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FAQ
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Although, “swing dancing” can refer to many different types of dances by various names, we consider Swing Dancing to include Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Jitterbug, and Boogie-Woogie as well as its relatives such as Shag, Balboa, Charleston, Blues, West Coast Swing, Blackbottom, and Breakaway.
When most people think of swing dancing, they envision either the Gap commercial or the movie Swing Kids, but the dancing they show represents only a small portion of what swing dancing is. We do not teach or encourage lifts, aerials, or drops for the social dance floor for obvious safety reasons.
No, you do not need a partner for either our lessons or our dances. For lessons, students rotate partners throughout the class. For social dancing, we encourage everyone to dance with as many different people as possible, even if you have a regular dance partner. Couples who dance mostly with each other often have trouble dancing with others on the social floor because they get used to each other rather than learning the fundamentals of social dancing. Generally speaking, the more people you dance with, the better your dancing becomes.
It depends on the lessons. You do not need any previous dance experience to attend SOD’s (SwingOutDayton) Swing I series. In Swing I, we start from the most basic step and then move on to more complex moves. For Swing II and other classes, we require that you have taken all 4 classes of Swing I. Swing I is offered every month.
We offer a free beginner lesson in single-step East Coast Swing to anyone who asks at the very beginning of our social dances. It is geared toward people who have never danced before and want to know enough to jump in at a dance. For that reason, what we teach in the free lesson is a simplified version of what we teach in the very first lesson of Swing I. It is not progressive and is not intended for those with a serious interest in the dance.
Even if you have taken classes in swing dancing before, the term “swing dancing” can refer to many different kinds of dances that are fundamentally different from the type of dancing done in our scene. Therefore, we highly recommend that you start from the beginning of Lindy Hop with Swing I. While anyone is welcome to attend social dance events with or without swing dance experience, classes are the best way to learn the fundamentals of social dancing. Those who take classes generally feel more comfortable on the social dance floor than those who do not.
Unless stated otherwise, SwingOutDayton events are casual to semi-casual. Our regular dancers typically wear anything that breathes and is comfortable to move in, and they also often bring multiple shirts to wear throughout an evening in case they sweat excessively.
For beginner-level dancers, any type of flat, comfortable shoe is acceptable. However, more serious dancers may want to invest in shoes that will allow them to slide and spin easily on a wooden dance floor. Shoes with either hard leather soles or suede soles work well. We generally do not recommend heels for women unless they are experienced social dancers.
Dancestore.com sells a variety of shoes made for Lindy Hop dancers. You can also have suede soles added to almost any pair of shoe by a shoe repair store. See this forum topic for more information on shoes.
It depends on the event. Some Dayton events provide free water while others charge up to $1 for a bottle of water.
While there are many singles at SwingOutDayton events, the attendees are primarily interested in the dance itself. Therefore, while one may meet many singles on the social dance floor, we do not make any special effort to help singles meet other singles.
Our events are very family-friendly. Many of our dancers come to SwingOutDayton events because they are a great dance alternative to the typical club environment. Kids are also welcome on the social dance floor with adult supervision.
Our regular dancers range from high-school age to senior citizens. However, a large proportion of our dancers are in their 20’s and 30’s.
SwingOutDayton is an informal association of dancers who are dedicated to the study of Swing Era dances and their offshoots. We offer lessons, workshops, and social dance events in order to spread interest in the dance. All our events are open to the public, and there are no membership fees or dues.
