This event is perfect for complete beginners who want to learn the basics of popular swing dances such as the Lindy Hop & Charleston. Starting with a lesson packed with brilliant basics and ending with a Swing Social that will give you the chance to practise those moves on the dance floor.
Join our step by step class that will take you from 'Two Left Feet' to 'Comfortable And Confident' in just two hours. With everything being explained clearly and simply you’ll find it easy to understand and easy to do.
After the class choose to simply relax and enjoy listening to swing music over a drink or practise your new skills. Your teachers will be on hand throughout the social to answer questions and offer support.
Joo-Lee Stock and Andy Lewis specialise in helping beginners to become quickly confident through their warm, engaging and entertaining style of teaching. Their regular Lindy Jazz classes are held in Newcastle and Durham and they look forward to meeting and bring swing dancing to more new beginners in Gateshead.
Date: Sunday 9 October
Time: 15:00-17:00 workshop, 17:00-19:00 Swing Social
Venue: St Mary's Heritage Centre, Gateshead
The legendary Dawn Hampton once said that if you want to improve your dancing, there is no better way than to dance all forms of dance. This, in many ways, has been Joo-Lee’s own philosophy and experience. Joo-Lee danced ballet as a child, was inspired and taught by the Jiving Lindy Hoppers since 1993 and has trained and gained social dance experience in Lindy Hop, Contemporary, Street, Salsa, Jive and Tap, all of which have influenced Joo-Lee’s own individual creative style.
Joo-Lee has a contagious enthusiasm for both dancing and teaching, ensuring an energy and buzz to any class or event she’s involved with. Highly qualified, Joo-Lee’s background is as a former director of performing arts, as well as having had formal training in music and, most recently, life coaching, all of which combine to produce a highly effective, ever inspiring talent and expertise for building dance confidence and improving skills, performance and techniques in dancers of all levels. Above all, Joo-Lee advocates that those who enjoy learning will in turn learn more and will learn more quickly. Given the thousands of people she has worked with, together with her warm, relaxed nature, it is no surprise that Joo-Lee has successfully demonstrated that this is very much the case!
Andy is very much our music man! His overt passion for jazz, swing and blues has inevitably led to an extensive, ever growing music collection to be proud of and this, together with his innate musicality and dance knowledge has ensured Andy’s reputation as a highly acclaimed Swing and Blues DJ, invited to play at numerous events all over the world! Lindy Jazz are thrilled to claim Andy as our own resident DJ and it goes without saying that each event is guaranteed to offer the perfect soundtrack for an unforgettable dance experience, with a carefully managed atmosphere through music sensitive to the dancer’s every mood.
This instinctive understanding of music has leant itself to Andy’s trademark smooth, connected and highly musical dance style!
Andy’s dance background began in the world of ballroom in 1990, followed by a growing passion for Modern Jive and an increasing devotion to blues dance and Lindy Hop, further fuelling his enthusiasm for social dance. Andy can boast a most impressive foundation for his dance training, having studied with top teachers such as Frankie Manning, Steven Mitchell, Peter Loggins and Russell Sargeant. Other influences include Salsa, Ballroom and Argentine Tango and his extensive experience, combined with Andy’s friendly, easy-going attitude have resulted in an accessible, motivational and connection-based teaching style which encourages everyone to feel welcome and included, promotes a relaxed environment and delivers positive responses from all our Lindy Hoppers!
