Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is also referred to as the grandfather of swing. It originated in the late 20s in the ballrooms of Harlem. Lindy Hop was open to all people, age-groups and skin colours. It was danced to the big-band swing jazz music of the 20s to 40s. The music leaves a lot of room for improvisation. Accordingly, a lot of freedom in interpretation and movements is allowed as long as they fit the music. Depending on the rhythm of the music and the tempo, the dance can be wild and spontaneous or even cool and elegant. In the 1980s, the swing dance was "rediscovered" and gained more and more friends in Europe. Since 1998, Lindy Exchanges have been held regularly in many cities to get to know each other and the typical dance style of another city.
Participants of our Lindy Hop Courses can come with partner or alone. In Lindy Hop classes, it is common to change dance partners frequently to learn faster, to dance better, and to make getting to know each other easier. With the "Social Dance" also partners are changed, so that anyone can invite everyone. Mostly you dance two to three songs with the same partner, the first one often to "get to know each other".
The next round of classes is about to begin soon! This time also including a Creativity class and a new concept for the Vocabulary class.
Each class has a limit of 50 participants due to space constraints. When we reach the limit, we will contact the participants that are on the waiting list explicitly. If you do not get a message indicating that you are on the waiting list, your participation is confirmed. If you change your mind and do not want to attend a class after registration, please let us know as soon as possible so we can give a chance to the people on the waiting list.
Group 1 - First Steps
for everyone who has occasionally attended the Monday tasters at Exil, has little or no knowledge of the leading and following techniques in swing dancing, or is interested in learning the opposite role. In this course, we will be taking our first steps in order get to know the fundamentals of Lindy Hop and experiment with some fun variations. In addition to the absolute basics, the exact contents in this course are different every time, so that it is possible to attend this course several times in order to deepen the foundational dance skills and get more comfortable with the essential technique and basic movements.
Group 2 - Vocabulary (Everybody Leads, Everybody Follows)
for everyone who has attended a beginner’s class and is familiar with the fundamental techniques of leading and following in Lindy Hop, and even for those that have longer experience. In this course, we won’t only expand our dance vocabulary, but also take a sneak peek into the “other” role and with this, improve our understanding of leading/following.
Group 3 - Creativity
for everyone who has attended at least a follow-up class and has a solid grasp of the fundamental techniques of leading and following in Lindy Hop, as well as has a good dancing vocabulary. In this course, we will work on creative ideas and impulses to develop more expressive dancing inspired by the nuances in the music and in the dance partnership.
Group 4 - Collegiate Shag
for everyone who has attended at least a beginner's (or even a follow-up) class and is familiar with the fundamental techniques of leading and following in Lindy Hop, and even for those that have longer experience and want to revisit and expand their Collegiate Shag skills. In this course, we will revisit the basics and refine the technique to dance in a relaxed manner even at high tempos. The contents of this course are different every time so it is possible and recommended to attend this course multiple times.
Group 5 - Balboa 3
for everyone who has attended one or more Balboa classes, Out and Ins, Come Around and Toss Out should be solid. In this course, we will expand on the basics of Balboa so that faster music no longer feels like a challenge. The exact contents of this course are different every time so it is possible and even recommended to attend this course multiple times.
Group 6 - Solo Jazz
for everyone wants to enjoy swing music even without a partner or wants to incorporate solo jazz variations into the partnered Lindy Hop. In this course we will work on basic movements and improvisation techniques in Authentic Solo Jazz and build small sequences to develop freedom of movement and add more flow in your own movement.
Group 7 - Lindy Fit
for everyone who needs more intense body movement to stay fit on and off the dance floor. In this course, we will focus on exercises and movements to improve overall fitness so that super fast music, long parties, and delicate balancing movements all feel like breeze.
When?
Wednesdays, from 12.11.2025 to 04.02.2026
17:15 - 18:15 - Lindy Fit Clubraum 1)
18:30 - 19:30 - Vocabulary (Clubraum 1)
18:30 - 19:30 - Collegiate Shag
19:45 - 20:45 - Creativity (Clubraum 1)
19:45 - 20:45 - Balboa 3
21:00 - 22:00 - Solo Jazz (Clubraum 1)
21:00 - 22:00 - First Steps
No classes on 24.12.2025, 31.12.2025 & 07.01.2026!
First lesson in the weekly classes is free to try!
Where?
Zentralmensa, Clubraum 5 and 1
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 4
37073 Göttingen
Fee?
Class fees (Early Birds):
40 Euro (Students) for 10 Lessons
50 Euro (Employees and guests) for 10 Lessons
65 Euro (Students) for 2 Courses
70 Euro (Employees and guests) for 2 Courses
Additional fees (Late Birds):
5 Euro from 22.11.2025
10 Euro from 29.11.2025
Solidarity fund:
We are introducing a solidarity fund in order to support motivated dancers that have difficulties to afford the class fees. All participants have the option to indicate a contribution to the fund during the registration. Motivated dancers that have difficulties to afford the class fees should explain their in the comment area during the registration. We will review each case and get back to them.
With whom?
Ali dove headfirst into the swing world in 2023 and he is totally fascinated by both the dance and the community. The freedom, playfulness and unconventionality in swing is unlike anything else and he is always looking forward to sharing this great feeling with people.
Eric's specialty is Collegiate Shag, a high-energy swing dance, often associated with 1930s cartoons that allows for rhythmic oddities and stylish footwork variations. Eric brought shag to Göttingen together with Rowan, now an integral part of the Swing community.
Lena has been on the swing scene since 2023and enjoys incorporating different into her dance. What she loves most about solo jazz is the opportunity to connect with her fellow dancers in other ways and to discover as many variations as possible in one step.
Moonika has been active in the international swing dance scene for more than 20 years. Since 2007, she has been teaching regularly and with her skill and sense of humour she can get anyone to swing, regardless of whether they are 5 or 70 years old.
Viola has been dancing Lindy Hop in Göttingen since the beginning of 2017 and has been enthusiastic about this dance ever since. For her, Lindy Hop means joie de vivre, freedom and creativity! She completely immerses herself and enjoys the moment when the musicians and the dancers swing together and feed off each others' energy.
