Every Wednesday night features new lessons & fun dancing at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto
SCHEDULE
7:15pm – 8:15pm: Level 2 & Level 3 Classes
8:15pm – 9:15pm: Level 1 & Elective Classes
9:30pm – 11:45pm: Dance Party
We offer four classes every Wednesday night. Our classes are organized in progressive monthly series and we encourage students to sign up and attend the whole series. Nevertheless you can usually drop-in, check this FAQ for details.
Some lessons are solo classes, most lessons are partnered classes. Partnered swing dancing is a role based dance. You have to choose between the role of “leader” or the role of “follower”, and stick with it for the duration of the series class or drop-in. Check this FAQ for more information. Unless otherwise specified, you do not need a partner to come to class.
Upcoming Series Classes
If you have trouble with our store or registration,
please contact:
Our next series classes will start on Wednesday October 4th.
Hop on the fast track to amazing swingouts! Journey through the 8-count world on the road to Lindy Hop. You'll learn some cool ways to move your feet to the rhythm, as well as some some flashy figures. But best of all, you'll gain more confidence with a widening swing repertoire, paving the way to even more fun with your partner!
PRE-REQUISITES: None. No partner required; just bring your enthusiasm and comfortable clothes!
Points, Chases, and Mini-Dips? Swing is one of the most playful of partner dances, and we'll explore some of its most entertaining classic figures together. Know this must-have moves that are danced all over the world!
PRE-REQUISITES: Level 1A-D; twice through recommended. Execute a swingout, lindy circle, charleston and 6-count moves and transition between them in open and closed positions. No partner required, just bring your enthusiasm!
When truly delightful moments happen on the dance floor, we think it's magic, but in reality these dancers have worked hard on prioritizing partnership and play through buildable skills. This class explores how connective, attentive partnering can take your dancing to the next level and open up worlds of creativity you never could have accessed alone.
PRE-REQUISITES: At least nine consecutive months of Level 1 and Level 2 including one full year of social dance, or discuss your eligibility with instructors. Under-qualified students will be asked to transfer to Level 2 in order to strengthen their fundamentals.
Want to level up your shim sham? Learn this slidey, smooth, syncopated version by that old-time So-Cal dancer, Dean Collins. You will not only learn a new version to rock on the dance floor, but also investigate variations that you can add independently to your own movement, whether social or solo.
PRE-REQUISITES: Familiarity with the "basic" shim-sham routine and/or experience with solo jazz movement recommended.
Upcoming Drop-in Classes
Here are the coming week drop-in classes:
Born with two left feet? Not sure if you have rhythm? Our one hour taster class is for absolute beginners who want to dip their toes into partnered swing dance! We'll spend an hour getting you acquainted with the basic steps and get you on the dance floor that same night. No partner required! The class will be filled with newbies and new friends.
Start dancing from day one! We will get you moving in this month-long series that introduces you to basic footwork, turns, breaks and jazzy stylin'. Covers the 6-count basics, also sometimes known as East Coast Swing, which is also used in Lindy Hop.
PRE-REQUISITES: None. No partner required; just bring your enthusiasm and comfortable clothes!
Join us in an intensive look at the swingout! You will learn new and useful ways to think about your technique, improve your connection, and get exciting results.
PRE-REQUISITES: Level 1A-D; twice through recommended. Execute a swingout, lindy circle, charleston and 6-count moves and transition between them in open and closed positions. No partner required, just bring your enthusiasm!
Get out of your grind! This class will focus on the connection points necessary for groovy decelerations and smooth accelerations that texturize your dance vocabulary. Students will be asked to focus on partnership and keeping their connection steady and comfortable even while making their dances more exciting!
PRE-REQUISITES: At least nine consecutive months of Level 1 and Level 2 including one full year of social dance, or discuss your eligibility with instructors. Under-qualified students will be asked to transfer to Level 2 in order to strengthen their fundamentals.
In Balboa, the secret menu is where you can really customize what you want from your dance. Using the solid out 'n in fundamentals from the previous class, you will learn to mix in more complexity to your patterns and explore creativity to the music.
PRE-REQUISITES: Balboa C1 or must be comfortable with a pure balboa basic, out n ins, lolly kicks. No partner required; just bring your enthusiasm and comfortable clothes!
Buy a gift certificate for a friend, colleague, or family member. Gift certificates can only be used towards paying for class series online on our website and are valid for 6 months.
If you are new to Wednesday Night Hop…
We offer four classes every Wednesday night. Our classes are organized in progressive monthly series and we encourage students to sign up and attend the whole series. Nevertheless you can usually drop-in, check this FAQ for details.
Some lessons are solo classes, most lessons are partnered classes. Partnered swing dancing is a role based dance. You have to choose between the role of “leader” or the role of “follower”, and stick with it for the duration of the series class or drop-in. Check this FAQ for more information. Unless otherwise specified, you do not need a partner to come to class.
Our class syllabus is organized into three progressive levels (level 1, level 2, level 3) and an elective class topic category. Please check our curriculum page for details.
If you’re dropping in, registration is at the door. For series classes, we encourage you to register online. It is cheaper and you will get through the line faster at the studio. You will need to create a user account. This will allow you to keep track of the classes you have attended. Online registration closes at 11:59pm on the day before the first class of the series.
- 4-week Series Classes (most months) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Tuesday midnight of series start: $25/person per series
- At the door: $30/person per series
- 5-week Series Classes (for months with 5 weeks of classes) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Tuesday midnight of series start: $30/person per series
- At the door: $35/person per series
- 3-week Series Classes (for months with 3 weeks of classes) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Tuesday midnight of series start: $25/person per series
- At the door: $30/person per series
- Drop-In Classes -- $16/person drop-in. Includes admission to dance party.
- Both Drop-In Classes -- $24/person drop-in. Includes admission to dance party.
- Swing Dance Party -- only $6/person from 9:30pm - 11:45pm
- 4-week Series Classes (most months) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Sunday midnight of series start: $45/person for one series or $70/person for two series in the same month
- After Sunday till Tuesday midnight: $50/person for one series or $75/person for two series in the same month
- At the door: $60/person for one series or $90/person for two series in the same month
- 5-week Series Classes (for months with 5 weeks of classes) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Sunday midnight of series start: $50/person for one series or $80/person for two series in the same month
- After Sunday till Tuesday midnight: $55/person for one series or $85/person for two series in the same month
- At the door: $65/person for one series or $100/person for two series in the same month
- 3-week Series Classes (for months with 3 weeks of classes) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Till Tuesday midnight: $30/person per series
- At the door: $40/person per series
- Drop-In Classes -- $16/person drop-in. Includes admission to dance party.
- Both Drop-In Classes -- $24/person drop-in. Includes admission to dance party.
- Swing Dance Party -- only $8/person from 9:30pm - 11:45pm; $12/person on band nights.
- 4-week Series Classes (most months) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Tuesday midnight of series start: $25/person per series
- At the door: $30/person per series
- 5-week Series Classes (for months with 5 weeks of classes) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Tuesday midnight of series start: $30/person per series
- At the door: $35/person per series
- 3-week Series Classes (for months with 3 weeks of classes) -- Includes admission to dance party.
- Before Tuesday midnight of series start: $25/person per series
- At the door: $30/person per series
- Drop-In Classes -- $16/person drop-in. Includes admission to dance party.
- Both Drop-In Classes -- $24/person drop-in. Includes admission to dance party.
- Swing Dance Party -- only $6/person from 9:30pm - 11:45pm
Here is the address of the venue:
We host a dance party every Wednesday, with live music once a month, usually on the first Wednesday of the month. Below are our upcoming events. You can check our recent events here.
Flip through our most frequently asked questions: