All Levels & Solo Jazz/Line Dances

Intro to Balboa

This four week series is your chance to get up to speed in Balboa & Bal-Swing even if you have never danced before. Balboa originated in Southern California during the 20's and increased in popularity until World War II, and is named for the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California where the dance was invented. The close embrace makes it perfect for fast tempos and crowded spaces, and the intricate footwork makes this dance exciting and seriously addictive! This class is open to dancers of all levels (beginner to advanced) who are looking to learn Balboa or brush up on the fundamentals.

Shim Sham

The most popular and well-known solo jazz choreography out there, Frankie Manning's Shim Sham is danced all over the world. It is based on the original tap dance Shim Sham which was choreographed by Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant. It features classic jazz steps such as the Tackie Annie, the Half-Break, the Boogie Back, and the Shorty George.

Jitterbug Stroll

This line dance, choreographed by Ryan Francois and popularized by Steven Mitchell's song of the same name, is done to uptempo blues structure tunes. Ayodiyodi!

African Dance

One of the many roots of swing dancing is in African movement. Come learn from Julianna, who has been studying African dance and can't wait to share it with you!

The Swing and Soul Line Dance

Choreographed by Peter Strom, this fun line dance debuted at the first Swing and Soul in Atlanta, GA in December of 2007. It's easy to do and fits great with slow to midtempo soul songs!

Smorgasbord Sampler

A tasty sampling of many different dance goodies, our Smorgasbord Sampler is a great opportunity to learn some new skills that are complimentary to Lindy Hop. You can buy the whole session (five weeks) or come and pay at the door for any of the individual classes. Our Sampler includes The Shim Sham, The Jitterbug Stroll, The Swing and Soul Line Dance, African Dance, and African-Jazz Dance. See each individual class for more details!

Whitey's Big Apple

The Big Apple is a high energy circle dance of traditional jazz steps that was popular in the late 1930s. In 1938, Frankie Manning choreographed a version for a fantastic team of dancers, Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, to be featured in the film Keep Punching. Today, swing dancers around the world know the choreography and often break into dance when the catchy tune comes on during any old social dance. We're so excited for Rochester to learn it!

Cardio Charleston

For both guys and girls—finally, a swing dance class that is focused on fitness. Join us once a week for an hour of dancing minus the starting, stopping, rotating, and waiting around. We will teach fundamental solo jazz and Charleston steps, integrating them into a fast-paced class to make sure you get a fun and energetic workout. If you've never tried solo jazz, this is a fantastic way to get started! All levels of dancers are welcome. Drop-in price is $14/class.

Shim Sham Spectacular

In this series students will learn three different versions of the classic line dance, the shim sham! Week 1: Frankie’s Shim Sham. Weeks 2 & 3: Al and Leon Shim Sham. Week 4: Tap Shim Sham with local tap dancer Alex Dugdale. Drop in during weeks 1 or 4 for $14 each, or week 2 (includes week 3) for $25.

Blues and Slow Dancing

Whether you are dancing to sultry blues, a gritty New Orleans tune or a jazz ballad, we have the moves for you! We will be working on footwork, new rhythms, call & response, and moves that work well to slower tempos.

Dancing to Soul Music

Shake your money maker! Mike and Jesse will give students new rhythms, steps, and some classic soul dance moves to help them feel confident partner dancing to sweet soul music (Al Green, the Jackson 5, the Supremes, and many more!). Every class is a party! Some previous swing dance experience is recommended.