Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the more frequently asked questions we receive…

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Courses

Q. I’ve never danced before but want to start, what is the best way?

A. We recommend you start by signing up to an Absolute Beginners Jive Course, you can find these here!

Q. How do I book my free trial dance class?

A. We use a simple online booking system, a step-by-step guide to booking your free trial can be found on this post. https://theswingdancecompany.co.uk/book-your-free-trial-dance-class/

Frequently Asked Questions About Dance Styles

Q. What’s the difference between lindy hop, jive, jitterbug, swing and rock’n’roll?

A. Swing is a style of music, first popular in the Big Band era. The dance that developed to swing music in the Big Band era in the US was called lindy hop. Lindy hoppers were often also described as Jitterbuggers due to their look when dancing fast. Jive was a derogatory term used to describe bad lindy hoppers, this term came to the UK during WW2 and became accepted as an umbrella term to describe many kinds of swing dance. Rock’n’Roll music become popular after the war and many people in the UK consider jive to be the dance style used with rock’n’roll music.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is swing dance/jive the same as lindy hop?

A.Our SwingJive courses were designed as an easy pathway for people with no previous dance experience to build the confidence and skills to be able to learn Lindy Hop, which is a more challenging style in terms of footwork, technique and musicality. At our Intermediate level we introduce 6 beat and Lindy Charlestons rhythms (which make up part of Lindy Hop), at our Inters Plus levels we develop those rhythms further.

Swing dance is a term that covers a variety of dances done to swing music, Lindy Hop is one of those styles. Our SwingJive courses include influences from a wider range of sources than just Lindy Hop and were designed with simpler material at the beginner level.