Monday Blues class and social

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.

Blues dancing is a slower, grounded partner dance to blues music, with a close connection and lots of room for musical interpretation. Many swing scenes run blues classes and late-night blues rooms alongside their Lindy Hop nights. Read our full guide.

Cambridge volunteer-style swing scene with weekly Lindy Hop and blues classes, socials, courses and annual festivals. We list 11 of their sessions, running on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See everything from Cambridge Swing Dance.