Getting Started

No partner needed!

We are generally balanced between leaders and followers in class, so you don’t have to bring your own partner. We rotate in all of our classes so that students get experience dancing with a variety of partners. If the class is unbalanced, the teachers rotate in as often as possible so that no one is out for long.

If you bring a partner, we highly recommend that you rotate. We’ve found that rotating students learn much faster and they seem to have more fun too.

Dance styles

We teach a variety of swing-era dances such as Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Solo Jazz, Blues and Tap. Our primary focus is Lindy Hop. See our Dance Styles page for more information.

Which level should you take?

Never danced before?
No problem, we’ve got you covered in our Level 1 classes. We start from scratch and we’ll have you dancing in no time!

Taken some other partner dance classes, but not Lindy Hop specifically?

If you’ve never learned Lindy Hop, we want you to start with the Level 1 class. Your previous experience will help you learn fast, but there is a lot of material you’ll need to be fluent in before jumping into the Level 2 classes.

Been doing Lindy Hop for a little while?

If you think you belong in the Level 2 or 3 classes, your best bet is to come a little early and dance with one of our instructors. We’ll help put you in the class that will be the best for you. Level 2 and 3 classes move fast, so we want to make sure you have all the skills you need to have fun.

How our classes work

We offer 3 levels of Lindy Hop classes, along with other special topics classes. Our Level 1 and 2 classes have several months of curriculum that can be taken in any order. You must take all classes in one level before moving on to the next.

Level 1a (Turns): Basic/Swingout, Circle, Tuck Turn, Inside Turn, Outside Turn, Outside Free Turn, Side Pass
Level 1b (Charleston): Basic/Swingout, Circle, Swingout from Closed, Side-by-side Charleston, Kickaway Charleston, Pancake Charleston, Butterfly Charleston

Level 2a (Turns and Better Basics): Swingout variations, Swivels (followers), Texas Tommy
Level 2b (Charleston Moves): Tandem Charleston, Push Outs, Tandem Chase Charleston
Level 2c (Lindy Vocabulary): 6-count Lindy variations, Minne Dip, footwork, styling.

Level 3: An extensive rotation of vocabulary, technique, and general fun for the advanced dancer. Teacher permission required to enter this level.

When does the next class series start?

Our series generally start on the first Monday of the month and run for 4 weeks. You can check out when the next series starts on our Calendar.

Registration

You don’t need to pre-register for classes unless you want to pay by PayPal or save a little time at the door. We take cash and check at the door. You can register here

Suggested Clothing and Shoes

Lindy Hop is a casual dance, and it’s also quite athletic. We suggest comfortable clothes that you can move around in, and flat shoes that will stay on your feet (open backed shoes or flip flops don’t work well. Followers don’t generally wear heels in Lindy. Please make sure that your clothes smell good and that your breath is fresh as a summer’s day.

Music for practice

We have a list of music that’s great for practicing on our music page, including an iTunes list where you can buy individual songs for $1.

Private lessons

We’ve found that people starting out in swing dancing learn fastest when they take group classes rather than privates. They get plenty of opportunity to dance with lots of different partners, lots of repetition, and the benefit of insight from other students.

If you think you need a private lesson, though, all of our instructors offer them. You can contact them in person before/after class, or as described on our Contact Us page.

Who am I taking lessons from?

Boulder Swing Dance is run by a group of people who love swing dancing. We don’t teach or dance for a living, but we love swing so much that we spend nights and weekends sharing with anyone who would like to learn. We’re invested in your success at having a good time and learning something new. We hope that some day we can learn something from you.