Practise Lindy Hop at Home

By Lindy Hopper, Editor

In swing-era slang, dancers were cats and chicks. Today's dancers just want to improve between classes. This is the lab: solo drills that fit in a kitchen.

The 15-minute routine

1. 2 minutes – pulse. Bounce gently to a mid-tempo track. See bounce and pulse.
2. 3 minutes – triples. Triple step on the spot, then travelling forwards, back, and turning.
3. 3 minutes – rock steps. Rock step, triple, triple – the shape of a 6-count basic.
4. 3 minutes – Charleston. Kick forward, step back, kick back, step forward, in time.
5. 2 minutes – swivels. Hold a doorframe and practise swivels.
6. 2 minutes – freestyle. Put on a favourite tune and play.

Pick the right tempo

Start with slower swing tracks and move up as the steps get comfortable. Fast tracks hide mistakes; slow ones reveal them.

Film yourself

A phone propped on a shelf shows what a mirror can't: posture, bounce, and whether your triples are really triples.

Learn the line dances

Solo jazz routines such as the Shim Sham are danced at many socials. Learning them at home means you can join in when the DJ plays the music.

Read next

• Lindy Hop Instruction: Every Style, Every Level
• How to Do the Swingout
• 6-Count and 8-Count: Lindy Hop Rhythm Explained

Last reviewed 2026-10-23.