An Intro to Online Practice Resources for Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz, and more
POV: You go to Jazz Attack a few times and take their Lindy 101 intro Lindy Hop & jazz dance class, possibly find your way into their monthly series classes, maybe you even own five cats and live in West Philly. You hear a lot about this thing called practice, and it seems like it will help you take your dancing to the next level. You decide to give it a try. You visit your living room (lol “visit”) or gym studio, cue up some swing music, and … freeze.
And not in the fun, shim-sham kind of way.
And, while completely frozen, you ask yourself,
“Gavin, how do I practice lindy hop?”
And I respond,
“Why are you calling yourself Gavin?”
Regardless, I’m glad you asked!
Deliberate practice is a skill set in itself and deserves careful attention. I intend to address the topic in several ways over the course of the next millennium. For now, here are some amazing and free online resources to help elevate your own dance practice:
This is a TREASURE TROVE of all things Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz. Explore on your own or start with these playlists: “Inspiration” and “For Beginners”. Note I learn and spend most of my time in the For Beginners section. There’s a ton there.
The Lindy Hopcats are a practice group based in Boston. They’ve put together an amazing resource cataloguing moves, fun practice prompts, music, and more. Explore on your own or feel try a couple practice prompts out with friends. Visit their weekly practice prompts, or select something from their Jar o' Moves
If you know what you want to practice, but don’t know which songs to play. This playlist starts with slow songs and ends with fast ones (a term often used by dj’s is “bpm” or “beats per minute”. Lower numbers are for slower songs and higher numbers are for faster songs).
If you've been practicing for a minute and are looking to expand your music library, check out Lindy Hopcats' themed playlists
In conclusion: Practice!
The journey of a thousand swing-outs begins with one rock step. If you want to improve, do what you need to make time and space for practice. And take advantage of Philly’s in-person group practice sessions, including:
Thursdays at 7:30pm before Jazz Attack (for series and extended topics students)
Sundays around 5:00pm after Ragtag classes (more on Ragtag here)
Other occasional times as announced in the Jazz Attack mailing list - sign up!
Finally, know that a handful of vetted community members offer private lessons. This is the fastest, most personalized track to growth in your dance journey. Keep an eye out for the private teacher binder at Jazz Attack, or access it digitally here.
And of course, you can find lots of material to practice in Jazz Attack's Lindy Hop & Swing dance classes right here in Philadelphia.
Photo by Contigo Photos at the Jazz Attack Annual Formal
Hey Philly! Looking for great live jazz music or just a fun Thursday night out? You're in the right place! We offer multiple levels of Lindy Hop & Swing Dance lessons -- no partner or experience required -- followed by a social dance party to the city's best swing DJs, plus a live band on September 18th! If you aren't sure which class to sign up for, visit our classes page.
All Thursday night swing dance classes & social dance events are held at our new venue --1336 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123. All Tuesday night classes are held at the Philadelphia Ethical Society at 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19143.
6:45-8pm: Tuesday Monthly Series: The Big Apple Routine with Steven Fox | Sign up Here!
Join us for a 5-week series on the legendary classic solo jazz routine: The Big Apple!
Originally a social dance, but choreographed for the film Keep Punchin' by Frankie Manning, this timeless routine will expand your solo repertoire, unleash your creative variation, and deepen your connection to the history & culture of Lindy & Jazz. Plus it's a whole lot of fun and is still danced at local and regional events alike -- now you too can be in the know! Classes come with complimentary access to Thursday social dances, detailed video recaps, consistent instructors & classmates for rapid progress, access to our 7:30pm practice space, support in the #practice Discord channel, & a discount on the next monthly series. $75 General / $49 Students. Students also taking the connection series get a 30% discount. Students may join up to week 2
Thursdays in August at 1336 Spring Garden
September 4th:
8-9pm:
Lindy 101 Lesson: Intro to Lindy Hop & Jazz with Ericka Skirpan & Steven Fox
Drop in any week & learn the basics of Lindy Hop and a few solo jazz moves in this beginner-oriented class. This class will have some overlapping and some new elements every week, and we recommend taking it multiple times before advancing to the topics class.
Call & Response Monthly Series Week 1 with Lauren Fosnight & Mike McDermott
Join us for a 4 week series on call and response! Lindy Hop is a conversation between the music and your partner. This series will explore this conversation through partner dynamics, trading rhythms, and intentional musicality. Come ready to explore, experiment, and bring your own voice to the floor! This series is appropriate for dancers who have taken any monthly series, or feel very comfortable with Lindy 101 material. Classes come with detailed video recaps, consistent instructors & classmates for rapid progress, access to our 7:30pm practice space, support in the #practice Discord channel, and a discount on the next monthly series. $75 General / $49 Students. Limit 30 Students
9-11pm: Social dance party withDJ Lauren Fosnight
Pricing: $10 / $7 for students (Lindy101 included)
September 11th:
8-9pm:
Lindy 101 Lesson: Intro to Lindy Hop & Jazz with Gracie Zhang & Hank Goldenberg
Drop in any week & learn the basics of Lindy Hop and a few solo jazz moves in this beginner-oriented class. This class will have some overlapping and some new elements every week, and we recommend taking it multiple times before advancing to the topics class.
Call & Response Monthly Series Week 2 with Lauren Fosnight & Mike McDermott
See description under week 1. Students may join week 2 but are expected to familiarize themselves with the content from week 1 ahead of time.
Band Night Bal Lesson (all levels welcome!): Balboa with Two Awesome Instructors
Balboa, one of Lindy's sister styles, is great for cozy dancing, crowded floors, and low-impact movement, plus it's just fun! Com learn some fun bal variations!
9-11pm: Social dance party with DJ Tommy Darlington
Pricing: $15 / $10 for students (Lindy101 included) | +$5 / +$3 students for Bal Class | Monthly series: $75 general / $49 students
September 18th: LIVE BAND -- The Jack Saint Clair Orchestra's Jazz Attack Debut!
8-9pm:
Lindy 101 Lesson: Intro to Lindy Hop & Jazz with Rachael Keneipp & Nick Cruickshank
Drop in any week & learn the basics of Lindy Hop and a few solo jazz moves in this beginner-oriented class. This class will have some overlapping and some new elements every week, and we recommend taking it multiple times before advancing to the topics class.
Call & Response Monthly Series Week 3 with Lauren Fosnight & Matt Rapp
Series are not drop in friendly, but stay tuned for next month's!
Band Night Balboa Lesson: The Art of Repetition -- Ad Libs & Lolly Variations with Sarah Sasso & Connor Cole
Balboa, one of Lindy's sister styles, is great for conserving energy on faster tunes and in tight spaces, and it's just plain fun! This drop-in class is open to all that are comfortable with the Lindy 101 content
9-11pm: Social dance party with LIVE BAND: The Jack Saint Clair Orchestra
Pricing: $10 / $7 for students (Lindy101 included)
September 25th: Back To School Night -- Students Dance for $1!
8-9pm:
Lindy 101 Lesson: Intro to Lindy Hop & Jazz with Kate Holden & Mike McDermott
Drop in any week & learn the basics of Lindy Hop and a few solo jazz moves in this beginner-oriented class. This class will have some overlapping and some new elements every week, and we recommend taking it multiple times before advancing to the topics class.
Call & Response Monthly Series Week 4 with Lauren Fosnight & Matt Rapp
Series are not drop in friendly, but stay tuned for next month's!
9-11pm: Social dance party withDJ Hannah Degenford
Pricing: $10 / $7 for students (Lindy101 included)
Special Event October 4-5: It's Always Lindy in Philadelphia Workshop Weekend
The gang hosts a workshop weekend! Get ready for an amazing two-track workshop weekend featuring seven renowned and up-and-coming artists, awesome social dancing with bangin' djs, and a whole bunch of Philly-themed surprises.
Artists: AJ Howard, Hanna Yanello & Nii Attoh Okine, Molly Meng, Samantha Pincus & Aaron Jones, Hannah Lane
Weekend passes include: Five workshops (6.5h), Three social dances (7h), and endless good vibes
Tickets are LIVE and selling out fast! Get tickets, details, schedule, FAQ, and more on the It's Always Lindy page of our site
Dancing is a great way to meet new people, strengthen your brain, get some exercise, and just let out any of the week's stressors. Don't forget to invite a friend, or come ready to make some new ones. Get Jazz Attack tickets by clicking the button below:
Get ready to tuck turn and swing out on some of the finest dance floors in Philadelphia.
Lindy Hop and jazz have a have a culturally rich history dating back over 100 years. Born of the artistry and innovation of Black dancers and musicians, and passed down orally and physically through generations, we take great care in sharing this art form in a way that is true to these sounds, styles, and values while encouraging the innovation that is hallmark of all Black social dances. To learn more, visit our history and culture page.
Here at Jazz Attack, we've put together an artist lineup that we couldn't be more excited about. They're incredible dancers, DJs, and archivists, not to mention incredible people. Get excited -- it's going to be a great weekend. To learn more, visit the It's Always Lindy page.
PC:
AJ Howard
AJ Howard is a NYC based Lindy Hop instructor and performer with nearly a decade of experience. His upbeat and energetic teaching style creates a fun and supportive environment for students to learn and grow. In addition to teaching and social dancing, AJ loves to compete and has placed at local and international competitions. As a proud member of the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame, he is committed to sharing his joy of the dance with all, and helping dancers of all levels develop their skills on their own individual dance journeys.
PC: Jerry Almonte
Hannah Lane
Hannah Lane is a dancer, researcher, and historian from Baltimore, Maryland. Alongside her appreciation for jazz music, and dances like Lindy Hop, snake hips, and Charleston, Hannah is passionate about her research, which centers jazz and nightlife histories of African American communities in her home state, of Maryland, and throughout the U.S. She is also passionate about uplifting the stories of Shake Dancers through her project, Queens of the Nightclub.
Currently Hannah serves on the board of Collective Voices for Change and is a participant in the Al Minns Next Generation Project. You can learn more about her work via instagram at @hannahpilarrr and @Queensofthenightclub. Stay tuned for her upcoming Queens of the Nightclub Substack!
PC: Jerry Almonte
Hanna Yanello
Hanna has been teaching, performing, and competing in Lindy Hop for about 8 years and fosters a profound love and respect for the dance. With deep roots in her local community, she is enthusiastic about cherishing the integrity of the foundation of lindy hop and honoring the roots of the dance. In her classes, she is passionate about encouraging dancers at all levels of experience to become acquainted with their own creative expression through movement. As a teacher, Hana loves generating thoughtful engagement, and connects with her class attendees not ONLY as teacher but also as an active learner within jazz dance. Positive reinforcement in both the classroom and social dance floor setting is incredibly important to her. Both in teaching and in her personal training, she leans hard into excellence in movement choices and in cultivating personal creativity and connection.
PC: Jerry Almonte
Nii Attoh Okine
Joining us from Baltimore, we’re excited to welcome Nii Attoh Okine. At the suggestion of a friend, Nii discovered Lindy Hop at the University of Delaware in 2016. Known for always having his headphones on, he quickly fell in love with the sounds of big band swing. Now based in Baltimore, he DJs locally at Mobtown Ballroom and has also staff DJed at events both nationally and internationally. As a DJ, Nii’s goal is to create a night filled with a variety of moods and themes that dancers will regret stepping away from. While his favorite bandleader is currently Duke Ellington, he has recently been exploring the works of Earl Hines, Francis Panama, and Charlie Shavers.
PC:
Molly Meng
Molly Meng is a vernacular jazz dancer. Inspired by the empowerment and freedom found in jazz, she brings a unique blend of rhythm, groove, and flow to every dance.
Her early years of dancing took her across cities around the world, shaping both her movement style and her multi-faceted perspective on the dance. Now based in NYC, she performs with local artists and has had the privilege of training and performing at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.
Molly’s classes focus on texture, groove, body awareness, and finding creativity in movement. She believes that as artists, we train for the craft—and let the soul find its outlet. Whether you’re just stepping onto the floor or looking to deepen your groove, Molly is all about helping you discover the inner dialects that let your groove speak.
She holds multiple titles from prestigious events including Camp Jitterbug, Lindy Fest, Lindy Bout, the International Lindy Hop Championships, and Snowball.
When she’s not dancing or teaching, Molly can often be found researching groove in urban space. As an urban designer, she sees cities as living organisms of improvisation—just like jazz. If you ever catch her not dancing, ask her about it!
PC: Samantha Kunz
Aaron Jones
Aaron Jones began dancing Lindy Hop at his college’s swing dance club in 2009. Shortly thereafter, he began teaching, competing, and performing in local events around central Pennsylvania. In 2016, he became involved in the Lehigh Valley’s swing dance organization, currently known as Lehigh Valley Lindy. Today, Aaron continues to teach in the area, as well as learning and competing in national events. He loves encouraging his students to listen to the music, their partner, and their own bodies to make every dance special.
PC:
Samantha Pincus
I was introduced to Lindy Hop in 2015 taking classes at TCNJ, Princeton University and Jazz Attack in Philadelphia. I've placed in competitions around the mid-Atlantic and teach in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. I am a part of the performance groups: The Harvest Moon Hoppers, Groundwerk and The Hodge Podge. Lindy hop changed my life, and I do my best to bring forward the values dancing and jazz has taught me: community, respect, education, presence, improvisation and creative freedom. Working as a high school art teacher in real life, I love teaching and growing with all those around me.
Event Info
It's Always Lindy in Philadelphia is put together by Jazz Attack. The 2025 edition will take place from October 4-5 primarily at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. To learn more, visit the It's Always Lindy page.
