Review – Swing and Blues Dance Lessons for Beginners!
Season: The Swing Sesh runs dance classes all year round but tickets are reduced to $10 during Fringe
Venue: Estonian Hall, 200 Jeffcott St, North Adelaide [Note that The Swing Sesh also runs Blues dancing classes at the German Club. This review is only of the swing dancing class at the Estonian Hall.]
Price: $10 | Buy Tickets
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Disco lights flicker across the Estonian crests which adorn the walls. Instructors Sarah and Jarryd demonstrate two basic steps and we shuffle in unison along the timber floor. The class members are a mix of ages and genders and wearing everything from sports gear to party dresses. Suddenly, shit gets real: the instructors tell us to find a partner and form a circle. It’s time to swing!
First-timers, be aware: partners rotate throughout the lesson so if bodily contact with strangers grosses you out, Swing Sesh is not for you. The blessing of the system is that nobody is stuck with a dud dancer for long. Indeed, I’m sure I heard sighs of relief from behind me each time I lurched towards the next hapless lad.
Most folk were courteous and friendly, with the more experienced dancers able to share tips. (“Rest your hand on top of mine as you twirl”, advised one gentleman, polite as anything. “Don’t hold too tight, or you’ll twist my arm off – ahhggh! See, like that? Don’t do that.”) Only one mouth-breather was condescending while correcting my hand placement but I consoled myself with the knowledge that, unlike him, I had mastered the art of deodorant placement.
After rocking the aptly-named “Basic Move” I felt awesome at life. The flourishes became progressively more challenging but I appreciated the instructors’ explicit and encouraging advice. As someone for whom dancing comes as naturally as doing mental arithmetic while rubbing my tummy and patting my head, I can report that the class was truly suitable for beginners. The only downside was that it was sometimes hard to hear the instructors when they were facing a different part of the circle. A microphone would not go astray.
The hall stays open for a jam session after the formal lesson so you can practice with the partner you lost 40 minutes ago or socialise with any dapper folk you had your eye on during class. If you want to laugh, exercise and learn some moves in the regal Estonian Hall, be sure to hit the next Swing Sesh.
