We are proud to announce that Swingland now runs monthly swing dance workshops on Sunday mornings (usually last Sunday of the month) at Linden House. Advance booking is required.
Established in 1998, Swingland Ltd. is run by Martin Ellis who has been dancing, teaching, and performing Lindy hop ("jitterbug" or "jive") and related Swing Era dances since the early 1990s.
Over the years Swingland has grown steadily into a small team of very experienced teachers and event organisers, all driven by our passion for swing music and dancing.
About Swing
"Swing" describes both a genre and a way of playing music, as well as a group of dance styles generally danced to that music.
At Swingland we concentrate primarily on the swing dance styles from the 1920s to 1950s; from Charleston to rock 'n' roll, but especially Lindy hop.
LINDY HOP
The original Swing Dance
Also known variously as "jitterbug", "boogie-woogie" and "jive", Lindy hop was born in the dance halls of late 1920s Harlem, New York City, at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. Lindy hop grew from a fusion of partnered Charleston, jazz, breakaway and Texas Tommy along with more formal European styles. Although Lindy hop eventually spread worldwide and is now danced by people of all nations and cultures, it was created by black people and is at its heart, an African-American dance form.
As hot jazz music gave way to big band swing in the 1930s, Lindy hop evolved rapidly, especially at the legendary Savoy Ballroom, where the opportunity for the best dancers to entertain the tourists contributed to it becoming both a social dance craze and an exciting performance style!
Lindy hop is well-known for its amazing air-steps, where one or other partner (usually the follow) flies through the air over or around her (or his!) partner. Air-steps are done rhythmically in Lindy hop - rhythm is the essence of the dance.
What people say
"We went to the summer ball last night as part of a hen do. The beginner class was great and the people were all so welcoming and helped us newbies along all throughout the night. The band were great, the show dances were excellent and the bar was reasonably priced. All had a great time and would love to come back again! Thank you!"
"Just wanted to say a big thank you for yesterday's ball, it was fabulous! Very well organised, great music and wonderful cabaret. Even the beginners could join in :)"
"Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the Intermediate workshop yesterday. It was lots to learn but it was an enjoyable challenge, it was good to mix partnered moves with solo moves, and the four hours seemed to fly by. I thought you complemented each other well as teachers, and the students in the class were friendly and good to dance with. I enjoyed my first experience of The Bedford. Thank you!"
"Fun and friendly, with fantastic teaching"
"Thanks so much for another fantastic workshop Martin. I got a lot out of going over the previous sections, even if we didn't quite finish the routine in its entirety. G and I were saying we'd love to practice it more and then perform it, so sign me up for that if it's your aim. Thanks!"
"High quality high standard dance classes and club night. Second to none."
"Excellent teaching of savoy style Lindy hop. Lovely venue too"
"Good fun and even those like myself with two left feet can achieve something that looks similar to a dance."
"Really great class and lots of fun!"
The concession rate for Linden Social members is £20.00 per class. When booking please tick concession rate and then please use the LHMEMBER2024 code at the entrance.