Learn to swing dance and Lindy Hop at Cat’s Corner! Have fun, meet new people, and get great exercise all at once! Cat’s Corner offers:
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- hip, expert & friendly dance instruction with Nathan, Chiara and monthly guest teachers
- progressive format classes so you can get better each week
- convenient and secure online class registration
- Live Music Dance Party & Cocktails after class!
Please note: Cat’s Corner has a special schedule of classes and parties this June due to private events at Swedish American Hall on June 13 & 27.
| Date | Venue | Classes & Party |
| June 6 | Swedish American Hall 2174 Market Street, SF |
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| June 13 | Ukrainian Hall 345 7th Street, SF |
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| June 20 | Swedish American Hall 2174 Market Street, SF |
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| June 27 | Local Edition 691 Market Street, SF |
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| July 4, 11, 18 & 25 | Swedish American Hall | Back to Normal Class & Party Schedule |
June 6th & 20th:
Lindy Boot Camp Classes at Swedish American Hall
- 7-9pm Main Floor – Beginning Lindy Hop
with Nathan, Chiara & Kristin – 50 spots available - 7-9pm Side Room – Intermediate Lindy Hop
with Sean Krazit & Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies – 24 spots available - 9-9:30pm Main Floor – Beginning East Coast Swing Crash Course
unlimited spots
Cost:
Single Bootcamp Night (June 6 -OR- 20): $30 early registration online / $35 door
Both Bootcamp Nights (June 6 -AND- June 20): $50 online / $70 door.
9pm Beginning East Coast Swing Crash Course: $10/week, drop-in only
All class costs include dance party admission.
June 13th:
Swing Rueda Night at Ukrainian American Hall
Music by the SF Medicine Ball Band!
Learn Swing Rueda – the group dance that uses familiar Lindy Hop moves to switch partners around a circle in response to a caller. It’s swing dance meets up with Simon Says mashed up with Ring-around-the-Rosie…and it’s super fun!
Address: 345 7th Street, SF
June 27th:
Cat’s Corner Field Trip to Local Edition
with Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums
We’re taking a night off classes, and skipping straight to the party! Join us for high-energy Swing, Jump Blues & Rockin’ R&B with one of San Francisco’s sensational musical acts! Sip on classic cocktails between dances. FREE. 21+.
Address: 691 Market Street, SF
[wptab name=’For Beginners’]
Beginning East Coast Swing Drop-in Class
with Nathan, Chiara & guest teachers
Class time: 9-9:30pm
This short and sweet class is designed for the absolute beginner with no previous dance experience. We start from scratch each week, covering partner dance fundamentals and introducing simple 6-count East Coast Swing, Jig Walks and Charleston steps to get you out on the dance floor and grooving to the music.
Cost: $10 per week (includes dance party admission). No registration required.
Beginning Lindy Hop
with Nathan, Chiara & Kristin
In this class, you will learn the basics of Lindy Hop, the original swing dance from the 1930s that features fast footwork and addictive rhythms. You’ll learn the basic 8-count steps that every lindy hopper should know — swingout, lindy circle & charleston — plus solid lead and follow technique and a different set of beginner level steps each month. This class is a progressive series, which means we review and build steadily upon previous weeks’ material.
Previous swing dancing experience is helpful but not required. To get the most out of the class, we recommend that you are already comfortable with “triple-steps” — if you don’t know these yet, we suggest taking our 9pm drop-in swing class a few times first.
Save your spot in class!
Four Month Class Cycle (okay to start any month!)
| Jan/May/Sep (A) |
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| Feb/Jun/Oct (B) |
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| Mar/Jul/Nov (C) |
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| Apr/Aug/Dec (D) |
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About the Teachers
Karen Huddleston
Karen came to the Bay Area from Portland, where she regularly danced Lindy Hop and Blues. She started training in dance at the age of 3 and discovered swing dancing as a high school student. In college, she helped run the swing dance club and participated in the ballroom dance team as a member and coach for several student groups. She's an avid social dancer in San Francisco and has performed with the Someday Sweethearts and Nathan's Swing or Nothing dance troupes. Karen and Nathan recently taught their first Intermediate-Advanced Lindy Hop class at Cat's Corner, and they had so much fun that Karen decided to return for more!
Nathan Dias
Resident Teacher, Cats Corner Founder
Nathan specializes in Lindy Hop, the high-energy swing dance from the 1930s and 40s, and has been teaching, performing and DJing since 2005. He started swing dancing in 1997 and lindy hopping in 2000. A regular dancer in San Francisco since 2001, Nathan enjoys the creativity and personal connection of social dancing as well as the challenge and satisfaction on working on and improving his dance.
He has taught at practically all of the local swing dance venues at one time or another, including the 9:20 Special, Lindy in the Park, Tuesday Night Jump, Rent Party and original Doghouse, and has been a featured instructor at regional workshops such as Swingin' at the Savoy, California Swingin', *Workshop (San Luis Obispo), Santa Swing (Santa Barbara), and Le Hot Sauce (SF).
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[wptab name=’Intermediate Lindy Hop’]
Intermediate Lindy Hop
with Sean Krazit & Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies
In this class, you will build up your repertoire of lead and follow techniques, classic lindy hop moves and styling.
Requirements:
Students wishing to join the Intermediate class must have completed our 4-month Beginning Lindy Hop program (or the equivalent) as well as a friendly level-check with one of our teachers. Students should be regular social dancers at this point, and should be able to confidently dance the steps listed on our 4-month Beginner curriculum (click the “Beginning” tab above) including 6-count turns, 8-count swingout, Lindy circle and related turns, and basic Charleston patterns. Contact the teachers to arrange a level-check and get class level advice.
Register now for classes
Save your spot in class!
Intermediate Lindy Hop 6-month Class Cycle (start any month)
| Jan/Jul (A) |
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| Feb/Aug (B) |
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| Mar/Sep (C) |
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| Apr/Oct (D) |
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| May/Nov (E) |
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| Jun/Dec (F) |
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[/wptab]
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Series class sizes are limited and often sell out. A few extra spots are also made available to our staff volunteers.
(Can’t make Wednesdays? Check out Monday Classes in the Mission!)
Progressive vs. Drop-in Classes
All of the Lindy Hop classes are progressive, with each week’s material building on the previous week’s class. Lindy Hop drop-ins are allowed for $20 which also includes dance party and 9pm lesson admission. Please note that if you drop in to one of the classes, it may be in the middle of the class series, and you may fall behind. We recommend that you take the full series. We always offer a drop-in Beginning Swing class each Wednesday from 9:00-9:30pm.
Not sure which class is for you? Send us an email with any questions!
After the Classes
All class costs include admission to the Cat’s Corner Swing Dance Party. Stay to dance to live swing music starting at 9:30pm. The venue features cocktail bar, roomy dance floor, and great swinging ambiance. We often have surprises around 10:30pm – it could be a special performance, contest, or silly group activity — to add to the festivities.