Swing Toronto presents Swing Dance courses, lessons, workshops and dances!
Plus Waltz and 1920s dancing!
Solo Charleston and Vintage Jazz Workshop, Friday October 22, 2021! SOLD OUT
- 7pm to 10pm. No prior experience needed. Absolute beginners welcome. Full details below.
- Trinity St-Paul’s Center, main dance hall, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto (just west of Spadina). No partner needed. Live and in person! THIS WORKSHOP HAS SOLD OUT.
- Click for details
Viennese Waltz beginner workshop, Friday October 29, 2021!
- 7pm to 9:50pm, Trinity-St Paul’s. main dance hall, 427 Bloor Street West! Learn traditional Viennese Waltz, one of the best and most fun partner dances, popular since the early 19th century. Details below! Live and in person!
New Lindy Hop Courses start Tuesday November 2 and Wednesday November 3, 2021!
- Evenings between 7pm and 10pm. Five week courses, including for absolute beginners. Details below!
- Trinity St-Paul’s Center, main dance hall, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto (just west of Spadina). Live and in person!
We are friendly producers of terrifically fun dance events in Toronto.
- We are updating this website. The home page (this page) is up to date. The other pages still need updating.
See our facebook pages for online Lindy Hop events and for outdoor places to dance in Toronto!
We take pride in offering a welcoming atmosphere to everyone, from the absolute beginner, to long time social dance enthusiasts, to those just looking for a good night out.
We take pride in offering a welcoming atmosphere to everyone, from the absolute beginner, to long time social dance enthusiasts, to those just looking for a good night out.
SOLO CHARLESTON & VINTAGE JAZZ WORKSHOP, Friday October 22, 2021!
- SOLD OUT.
- A 2.5 hour workshop to introduce classic Vintage Jazz moves and Solo Charleston! The workshop will culminate with a short choreography to bring everything learned together!
- No prior experience needed. Absolute beginners are welcome!
- There is no need for a partner in this workshop.
- Schedule:
- 7pm to 8pm, Vintage Jazz
- 8:10pm to 9:10pm, Solo Charleston, 1920s and Swing Era style
- 9:20pm to 9:50pm, Short Choreography to bring it all together.
- 9:50pm, Short video for student’s personal use only.
- Teacher: Rizwan Dar (Riz) has been swing dancing for over 12 years and has traveled far and wide just for the joy of dancing and to get the guidance from the best instructors. He has been teaching swing dance and spreading the joy of social dancing over the years in Toronto.
- Location: Trinity St-Paul’s Center, main dance hall, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto (just west of Spadina). Live and in person!
- Facebook event
- The workshop may sell out.
- Registration has closed. THIS WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT.
- Fees: $35, $30 for full-time students with ID.
- Click for more details
New Lindy Hop courses start Tuesday November 2 and Wednesday November 3, 2021!
- Lindy Hop Beginner Level Course each evening! 7pm to 8pm. Designed both for absolute beginners, and for those in our current/October beginner courses. There are two main rhythm patterns in Lindy Hop, both integral parts of the dance, 6-count and 8-count. This course focuses on 6-count. The current/October course on 8-count.
- No prior experience is needed, absolute beginners are welcome!
- Also perfect for those in our current/October beginner courses, because it is about 6-count Lindy Hop, the other main rhythm patter of Lindy Hop!
- Lindy Hop Intermediate Level Course each evening! 8:30pm to 9:30pm! Prerequirement: You have been doing Lindy Hop for a while now, are comfortable doing Swing Outs, and do both 8-count and 6-count patterns.
- Courses are 5 weeks long with a one hour class each week for each course. Tuesdays November 2 to 30, and Wednesdays November 3 to December 1.
- Tuesday Teachers: Catherine Carriere & Mark Winward.
- Wednesday Teachers: Aleksandr Valuiskikh & Dina Waluyo.
- Trinity-St Paul’s Center, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, just west of Spadina. In the large dance hall (aka “the gym”). Big and excellent sprung wood dance floor, high ceiling, main floor. By subway is it just across Bloor Street from the west exit of the Spadina subway stop on the two main subway lines.
- Lindy Hop is the classic joyful dance of the Swing Era, and the most popular swing dance in Toronto and around the world today!
- Covid rules in effect. Must be double vaccinated by two weeks before start of course, and provide proof of vaccination. No partner rotation so you need to team up with someone for the course. You must wear a mask at all times except when on your spot on the dance floor. Class size is limited to 11 couples/pairs/teams-of-two. Covid rules subject to public health updates.
- As there is no partner rotation you need to team up with a partner for a course. Feel free to ask us to help you find a partner, and if you are on facebook do post at the facebook event invite that you seek a partner for a course (specify the course, the night and whether you wish to follow or lead).
- Please arrive at least 10 or 15 minutes early for the first class so we can get all the Covid requirements done, and start on time at 7pm.
- Registration is open! To register, send the tuition fee by etransfer to: courses at swingtoronto dot com. In a separate email specify the course you are taking, and the password for the etransfer.
- You need to register online and in advance. No money will be taken at the door. Courses may sell out (three of the four October courses sold out.)
- $65 per course (5 classes). $55 for full-time students with ID.
Lindy Hop courses started Tuesday September 28 and Wednesday September 29, 2021!
- Our first session of Lindy Hop courses started September 28 and September 29. These are Toronto’s first Lindy Hop courses since before the pandemic.
- Tuesday beginner course 7pm to 8pm, and intermediate course 8:30pm to 9:30pm, September 28 to end of October. Teachers: Catherine Carriere & Mark Winward.
- Wednesday beginner course 7pm to 8pm, and intermediate 8:15pm to 9:15pm, September 29 to end of October. Teachers: Rizwan Darr & Gabrielle.
- Trinity-St Paul’s Center, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto.
- Covid rules in effect. Must be double vaccinated by two weeks before start of course, and provide proof of vaccination. No partner rotation so you need to team up with someone for the course. You must wear a mask at all times except when on your spot on the dance floor. Class size is limited to 11 couples/pairs/teams-of-two. Covid rules subject to public health updates.
- $65 per course (5 classes). $55 for full-time students with ID.
Lindy Hop!
- Lindy Hop is the classic, joyful, fun Swing Dance of the Swing Era! And the most popular Swing Dance in Toronto and around the world today!
Swing dance parties!
- Stay tuned for swing dance parties indoors, and with beginner classes before the party. For now we are social dancing outdoors where swing bands play. Saturday Night Swing had to be cancelled at the start of the pandemic, we are not sure when and where the new version(s) of Saturday Night Swing will resume. See our facebook pages for outdoor places to dance in Toronto!
Viennese Waltz beginner workshop Friday October 29, 2021!
- 7pm to 9:50pm, with two 10 minute breaks
- Learn traditional Viennese Waltz, one of the best and most fun partner dances, and perhaps the most romantic partner dance of all! Popular from the early 19th century til today! This workshop focuses on Right Turning Viennese Waltz – rotating to your right as you travel with a partner. Come to our first Waltz workshop since before the pandemic!
- Covid rules in effect.
- Must show proof of being double vaxxed, with second shot at least two weeks prior to date of workshop.
- Masks must be worn at all times inside the Center.
- Must not have Covid symptoms when you attend.
- Please keep a distance of at least two meters (6 feet) from others at all times.
- Attendance is limited.
- Covid rules subject to change based on public health rules and guidelines, and Trinity-St Paul’s policy.
- As there is no partner rotation you need to team up with a partner for the workshop. Feel free to ask us to help you find a partner, and if you are on facebook do post at the facebook event invite that you seek a partner for the workshop (specify whether you wish to follow or lead).
- Location: Trinity St-Paul’s Center, main dance hall, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto (just west of Spadina). Live and in person!
- Registration is open. To register, send the tuition fee by etransfer to: pay at swingtoronto dot com. Specify the workshop you are registering for, and in a separate email provide the password for your etransfer.
- Fees: $35, $30 for full-time students with ID.
Waltz Events!
- Waltz events are starting to return!
- Cross-step Waltz across Russia, October, 2020, to “The Leaves of October.”
- Facebook. Webpage.
Richard Powers, the wonderful historian and teacher of social dance gives online classes and illustrated talks, Saturday October 16!
Roaring 20s Jazz Age Dance Party postponed to a future date after the Pandemic!
- The Roaring 20s New Years Eve Ball was wonderful and a total blast! We plan to hold a Roaring 20s (Jazz Age) Party post-pandemic! Date and place tba.
- It’ll be the cat’s pajamas!
- Features beginner classes in easy-to-learn Roaring 20s dance crazes followed by a Jazz Age Dance Party with a live band!
- Full details.
- Facebook.
Gif (click on picture):
Air Steps, Lifts, Dips, Tricks and Drops Workshops – stay tuned for the next one!
- Webpage with student comments and other details.
Performances, workshops, courses and lessons for special events!
- After the pandemic we will be happy to provide performances, workshops, courses and lessons for special events and for schools. We do Swing Era, Jazz Age (Great Gatsby, 1920s), Waltz, Ragtime Era, and Victorian Era social dance, and we do air steps, lifts and tricks for swing and other dancing. See our performances and classes page.
Some great Pandemic videos (although the pandemic continues these videos perhaps already seem from another age):
Lizzy & The Triggermen Dance Song for the end of the world
Naughty Swing dancing to Busy Line
Black Lives Matter! Move Together panel discussion – Black Lives Matter in Lindyland – Video on Facebook (panel discussion starts at 8 minutes in)