"I always had two left feet, but in [swing 101] class, dancing became a very easy thing to do."

                               - Robert Craig,  February 2007

"Alex taught me not only how to dance, but especially in his 'Inner Dancer Class', helped me to dance from the inside out.  At first I found my body, and as Alex predicted, I lost track of my mind and expressed my soul."

                               -  Lisa G, January 2008

"Instead of learning a plethora of rules, I found that I was learning principles of movement and connection.  Dancing became something that made sense to me, and I found it as something that  deeply enriched me."

                               -  Brandon Schendel, March 2006

100 Level Classes 
Beginner Classes:  For Total Newbies & Novice Dancers   No experience necessary for any 100 level class!    These are for anyone who wants to dance !

Swing 101 · Beginner Swing:   Introduction to Six-Count Swing   -   Where do folks get all those cool moves?  You've found it!  Let us break it all down in simple, easy to understand language and movement that will get anyone (even you!), believe it or not,  looking like a dance regular in no time.  Whether you've been dancing for a couple months or are brand new, you'll get a vocabulary of moves to dance slow, to dance fast, kick butt, or dance all night long.     Syllabus Here.   

Lindy 111 · Beginner Swing:  Introduction to Lindy Hop  -  Begin Learning 8 Count Swing Patterns of Lindy Hop!   We'll guide you through the basics and get you participating easily in this mother of all swing dances.  Get ready to move into a new swing world.  This class will set you up to succeed in grooving 8-count swing with straightforward partnering skills and command of all the basic moves.      Syllabus Here.   

Blues 131 · Blues Dance (no experience required; student choice:  allowed to not rotate partners)  - Hot, steamy, sensuous, and intimate as hell, blues dance soaks every seductive action from its African roots. Lacking wider social approval, it has developed and thrived in smoky jook joints, house parties, and in recent years among a new generation of swing dancers.  Never having been adopted by mainstream or ballroom America, blues dance remains strongly entrenched in African principles of movement, not only in the motion of the hips, but also in the characteristic creation of dancing within a boundary. 

Dance 150 ·  No Experience Required  :  Dancing From the Inside Out   -  Dancing performances are fun, but few of us are dancing to entertain an audience (who needs that kind of pressure?).  Instead we dance to feel good.  We dance for reasons inside of us:  heart, fullness, and joy.  The promise of this class is to help remove the jitters, tired patterns, and other barriers to dancing from our authentic soul.  In short; to have the most fun!

Jazz 190 · Introduction to Vernacular Jazz  -  Everything from Shim Sham to Big Apple:   Stop on a dime for those breaks and nail every hit.  If you're looking for variation to give you a little extra zip, we'll get you there.  This class will also allow you to do some serious groovin' during Blues and Slow Lindy Time.  We'll fill you up with so much mojo, folks will wonder what's got into you!

200 Level Classes 
For Novice to Intermediate Dancers.  Dancers who have not taken the Downbeat Dance 100 level classes are expected to have at least 4 months experience dancing social lindy hop and/or swing.   In these classes, we will be:  greatly expanding your vocabulary of moves; playing with the music in more exciting ways, and otherwise integrating all types of steps (6,8 count & otherwise). 
All 200 level classes except 201 require students be comfortable with triple steps
101 pre-requirements listed:  students should be comfortable with basic 6 count swing
111 listed:  students should be comfortable with basic 8 count swing (lindy circle, swingouts, etc.)
201, 221, & 222 should be familiar with basic Charleston

If you have forgotten moves, check online videos to review. 

Swing 203 · Downbeat Groovin'  (101)  -  Get your Groove On.  Beginner Swing helped you fool your friends and family into thinking you're a pro.  After this class they'll see you as a dance god[dess]!  We add patterns with our gritty downbeat feel that will help you style your swing like it aint' no thing.  We will show you how to go beyond just moving - and get into the groove.

Lindy 221 · Great Dancing Essentials  (101 & 111)  - Get the essentials for dance greatness.  We continue to flush out your Lindy Hop experience giving you technique and variation for the social floor.  Heavy attention will be paid to the 8-count basics and partner connection.   We'll give you enough technique to know what you're doing and enough flash to make it look hot! 

Lindy 222 · Lindy Off the Slot  (101 & 111)  -  Get off the hook!  You don't have to base your dancing on the same "old" standard moves.  Get ready to roam free!  (It works if you know what you're doing)  We'll give you a little extra zip and show you where to use it.  Through our love of this improvisational dance form, we will give you insight into its old school coupling with harmonious feel and movement.  

Blues 231 · Blues Hot & Heavy  (131 & a swing or jazz class)  -   Blues dance may have become more addicting than you thought, or maybe there seems to be more to it than you thought.  Whether you're looking for more to do or just want to make your blues better, in the raw we provide more ideas, style, and POP.

Dance 250 · Dance to the Bone  (150)  -   We keep dancing.  We keep dancing.  We keep dancing.  Eventually you find a moment of flow where you are at home, life clicks and everything falls right in synch.  This class is about extending that moment:  first to a second, then a minute, a night, and maybe even into a trait that permeates that good feeling right into your bones.

Jazz  290 · Jazz Routine  (5+ hours of Jazz Dance)  -  Now that you've got some jazz basics, we put them together into new, fun, and stylin' ways.  Learning jazz steps and routines can be extremely helpful and eye-opening for musical movements when dancing with a partner.  As is every class ending in zero, this class will be unique each time it is taught.  

300 Level Classes 
For Intermediate to Advanced Dancers.  Dancers who have not taken the Downbeat Dance 200 level classes should be capable of demonstrating weight shift, frame, & lead-follow skills with their dancing.  Dancers entering this level should also be comfortable dancing with style & musicality beyond "counting the move."  

Leads should have a vocabulary of plenty (over 30 moves apx.) and be looking to build the connection skills which underlie the moves;  Follows should be able to easily follow most well-led moves and now be looking for ways to put more personal style & musical communiqué into the space in which they dance. 

Use the pre-requisites as a strong guide.  Please respect your classmates by being able to meet either the criteria listed or equivalent.  Trust your own judgment when signing up or ask us directly.  Our goal is for everyone to be in a position where they can become the best dancer they can be.

Lindy 301 · Momentum & Movement  (five 200's or equivalent experience)  -  We widen the lindy hop dance experience by adding core patterns and basic technique.  Students will begin to understand how to use movement rather than "moves" to keep their dancing fresh and inspired time and time again.  Rhythm, momentum, and musicality will combine to form swing that is cohesive, yet continuous and fluid.  

Lindy 302 · Social Lindy Hop  (two 200's  plus a little jazz or blues experience or five 200's or equivalent experience)  - Keep the steps simple and dress them to the nine.  Simplicity feeds the partnership that is the lifeblood of this improvisational dance.  While Lindy Hop rewards individual expression, it demands selfless collaboration.  Our map shows you how to do whatever it takes to work successfully with your partner to create dancing that is imaginative, elegant, inspired, and joyous.

Lindy 303 · Partnered Dynamics  (five 200's or equivalent experience)  - Move around the floor with a little more hughhmmphh!  By deepening your understanding of the propulsive nature of Lindy Hop, we hope to add power, energy, and vibrancy to your swinging experience.  Expanding on the fundamentals, we begin working on musicality, syncopation, and improvised variation to really make your dancing "pop." 

Lindy 304 · Mind Set of the Musical Character  (four 200's or equivalent experience)  -  You get download some dance mojo right from the teacher's heart & soul!  Crafting a great dance takes more than just physical prowess.  Ever notice how some dancers just look like they're "living the song"?  We get into the "inner game" of lindy hop so that every dance explodes, yet glows to the tune of music & partnership.  

Lindy 305 · Charleston for Lindy Hoppers (four 200's - including 201 or equivalent experience) - Didn't get enough Charleston in the earlier classes? Now we will add even more variations, cover the basic elements high-connection charleston, and give you ideas on how to alter and invent your own charleston steps to suit the music.   Charleston coverage for the old school lindy hopper!