The essentials you need to know to get started dancing today:

If you are curious about swing dancing and would like to learn how to do it then you are in the right place. This page will give you the basic information you need to get started dancing, meeting new people, and having a good time. Don't let yourself get bogged down worrying about details the first time you go out dancing. Just get yourself to the free beginner lesson before the dance, relax, and have a good time. Don't even worry about bringing a partner to the lesson or the dance because there will be plenty of people there that will be happy to dance with you. All you need to bring is the desire to try something new, a good attitude, and a smile on your face.

When most people start dancing they go out to their first few dances and take the beginner lesson a few times. This gives them the essentials of what they need to know to get out on the dance floor and have a great time dancing the entire night. Some people don't ever attend anything but the free lessons before the dances. They just go out dancing all the time and have a blast doing it. However, some people have a desire to learn more moves that they see other people doing out on the dance floor. Little do they know it but they have just been bitten by the jitterbug.

General steps to follow if you want additional lessons:

There are various ways to go about learning more about dancing after you get bitten by the bug. The following list is the general progression that most dancers move in after they get started social dancing. The various types of lessons can be taken in any order you wish and private lessons can be taken at any time. However, if you are just getting started and are looking to get the most bang for your buck (or need to watch your budget) then sticking roughly to the order presented below would be a great rough outline to follow. After you have been dancing for awhile you will start to get a general feel for what types of classes you want to take when you are interested in learning more. If you would like more specific advice tailored to your specific situation please contact us or talk to one of the instructors at the dances for more information.

1. Beginner Lessons (Usually a free lesson right before the dance)
   
   Usually it is recommended to start out with the beginner lessons and to go out dancing regularly so you don't forget what you learned. Frequently people will go to the beginner lessons more than once and some people never stop going. There is always something new you can learn or work on your technique, plus it is a great way to meet new people.
   
   Each dance has a free introductory lesson that will teach you enough to keep you dancing all night long. The lessons are designed so that you can continue participating each week and learn more moves over time. At each lesson the instructors will usually have you rotate partners frequently so that you can meet new people to dance with throughout the evening. You are not required to bring a partner with you to the lesson or to the dance. In fact, dancing with people you don't know is encouraged (not to mention fun) because these dances are meant to be social dances.
   
   Each dance may have different instructors from week to week. Instructors usually have different teaching methods and they will usually focus on different moves and techniques. Thus, even if you are learning similar material each week you can usually pick up new moves and work on improving your technique. All people are unique and learn differently so sometimes hearing something explained in a slightly different way will help out a lot.
   
   After you get a pretty good handle on the basics you know all you need to know to go out and social dance and have a good time. However, if you are interested in learning more the best thing to do is to sign-up for a lesson series.
    
   
2. Lesson Series (Usually 4-6 Week Period):
   
   Lesson series are usually weekly classes that run 4-6 weeks and focus on a particular area of the dance (i.e. Jitterbug/East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, etc.) Spreading out the classes allows the beginner dancer to acquire greater skill in their dancing with more personal attention. It is similar to beginner classes in that the partners rotate frequently so you will still get to meet and practice with new people. However, one of the benefits of the lesson series is that it is usually made up of the dancers who come out dancing regularly and are more interested on learning new skills and improving techniques. Instructors may vary from series to series depending on what area of dance is being focused on in that particular series.
   
   After you have taken a few lesson series and have been social dancing a little while longer you will reach a point where your level of dancing hits another plateau. Usually this is a great point to sign-up for a big workshop weekend.
    
   
3. Workshop Weekends:
   
   Workshop weekends are held all over the country (actually all over the world) and are usually made-up of people that have been dancing for awhile and have a really good handle on the basics. They are usually taught by instructors that travel all over the country teaching (and sometimes all over the world). It is usually an entire weekend focusing on one or two areas of dance (i.e. Jitterbug/East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, etc.) but they focus on many different aspects of that particular dance. They usually begin by going back to the basics and working on your technique. Everyone develops bad habits along the way and by cleaning up the basics it really helps you to vastly improve your social dancing in a short period of time. After tearing down and rebuilding your basic they usually move on to topics such as connection, frame, musicality, new moves, air steps, etc. Every workshop works on different skills and technique and there are a lot of great instructors out there.
   
   After you have been to a workshop or two and have been social dancing a little while longer you will eventually reach a point where your level of dancing hits another plateau. Usually this is a great time to seek out an advanced instructor in your area or a national level instructor if they happen to be in town and schedule a private lesson. This will give you the personal attention you need to help take your dancing to the next level.
   
   
4. Private Lessons (Good for any level dancer):
   
   Private lessons really give you some individualized attention. Sometimes they cost a little more than other lessons but usually they are pretty affordable and they are worth every penny. Usually private lessons are the most helpful after you have been dancing for awhile and have been to a few lesson series and a workshop or two. At this point in your dancing you already have an excellent handle on the basics and have developed some skills such as connection, frame, musicality, etc. An advanced instructor can take a really close look at your dancing on a more personal level and give you some very specific things to work on to vastly improve your dancing. This is where private lessons have a major advantage over group lessons (i.e. beginner lessons, lesson series, and even workshops). Another big advantage is that the instructors can help you figure out how things you are working on are supposed to feel instead of just trying to explain how to do them using words. These things might not completely change your dancing overnight but if you keep practicing what you went over during the private lessons it can really help take your dancing to the next level (and beyond).
   
   
5. Lather, Rinse, and Repeat:
   
   At this point you have probably been dancing for a few years and may have even attended a few dance exchanges. The best thing to do at this point is to keep social dancing all the time and to continue to take lesson series, workshops, and private lessons (especially when you reach another plateau in your dancing). As always, continue to seek out the advice of people more experienced then you and keep social dancing. One of the most exciting aspects of the dance is that there is always something new you can learn, someone new you can dance with, and new music to dance to. This always keeps the dance fresh and exciting. Just keep in mind that it doesn't matter how little or how much you may think you know about dancing, all you need to have a great time dancing is a good attitude and a smile on your face.