Class Descriptions
7pm - 8pm
Introduction to Waltz
with Richard and Rocky
Enjoy an easygoing introduction to three kinds of waltz: Cross-Step, Rotary, and Viennese Waltz. Richard will teach 4 classes; Rocky will teach 2.
In past years, this series covered both waltz and swing in six or seven classes, which always felt rushed. Now we have time to do it right - six classes in waltz at 7pm, followed by six classes in swing dancing at 8pm. This pair will provide a solid introduction to social dancing.
Waltz is enjoying a resurgence in the Bay Area and around the country, thanks to great new waltz music and the timeless magic of traveling with a partner in your arms. Richard is the world expert who coined the term "Cross-Step Waltz" - learn it here from the primary source.
Most of the students in next quarter's Tuesday Night Class on "Viennese Ball Dances" will have already learned the basic waltz. Here is your opportunity to come up to speed on waltzing before taking those next steps. Start ramping up for the Stanford Viennese Ball now.
This class is and easy and welcoming place to start partner dancing, with an emphasis on comfort and enjoyment. Richard teachers accessible styles of noncompetitive waltz with a focus on partnering and flexibility, to enable students to dance comfortably with partners whose experience comes from any dance tradition.
No dance experience is required, just enthusiasm and an appetite for fun.
If you already dance, bring a friend who doesn't. This is a great way to introduce a friend to waltz.
8pm - 9pm
Introduction to Swing
with Richard and Rocky
An introduction to single, double, and triple swing, also known as East Coast Swing and Jitterbug. Richard will teach 4 classes; Rocky will teach 2.
In past years, this series covered both waltz and swing in six or seven classes, which always felt rushed. Now we have time to do it right - six classes in waltz at 7pm, followed by six classes in swing dancing at 8pm. This pair will provide a solid introduction to social dancing.
Swing is fun and playful. It's also foundational: elements of swing will help you tackle new dances well beyond these classes. Not only that, but these three styles will give you a range that covers a wide range of songs you'll hear everywhere: from Big Band to Rock and Roll to Disco.
4-count swing will become your go-to at parties and weddings: get ready to take the floor! 6-count and East Coast Swing are playful styles of swing for the most infectiously fun, fast, high energy music like Big Band and fifties Rock and Roll. From these genres, you can build to Lindy Hop, one of the most popular social dances today. Rocky is an expert in the swing families with a decade of experience and roots in Philadelphia Lindy Hop.
These informal styles allow personal expression without requiring rigid technique. That flexibility will give you the confidence to lead and follow anybody, to either fit in or stand out as you wish.
This class is an easy and welcoming place to start partner dancing, with an emphasis on comfort and fun! Rocky teaches accessible styles of noncompetitive swing with a focus on partnering and flexibility, to enable students to dance comfortably with partners whose experience comes from any dance tradition.
No dance experience is required, just enthusiasm and an appetite for fun.
If you already dance, bring a friend who doesn't. This is a great way to introduce a friend to social dancing.
9pm - 10pm
Foundations of West Coast Swing
with Rocky and Annika
A foundational introduction to West Coast Swing, one of the youngest and most popular social dances today.
If you're new to the dance: You'll soon learn why this style is so wildly popular! It's a hit at weddings and parties, but that's just where it starts. West Coast Swing has a dynamic range from smooth and cool to fast and flashy, and it's danced to the kind of music you hear on the radio. The Bay Area is the home and heart of west coast swing. You'll find communities of dancers who are brand new like you and dancers who have kept coming back for years. The one thing that is hard to find is a solid introduction for beginners - and you've found one!
If you're familiar with the dance, but returning to foundations: This class is for you! Maybe you're like me (Rocky). When I started dancing West Coast Swing, I already knew another form of dance. I learned quickly, but hastily: I never really mastered the basics. This class is based on the six week foundations series I took that helped me really own this dance. To be an expert, you need strong foundations. This is where to start.
Improve in all your dancing: West coast swing is one of those dances people sometimes learn just to hone their technique across dances: collaborative partnering, quality of motion, connection, and musicality. The depth to this dance. that will take your dancing to the next level across genres.
What I (Rocky) think makes this dance special: West Coast Swing has some of the most dynamic partnering of any dance. Follows are uniquely empowered with space and flexibility to bring their voice to the floor; Leads get to practice a skillset of collaborative improvisation for a whole new level of fun and musicality.
No dance experience is required. West Coast Swing is a tricky one for newcomers and seasoned dancers alike. But it has technical depth that keeps people coming back for years. This class will focus on foundations to prepare you for success in the long run.