The Lindy Series workshop

A workshop goes deeper than a weekly class: a longer session, or a series over a day or weekend, focused on one level, style or theme. Check the level before you book; beginner workshops are a fast way to start, and higher levels assume you already know the basics.

Swing Jive (also called 1940s jive or jitterbug) is the wartime form of jive that came to Britain with American servicemen. It is a friendly, adaptable partner dance to big-band and swing music, and it sits between Lindy Hop and later rock'n'roll jive. Read our full guide.

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.

SwingJive courses, the Lindy Series workshops, tea dances and class-and-dance evenings across Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset. We list 11 of their sessions, running on Thursdays. See everything from The Swing Dance Company.