Summer lessons 2026 - Let's keep dancing!
We've got a rich and varied summer programme to suit all tastes and abilities!
Registration for these summer classes opens on 5 July at 1800!
This summer we are offering a code for students who wish to purchase one or more lessons at the same time!
When registering for your second or third (or fourth!) lesson please enter the code 'dancemad10' to receive 10% off the cost of the course!
Please note that this code should only be used when registering for all these lessons at the same time.
None of the other discounts are applicable for these summer courses.
21 July: Charleston Deep Dive
Level: Green 1 and above
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
ELEF or Fixed roles: ELEF
Price: 22
What do you do when the music gets faster, and the triple step becomes tricky to execute with your usual pizazz? It's Charleston time!
This course is designed as a deep dive into the basic moves of charleston, with a focus on the pulse and rhythm in your body, and your connection to the music and your partner. It'll be a great first try of charleston, and suitable for anyone feeling a little rusty and wanting to refocus on their Charleston basics.
22 July: Move Better, Dance Longer
Level: Anyone can join!
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
Price: 22
Did you know that our Collegiate Shag teacher Stefan is also an experienced Physiotherapist?
In this workshop you'll explore how mobility, stability and body awareness can help you move more efficiently, dance with less effort and reduce your risk of injury.
We'll work on:
Injury prevention
Mobility and movement freedom
Balance and neuromuscular control
Dynamic stability
28 & 29 July: Big Apple (Solo Jazz routine)
Level: Some Jazz dance experience required
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
Price: 35
We invited the neighbours for this one! Benedetta from 'World of Jazz' in the Hague will teach this iconic solo jazz routine over two consecutive evenings.
The Big Apple Routine is a line dance choreographed by Frankie Manning and Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. It’s a Solo Jazz choreography made famous in the movie Keep Punching. These days you can see if at a lot of big parties (including Harbour Hop!).
Curious? Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
4 August: Fancy Balance Blues
Level: 1 beginner 1 improver block
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
ELEF or Fixed roles: see description
Price: 22
Explore balance, center, and off-balance movement in blues partner dancing. In this summer class for intermediate blues dancers, we'll focus on creating dynamic movement, connection, and control through a deeper understanding of how we -literally!- support ourselves and each other in the dance.
Please indicate in your registration if you would like to focus on one role or switch. If the balance is sufficient, if would be a combi fixed-switch group.
*Requirement: followed at least both 1 beginners and 1 improvers blues block. If you dont meet this requirement but are interested to join, please check in with Iris or Beau.
11 August: Shim Sham
Level: Anyone can join!
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
Price: 22
It's Shim Sham time! The solo jazz dance that every Lindy Hopper MUST know! Else will bring her expertise during this 2 hour class, to teach you the steps, techniques and history of this iconic solo dance.
12 & 13 August: Tranky Doo
Level: Anyone can join, but it's a tricky routine.
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
Price: 35
We're covering all our bases this summer, with lessons in the 'big three' of solo jazz dances. Last but not least, the incredible 'Tranky Doo'! Choreographed by the inimitable Frankie Manning, the Tranky Doo is a really fun routine, with a rich, fascinating history. The lesson is open to all levels, but the routine is quite tricky. Consider joining Shim Sham too, so you have more steps 'under your belt'. Don't miss it!
15 August: Lindy Hop Intermediate
Level: Green 3, Blue & up
Time: 11:00 - 13:00
Price: 35
ELEF or Fixed Roles: Fixed
See below for more information...
16 August: Lindy Hop Advanced (Yellow)
Level: Yellow
Time: 11:00 - 13:00
Price: 35
ELEF or Fixed Roles: Fixed
As part of our summer classes programme, we've invited Marco & Paola from Rome to teach a couple of special classes here in Rotterdam!
Paola and Marco have been Lindy Hop dancers for over 7 years. They have participated in international festivals throughout Europe and are active members of the swing scenes in Rome and Brussels. Paola began dancing in Milan, and Marco started in Paris. Their diverse training enables them to perform a variety of styles and approaches to swing. Additionally, Paola has a decade of experience in traditional african dance, while Marco has a decade of experience in hip-hop/popping. While African dance has had a profound influence on all forms of swing dance, hip-hop, on the other hand, emerged from it. These two dances add new elements and enrich what Paola and Marco bring to their lindy hop teaching. In their classes, they aim to provide tools that each student can reuse and creatively reinterpret in social dance, such as variations on the swing out, routines, and jazz steps.
17 & 25 August: Modern Dance
Level: Anyone can join!
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
Price: 50
Camille is back! We had the pleasure of a two-part Modern Dance workshop with Camille in February, and it was so popular we've invited her to return!
We worked on body awareness used exercises to fuel creativity in our movement. Here's a little taste of the workshop from February: https://www.instagram.com/p/DU...
31 August: Balboa Inni Mini Aerials (part 2)
Level: Blue & up or 1 year
Time: 19:30 - 21:00
ELEF or Fixed Roles: Fixed
Price: 25
Some more juice, ups, downs and drama for your Balboa life! Mark and Anne are back for balboa ini mini aerials part two. Flashy moves and dips, suitable on fast music. Create more height or momentum in your dance and try some ini mini aerials. And above all, smile :)
Everybody Leads, Everybody Follows - A new way of Learning!
At Swing in Rhythm almost all of our courses* are taught using the 'ELEF' method: Everybody leads, Everybody follows!
Why are we doing this?
*No more waiting lists! A common issue, particularly for follow dancers.
*No need for a partner to join workshops! Everyone gets an equal chance to join workshops.
*No more imbalance in classes! Everyone gets the chance to dance more often, without having to stand in a 'gap' in the circle.
*More inclusivity & less reliance on outdated gender roles! A more welcoming atmosphere for LGBTQ+ dancers.
*Improved technique! An understanding of both roles makes a person a better dancer.
*More fun at social dances! Being able to dance with everyone in the room, what could be more fun than that?
*Please note - the ELEF model is applied to all green and blue courses unless stated otherwise.
When taking yellow level lessons, you are assumed to be willing to specialise in a particular role, so you can choose to fix in a role or continue to dance ELEF if that is your preference, and if it works with the balance in class.
Photo credit above: Yuliya Khadasevich. Photo taken at Harbour Hop, Rotterdam.