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Knowing which class is right for you.
We get a lot of questions about when people can move up to our Level 2/Intermediate level class so we’d like to explain how we like to do things at our Tuesday night Swing Patrol North Sydney weekly classes.
Different schools and teachers have different ways of organising their Level 1 and Level 2 classes, so even if you’ve done Level 2 or Intermediate classes at another school, it doesn’t necessarily mean that our Level 2 class will suit you.
That’s why, before joining our Intermediate or above level classes for the first time, we will ask you to do a level test with Andy or Jo to ensure you have the core skills you’ll need to get the most out of the class and keep up with the other students. We don’t do this to be mean, or discourage you – we want to make sure that you are doing the class which is most appropriate for you, where you’ll learn the most, have the most fun, and be surrounded by dancers of a similar level so that everyone can get the best out of the class.
Read on for more details about our levels and what you need to know about moving up to the higher level class.
At 6.30pm every week we have our Level 1 or beginners class. This is open to everyone including absolute beginners, and each week we’ll teach the footwork that you’ll need for that particular class from scratch, then learn some cool new moves. But it’s not just for beginners – some of our regular Level 2 dancers have still been doing Level 1 for years, because they enjoy the class, want the exercise and love getting to meet new people!
In the Level 1 class we teach the three footwork patterns of 8-beat, 6-beat and Charleston in month long blocks, and most people will need to complete each of the blocks twice to be comfortable enough with the footwork and the core moves to be able to move up to Level 2. If you’re attending classes pretty much every week, this will typically take somewhere between 6-8 months.
We often get people with a lot of experience with another dance style such as Rock and Roll or Ballroom asking if they can come straight into Level 2. Unfortunately there is really no substitute for putting in the practice to learn the fundamentals of Swing dancing, so you still need to learn the three footwork patterns and core moves.
A very experienced dancer who comes to weekly Swing classes might be able to move up in 3 months or a little faster if they practice a lot at home, but it really does depend on the individual. You will still need to do a level test to show that you have the core knowledge needed for Level 2.
At 7.45pm we have our Level 2 class most weeks (except the first week of the month when we do Blues, or the last week of the month which is our Advanced class). If you’d like to do the Level 2/Intermediate class we ask that you do a quick level check with Jo or Andy, to make sure that you have the core knowledge and experience that you need to keep up and get the most out of this class.
You will need to be able to demonstrate solid 8-beat, 6-beat and Charleston footwork, and be able to lead or follow three swing outs and a circle to closed. If you are not familiar or comfortable with any of this, you’re not quite ready for this class just yet.
When you start doing Level 2 with us, we willl ask that you continue to do Level 1 as well as the Level 2 class for several months to ensure that you’re continuing to work on your fundamentals.
On the last week of the month we do our Intermediate/Advanced challenge class which is only suitable for our most experienced dancers. If you have been doing weekly Intermediate classes for at least one year or more and enjoy a challenge, then this class should suit you.
Please check your level with Jo or Andy before joining this class for the first time.
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Sydney • Melbourne • London • Berlin
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we gather and dance. Swing Patrol operates on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Always was – always will be – aboriginal land.
We’ll be closed over the Christmas/New Years break, but never fear! We’ll be resuming classes every Tuesday from 6.30PM, Tuesday 6th Febuary 2024.
We look forward to dancing with you then!
North Sydney is closed for new students while we finish off our performance routine, but we’ll be back to regular, weekly drop-in classes for everyone from Tuesday the 22nd August 2023.
We look forward to dancing with you then!