As the title says, I am looking for places to do some swing/Lindy in the SF! I am visiting from out of state for the long holiday weekend, and looking to hit up some Lindy spots while I’m here. I used to live here right before the pandemic and I’ve been away for about 4 to 5 years, so I’m not sure which Lindy spots are still around at this point. I am aware of Lindy in the Park and the last time I was here in the spring I attended, and it was amazing. Definitely plan to be there on Sunday 😊

But what other Lindy nights are happening and where?

I’ll be here through today (the 3rd) through early morning of the 8th. I’m staying in Oakland, but I have a rental and can travel within a reasonable distance (don’t think I can hit up the San Jose area this time around). Also, if any of these places have Balboa, that would be even better!

Another question: do people go to places to hang out and chat after the dances, or is it more of a going to bed, I’m tired, kind of crowd? I would like to at least chat and meet other dancers and make connections while I’m here. Thanks!

In Italy we call it "swing clandestino" or "social dance clandestina", but I coulnd't find any real source on how they are called in English.

Bonus points if you know how they are called in other languages!

I know the basics but don’t know how to learn. Do you have to have a partner to learn?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and chatting with dancers in my own community, and would love to hear how it works in other communities.

I started organizing in my scene last year with a newer group, and one thing I've been reflecting on is the difference between having a community where people come out to have fun/socialize and having a community where people are actively motivated to keep learning and developing as dancers.

I don't think one is necessarily better than the other, I prefer a balance (I dont want people taking dance super seriously and losing the fun/playful aspect). Not everyone wants to become an incredible dancer, and I don't think they should have to! But I've noticed that in my community, it's pretty easy for people to stay at the "I know some steps, I come out to socials, and I have fun" stage for a really long time. There aren't as many people naturally progressing into that next stage of "I love this and I really want to get better at it."

We have a small handful of int & adv dancers still dancing in our community from pre 2020, and we are more than happy dancing with beginners, but we would love to see them grow. We have a few newer dancers super keen to learn, but so many that are happy with just the basics.

So I'm curious about other people's experiences:

• What made you want to get better at dancing beyond simply knowing the basics?
• Was there a particular dancer, teacher, class, video, event, or experience that inspired you?
• Did you have a moment where you realized you wanted to take your dancing more seriously?
• What has helped you continue progressing rather than plateauing?
• What kinds of things make you actually want to practice outside of class?
• Does your community have a culture of learning/progression? If so, what do they do that seems to encourage it?
• For those who don't particularly care about improving, what keeps you dancing? And do you think there's anything that could make you more interested in developing your dancing?

I'm really interested in hearing from people at all different stages-newer dancers, long-time social dancers, instructors/organizers, people who just dance for fun, etc.

TLDR: Basically, I'm trying to understand: what makes people want to keep discovering what they're capable of as dancers?

Sorry for a long read! Any and all insights are appreciated!

After two group lessons for beginner swing dancing (Lindy Hop, in this case), I decided that the two 1-hour classes were not enough for me to continue beyond the basic step (quick-quick-slow-slow). I had trouble moving in the second class (forward, back, turning, letting my partner swing by, etc.) while keeping my steps going. I need much more practice before continuing on, but have nobody to practice with. I don’t seem to be able to do the steps for very long when I try them alone, let alone doing the partner moves and keeping the steps in rhythm.

30th anniversary of Lindy in the Park in San Francisco.

Never been in a (non-bday) jam circle like this before. Was excited but nervous, and the only reason I was willing to try was because my friend gave me the courage. So thank you haha

(And thank you JP O’Connor for capturing this fun moment)

I heard that there are actual Jam circle classes. Never would have thought of that but I guess jam circle etiquette and advice is helpful at big events. Imma try to catch one if I can. Maybe they’ll have one at Camp Hollywood

Watching this back, I’m happy to see my bounce is more controlled than it used to be for my fast Lindy Hop. Controlled but not completely gone. Progress is def happening :)

Side note, those shoes have lasted me a good 5 months and they already need to be thrown out (shoe glue can only do so much)😭

(Title is wrong SF not SFO lol)

Or, something you heard about but didn't get to try. Just want to hear about the cool things that have happened in swing culture history that you miss or that I haven't heard of since they predated my dancing.

ETA: Would love to hear where they were, why they ended, and how long they lasted, and what made them great!

I'm still so sad I never got to experience Pirate Swing but I did save one of their lil ads with "The beatings will continue until swingouts improve." I'm also bummed my swing club recently moved from their awesome pub venue to a church. Oh well.

We don't know rockabilly jive so we do this often, it's a bit of a burner though. 🥵

I’ll be visiting Baltimore the weekend of Sept 5-6!

Does anyone know of any places to go dance over the weekend? (Mobtown Ballroom has things Friday and Monday which doesn’t help me!)

Might be a little dumb of a question, but how does one even find groups that do swing dance near me? I used to do it quite a bit when I went to college, but then I moved back in with my parents in Pennsylvania and the place I am in is rather... lacking in swing dancing spots, unless I am to drive like an hour to Philly (and even then, idk if the spots are actually open and I'd realistically get home at like 12am).

I went to one spot near me a couple of months ago and I thought they ran these events once a month, but it turns out that this wasn't the case. Most of the attendees were members of a local church, though, and they gave me flyers with some swing events in the future, but I, uhhhh... promptly lost them (it was a really long couple of months).

So I was wondering how I could find these sorts of events again, because just straight googling "swing dance near me" isn't really giving me much. Is there maybe like a tool I could use or smth?

Hello, I am a swing dancer who is considering getting bunion surgery for pain. Have any other swing dancers had the surgery and it's been successful? Are you still able to dance and use your feet like you did before the surgery?

Just want to hear other perspectives from those who may have had the surgery or considered it and decided not to.

Hi! My name is Amanda and I am a follow who does mostly Balboa and Collegiate Shag and I am looking for someone to practice with! I know Arkansas doesn’t really have a scene but I thought I’d reach out to see if there are any other people out here anyhow. Just let me know!

Is there a Dolly Parton song or a version, which is good for lindy hop dance? as a tribute

Hey Dancers,

We got a couple dancers together to learn a routine in 6-weeks and performed at a local social in NYC (Midtown Swings).

The tune is 'Drop Me Off in Harlem' by Eyal Vilner's Big Band!

Hi

I’m building a collection of songs that have this riff. (Played at 15:54 in the linked video or at 3:35 in ‘God Bless My Solo’ by Illinois Jacquet)

Firstly, what is the name of this riff and where did it come from? Any interesting history to it? I can’t seem to find any information on it online.

Secondly, what are your favourite songs to dance to, that have this riff?

Unimportant to the question but a personal note:
I remember when I first heard this riff at my first swing dance festival. I had already been geeking and gawking in owe of all the dancing and the energy of the live music. I was a beginner dancer so I was watching the social dance floor from my shy corner when this riff started playing. At once, the energy of the entire room shifted as if everybody was in on an inside joke. The entire room felt like one, as every dancer hit every beat of the drum like a choreographed routine. The hairs on my arm rose, sensing the riff’s climax.
Suddenly, as the riff reached its last beat, everybody on the floor synchronously leapt into the air with a thunderous hail!
Mid-jump, time stopped. I still remember the silhouettes of the airborne dancers.
From that moment forward I knew I wanted to dive deeper into this magical dance. From that moment forward I felt some part of me found home. From that moment forward, I was a Lindy Hopper.

Any who, let me know if you know about the riff.

I’ve only been dancing for about 18 months and I’m absolutely psyyyched to be heading to New Hampshire Swing Out this week. It’ll be my first time traveling for a dance event, and basically I’m wondering - if I show up with a fairly big (though not huge) rolling duffel bag, will that be the norm or will I seem crazy? 😅 The idea of needing a duffel for a six-day trip is totally foreign to me, but like… there’ll be cold weather, warm weather, casual classes, dressy socials & everything will be far too sweaty to wear more than once - I feel like I’m packing half my closet! And I’ve seen a bunch of recommendations to bring an extra blanket, too.

(English after Japanese)

初心者レベルの女性ダンスパートナーを探しています。

ダンスの種類は、スウィングダンスのリンディホップです。大学時代に習っていて、とても楽しかったので、社会人になってからまた始めようと思いました。

ただ、10年間まったく踊っていないので、ほぼゼロからのスタートです。

現在は東京都文京区にあるStudio Necolaに通っていますが、なかなか自分と同じくらいのレベルの方がいなくて困っています。レッスンの言語は日本語と英語から選べます。現時点では日本語で受けることにしています。

社交ダンスなので、パートナーがいないと少し不便で、一緒に練習できる方を探しています。

私は平日なら比較的いつでもレッスンに行ける、柔軟な勤務時間です。バイクも持っているので、場所によっては送り迎えもできます。

また、知らない人といきなり一緒にダンスに行くのは少し気まずいと思うので、最初は写真を交換したり、カフェでお話ししたり、電話したりなど、何でも大丈夫です。

I’m looking for a female dance partner at a beginner level. I am 37yo male Italian

The dance style is Lindy Hop, a type of swing dance. I learned it when I was in university in Italy and really enjoyed it, so I decided to start dancing again now that I’m working.

However, I haven’t danced at all for the past 10 years, so I’m basically starting from scratch.

I am currently taking lessons at Studio Necola in Tokyo Bunkyo-ku, but there is no other beginner-level student at the moment. The lesson can be in Japanese and English. At the moment, I have chosen Japanese.

Since it’s a partner dance, it’s a little difficult without a partner, so I’m looking for someone who would like to practice and take lessons together.

I have very flexible working hours, so I can usually go to lessons anytime on weekdays. I also have a motorcycle, so depending on the location, I can pick you up and drop you off.

I also understand that it can feel a little awkward to suddenly go dancing with someone you’ve never met before. So we can exchange photos first, meet for coffee, have a phone call, or do whatever feels comfortable to you.

lindy hopping for a while now and i've always just worn my regular sneakers. never really thought about it until someone at a social mentioned i should get proper dance sneakers. now i'm down a rabbit hole and confused lol.

what's the difference? like i get that they have smoother soles for pivots and spins but is it that big of a deal for a casual dancer? i'm not competing or anything, just social dancing a few times a month.

my friend swears by this brand Energetiks for dance shoes but i'm not sure if i should invest or just keep wearing my regular ones. i don't wanna spend money on something i don't need but also i don't wanna be that person who's making things harder for themselves.

anyone made the switch? is it a game changer or just a nice to have. curious what people think.

been swing dancing for like 3 years now. love it but i'd get gassed after like 2-3 songs. especially on hot nights - just completely wiped.

on tirzepatide for a few months now. started for weight stuff but the biggest difference i've noticed is my stamina. i was at a dance last weekend and went for like 2 hours straight. barely needed breaks. not sure if it's the weight loss or the reduced inflammation but something changed.

also weird side note - i don't get as sweaty? used to be dripping after one fast lindy. now i'm actually comfortable through most of the night.

i get my stuff through oztrim and it's been fine. but the dance stamina improvement has been the real win for me.

any other dancers on this? noticed similar effects?

Hello dancing friends.

I recently reached the milestone of my tenth swing dance anniversary, and have been mulling over my progress and “level” as a dancer. I think I’m a solid social dancer, with some decent leading and following skills, but I wouldn’t consider myself “advanced”. Sometimes I’m a bit embarrassed to tell people how long I’ve been dancing, worrying they might be surprised at the answer given my fairly mediocre skills.

Anyway, I’d love to hear from people who feel similarly about their own dancing (or perhaps who felt that way in the past and then managed to break through the plateau at some point).

I’ll start with some reflections on why I think my own progress has stagnated somewhat over the years:

• I have a long-term life partner. He is very chill and supportive about me dancing, but I think there’s a good chance I would have committed to dancing a little bit more if I were single. I care about my relationship and it prevents me dedicating all of my free time and travel budget to dance-related stuff 
• I have never taken a private lesson (I’m not sure if that’s a shocking confession?) and I haven’t done a lot of structured practice outside of classes and socials. All my classes have been group classes without a lot of personalised feedback
• I think ultimately I just haven’t had (so far) the drive to really push myself to get better. Having reached a “good enough” level, I haven’t really had the motivation to really challenge myself, get out of my comfort zone, and push myself to improve. I’ve never really been interested in competing, performing or teaching, which I imagine might be good motivators for people who do pursue them

I’d love to hear what people think - I suspect I’m not really very unusual but maybe you’ll tell me I’m wrong about that!

Edit: thank you so much for all the thoughtful responses - I’m not replying to everyone separately, but I’m reading everything and it’s giving me lots to think about