FAQs
What is swing dancing?
Swing dancing is partner dancing from the 1930s-40s. It is usually danced to swing jazz (think Big Bands), though in Darwin we tend to dance to just about any live music with a good beat. There are several different basic styles and rhythms that fall under the swing umbrella, but the main ones you might see around Darwin are Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing (ballroom style), Partner Charleston, Solo Jazz and Charleston, Blues and Balboa. Because we have a range of dancers on our dance floors, you’ll see just about every style being danced at some point. We mainly teach East Coast Swing and Charleston (Wednesday and Sunday) and Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz (Mondays). When we have weekend workshops, we generally request lindy hop, and try to always include an hour or two of blues or solo jazz.
Where are your classes located?
See our class page here, and stay current at our Facebook page
Do you have different levels in classes?
Our Wednesday and Sunday mini classes are beginner level, but open to all. When we run weekend workshops with local and visiting teachers we like to run open classes
What are ‘open’ classes and why do we like them?
Open classes are classes that don’t have levels like beginner, intermediate or advanced. We like to mix up all our dancers in the same class. There are a few reasons for this. First, we have a small population of dancers. Secondly, we think dancers learn better when there are dancers of all different levels in the same class. New dancers learn faster when they’re surrounded by more experienced dancers, and more experienced dancers learn by helping beginner dancers. Also, it means that we all get to socialize in class!
How much do classes cost?
Our mini classes on Wednesdays and Sundays are FREE! Our Monday night classes are generally $10 per class, with a discount for dancers who attend multiple classes in a night. Our weekend workshops are individually priced, with cost including class time, socials and any extras.
I’m a total dancing beginner, can I swing?
Of course you bloody well can! We welcome beginner dancers to all of our classes except for some of the master classes on Monday nights. We are a dance scene that values social interaction and live music above ‘perfect’ technique when it comes to dancing. We also welcome non-dancing friends and family at our social and live music events!
What should I wear to classes and socials?
For classes, wear clothes you are comfortable moving and sweating in. For socials, wear clothes you are comfortable moving and sweating in. Some people dress up on Wednesday nights, and some people wear T-shirt and shorts! If you are someone who sweats a lot (and to be fair, that’s ALL of us during the Build Up), consider bringing some spare shirts to change into. The only exception to the comfy and sweaty rule is dressing for performances, we like to dress with more care for public performance / teaching events
Do I need a partner to attend classes?
While it’s super fun to learn with a friend, most of our regular dancers came to their first classes by themselves! We rotate partners throughout the class, so you’ll always have someone to dance with.
Who dances?
Everyone! We have dancers of all ages, all genders and all walks of life on our dance floors!
What about online resources?
There are a lot of online resources for Swing! Here are a few handy links: