GROUP LESSONS are the best way to learn "Leading & Following" because we change partners for faster learning and more fun !!
CHECK OUT THE LESSONS BELOW in all levels of Swing at NJ and PA locations near you. ( Some PA classes are taught by me and Jane Liebman as well !) Hopefully, there are some lessons at a good time and place for you, your family ( YES, kids are welcome too), and your friends. Adults, motivated kids, singles, couples, ALL ages are welcome !!
EXPERIENCE-WISE, if you're just starting out with swing dancing AND a "never-ever" partner at "touch" dancing, it's best to take BEGINNING JITTERBUG- I believe that it's the easiest to pick up quickly. If you have had experience with touch dancing (like the various forms of Ballroom dancing) and especially if you have taken dance lessons in Ballroom, Country Western, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, etc. before, you probably can start with Jitterbug or West Coast Swing or Lindy Hop or Hustle.
WEST COAST SWING, LINDY HOP, and HUSTLE are best taken after you know how to Jitterbug and feel comfortable moving around the floor (both leaders and followers) in a certain number of music beats. It takes "never, ever dancers" a while to get used to the idea of thinking about dancing as moving within a certain number of beats of music in a certain way, i.e., "learning HOW to learn how to dance".
BEYOND THE BEGINNER LEVEL, you'll get the most out of my Intermediate level classes if you know Beginner material cold or have danced socially for six months to a year. Plus, you can take these intermediate classes over and over to add more and more to your repertoire !
NO PARTNERS ARE NECESSARY because we rotate partners. ALL AGES ARE WELCOME- Singles, Couples, Fathers, Daughters, Mothers, Sons, party animals of all ages! To get on my FREE MAILING LIST for all classes, call Jim (9am - to 9pm) at 1-609-953-9248 with your address or e-mail it to Jim@swingon.com !
JITTERBUG
Some people call this "Jive", "East Coast Swing", "Bop", "Swing". We call it Jitterbug, the easiest of all the regional swing dance styles to pick up quickly - 4 steps, 6 beats. You can use single, double, or triple steps. We use two single steps to start and a "rock step" over 6 beats of music- slow, slow, quick, quick. (See the Short Jitterbug Lesson on Track 4.) Jitterbug is the ultimate party dance because you can use it to dance to all up-tempo music from the 1930's to the present ! If you are a "never ever" partner touch dancer or new to Swing Dancing, Jitterbug is the best place to start your swing dance journey and become the Life of the Party ! CHECK OUT MY CLASSES: BEGINNING JITTERBUG on Mondays in Cherry Hill (NJ), Wednesdays in Mt. Airy (PA), Thursdays in Tabernacle (NJ), Fridays at Temple University- Center City (PA). INTERMEDIATE JITTERBUG on Tuesdays in Medford (NJ), Sundays at Temple University- Ambler (PA).
LINDY HOP
Some people call this "Lindy" or "Swing". We call it Lindy Hop, the original swing dance done in New York City in the 1930's and 40's. We do it to eight (or sometimes 6) beats of (generally) Big Band music from the 1930's, 40's, 50's. Most of today's regional swing dance styles have evolved from Lindy Hop. Modern Lindy Hop is popular with energetic dancers of all ages and is seen in today's movies (A League of Their Own, The Mask, Malcolm X, Swing Kids, Swingers, etc.), music videos on MTV, VH-1, VH-2 (Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Review, Squirrel Nut Zippers, etc.) and of course The Gap "Khakis" TV commercial !! Unless one of my Lindy Hop classes is named something like "Aerials", "Air Steps", "Dramatic Steps", etc., we probably will not do any risky moves off the dance floor. But it IS aerobic, with some kicks and spins and jumps plus a lot of good clean exuberant FUN ! CHECK OUT MY CLASSES: BEGINNING LINDY HOP on Wednesdays in Mt. Airy (PA).
WEST COAST SWING
Imported from the west coast in the late 80's, West Coast Swing is one of the hottest swing dances today among Swing Dancers, Country Western Dancers, and Ballroom Dancers. We use a lot of Rhythm & Blues, Blues, or slow Rock 'n Roll and dance in six and eight beat patterns. What most distinguishes West Coast Swing is the smooth, sensual styling and the slotted nature of the dance (the Follower stays in a track or slot as she passes the Leader back and forth) ! CHECK OUT MY CLASSES: BEGINNING WEST COAST SWING on Mondays in Cherry Hill (NJ), Tuesdays in Medford NJ), Wednesdays in Mt. Airy (PA). INTERMEDIATE WEST COAST SWING on Mondays in Cherry Hill NJ).
RETRO SWING / LINDY HOP
I use this term to refer to today's evolving style among younger Swing Dancers. As I teach it, it becomes a FUN blend of Jitterbug and Lindy Hop - both 6-count and 8-count figures ! For instance, we do some of the 6-count arm slides and free spins from Jitterbug and some of the 6 or 8-count kicks, hops, lifts, freestyle moves away from your partner, and "mini-aerials" (when one or two feet of a partner are off the ground even a little !) typical of Lindy Hop. Retro Swing / Lindy is especially popular in movies (A League of Their Own, The Mask, Malcolm X, Swing Kids, Swingers, etc.), music videos on MTV, VH-1, VH-2 (Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Review, Squirrel Nut Zippers, etc.) and of course The Gap "Khakis" TV commercial !! Unless one of my classes is specifically named something like "Aerials", "Air Steps", "Dramatic Steps", etc., we probably will not do anything that most people can't do. CHECK OUT MY CLASSES: BEGINNING RETRO SWING on Mondays in Cherry Hill (NJ), and Tuesdays in Medford (NJ).
HUSTLE
Many Hustle styles came and went since the 1970's. Today's modern and most widespread form of Hustle has evolved into the fast-paced and sexy dance with a basic step to three beats of music. The best swing music has a "syncopated" beat; a downbeat and a backbeat. The best Hustle songs have EVERY beat (all or mostly) equally accentuated. What makes Hustle easy to pick up is that many of your Jitterbug figures can be adapted to a Hustle rhythm. What make Hustle challenging is that you only have 3 beats to execute your figures and that the Leader must think quickly on his feet to plan figures to lead. You and your partner (or one you will meet there) will be able to walk into practically any Club and look totally cool dancing to the latest club mixes. CHECK OUT MY CLASSES: BEGINNING HUSTLE on Mondays in Cherry Hill (NJ), Tuesdays in Medford NJ). INTERMEDIATE HUSTLE on Mondays in Cherry Hill NJ, Tuesdays in Medford (NJ).