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LindyGroove Lessons: Pre-Lindy Lindy1 Lindy2 Routine LindyChallenge Balboa1 Blues1
What is Lindy Hop?
Lindy Hop is the original swing dance. Born in Harlem as a street dance, it evolved alongside the jazz music of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Like jazz, Lindy Hop is a uniquely American art form.
Hmm. Sounds… old-timey...
While Lindy Hop definitely deserves its place in history books, it is still danced today, all over the world! Modern Lindy Hoppers strive to stay true to the joyful spirit and jubilant style of vintage Lindy Hop while continuing to evolve the dance. The one constant is that Lindy Hop, a swing dance, is danced to - you guessed it - swing music!
So… it’s like ballroom dance?
Not really. Yes, Lindy is a partnered dance with a “lead” and “follow.” But unlike ballroom dances, Lindy Hop is casual> and conversational — meaning that both partners learn to improvise and play off one another. The goal of learning Lindy Hop is not to memorize a repertoire of moves, but to develop good connection and be able improvise and create fun dances with many partners
Let’s get started!
Woo hoo! Some tips to get the most out of classes:
- Music: “Swing music” encompasses many eras and styles. Check out some tunes
- Shoes: Bring comfortable FLAT shoes with slick soles that allow you to pivot and turn easily. Many dancers like tennis shoes such as Keds. If you already have flat ballroom shoes, those will work great too.
- Clothes: On any given night at LindyGroove, you’ll see people in jeans and tshirts, people dressed up for a night out — and everything in between. Lindy is an active dance, so what’s important is that your clothes allow you to move freely.
- Pro tip: You can’t go wrong bringing a change of shirts, towels, and a water bottle.
- And most importantly: Be ready to meet new people, be active, and have fun — we’ll be rotating partners often. None of our classes require you to bring a partner.
PRE-LINDY
Pre-requisites: No experience required!
Class Format: Drop-in each week
Time & Place: 7:50 - 8:40pm Thursdays in the Main Ballroom (social dancing until midnight)
Price: Included in price of admission
You’ll learn basic footwork and get introduced to partner dancing. The class material will be the same each week, with slight variation depending on the teachers
Note: Take this class four (4) times, or until completely comfortable with the material, before signing up for Lindy 1.
Pre-requisites: At least 4 weeks of Pre-Lindy -OR- instructor approval
Class Format: Month-long progressive, starts the first Thursday of every month
Time & Place: 7:50 - 8:40pm Thursdays in the Side Room (social dancing until midnight)
Price:
- $60/month ($70 for months with 5 Thursdays. $50 for months with 3 Thursdays)
- Purchase online at least 2 days before the first class (by Tuesday 11:59 PM) and save $10. Online purchases after Tuesday, save $5.
- If purchasing at the door please bring cash and allow extra time to register.
- Price includes admission to LindyGroove.
Greetings, new Lindy Hopper! Here you’ll learn the Lindy Hop “basic step” — the swingout — along with new steps and variations depending on the month’s topic. A complete Lindy 1 education consists of 6 topics lasting 1 month each.
Note: This is a 6-month series. Start any month. If you miss a month, not to fear — that topic will come back around in 5 months!
| Charleston | January / July |
| Permutations | February / August |
| Mega-Technique | March / September |
| Six Count Technique | April / October |
| Musicality and Styling | May / November |
| Teacher's Choice | June / December |
Pre-requisites: All 6 Topics of Lindy 1 -AND- able to dance swingouts and swingout variations at 150 bpm. 25 hours of social dance experience in the main ballroom.
Class Format: Month-long progressive, starts the first Thursday of every month
Time & Place: 8:50 - 9:40pm Thursdays in the Side Room (social dancing until midnight)
Price:
- $60/month ($70 for months with 5 Thursdays. $50 for months with 3 Thursdays)
- Purchase online at least 2 days before the first class (by Tuesday 11:59 PM) and save $10. Online purchases after Tuesday, save $5.
- If purchasing at the door please bring cash and allow extra time to register.
- Price includes admission to LindyGroove.
Delve into the complexities of Lindy Hop. Go beyond the basics and explore related dances, styling, and musicality. A complete Lindy 2 education consists of 6 topics lasting 1 month each.
Note: This is a 6-month series. Start any month. If you miss a month, not to fear — that topic will come back around in 5 months!
| Tranky Do (Teacher's choice for July 2019) | January / July |
| Charleston | February / August |
| Permutations | March / September |
| Mega-Technique | April / October |
| Stay Classy | May / November |
| Musicalty and Styling | June / December |
Routine with Grace and Juan
Pre-requisites: Intermediate Lindy and above (or completion of Lindy 1)
Class Format: Month-long progressive, starts the first Thursday of every month
Time & Place: 7:00 - 7:45 pm Thursdays in the Main Ball Room (includes social dancing until midnight)
Price:
- $60/month ($70 for months with 5 Thursdays. $50 for months with 3 Thursdays)
- Purchase online at least 2 days before the first class (by Tuesday 11:59 PM) and save $10. Online purchases after Tuesday, save $5.
- If purchasing at the door please bring cash and allow extra time to register.
- Price includes admission to LindyGroove.
Learn a fun, choreographed routine in this new series! A Lindy Hop routine is a great opportunity to work on solo jazz, extended lindy vocabulary, partnering skills, musicality, and more!
This class is designed for intermediate and above dancers, and will move at a good pace. Each month we will learn a new routine and have the option to perform it at the LindyGroove social dance! No need to perform, but we might try to entice you. ;o) We encourage you to bring a partner but it is not required.
LINDY CHALLENGE
Pre-requisites: Equivalent to Lindy 2 Topics A thru F -AND- able to dance swingouts and swingout variations at 160 bpm
Class Format: Drop-in each week
Time & Place: 7:50 - 8:40pm Thursdays in the main ballroom (social dancing until midnight)
Price: Included in price of admission
Need some inspiration? Each week, our instructors will tackle challenging concepts to spice up your dancing. New material every class!
Note: Those who have clocked in plenty of hours social dancing will get the most out of this class.
Pre-requisites: Lindy Experience helpful but not required. If you miss the first class of the month we suggest that you repeat Pre-Lindy until the next month's series.
Class Format: Month-long progressive, starts the first Thursday of every month
Time & Place: 7:00 - 7:50pm Thursdays in the Side Room (social dancing until midnight)
Price:
- $60/month ($70 for months with 5 Thursdays. $50 for months with 3 Thursdays)
- Purchase online at least 2 days before the first class (by Tuesday 11:59 PM) and save $10. Online purchases after Tuesday, save $5.
- If purchasing at the door please bring cash and allow extra time to register.
- Price includes admission to LindyGroove.
Here you’ll learn the Balboa basic step along with new steps and variations depending on the month’s topic. A complete Balboa 1 education consists of 6 topics lasting 1 month each.
Note: This is a 6-month series. Start any month. If you miss a month, not to fear — that topic will come back around in 5 months!
| Balboa-Swing (Out-and-Ins) | January / July |
| Balboa (Rhythms & Footwork) | February / August |
| Balboa-Swing (Lollies) | March / September |
| Balboa (Rotational Movement) | April / October |
| Balboa-Swing (Toss-outs) | May / November |
| Balboa (Ad Libs) | June / December |
Pre-requisites: If you miss the first class of the month we suggest that you repeat Pre-Lindy until the next month's series.
Class Format: Month-long progressive, starts the first Thursday of every month
Time & Place: 9:00 - 10:00pm Thursdays in the carpeted room at lobby level to the right of the steps. (social dancing until midnight)
Price:
- $60/month ($70 for months with 5 Thursdays. $50 for months with 3 Thursdays)
- Purchase online at least 2 days before the first class (by Tuesday 11:59 PM) and save $10. Online purchases after Tuesday, save $5.
- If purchasing at the door please bring cash and allow extra time to register.
- Price includes admission to LindyGroove.
In this class you’ll learn the playful, rhythmic nature of blues movement and blues partner dancing. A complete Blues 1 education consists of 6 topics lasting 1 month each. Please wear shoes that can slip on carpet. Details
Note: This is a 6-month series. Start any month. If you miss a month, not to fear — that topic will come back around in 5 months!
| Dance Yourself First | January / July |
| Jazzy Blues | February / August |
| Jukin’ Blues | March / September |
| We Shape the Dance Together | April / October |
| Blues Connections | May / November |
| Idiom Dances (rotating topic) | June / December |
MINI-PRIVATES
Class Format: one-on-one private lesson with a LindyGroove instructor
Time & Place: In the Lobby
Price: $5/ten minute session, book online until 6pm on lesson day or at the door
No matter what level you are, mini-privates are a great way to get personalized feedback in a friendly, non-intimidating setting. Whether it’s fixing a broken move, practicing what you just learned in class, or making sure you’re ready to move up to the next level, our instructors are eager to help.
Note: A great use of mini-privates is to social dance with your instructor.