The goal of this group is to make people aware of the budding lindy community in the Richmond area and to let dancers everywhere know about our upcoming events.
If you love to lindy or want to learn how, come join us for one of the Saturday night classes and dances! If you're not ready to dance and just want to see what the lindy hop is all about, feel free to come sit in on one of the classes. We guarantee you won't want to sit for long!
If you're new to the lindy scene and want to start learning those cool moves, The Richmond Area Swingdance Society (RASS) offers a Level I: Intro to Swing Dancing class every first, second, third and fourth Saturday at The Dance Space, which is located at 6004 W. Broad St. - above MeKong Restaturant. Class starts at 7:30 p.m. Classes on the first and third Saturdays focus on Beginner East Coast swing, while classes on the second and fourth Saturday focus on Beginner lindy hop. Contact Catherine Farmer ([email protected]) for more information.
On the first, third and fourth Saturday of every month, there is a Level II: Lindy Elements class. This class focuses on different elements of lindy hop such as styling, musicality and partner connections as well as teaches fun variations of different moves such as quick stops and the lindy Charleston. The class also has worked on Frankie Manning's "Lindy Chorus" (a choreographed lindy group dance that gets your heart going!).
Whether you're an advanced dancer or just making your way onto the dance floor, the Lindy Elements class is a great way to polish your dancing style as well as learn some fun moves! The only pre-requisite is that you understand how to do the fundamentals of lindy hop (swingout, lindy circle, 6- and 8-count basics).
Classes start at 6 p.m. at The Dance Space. Cost is $5 a person. Each class is different for the most part, so come to one or two classes or come to all of them. If you miss a class, you won't be lost. Contact Dawn Spears ([email protected]) for more information.
On the second Saturday of the month, there is an Level III: Second Saturday Lindy Workshop taught by instructors from NoVa's Jam Cellar! This is an intermediate/advanced lindy class. Lessons start at 6 p.m. at The Dance Space. Cost is $8 per person. Contact Andy Nishida ([email protected]) for more information.
There is a Lindy Dance every Saturday night from 8:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. at The Dance Space. Cost is $7 per person.
Local Lindy Links
The Usual Lindy Suspects is a yahoo group for area swing dancers. This is a FANTASTIC source for finding out about events in the Richmond area as well as things going on in VA Beach, Charlottesville and William & Mary. You also can find out more information about the Saturday night classes and dances through this group.If you're looking for dance events in the Washington, DC area, then GottaSwing.com , Swing Out DC and Jitterbuzz are a few good sites to check out! DC is the happening place for out-of-this-world dancing and events. If you haven't seen the DC dancers in action, you don't know what you're missing!
Although there isn't a Richmond Lindy Exchange (yet!), there are some great exchanges an hour or two away, like the DC and Virginia Beach Lindy Exchanges . Take advantage of these fantastic dancing opportunities if you can!
Mark your calendars! This year's Jammin' on the James is scheduled for Oct. 20-22. You won't want to miss this dance-packed lindy weekend!
Other Links
How 2 Dance has tons of FREE instructional video clips!Les Videos Roots is a French site with lindy hop video clips from old movies like Hellzapoppin' featuring Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.
Savoy Style is a great resource for the history of lindy hop.
Swing Dance Shop is your one-stop shop for instructional dance videos and Bleyer dance shoes!
DanceStore.com is another great store that stocks swing clothes, videos and shoes.