Weekly Events

Note: Because life happens, details listed are occasionally subject to last-minute changes.


Norse Hall

111 NE 11th Ave
Portland, OR 97232

 

Tango Berretin

6305 SE Foster Rd
Portland, OR 97206

 

What does Monday Swing look like?

Monday Swing is a community hub for working on swing dance and growing relationships with other dancers.

On First Mondays, the music is provided by a jam band. We hire a house band of A-list musicians and provide fake books to give everyone material to work from. Anyone who wants to join the jam is welcome. We have seen seasoned horn players and guitarists, classical pianists, singers, and even a washboard. There is no lesson on First Mondays, just the jam and the dancing.

On all other Mondays, recorded music is curated by local DJs. There is a lesson from 7-8 intended for dancers who are ready for a new challenge. Monday lessons are organized in a 3-4 week series with the topics developed by the teachers. Past topics have included: Jamming and Musicality, Conversational Lindy Hop, The Big Apple, Switch Dancing, and Intro to Balboa.

All Monday Swing dances embrace a Practicum etiquette, meaning that you can expect people are there to work on things, or help others with their projects! This is a peer-led effort, although dancers of many levels of experience come out. It’s appropriate for all levels and any degree of “seriousness” about swing dance.

It’s a great opportunity for practice, but you can also treat it like a regular social dance. You can refer to our forthcoming Practicum Guidelines for more information.

What does Thursday Swing look like?

Thursday Swing is our weekly dance party with live music and track lessons in Lindy Hop.

Thursday Swing is your chance to let your hair down and sink yourself in the soul-stirring jazz of the swing era.

The Portland swing dance scene is incredibly lucky to have many talented swing jazz bands available who enjoy playing for dancers. We feature bands celebrating the roots of jazz in the 1910s-20s, the driving four-to-the-bar beat of the big bands, the quirky small ensembles of the 1920s and 30s, the girl trios and single powerhouse vocalists, the exquisitely cool hot jazz out of Western Europe, the high-energy 1940s transition between jazz and rock & roll, and the rollicking, overlapping lines of New Orleans jazz.

Thursday Swing also features two levels of hour-long dance lessons before the dance starts:

  • Foundations is a consistent introductory lesson for people who are brand new to swing dance. It will typically be either 6-count swing or Charleston, depending on the band playing that night.

  • Skill Builder lessons are intended to broaden swing dance skills and vocabulary to help dancers progress from absolute beginners to “intermediate” level dancers.

Grab a drink, chat with new friends, enjoy the music, dance solo or partnered, and even throw down when the spirit moves.

Meet the Bands