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Lindy Hop

Lindy Hop is also referred to as the grandfather of swing. It originated in the late 20s in the ballrooms of Harlem. Lindy Hop was open to all people, age-groups and skin colours. It was danced to the big-band swing jazz music of the 20s to 40s. The music leaves a lot of room for improvisation. Accordingly, a lot of freedom in interpretation and movements is allowed as long as they fit the music. Depending on the rhythm of the music and the tempo, the dance can be wild and spontaneous or even cool and elegant. In the 1980s, the swing dance was "rediscovered" and gained more and more friends in Europe. Since 1998, Lindy Exchanges have been held regularly in many cities to get to know each other and the typical dance style of another city.

Participants of our Lindy Hop Courses can come with partner or alone. In Lindy Hop classes, it is common to change dance partners frequently to learn faster, to dance better, and to make getting to know each other easier. With the "Social Dance" also partners are changed, so that anyone can invite everyone. Mostly you dance two to three songs with the same partner, the first one often to "get to know each other".

New Lindy Hop Courses starting in February, in German and English

The next round of classes is about to begin soon! Rhythm Tap continues, Solo Jazz will take a break! For Balboa newcomers, there is the possibility to have introductory mini-workshop on 21.02.2024.

All classes have an upper limit of 40 participants, beyond that there will be waiting lists. Thus, if you change your mind and do not want to attend a class after registration, please let us know as soon as possible so we can give a chance to the people on the waiting list.

Current Lindy Hop Courses

Group 1 - First Steps
for everyone who has occasionally attended the Monday tasters at Exil, has little or no knowledge of the leading and following techniques in swing dancing, or is interested in learning the opposite role. In this course, we will be taking our first steps in order get to know the fundamentals of Lindy Hop and experiment with some fun variations. In addition to the absolute basics, the exact contents in this course are different every time, so that it is possible to attend this course several times in order to deepen the foundational dance skills and get more comfortable with the essential technique and basic movements.

Group 2 - Vocabulary
for everyone who has attended a beginner's class and is familiar with the fundamental techniques of leading and following in Lindy Hop, and even for those that have longer experience. In this course, we will focus on expanding the dancing vocabulary, in order to have even more fun on the dance floor. The exact contents of this course are different every time so it is possible and even recommended to attend this course multiple times.

Group 3 - Creativity
for everyone who already feels familiar with leading and following different rhythms and variations in a dance and can already adapt a little to the music. In this course, we will focus on creativity and inspiration in dancing in order to express ideas individually and exchange them in a dialogue with the partner to match the music.

Group 4 - Balboa 3
for everyone who has attended one or more Balboa classes. If you do not have any prior experience in Balboa, you should also take the Balboa Foundation Mini-Workshop. In this course, we will expand on the basics of Balboa so that faster music no longer feels like a challenge. The exact contents of this course are different every time so it is possible and even recommended to attend this course multiple times.

Group 5 - Rhythm Tap
for everyone who wants to bring more dynamics to their feet. In this course you will get initial insights into the basics of tap dancing. The goal is an introduction to some basic step and tap techniques in order to be able to dance first grooves with them! We may go beyond swing rhythms! The course does not require any previous knowledge. For the start, it is recommended to bring shoes with hard and smooth leather or plastic soles. It can happen that you become curious to learn more. The exact contents of this course are different every time so it is possible and even recommended to attend this course multiple times.

Balboa Foundation Mini-Workshop on 21.02.2024
for everyone who already feels comfortable with the basic techniques of leading and following in Swing dancing and wants to join the Balboa 3 course or to revisit the basics and perhaps even try the opposite role. In this mini workshop, we will go through the Balboa basics, including Downholds and Upholds, as well as Come Arounds and Toss Outs, and perhaps even some variations of those, so that you are well prepared for the Balboa 3 course. There is no separate registration and no extra fee for this workshop, please let us know if you are interested in the workshop when you register for Balboa 3 in the comment section. This mini-workshop will take place if there are at least 4 interested participants.

When?

Wednesdays, from 28.02.2024 to 17.04.2024
18:30 - 19:30 Uhr - Vocabulary
19:45 - 20:45 Uhr - Balboa 3
20:30 - 21:30 Uhr - First Steps (Clubraum 1, from 21.02.2024)
21:00 - 22:00 Uhr - Creativity

Thursdays, from 29.02.2024 to 18.04.2024
19:30 - 20:30 Uhr - Rhythm Tap

Balboa Foundation Mini-Workshop: 21.02.2024, from 18:30 to 22:00

First lesson in the weekly classes is free to try!

Where?

Zentralmensa, Clubraum 5 and 1
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 4
37073 Göttingen

Fee?


Class fees (Early Birds):
40 Euro (Students) for 8 Lessons
45 Euro (Employees and guests) for 8 Lessons
65 Euro (Students) for 2 Courses
70 Euro (Employees and guests) for 2 Courses

Additional fees (Late Birds):
5 Euro from 09.03
10 Euro from 16.03

With whom?

Eric's specialty is Collegiate Shag, a high-energy swing dance, often associated with 1930s cartoons that allows for rhythmic oddities and stylish footwork variations. Eric brought shag to Göttingen together with Rowan, now an integral part of the Swing community.

Giulia began Lindy Hop dancing in Madrid in 2014, as the Swing dance craze in Spain was gaining momentum. Despite taking a few breaks, she continues to dance and is grateful to contribute to the Lindy Hop community in Göttingen. She relishes the connection and flow of the dance and feels a fusion with the music at times, as if the music is dancing through her.

Johanna has been dancing Lindy Hop since 2016 and also loves dance Solo Jazz, Collegiate Shag and other Swing dances. She is particularly enthusiastic about inspiring each other while dancing and developing her own ideas about the music.

Miclas has been dancing Lindy Hop since 2014 and loves the playful freedom. Also, he enjoys the dynamics between the dance partners, especially when moves matching the music emerge and it's no longer clear which of the two initiated them. He also likes to create surprises and to be surprised and inspired by the partner. And if something goes differently than expected: No worries, there are no mistakes in Lindy Hop, just variations!

Moonika has been active in the international swing dance scene for more than 20 years. Since 2007, she has been teaching regularly and with her skill and sense of humour she can get anyone to swing, regardless of whether they are 5 or 70 years old.

Rowan caught the Swing-bug in 2014, drawn to the playful nature of the dance. Although a Lindy hopper at heart, Rowan has a soft spot for the faster-paced dance styles, such as Balboa and Collegiate Shag.

Sarah has started swing dancing almost 10 years ago in Vienna, after dancing traditional ballroom dances for years. She is thrilled about the possibilities to express yourself in swing dancing, especially enjoys Lindy Hop and Charleston and also attends international swing festivals.

Tobias has been an enthusiastic tap dancer, Lindy Hopper and swing musician for 20 years. His focus on tap dance is on rhythm and groove, also called "Rhythm Tap" by tap dancers. His tap improvisations are often to be seen on Göttingen’s stages (including the Blues & Boogie Kitchen, the Night of Culture, as well as during Jazz & Swing concerts). He is usually dancing together with the live musicians, but sometimes also tap dances to recorded music. Tobias has many years of experience as a Tap and Lindy-Hop Coach (Southern Germany, Kassel, Göttingen). We are pleased that he is teaching again and sharing his experience after a long break!

Photo credits: Eric Bobrie (For Dancers Only) and Heiko Glindemann.

Cultural Office

Platz der Göttinger Sieben 4
Entrance 4b, level 0
37073 Göttingen

Contact
Ms Kaufmann, Head of department

Opening Hours

Appointments by arrangement
e-mail: kulturbuero(at)studentenwerk-goettingen.de
or Tel.: 0551 - 39 35 322 (approx. 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m)

Contact