North East Digital Village

Dance Steps

Dance! Dance! Dance! From ballet to jazz, from ballroom waltzing to swing - nothing envigorates like dance for young and old alike! With the new popularity of structured partner dancing, more opportunities exist for finding a spot or class or group that dances your kind of dancing. We've put together a list of website that will help you find your favorite - or entice you to experiment.

Connecticut Swing Dance & Music Search

General (Local & Otherwise)

New London County Chapter-USABDA
United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (USABDA)
Dancespace

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Connecticut

Contra

Contra is a traditional form of New England social dance, with roots dating back 200+ years. It's a cousin of English country dance and American square dance, with a caller and figures like "do-si-do" and "swing your partner." from Hartford Country Dancing's, "What's Contra Dancing?

Hartford Community Dance
Sponsors contra, Cajun/zydeco, swing, and waltz dances in the Hartford, CT area. HCD dances are smoke and alcohol free. Beginners are welcome. No partner is needed.

Round Hill Country Dances
Contra dances on the 2nd Saturday of every month at the Round Hill Community House, 397 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, Connecticut.

The ContraSene/SE Connecticut
Contra dancing in Mystic, Stonington, Chaplin, Norwich.

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Salsa

Salsa Fundamentals, Pacheco Studio, 12 Jefferson Aveneue, Elmwood, CT 06110
(On the HARTFORD/West Hartford Line. Off New Park Avenue, near Home Depot & BJ's)
Specializing in conceptual learning techniques. Next Session Begins in March 2003. Currently, Friday night Session from 6-8 PM and a Monday night session from 6-8 PM are running . For more info, please call 860-231-8481 or Email info@salsafundamentals.com, or visit their web site at salsafundamentals.com

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Swinging in Connecticut!

Connecticut Swing Dance Society
Meet people with similar dance interests and learn to dance in a relaxed and casual environment! All events are open to the general public and partners are never required.

Dance Pros
15 Williams Road, Willington, CT 06279. Site feautres dance classes and events in CT and Massachusetts. Contact Bill Cameron at billcameron@dancepros.net

Hartford Country Dance/Swing
First Friday and Fourth Saturday Swing dancing

Hartford Swing Dance/Jam
Hartford Swing Dance hosts swing bands at the West Hartford Town Hall on the 1st Fridays of every month. Hartford Swing Jam offers a DJ dance at the Wethersfield American Legion Hall in Wethersfield on the last Saturday of the month.

Jitterbug Jane, aka Jane Dumont, promotes dance classes and workshops by various local and national instructors throughout the year in the Hartford, Connecticut area. Dances include East Coast Swing, Lindy, Charleston, Hustle, West Coast Swing, Salsa, Night Club Two Step, and Waltz. Jane is also a dance instructor, a licensed ASCAP/BMI swing DJ, and is available to host the music and/or lessons at your local dance, club and other swing functions.

Jane sends out a weekly email newsletter with information on upcoming dances and workshops. Email her at jane@swingdanceworks.com to get added to her list.

Lindy Hop DJ Rob Szarka
What do you get when you combine a love of music and dance with an eclectic background that includes a decade of college radio and a shady garage band past? Check out Rob's site and find out for yourself!

Shoreline Swing Dance Society
Shoreline Swing Dance Society is an all-volunteer not-for-profit group of dancers dedicated to the promotion of swing dancing. They hold workshops and dances in the Mystic, East Lyme, and other areas.

Swingmonkey: We are proud to sponsor Connecticut's swing dance discussion board, with a calendar, announcements, photos, and lots of ways to waste time chatting with your fellow dancers.

Swing On: Jim Zaccaria's web site for information about Jitterbug Swing, Lindy Hop, Retro Swing, West Coast Swing & Hustle dancing.

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Massachusetts

The Dance Complex
A center for the general dance community with 6 studios, located in the Historic Odd Fellows Hall at 536 Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA.

Contra

Country Life, Dance & Music Society (CLDMS)
Here on the edge of New England, we dance mostly contradances which are longwise sets as well as some squares and couple dances. All dances are taught, with easy dances early in the evening and progressing to harder ones later.

The ContraSene/SE Massachusetts
Contra dancing in Rehoboth, Medway, the Cape, and Martha's Vineyard.

Thursday Contras at the VFW
All dances at the VFW hall, 688 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, Mass. 8:00pm-11:00pm.

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Swing

Hooked on Swing Society of Western Massachusetts
HOSS at P.O. Box 72, Northampton, MA 01061-0072. Site feautresthe HOSS dance schedule and other dance links. Contact HOSS at hoss@HookedOnSwing.orgt

Hop to the Beat
Based in the Boston, Massachusetts area and specializing in Lindy Hop. Lindy Hop is the original form of swing/jitterbug partner dancing. It is danced to all tempos of swing music, from the 1920s hot jazz and smokin' blues, through '50s Rock 'n' Roll, to today's popular explosion of neo-swing.

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New Jersey

Central Jersey Dance Society: Dances includes a lesson followed by open dancing to live or recorded music. Dance lessons and special events.

Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Swing Dance Society: Offering dances, lessons and email newsletter. For More Information: (9am to 9pm) call: 215-849-5384, (215) 629-2344 or (610) 676-0123.

Best Bets for Swing Dancing in Philly Area

Philly Dance: Seven Day Guide to Folk, Social and Traditional Dancing in and around Philadelphia

West Philly Swingers: Performance Arts, University of Pennsylvania. Major performances take place every semester with dancers exploring many different types of swing dancing.

UPtown Swing: Non-profit student group based at the University of Pennsylvania. UPtown Swing was established to promote and preserve Swing Dancing in and around the mid-Atlantic region. Welcomes beginners as well as experienced dancers, and offers a free beginner swing lesson before each dance. No partners or experience required! Many kinds of swing dancing at events, including Lindy Hop, Balboa, East Coast, Shag, and Blues.

Tokio Swing: Paul Salter and Jen Scricco teach lessons and organize the dances. Classes in six weeks series include: LA Style Lindy Hop, Flying Lindy, First Generation Lindy Hop, Savoy Style Lindy Hop, Balboa & Collegiate Shag.

Pottstown Swing: Swing Kat Entertainment. Dance lessons and special events.

York Swing Dance Club: York's Home For Swing & Lindy Hop. Contact: 717-332-8334, P.O. Box 933 York, PA 17405

Central Pennsylvania Swing Dance Club: Principle focus is vintage dancing which includes East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Balboa. Hosts dances, offers beginner dance instruction and advanced dance workshops. Swing email newsletter & discussion board.

PA DanceSport Ballroom & Dance Center: Central Pennsylvania. Ballroom & Latin Dancing.

Coal Country Traditions: Organizes dance classes in Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, Balboa, Salsa, Appalachian Clogging, and Argentine Tango. Sponsors regular dances in Swing, Latin, Argentine Tango, and Vintage/Ragtime dance. Hosts the Coal Country Cloggers, a step-dance performing group that has performed at numerous festivals and theatres.

Pennsylvania Dance Classes & Parties Directory: Resource for finding dance classes and dance parties in Ballroom, Latin, Social, American, International, and Country Western style dancing throughout Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island

Contra

The ContraSene/Rhode Island
Contra dancing in Cranston, Foster, and Providence.

Swing

Hepcats
Affordable group swing dance classes. Hepcats also offers other kinds of dance classes including Lindy Hop, Salsa, and Argentine Tango, in Providence and Narragansett, Rhode Island and Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The emphasis is on social or "street style" dancing, rather than competition style dancing.

RIDANCE
Dedicated to all the wonderful things dance in Rhode Island including (but not limited to) lessons,social dancing, people, and performances.

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