Lindy Jazz started in 2007 with a vision. We wanted to bring people together and share our love of dance and Swing music with as many people as possible.
Dance can change your life in so many ways. It can help you keep fit, make friends, and feel alive.
Whether you’re an experienced dancer or you’re the first to say you have two left feet, you’re always guaranteed lots of fun and a very warm welcome.
There’s something for everyone in our programme of adult Swing dance classes and workshops and we promise that you won’t regret giving Lindy Jazz a try.
In these days where so many of us have struggled to stay connected and find joy, Lindy Jazz will help you do both.
Are you ready to discover the joy of dance?
If you’ve not met her before, Joo-Lee is the Founder and Dance Director at Lindy Jazz and a self-confessed life-long dance lover!
Since she first donned her ballet shoes aged 8, the joy of dance has been at the centre of her life. And now after three decades in the dance world, she gets to share that joy with people across the North East of England.
As the Director of Lindy Jazz, she has created a warm, thriving, and inclusive Swing Dance scene in Durham and Newcastle.
After spending four years trying out every social dance style available, she fell in love with the fun, uplifting, and incredibly social Lindy Hop. Bringing this joy and connectedness to others was her dream; a dream that was realised when she established Lindy Jazz with her partner, Andy.
Forget about dance classes where the music is forgettable and the routines are way too complicated, Joo-Lee’s trademark is teaching great technique in a way that is always energetic, simple, and fun.
Simple, fun, and inclusive instruction in a warm and friendly atmosphere is her recipe for success.
What started as a single class in Durham has blossomed into a thriving Swing dance community where everyone is welcome, whether they’re near or far.
From dancing on TV (as seen on BBC One's indent, "Swing Dancers, County Durham") ro running her own International Swing Dance Festival, DJam, which brought people around the world to dance together at Durham Town Hall, to teaching dance fitness classes for the NHS in her community, Joo-Lee’s desire to spread the joy of dance shows no signs of stopping.
Think that all sounds great, but you’re not sure about dancing?
Joo-Lee has even taught actors with no previous experience to dance! She was a choreographer and dance coach for TV dramas such as ‘United’ starring David Tennant and ‘Joe Maddison’s War’ starring Robson Green & Kevin Whately.
When you learn to dance with Joo-Lee, you know that you’re in safe, experienced, and very welcoming hands.
Andy’s dance journey began in the 1990’s in the world of Ballroom, and he soon discovered a love for Modern Jive.
Like Joo-Lee, the fun, uplifting, and very social Lindy Hop became his favourite dance style, so much so that he went on to study Lindy dance with world-class teachers like Frankie Manning, Steven Mitchell, Peter Loggins, and Russell Sargeant.
In Joo-Lee, he found a partner who shared his vision for creating a welcoming and inclusive Swing dance culture in the North East. Not to mention a mutual love of music and movement, and the belief in the power of dance to transform lives.
Andy is a relaxed, supportive, and encouraging teacher who can help anyone become a more confident dancer.
His natural appreciation for music and his experience of many different dance styles bring his teaching to life.
This is what also makes him the perfect resident Lindy Jazz DJ, where he spins the Swing and Blues tunes that make every class and event an unforgettable and truly uplifting experience.
As well as playing regularly at our classes and events, he DJs at many events in the UK and abroad, such as Herrang, the Snowball in Stockholm, Barswingona, the London Swing Festival, and the Blues Baby Blues, among many others.
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