This level is suitable for you if you have completed one of our beginners courses, or a similar foundation course elsewhere. You should be familiar with 6-count and 8-count footwork and fundamental moves such as tuck turn, send out, change places/pass by. If you do not know the basic steps please see the website for beginners course dates, or check out the Southville beginners class

In our Level 1 classes we'll teach you a few new moves and add in a bit more technique. We rotate themes in the classes, so check out our Facebook pages or newsletter for what we're teaching this month.

What is swing dancing / lindy hop? In late 1920’s America, when ragtime/jazz music of the time started to swing, the kids began to groove to this infectious new rhythm, and swing dancing was born! ‘Swing Dance’ is an umbrella term for any style danced to swing music - the most well-known of which is the Lindy Hop. Originating in Harlem, New York from predominantly African-American dancers, the Lindy Hop quickly spread across the world during WW2. It’s popularity decreased from the 1950s with the rise of rock’n’roll, although there were communities that kept dancing all through to today. The popularity grew again in the 1980's when a handful of dancers found some old video clips, tracked down the original dancers to ask to be taught the moves they had seen, and bought the dance back to their home countries. Nowadays it’s danced all over the world, with most major cities having their own scenes and international events. At BSR we predominantly teach Lindy Hop, but also hold classes and workshops in other jazz era dances including Balboa, Collegiate Shag and Solo Jazz.