Swing dance has well and truly swung back into fashion. From tea dances at music festivals to numerous 1940s themed weekends to the hundreds of weekly classes held around the country, the dance created in 1930s Harlem by Frankie Manning (see YouTube clip below), is growing ever more popular. The 2012 New Year's Swing n' Blues event in Bristol, which includes classes and workshops, as well as a New Year's Eve party, virtually sold out within a week of tickets going on sale; while London-based dance school Swing Patrol which started in 2009 with just a handful of students now offers Lindy Hop lessons at 25 venues across the capital each week, with an average of 650 plus students per week, and the London Swing Festival, which is run by Swing Patrol, has grown from 300 participants when it launched in 2009, to 446 joining in workshops alone at the 2012 event.
It's not just classes and events that are selling like hot cakes; international camps where dancers gather to learn and party are also growing steadily. Since the world's original and largest, Herräng Dance Camp, started in, of all unlikely places, Sweden, in 1982, there are now more than 100 camps around the globe. Many require at least six months' swing dancing experience but some, including most of the camps listed below, welcome total beginners. Smaller camps can offer a less intimidating and less competitive experience for newbies, so are often a good place to start. Here's our pick of beginner-friendly camps coming up in the next few months.
It's worth noting that dancers must book camp places as follows or leads (in partner dances traditionally men lead and women follow), and camps tend to sell out sooner for follows simply because more women dance.
Lindy Hopper's Delight, Galway, Ireland
Swing over to Ireland, where beginners can take a day of classes on Saturday 8 December and dance that night for €50. Level 1 is suitable for absolute beginners. For inspiration watch the inaugural Galway Lindy Hop Championships on Friday night (£12 for spectator passes) at the Connemara Coast Hotel (a 10-minute drive or a shuttle bus from Galway – request shuttle on registration) with great views of Galway Bay. Competition divisions include showcase (choreographed routines), solo charleston, and up-and-coming where beginners are welcome to compete, with a teachers' performance at half time. Saturday night's Christmas-themed party at The Galway Rowing Club starts at 9.30pm (venue hosts workshops too).
• glhc.ie/galwayswing.com, 7-9 December 2012. For travel info and details of discounted accommodation see glhc.ie/galway_lindy_hop_championships_007.htm). Follows in higher levels must register with a partner but beginners spots are still available, simply contact paulneary@galwayswing.com on registration. Register here: lhd.dancecamps.org/booking.php
Moscow Christmas Swing Dance Camp, Russia
This five-day Russian camp in January is one of eastern Europe's largest. Expect a warm atmosphere and top-notch dancing with the world's superstar lindy hoppers including Kevin St Laurent and Jo Hoffberg (see above video), but be prepared for the extreme Russian winter (-7 to -10°c). Velegozh Resort is a small village 130km south of Moscow city centre, with a few shops and a beautiful forest nearby (though I'm told dancers never have time to see it). Russian dancers are competitive, so the beginner level will be high.
Organisers provide a shuttle on 3 January between 2pm-4pm from Moscow's Ulitsa akademika Yangelya Metro station (around 200 roubles – about £4), returning dancers on 8 January after dinner so you could spend the New Year in beautiful Moscow beforehand. For a visa invitation contact organisers via the web form.
• xmasdancecamp.org/en, Velegozh Resort, 3-8 January 2013. Register here. Cost: between €300 and €750 for the camp, depending on your accommodation choice (from "floor accommodation" (mattress and blankets provided!) to a private suite). Price includes three meals per day, four-five classes per day and parties, with live music slated for at least one evening
Lindy Hop Argentine International Festival, Buenos Aires
It might be famed for tango, but Argentina also has a lively swing dance scene. LHAIF in January offers lindy hoppers dancing, live performances and hot jazz for those willing to try something different. Thursday night's warm-up party sees the first round of Harvest Moon Ball competitions (named after New York's 1950s competitions). After early evening classes on Friday, you can dance to a live band and watch cabaret and following Saturday classes it's the One Night at the Savoy party with live bands and performance acts. The final day on Sunday sees all levels mix together for swing music classes, then from 9pm the festival rounds up with the competition finals and a musicians' jam.
• lhaif.com.ar/en/festival, 5-8 January 2013, email: info@lhaif.com.ar). Venues tbc, cost £88. As with most swing camps some accommodation is available in local dancers' homes
Leapin' Lindy, Bern, Switzerland
The historic city of Bern, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a maze of ancient squares, street cafes and vaulted cellars making it a perfect romantic destination, with 6km of covered arcades to hide from any inclement weather. Bern's swing festival, Leapin' Lindy, offers beginners three hours of classes on both Saturday and Sunday, whether you have danced before or not, with solo jazz classes on Friday (CHF50 – £33 – extra). Give your new skills a whirl in the evenings to two live bands, while Saturday's "The Big Swing Night" is a celebration of the camp's 10-year anniversary, held in Bern's Kulture Kasino, a stucco-fronted edifice in the city centre.
• leapinlindy.ch, 14-17 February 2013, registration opens 1 November. Email Matthius with questions: ll12@lindy-hop.ch.), Cost: £120 (£106 students), which includes classes and parties. Cheap local accommodation is limited so some hosting will be available in local dancers' homes
Goodnight Sweetheart, Hertfordshire, UK
Immerse yourself in one of the UK's largest swing camps, with dancing until 6am, all within the historic and imposing building of Haileybury College. Now in its 12th year, Goodnight Sweetheart's (GNSH) improvers classes are for those who "may have had a few weeks/months of lessons", among seven levels of classes, run on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. Parties start on Friday, with a Saturday Valentine's dinner and 1940s ball, and Sunday farewell party and competitions.
• gnsh.co.uk, 15-17 February 2013. Costs £169.99 until 30 October (£179.99 until 30 November; £189 after) for the weekend; price includes parties, workshops, lunch and dinner (Friday dinner to Sunday lunch) and soft drinks. On-site accommodation is available for overseas dancers, while the Marriott Cheshunt accommodates everyone else for £42.50pppn based on two sharing when booked through the GNSH website (10-15 minute drive from the college; spaces limited)
Ritz Winter Hop, Vörå, Finland
Vörå in west Finland might be an obscure holiday destination but the coastal town of Vaasa is around half-an-hour's drive away, and has a large student population which means there are nightclubs aplenty should you have the energy to continue dancing – and cosy restaurants to rest weary feet. The camp offers two days of workshops (absolute beginners welcome), including taster classes (leads: learn to throw your follow and try out aerials!), two nights of parties (wear your best vintage frock or suit for the Saturday night), and a farewell tea dance on Sunday afternoon. Accomodation is at Hotel Norrvalla, a physiotherapy centre with therapy pool, sauna and a vintage market running during the festival, that's within walking distance of all events.
• ritzwinterhop.weebly.com, 30 November-2 December. £120 before 4 November, £136 after. Price includes two nights at Hotel Norrvalla, folkhalsan.fi/norrvalla (website in Finnish or Swedish only, twin or triple rooms; single supplement £36), two breakfasts, two lunches and one dinner. Register by email: info@ritzlindyhoppers.com with name, address, phone, your level, lead/follow, partner name if applicable, pass type and for help with transport, +358 50 5736302 (Lina). Other accommodation is available here: matkailu.vaasa.fi
