Levels 1, 2 and 3, back to back every Monday at Swing Patrol Angel
The three levels run one after another on a Monday night, so you can do one or stay for two. What they have in common matters more than what separates them: in all three I'm trying to teach you to dance, not just to execute steps. Steps are vocabulary — what counts is what you say with them, with a real partner, to real music.
| Level | Who it's for | Monday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Absolute beginners and beginners — no experience of any kind needed | 7:00–8:00pm |
| 2 | Improvers and intermediate — you can social dance, and you can swing out | 8:15–9:15pm |
| 3 | Int-adv and advanced — refining what you have rather than only collecting more | 9:30–10:30pm |
No prior experience is ever needed, and I never assume you know a move. Everything gets taught from scratch, every week — so it doesn't matter whether it's your first class or you missed the last three.
The priority here is that it's fun. It's meant to be an enjoyable introduction to dancing, while you pick up the vocabulary you need to actually dance with people.
And that's the real aim: we don't just teach you a routine to perform back. Even as an absolute beginner you're learning to social dance — to improvise with a partner rather than recite a sequence. That's a different skill from remembering choreography, so we start building it on day one.
Before joining Level 2, you're expected to be comfortable with:
The work itself is about combining the moves you already have in new and interesting ways, alongside learning new moves and playing with footwork and rhythm variations. Your vocabulary grows, but so does what you can do with the vocabulary you had already.
There's no right or wrong number of Level 1 classes to do first. Most people decide they're ready after around three months of Level 1 — but that's an average, not a requirement.
Once you are ready, most people do Level 1 and Level 2 together for a couple of months, which is a good way to consolidate rather than leaping across. They run back to back, and the second class on the night is £8.
By this point you've social danced at many events, and what you want has changed: you're looking to refine the steps you already have rather than just add more to the pile.
And if you're not going to festivals yet, that's completely fine — everyone's situation is different. This level is about getting you ready to be a great dancer, whatever you choose to do with it.
Then come at 7pm and ask me on the night — it's much easier to tell in person than in writing, and there's no penalty for guessing wrong either way. You're also welcome to watch the first five minutes of the level after yours to get a feel for it. If you'd rather work on something specific, or move faster than a weekly class allows, a private lesson is the quickest route.
None at all. Level 1 assumes no knowledge of any move and starts from the basics every week, so you can walk in having never danced before.
There's no fixed number of classes. Most people move up after around three months of Level 1, and you should be able to social dance and swing out before you do.
Yes, and most people do exactly that when stepping up — Level 1 and Level 2 back to back for a couple of months. The second class on the night is £8.
Mondays · Swing Patrol Angel
Absolute beginners start at 7pm at Swing Patrol Angel, Exmouth Market. No partner, no experience and no booking needed — just turn up and we'll start from the basics.
£15 on the door · £10 for full-time students · Levels 1–3 every Monday