Hadlow Down Lindy Hop

A typical class starts with a warm-up and a recap, then the teachers show a move or concept a piece at a time. Leads and follows usually swap partners every few minutes, so you dance with everyone and nobody needs to bring a partner. Expect to laugh, to get it wrong a few times, and to leave with something you can use straight away on a social floor.

Lindy Hop is the original swing dance, created by African-American dancers in Harlem in the late 1920s and 1930s and danced to big-band swing jazz. It is a partner dance built on an eight-count swingout, mixed with six-count moves, and it is famously improvised – lead and follow play with the music rather than repeating a routine. It suits any age, and most classes rotate partners. Read our full guide.

Balboa is a close-embrace swing dance from 1930s Southern California, built for crowded ballrooms and fast music. Its tiny, shuffling footwork and subtle shifts of weight make it look effortless; 'Bal-swing' adds open turns and variations. Read our full guide.

Weekly Lindy Hop classes in East Sussex villages and Kent, plus bimonthly 1940s-style dances and weekend workshops, running since 2010. We list 3 of their sessions, running on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See everything from Homefront Lindy Hop.