Full Camp

The beginner track is all about giving you the full picture of this powerful and complex dance. Attendees to this track range from newer dancers to people who have trained in other styles but are new to Lindy Hop. Expect to work hard, make visible progress every day, hit the social dance floor your very first night, bond with a group of dancers and excellent instructors, and have more fun than you ever thought possible!

This unique track is a new addition to Lindy Focus, for those who have taken some Lindy Hop classes, but who haven't studied it in the long term, either with extensive group-classes or regular private lessons. This track may also be the best fit for those who have spent some time with Lindy Hop in the past, but feel rusty with their dancing and want a re-introduction that moves at a somewhat more brisk pace than the pure-beginner track. Expect to work on a wide range of core repertoire, tackling a huge quantity of technical concepts, as well as social dance skills such as transitioning cleanly and easily between 6 and 8 count patterns.

This track is for dancers who are already quite comfortable social dancing Lindy Hop on a regular basis. You have a strong understanding of the core repertoire including swingouts, lindy circle, texas tommy, tuck turns, other basic 8 count, as well as common 6 count turns and passes. You easily mix the two. You are strong with your technique, can move easily at a wide variety of tempos (dancing a little faster all the time), you've worked on frame, balance, and posture. NOW it's time to take it to the next level: Perfecting your movement, dancing consistently, finding new ways to be creative. After class, throw yourself into social dancing, processing the material so you're ready to move on and learn even more the next day!

This track is designed for those who don't cleanly fall into either the Intermediate or Advanced categories. Maybe you're a very clear communicator with strong social dance skills, but have never made a serious study of lines and shapes. Perhaps you've done some competing, and are good at busting out classic patterns, even at higher speeds, but things can fall apart during slower social dances. This track will touch a little bit on the full range of topics, giving you the chance to fill out your skills and become a more solid, well-rounded dancer.

This track is simply for the most experienced social dancers at camp, and will require an audition. You can expect to be drilled on pretty flawless technique, fast dancing, and automatic familiarity with a huge range of repertoire. This is the kind of track where the instructor can show you a rather complex step or syncopation, and most of the class at least gets the general idea just from watching it. The instructors are asked to really push this group, rewarding those who work harder by accelerating the pace of class.

This track is half-class and half meet-ups/practices designed to give those who pass the audition the opportunity to work together through material that pushes them to work beyond their limits. A very small group will be selected by the instructors to participate in this track. Registering for this track does not in any way guarantee you a spot -- it just helps us get an idea how many people are interested in auditioning.

Taught at an intermediate-advanced level, the focus here is on performing and competing. You will be working on a lot of performance repertoire and challenging steps, but also on stage presentation, lines, and presence. This track will be performing for camp.

Also, this track requires a partner! Some classes may rotate, and some may not, (and there may be jazz/solo classes included) but instructors will have the option of keeping everyone with their partners in order to maintain a quick pace, and to allow you all to really develop strong, performance-ready partnerships.

This track is for experienced solo jazz and Charleston dancers who are already familiar with the well known routines (various versions of the Shim Sham, Tranky Doo, and the Big Apple in particular) as well as improvised solo jazz dancing. Here you will be pushed to expand your repertoire, hone the details of your styling, and generally move closer to truly owning your own style. Beginner and Intermediate jazz dancers are encouraged to participate in the many jazz electives (no pre-registration required).

This track is for those who have learned and are quite comfortable with the basic repertoire of Balboa and Bal-Swing, and could easily demonstrate such steps as the basic, paddle turns, transition step, out & in's, crossovers, come-arounds, lollies, and throw-outs. An intermediate dancer should be competent at a wide range of tempos, if maybe not the more blazingly fast numbers. At this level, you should be looking to refine your fundamentals, expanding your repertoire with more interesting bal-swing patterns, and exploring how you can express the music within the flow of the dance. NOTE: If you are not quite ready for the Intermediate Balboa level, check out the Beginner Intermediate Balboa side track or the Beginner Balboa elective classes.

An advanced Balboa dancer should meet all the criteria for Intermediate, but should feel like they have near-spotless technique. If you are a Lindy Hopper, you are able to distinguish which Lindy Hop techniques *not* to use. Your understanding of Bal-swing is expanding all the time, as you tirelessly look for new ways to explore momentum in that format. You have a passionate if private love affair with pure Bal. If you're a follower, your spins and turns are getting really tight. Choose this track if you want to be thoroughly challenged.

Step outside of your dance style and learn how you can improve your overall movement quality. Drills and exercises will be given to expand your understanding of your own movement beyond swing dancing, but in a way that you can immediately apply to what you already do.

Whether you feel uncomfortable dancing to slow music, or just dig those downtempo tunes, this track is designed to give you a solid foundation in blues or slow dancing.

If you've been to countless itnroductory "blues" dance classes, but are still looking to find the artfulness in it, still seeking your personal slow dance style, or still seeking to explore the different ways you can move to this music, this track is for you.

Had a few Balboa classes, but are still trying to get the hang of social dancing it, making the transitions work, and keeping your technique clean? Tired of looking longingly at those graceful and confident Balboa dancers as they hit the dance floor? Bite the bullet and plunge into your own study of this dynamic form of swing dance -- you may just never look back! NOTE: If you're brand-new to Balboa, we recommend instead taking the Beginner Balboa electives offered during camp (no pre-registration for these).

Tired of letting those well-intentioned tap shoes collect dust in your closet? Commit to this track to give yourself some drills, techniques, riffs and routines to jump start your tap dancing and learn why this compelling percussive dance style has persisted for so long. (Tap shoes not actually required!)

Ladies learn the art of tease and performance even while staying within your jazz dancer's body. This introductory series will get you tastefully raising some eyebrows.

Always wanted to fly (or launch someone into the air)? This series is designed to provide a safe introduction to the gravity-defying side of swing dance. NOTE: If you are not in GREAT PHYSICAL SHAPE, this is NOT recommended!

If you've been around the block with your basic lifts, tricks, and well-known throws, this side track will get you trying some new things, all while tightening your overall Aerial technique. NOTE: If you are not in GREAT PHYSICAL SHAPE, this is NOT recommended!

This side track is for those brave souls who are ready to dive down that rabbit hole and explore not only the deep inner workings of a great swingout, but also analyze the many swingout possibilities that exist and how they relate to one another. Deepen your understanding of the most important pattern in Lindy Hop!

Been exposed to a few basic Charleston patterns, but don't yet have the knowledge to cleanly put together more intricate material? This side track is about exposing you to the wide range of Charleston patterns and transitions to give you a huge boost of fluency in this unique dance language.

Mastered all of the conventional (and some of the unconvential) partner Charleston patterns? Challenge yourself to try new steps, new transitions, new positions, and new rhythms with this side track designed to take your Charleston from mechanical to truly artistic.

For this side track, instructors will choose some of their favorite -- and most difficult -- moments from the video archives of swing history and break them down for you. Restricted to Advanced and Masters level Lindy Hop dancers.