginner lessons and drop in classes have a look here. And for those who might be feeling a bit nervous about their first class, check out this blog post: How to Survive Your First Dance Class

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by | July 10, 2019 · 5:28 pm

Feeling Tricky?

With so many awesome Lindy Hop moves to learn there are some that can fall through the cracks, some moves that are just a bit too tricky to really get to grips with in a drop-in class. That’s why we’ve come up with this addition to our Classic Moves line up, focusing on Tricky Moves!

In this four week course we’ll teach you some great classic moves that are a bit on the tricky side, but with four weeks to work on them you’ll totally nail them! Exactly which toe-tangling moves we tackle will depend on the group. In the past we’ve looked at Switches, Hacksaws, Texas Tommy and Sailor kicks. We’ll spend a good amount of time learning how to do these moves well so that you can lead/follow them with confidence on the social dance floor or in a jam circle.

You don’t need a partner to book but you will need a good grasp of Lindy Hop Fundamentals and ideally be able to do a swingout

Classic Moves Course: Tricky Moves

Wednesdays, 28th Aug – 18th Sept
8:30-9:30pm
at Dance Studio Leeds
cost: £32 for the 4wk course

£10 discount if you’ve taken a previous Classic Moves Course (inc Frankie’s Moves)

Pre-payment required. To register email: swingdanceleeds@gmail.com

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by | June 10, 2019 · 12:45 am

Get Your Peaky Blinders on This July!

Learn how to dance the Charleston with a partner just like they did back in the day. Bookings are now open for this beginner friendly course starting this July. Its likely to sell out quickly so get in touch to book your place now!

Intro to Partnered Charleston
Wednesdays, 31 July -21 August 2019
8:30-9:30pm at Dance Studio Leeds
cost: £32 for the 4wk course

A course that will get you dancing this energetic dance everywhere you go. We’ll give you a good number of moves and the technique to social dance 20s and 30s style Charleston. So whether you’re going to a Great Gatsby party or a Big Band Swing Dance–we’ve got you covered! This is a great course for complete beginners or those who have done a bit of lindy hop and are looking for more moves to add to their repertoire.

A bit of trivia: Our Charleston dancers were actually featured in the first season of Peaky Blinders (that’s us on the left) and we got to teach the Cillian Murphy and Annabelle Wallis how to dance!

Book your place by emailing: swingdanceleeds@gmail.com

Take a look at this to give you an idea about Partnered Charleston:

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by | May 29, 2019 · 7:16 pm

Try Something New This Summer

Learn the Lindy Hop

Summer is the perfect time to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! Our Lindy Hop Fundamentals Course is a great way to have a go at learning swing dancing in a low pressure environment. We’ll take you through the basics in a small class with other beginners just like you. After four weeks you’ll have the skills and confidence to have a little boogie next time you pass a band on the street or to wow your friends at weddings.

We cover the basics of Lindy Hop over the course of four weeks. Each week builds on the last with plenty of time for review and repetition to give you a solid foundation in basic moves and techniques. We often have people in class who’ve never tired partner dancing before–so if this is you don’t worry. Our small class sizes help you get to know a lovely group of people so that you’ll have friends to dance with when you come along to a social dance or drop in class.  The course is appropriate for absolute beginners as well as anyone who wants to brush up on their basics.

Course Details:
Wednesdays 31st July – 21st Aug 2019
 6:30-7:30pm
at Dance Studio Leeds
Cost: £32 for the 4 week course

Pre-booking required to register email: swingdanceleeds@gmail.com

Have a look at this video for a taster of what you can expect on the course:

For a full list of course dates visit our courses page

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by | May 1, 2019 · 6:45 pm

Learn to Dance Like Its 1935!

Ever wondered what it must have been like to go to dance hall in the 30’s? Fabulous dresses, dapper lads, couples moving and swaying across the dance floor executing intricate sequences of moves to the thumping rhythms of a live jazz band. Step back in time with us and find out just what it feels like!

Swing Dancing is alive and well today and you can find pockets of lively dancers in cities across the UK (and the world). Once you try it we promise you’ll be hooked. Sign up today for our Lindy Hop Fundamentals course and see what all the fuss is about.

Learn the basics of Lindy Hop in just 4 weeks!

This course will give you a solid foundation in fundamental lindy hop moves and techniques, ideal for people who’ve never danced before. With small class sizes you will meet a lovely group of people, meaning you’ll have friends to dance with when you come along to a social dance or drop in class.  It is appropriate for absolute beginners and anyone else who wants to re-visit their basics in a structured learning environment. We run these courses regularly–the next one starts in May.

Course Details:
Wednesdays 29th May – 19th June
6:30-7:30pm
at Dance Studio Leeds
cost: £32 for the 4wk course

Pre-booking and payment required in advance
to register email: swingdanceleeds@gmail.com

For a full list of beginner lessons and drop in classes have a look here. And for those who might be feeling a bit nervous about their first class, check out this blog post: How to Survive Your First Dance Class

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