July, 2022

  1. What If I Still Can’t Dance?

    July 22, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Do you long to dance with confidence at those swing dance events, weddings, parties, and other live music events?

    What’s stopping you?

    Do you just believe that you have two left feet and that’s how it will always be? Or have you tried classes in the past and somehow feel stuck?

    Well we’re here to tell you that everyone can absolutely learn to dance with confidence in our classes and on our courses!

    What If I Just Don’t Believe that I Can Dance?

    Everyone can dance. Usually the only difference between someone who can dance and someone who can’t is the person who can’t is being held back by fear and the belief that they can’t dance.

    The simple way we teach and the positive and joyful atmosphere we create in our classes and courses will help you overcome your fears in no time. Slowly but surely, you’ll learn to relax and enjoy the process of learning to dance.

    What If I Make a Fool of Myself in Class?

    Everyone was a beginner once. We can all be self-conscious and worry that others are watching us and judging us. But we’ve got news for you, they aren’t. Most of the time other people are too focused on themselves, their dancing, and their worries. They aren’t paying as much attention to you as you think!

    Does the thought of joining a dance class excite you and scare you at the same time? Have you taken part in a dance class before and were left feeling lost with no idea if you were ‘doing it right’?

    Well in our Lindy Jazz classes, we guarantee that you won’t be left feeling lost and confused.

    Firstly, we tell you exactly what to expect, namely that you don’t need to know anything before you join!

    • You don’t need any dance experience because everything will be explained from the beginning;
    • You don’t need to bring a partner. You can come on your own, with a partner, or with friends;
    • You don’t need to attend every single week because you can practise with free access to our lesson videos online if you miss a class.

    Secondly, Lindy Jazz classes are thoughtfully planned so that dancers of all levels have the best experience. We provide thorough training on the foundation skills and offer options for different levels of challenge if and when you are ready to progress your dancing.

    What If I Pay the Course Fee and I Still Can’t Dance?

    Let us start by saying that it’s possible for everyone to dance with confidence.

    When you join a Lindy Jazz course, you will get CONSISTENCY. You’ll have the same teachers every week who’ll help you build a strong foundation and give you the tools to dance with confidence.

    You don’t need any dance experience at all to join a course, but you do need;

    • Good health;
    • A good mood and positive attitude (which makes learning far easier);
    • Patience. Be patient with yourself and don’t expect to be an amazing dancer after one class;
    • The willingness to practise. This is not compulsory, but if you can find 5 minutes each day to practise, you will remember the moves more easily and accelerate your learning;
    • A willingness to go with the flow, do what you can, and follow the teacher’s instructions. Just relax, enjoy the experience of learning to dance, and let the teachers take care of you.

    The Lindy Jazz Guarantee

    For some people, trying something new is exciting. For others, trying something new may feel uncomfortable. Generally, doing something that takes us out of our comfort zone is uncomfortable, at least at first.

    We want you to know that you may or may not see immediate results after the first class. If you don’t, quieten down those mind monkeys that are telling you that you can’t dance!

    We really recommend attending the whole course before making up your mind about how well you can dance, as some aspects of the classes might just take a little while to ‘click.’

    We are confident that if you attend all 6 classes in-person or virtually and practise for 5 minutes a day, you will definitely be a more confident dancer and have a few fun moves under your belt!

    However, we do know that some people may find this promise hard to believe, so if you can show us that after attending all 6 classes in-person or virtually and submitting your 5-minute practice videos every week  that you are still not making progress, email us and we will offer you a refund!

    We care that you are spending your valuable time with us, and we want you to feel clear and not confused about dancing.

    What Have You Got to Lose?

    Think you can’t dance with confidence?

    Let us change your mind!

    Sign up to a Lindy Jazz course and get;

    • Live tuition with the opportunity to ask questions;
    • Carefully paced lessons that are not rushed;
    • Access to lesson recordings;
    • Access to practice videos;
    • Optional feedback on your practice;
    • Optional chat group where you can ask questions, and more!

    Everything on our courses is designed to give you a strong foundation so you can dance with confidence.

    See you on the dancefloor!


  2. No Longer Thinking About It

    July 14, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Lindy Hop, Brass Festival Durham, Lindy Jazz

    No Longer Thinking About It

    Often when you learn something new, it’s tempting to want to fast forward past the bits you don’t find so entertaining to the bits that you do. Swing dance is no exception.

    Many members want to skip the repetition and practising on their own so they can dance with a partner straight away because it’s more fun.

    But I would say for best results, train yourself, don’t just entertain yourself! If you find some time to practise on your own first, you’ll enjoy partner dancing even more.

    This is because the more solo practice you do, you’ll find that the steps come automatically when you dance with a partner.

    Don’t Skip the Practice and Repetition

    When you first discover a new move, technique, or concept, you’ll find that you have to think about it. Partner dancing is like that. If you’ve never danced with a partner before, it can feel very unfamiliar. When something is unfamiliar, we can feel uncomfortable, confused, and anxious.

    Even if you have danced with partners for a long time, if you’re a follower, dancing with a different leader will always be an adventure. Leaders have a bit more control, but if you dance with different followers, you don’t know how well they’re going to be able to follow you.

    This is why the key to feeling uncomfortable when things are unfamiliar is to have something that is familiar to you. Something that you can control, like your own footwork.

    That’s why practice and repetition is so important because it’s the only way you will be able to dance with ease and no longer think about it. So not just constant practice but the right kind of practice will help you build muscle memory, and once your 8 counts are automatic, you won’t be thinking about them all the time.

    Practise Until You’re No Longer Thinking About It

    I often say that it’s a bit like driving. It’s hard to focus on the traffic if you are thinking about where the gears are. It’s hard to react to unpredictable drivers if you are in an unfamiliar car and you don’t know where the indicators are. When you drive your own car, you’re not even thinking about anything. You just get in the car and sometimes, you don’t know how you got home. It’s because you’re no longer thinking about it.

    This is the point you need to get to with your Swing dancing. If you find you’re still thinking while you’re dancing, then you have some more work to do!

    Want to dance with style and confidence?

    Join me for the next course, packed with useful practice tips and supplemented with easy to follow videos that break things down step by step. Over 6 weeks, you’ll get the tools you need to excel in Swing dance, whether you’re dancing solo or with a partner.

    Find out more.


  3. Lindy Hop is a Skill

    July 1, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Lindy Hop is a Skill

    Lindy Hop is a skill and just like with any skill, the more you practise the better you get.  You might find this hard to believe at first. When you first attempt to put the moves together, you may feel a little uncoordinated, not unlike Bambi on ice! But I promise that you will get better and better over time. We got so much better over time and you can too!

    Putting together your rock step, triple steps, groove walks, arm swing, turns, and partner connection is a SKILL. And that means you’re not going to master it overnight. But you will master it over 6 weeks if you follow our courses step by step. Be patient and embrace the process, it just takes time. Our course members all tell us that the 6 weeks seem to fly by as they’re having so much fun. After all, fun is what dancing should be all about!

    We don’t just get you to copy us in class and leave you feeling confused. We teach you the skills you need and we answer all your questions to help you get clear on the Swing Out so that you can dance with style and confidence.

    At last you can stop fudging your way through these exciting Lindy Hop moves!

    If you expect to be able to acquire a bunch of moves or ‘fast track’ to becoming a great dancer after just one class then this course is probably not for you.

    Mastery comes from action, repetition, and practice over time. Sometimes, people don’t like to hear this, but it’s true. So the question is, is this something you want to do?

    If you can find the time to attend weekly classes (or catch up online) over the next 6 weeks, then this course is for you!

    Are you ready to learn a new skill and experience the joy of Swing Dance?

    Check out our next course: Click here for details.