FAQs

FAQs

Most of the questions you’ll need answering are right here! Promise!

We recommend anything comfortable that you can move around in. We would also suggest wearing layers as it can get quite hot swing dancing. Most people come straight from work and do not bother changing though it’s wise to bring a change of top with you for the journey home. For footwear, we recommend flat shoes or plimsolls; high heels can be very difficult to swing dance in! We recommend shoes with hard-leather or suede soles for dancing Balboa in.

Absolutely not! We rotate the class right through the lesson, so bringing a partner is not necessary.

You can join in at any time. There is no need to book or register — just turn up! Level 1 (Beginner Swing Dance) classes are like pieces of Lego and over time all the building blocks come together. We recommend attending Beginner classes until you’ve really got it under your belt (about 3-4 months). If you miss a few, it won’t matter as you will be learning a new piece of “swing Lego” each week that no one else knows either. The only dance classes which cannot be attended on a casual basis are the specialised workshops we run throughout the year which need to be pre-booked. We have a range of these, aimed at a variety of different levels.

Our classes teach people how to dance socially and part of the learning process is dancing with the other students in class. We find people progress much quicker when they learn to dance with multiple people and you can always practice with your friend outside of class! If you are taking up dancing for a specific occasion, we can help put you in touch with teachers to arrange a private lesson.

Absolutely! Our level 1 classes always assume no knowledge so we always start at the beginning but learn something new every week. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn in an hour. You might want do one of our Dance in a Day workshops to complement your classes as that will help you with learning the basics.

Our London classes are £10 (£6 for full time university students with valid ID). If you do two classes in a night, you get the second class for half price (£5 or £4 for students). You can save money by purchasing a class card here.

Attendance is on a casual basis. If you miss a class it doesn’t matter at all. If you miss a few weeks and you feel concerned, you may like to book yourself in for a one-on-one private lesson or join a Dance in a Day workshop. Please speak to your teachers about private classes or email [email protected]

Check out our class listing and map here to find your nearest class.      

As with other social dances like Ballroom and Tango, Lead and Follow refers to the different roles in the dance.  A Lead will lead each move and the Follow will follow the moves and often add embellishments.

You can wear whatever you like! There’s no need to dress ‘Vintage’ though you can if you prefer to. It’s a good idea to have at least one change of clothes with you as you can get hot and sweaty when dancing.  Also, do bring deodorant so we can keep the dancefloor smelling fresh.  

Some bigger events will encourage you to dress up for the night but ultimately, it’s a personal choice and if you feel more comfortable in casual clothing, that’s fine too.  

Yes, everyone is welcome to attend a social. We run many different social events and nearly all of them will have a taster lesson at the start. If you’re worried about beginning social dancing, head along to a Swing Den which are our social dances created entirely for beginner dancers to take a class and practice dancing with other beginners.

There’s no need to bring a dance partner with you. Swing dancing is a very social dance and we all dance with each other.

It depends on the event. Our regular socials are generally cash on the door with the exception of Bishopsgate Swing as the venue sells those tickets. Our bigger events are booked in advance and it’s a good idea to get a ticket in case it sells out.

We do try to have cloakrooms at our events but in the event that we do not, it is customary for swing dancers to leave their belongings in the space we have, neatly tucked away. Please note that with any events in a large city like London we ask that you be very aware of where you leave your belongings. Don’t leave any valuable items near entrances and always be aware of where your belongings are. Swing Patrol cannot accept liability for thefts of items such as mobile phones and purses.

Some of our venues have a fixed capacity so we close booking at a set point. For this reason cancellations are not transferable or refundable without 24 hours notice as we will probably have turned away other dancers. Thanks for understanding. We are pretty friendly and approachable so always call us and hopefully we can assist you!  In the event that payment is taken by a third party such as the Bishopsgate Institute, please refer to their terms and conditions.  

We mainly teach Lindy Hop-  an African American dance which developed at the Savoy Ballroom in New York in the 1920s. We have a weekly Blues dancing classes — check out our Stompin’ the Blues class page for a description of Blues dancing.  While Lindy Hop is the flagship of most swing dancing, we also dedicate some classes to introducing you to other great swing dances such as Balboa, Collegiate Shag and 1920s partnered and solo Charleston.

You’re never too old to dance and we have dancers of all ages learning and enjoying swing dancing. The age range across our classes is 18-80! Our students predominantly range from their late 20s to 40s, but swing dancing is for everyone.

If you have watched “Swing Kids”, “Swingers” or “Malcolm X” you will know what swing is. Swing is a sound AND a dance. Swing music comes under the overall music umbrella of jazz and even though there is a lot of great modern swing played these days it all has that wonderful upbeat swinging dotted or “galloping” rhythm that you may remember from “In the Mood” or any other Glenn Miller golden oldie that your parents or grandparents played for you! Swing dancing is a style of dance that suits swing music. Swing dancing can be upbeat and flashy or slow and sensual. Whatever the pace, the dancing is always an expression of the music that it relates to! Chances are you are reading this page because a friend told you about swing dancing. They will be able to tell you more about the great steps and styling that is taught in swing dancing and how it is hard to swing without grinning.

We teach dances that fall under the umbrella term ‘swing’, which includes, Balboa, Blues, Lindy Hop, 1920s Solo and Partnered Charleston, Collegiate Shag and Solo Jazz. We’re really obsessed with swing and we don’t teach ballroom, Latin dances or Jive.

We do! You can chat to your regular teachers in class about it or email at [email protected] and we’ll help you arrange something with a member of the team.

We recommend anything comfortable that you can move around in.  We would also suggest wearing layers as it can get quite hot swing dancing. Most people come straight from work and do not bother changing though it’s wise to bring a change of top with you for the journey home. For footwear, we recommend flat shoes or plimsolls; high heels can be very difficult to swing dance in! We recommend shoes with hard-leather or suede soles for dancing Balboa. For Aerial workshops, at least one of the partnership should wear long sleeves and remove all jewellry and watches.

This depends on the individual workshop. The workshop description should tell you what you need to know. If it is a beginner workshop (Level 1), everyone is welcome.  All our beginner workshops are suitable for those in the early stages of learning and will also cater for total beginners with no prior knowledge. So whether you've been to several level 1 classes already or never danced before - you'll be just fine! For other levels, check the description on the workshop description. We will always indicate the level, and if you are unsure check out the "What level am I?" guide.

It depends on the workshop. For most of them, you won’t need a partner for but for certain workshops, for example our aerials workshops, you will need to book with a partner you feel comfortable dancing with.

Our workshops teach people how to dance socially and part of the learning process is dancing with the other students in class. We find people progress much quicker when they learn to dance with multiple people and you can always practice with your friend outside of class! The exception to this is our aerials workshops where it’s advisable to book with a partner you feel comfortable with.

The prices of the workshops vary depending on who is teaching, where it is and how long the workshop is. We always aim to keep the prices as low as we can!

You’re never too old to dance and we have dancers of all ages learning and enjoying swing dancing. The age range across our classes is 18-80! Our students predominantly range from their late 20s to 40s, but swing dancing is for everyone.

I’m afraid we can’t advise on individual’s suitability for a workshop. Most of our workshops will be 3-4 hours of dancing but the content and intensity varies for each workshop. If you are worried, please do consult your doctor.

Cancellation policy  Some of our venues have a fixed capacity so we close off the spots at a set point. For this reason cancellations are not transferable or refundable without 24 hours notice as we will probably have turned away other dancers. Thanks for understanding. We are pretty friendly and approachable so always call us and hopefully we can assist you!  

We do try to have cloakrooms at our events but in the event that we do not, it is customary for swing dancers to leave their belongings in the space we have, neatly tucked away. Please note that with any events in a large city like London we ask that you be very aware of where you leave your belongings. Don’t leave any valuable items near entrances and always be aware of where your belongings are. Swing Patrol cannot accept liability for thefts of items such as mobile phones and purses.

As with other social dances like Ballroom and Tango, Lead and Follow refers to the different roles in the dance.  A Lead will lead each move and the Follow will follow the moves and often add embellishments.

What level am I?

This class is for complete beginners. Whether you have never danced Lindy Hop, or anything else for that matter, this class will equip you with the basics. You can expect to learn 6 and 8 count Lindy Hop, 20s and 30s Charleston basics, and a few fun variations. You can drop in any time, as every week we teach the basics. Students typically stay in the Beginner classes for anything from 2 - 4 months. All of our classes have a level 1.

This class is for dancers who have some experience of 6 and 8 count Lindy Hop and Charleston and are comfortable in the Beginner class. If you would like to go beyond the basics, learn some new steps, and sharpen technique, this is the class for you.

This class is for intermediate dancers who would like to take it up a notch and learn some more challenging steps and variations. You will also learn about musicality and rhythm and refine your lead/ follow technique.

This is a more advanced class for dancers who have been swing dancing for a minimum of about 2-3 years and are regularly on the social dance floor. You will be looking to hone your technique and improve the quality of your dancing, as well as learning some amazing new steps and variations. You will have a strong grasp of the basics and be prepared to spend a lot of time working on areas such as momentum, pulse, led/follow connection, rhythm and musicality. If you are unsure if you are ready, please do approach our lovely teachers for guidance.