Lindy Hop, swing & solo jazz in London
No. You're welcome to come on your own or with a friend — in class we rotate partners, so everyone gets to dance.
Yes — rotating is never compulsory. Tell me at the start of class and you can stay together the whole hour, no explanation needed. That said, I'd gently push you to rotate: you learn faster, and Lindy Hop is a social dance. On a social floor you'll be dancing with people you've just met, at every level, so leading and following with different partners is part of the skill rather than a distraction from it.
Absolutely. Beginners are welcome and we start from the basics every week, so there's no need to have danced before.
Almost certainly not. The room is a real mix: students, people in their thirties and forties, and dancers who have been at it for decades. Nobody stands out on the basis of age, and plenty of people arrive on their own not knowing a soul.
No — the weekly classes are drop-in. Just turn up on the night.
The partnered Lindy Hop classes on a Monday run an hour each, and they're back to back, so you can do one or stay for two or three. The Thursday solo jazz class is a two-hour session.
Level 1 if you've never danced Lindy Hop — no experience is assumed. Level 2 once you can social dance and swing out, and Level 3 if you're refining rather than collecting moves. The levels page explains each one, including when to move up.
Comfortable clothes you can move in, and flat shoes with a smooth sole that let you pivot. Bring some water — it can get lively.
Monday classes are £15 (£10 for full-time students with ID), with discounts for taking more than one class on the night. Thursday classes are £15. See the timetable for full details.
Pay as you go — there's no course to sign up for and no term to commit to. It's £15 on the night for your first class, £8 for a second on the same night and £7 for a third, and you can pay by cash, online, or with a Swing Patrol class card. Come every week or come once a month; either is fine.
Please do. Drop-in means exactly that, so visitors are welcome for a single class with nothing to arrange in advance — a lot of people passing through London do precisely this. If you want to cover more ground in the time you have, a private lesson is the quickest way to do it.
Solo Jazz Thursdays are taught by Liane Wergen, at Steps Studios in Shoreditch. They're back from Thursday 10 September — open level, £15 cash on the door, no partner needed. I teach the Monday Lindy Hop classes at Swing Patrol Angel.
Lindy Hop is a partnered swing dance that grew out of the African American community in Harlem, New York in the late 1920s and 1930s, danced to swing jazz. It's playful, improvised and social.
Authentic jazz, or solo jazz, is vintage solo dancing from the same swing era — including classic routines like the Shim Sham. You dance it on your own, so no partner is needed.
Yes — I teach private lessons for individuals, couples and small groups, including wedding first dances. Get in touch and we'll find a time.
Mondays · Swing Patrol Angel
There's no class on Monday 31 August (Summer bank holiday), but after that we're back to every Monday. Absolute beginners start at 7pm at Swing Patrol Angel, Exmouth Market — no partner, no experience and no booking needed.
£15 on the door · £10 for full-time students · Levels 1–3 every Monday