WHAT: Our social dance on March 20th will feature LIVE MUSIC from the Blue Bop Jazz Orchestra! The Blue Bop Jazz Orchestra is the premier student-run big band on campus. Composed of around 16 musicians, they are sure to get you groovin’!
We will still have our regular beginner lesson prior to the dance from 6:30-7:30pm. No partner or experience needed. You do not need to be a student of the University of Michigan to attend. Just bring yourself and some comfy shoes. Note that there is a cost for the social dance, even if you were at the lesson.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 20th
Beginner lesson: 6:30-7:30pm
Social Dance: 7:30-9:30pm
WHERE: Pendleton Room (2nd floor), Michigan Union
COST:
Admission to Beginner lesson: FREE!
Admission to social dance (must be paid even if you were at the lesson):
$15 general admission
$10 SAA members
Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal
WHAT: Have you ever wondered how to make your dancing feel and look satisfying for your specific body? Have you ever watched an experienced dancer do something cool and wondered “how did they come up with that?!?!” Then this class is for you!
We’ll start with some common Lindy Hop patterns and use them as a base to develop interesting moves and variations. Throughout the process, we will practice how to learn new things through observation and make our own choices regarding style. We’ll also start to hone our teamwork skills so that we can communicate more effectively with our partners.
PRE-REQs: Swingout fundamentals (footwork and getting between open and closed positions), familiarity with basic tuck-turn
INSTRUCTORS: Angel Jenio + Max Okros
WHEN: 7:15pm – 8:45pm on Thursdays in March (3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28)
WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401, University of Michigan
ADMISSION:
General admission, 4-week pass: $40
SAA members, 4-week pass: $30
Single class: $12
Acceptable forms of payment: Cash, check, or PayPal
WHAT: Celebrate Valentine’s Day by showing your love for Lindy and all things swing! Live music will be provided by local jazz band, The Wolverines.
SCHEDULE: 6:30-7:30pm: Beginner lesson 7:30-10:30pm: Live music provided by The Wolverines 10:30-11:00pm: DJ-ed music (Swing) 11:00pm-1:00am: Blues Late Night with DJ-ed music
ADMISSION: — $30: General Admission — $20: Students and SAA/AACTMAD members — $10: Front desk volunteers
COVID SAFETY: COVID-19 vaccination is not required but highly encouraged. Masks are also recommended.
VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers get discounted admission to the dance ($10) for providing an hour of time at the front desk. Interested in volunteering? Email us at swingannarbor@gmail.com!
WHAT: Join Kaya, Lily, and Zayne for a 3-week series all about Charleston! This series will start with the Charleston basic step, take you through different Charleston shapes, and end with tandem Charleston! The class will be an hour-and-a-half three Thursdays in February. Bring a water bottle and prepare for some cardio!
WHEN: 7:15pm – 8:45pm on Thursdays in February (2/8, 2/15, 2/22)
WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401
INSTRUCTORS: Kaya Lakein, Lily Roof, Zayne Knuth
ADMISSION — General admission: $36 — SAA members: $30 — Single class: $12 Acceptable forms of payment: Cash, check, or PayPal
SAA is trying out something new this February: a free three-week progressive beginner series! Read below to learn more!
WHAT: Have you been to a few of our beginner lessons and are hoping to consolidate what you’ve learned there? Are you completely new to Lindy Hop and looking to set some solid foundations? In either case, our February lesson series is for you!
In this three week progressive beginner series, we will introduce you to the foundations of Lindy Hop as they likely evolved in Harlem in the 1920s & 30s. We will teach you a variety of Lindy Hop footwork patterns and shapes, emphasizing their historical and cultural contexts by spotlighting different influential Lindy Hop dancers and Jazz musicians and providing original footage to accompany the class. We will focus on learning through play and observation, with the goal of preparing you for our intermediate level progressive lessons and setting you up to delve into Lindy Hop on the social dance floor!
WHEN & WHERE: All events will take place on the University of Michigan central campus. – Feb 7th, 6.30-7.30pm, Vandenberg Room (2nd floor), Michigan League – Feb 14th, 6.30-7.30pm, Pendleton Room (2nd floor), Michigan Union – Feb 21st, 6.30-7.30pm, Vandenberg Room (2nd floor), Michigan League
COST: FREE + free entry into the social dance after
PRE-REQS: None!
NOTE: This series is replacing our weekly drop-in beginner lessons in February. If you plan to participate in this series, we do ask that you attend all three lessons if possible. We will return to our regular beginner drop-in lessons in March.
Swing Ann Arbor reopens again tomorrow, January 10th!
Every Wednesday we offer a beginner lesson from 6:30-7:30pm and a social dance from 7:30-9:30pm. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required and masks recommended!
WHAT: An evening of social dancing and live music! Help us celebrate the end of 2023 with friends, music, and, of course, dance! This year will feature tunes from KissMe crowd favorite, The River Skippers!
WHEN: December 2, 2023
SCHEDULE:
7-7:50pm: FREE beginner lesson
8-11pm: Evening dance with live music from the The River Skippers
WHAT: Come swing with us at our weekly dance featuring LIVE MUSIC! During our social dance from 7:30-9:30pm we will be hosting a 4-piece jazz combo in the Michigan League Ballroom! Additionally, we will be teaching a class on the Shim Sham line dance from 6:30-7:30pm in lieu of our normal beginner lesson! No partner or experience needed. You do not need to be a student of the University of Michigan to attend. Just bring yourself and some comfy shoes! Note that there is a cost for the social dance, even if you were at the lesson.
WHEN: Wednesday, November 8th Shim Sham lesson: 6:30-7:30pm Social Dance: 7:30-9:30pm
COST: Admission to Shim-Sham lesson: FREE! Admission to social dance (must be paid even if you were at the lesson): $15 general admission, $10 SAA members
COVID PROTOCOL: Proof of vaccination required. If proof of vaccination cannot be shown, attendees must wear a mask the entire length of the event instead.
WHAT: It’s back again for a second month! In this course, we will build on the Lindy Hop essentials of Swing I and learn how to do a swingout. Swingouts are a fundamental (and by far the most recognizable) move of Lindy Hop! They require dancers to hone their connection with a partner and can lay the groundwork for many new moves. We will dedicate most of the time in this class to cleaning up the swingouts you will learn in the first few weeks. We will also focus on musicality and teach you a few fun swingout variations (time permitting).
COURSE PREREQUISITES: Swing I or equivalent. You should feel comfortable switching between 6-count and 8-count Lindy Hop, have experience with some basic variations (e.g. yoyos, Lindy circles), and feel confident about your musicality and connection. We will not expect you to know how to do a swingout yet – we will teach you to do one!
WHEN: 7:30pm-8:30pm on Thursdays (11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30)
WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
INSTRUCTORS: Sarah Redman & Steve Losh
PRICING:
General Admission 4-Week Pass: $40
SAA Member 4-Week Pass: $30
Individual Class: $12
Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal
Swing Ann Arbor is offering a 4-week Taster Series next month! This series will introduce you to a different type of swing dance each week. Continue reading for each week’s topic!
11/2/23: ST. LOUIS SHAG
St. Louis Shag is an African American Partnered Jazz dance that has been alive in St. Louis MO since the 1930’s. Kendra and Casey will be covering the basic shapes and style of the dance to get you shagging faster than you can say “In St. Louis, they just call it Shag!”
Instructors: Casey McCoy and Kendra Wade
11/9/23: COLLEGIATE SHAG
Sometimes the music is too fast for Lindy Hop, too bouncy for Balboa, or not chunky enough for Charleston. Collegiate Shag is your secret weapon! Challenge yourself with new footwork & stylized shapes while you get your cardio in.
Instructors:Emily Topham + Angel Jenio
11/16/23: 20s CHARLESTON
Try your hand at the grandparent of the swing family! A simple ballroom hold and step-touch footwork will soon have you ready to try fun stylings with your partner.
Instructors: Emily Topham + Angel Jenio
**Note: there is no class the week of November 20th due to Thanksgiving**
11/30/23: SLOW JAZZ
Learn how to partner dance to slow music from the Swing Era! In this class we’ll teach you about the history of some slow dances from the 1930s and 1940s, get you comfortable moving with a partner in close embrace to slow jazz music, and provide you with some dance vocabulary to make the dance interesting. A great way to impress your friends and family at formal dances & weddings!
Instructors: Emily Topham + Max Okros
WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
PRICING:
General Admission 4-Week Pass to all four classes: $40
SAA Member 4-Week Pass to all four classes: $30
Individual Class: $12
Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal
WHAT: Swing Ann Arbor and Friday Night Swing are partnering to bring world-renowned instructors Kate Hedin and David Rehm to Ann Arbor to teach a two-day workshop on SoCal Lindy Hop and Balboa!
This workshop weekend will also include a Saturday night Halloween Dance with live music from the Easy Street Jazz Band, a costume contest, and a mix-and-match competition.
It is recommended that dancers attending the Saturday So Cal Lindy workshops be at an intermediate dance level or above and be familiar with swingouts. The Sunday Balboa workshops are open to anyone at or above a beginner Balboa level.
VOLUNTEER: If you volunteer, you can save money! For each hour you volunteer, you get $5 off your admission. (Volunteers will be reimbursed after the weekend.) Sign up to volunteer in the registration form and we’ll be in touch!
CARPOOL: Do you need a ride to the venue? Or, can you offer folks a ride? Fill out this form to sign-up for carpool: https://forms.gle/Mw1UbE27PoPr7naYA
MIX & MATCH COMPETITION: This comp will be Lindy Hop-focused. $5 entry. Prelims on Saturday, October 28th, from 7-8pm and finals from 10:30-11pm. Winners will have the option of receiving a free pass to Dayton Swing Smackdown 2024, a free pass to KissMe in Ann Arbor 2024, or a free pass to our Winter Dance this December.
COSTUME CONTEST: Show us your best! Winners will have the option of receiving a 4-week pass to one of SAA’s progressive lesson series, free entry coupons to SAA or FNS, or candy.
Swing Ann Arbor 