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:

• • Hip, expert & friendly dance instruction with Nathan, Karen and monthly guest teachers
  • Progressive format classes so you can get better each week
  • No partner needed. We rotate partners frequently in class. Beginners always welcome!
  • Convenient and secure online class registration
  • Live Music Dance Party & Cocktails after class!

Please note our special schedule for September 2019 due to private events at Swedish American Hall.

Other Month’s Classes: August 2019 | October 2019

[wptab name=’For Beginners’]

Beginning East Coast Swing Drop-in Class

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.

Beginner-Intermediate Lindy Hop Boot Camp

Class time: 7-9 PM on September 4 and 18

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.

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.

Boot Camp Specific Notes:

• Yes, you can drop-in for one 2-hour Boot Camp or the other…each Boot Camp is a standalone class
• Students wishing to complete the Cat’s Corner 4-month Beginning Lindy Hop class program should take both weeks of classes to cover the full September class cycle.
• Beginner-Intermediate Boot Camp is a mixed-levels class that welcomes absolute beginners while moving at a brisk pace and offering technique, exercises and steps appropriate for experienced dancers as well
• Students with 0-3 months of Intermediate Lindy Hop class experience should join this class. Students with 4+ months of Intermediate Lindy Hop experience may join the next level up: Intermediate-Advanced Boot Camp.

Sign up for classes now

Save your spot in class!

Four Month Class Cycle (okay to start any month!)

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!

Julia Gladysh

Lindy hop and Julia’s love story started the night she walked into a tiny bar with jazz music and saw how dancers faces lit up with joy. She immediately signed up for classes and hasn’t stopped dancing since. To learn more about the beloved dance and its story, Julia accomplished a 2-year "African Heritage Performance" program. She believes that dancing makes us happier and healthier and spreads her love of dance through teaching solo movement and performing with solo and lindy teams.

When Julia doesn't dance, she designs everything from brands to interfaces and plays the ukulele.

Benji Ng

Silly, and ever quick with a joke or animal fact Benji hopes to bring happiness and swing outs to everyone around him. The 1974 film “Benji” about a lovable stray dog is loosely based on his life. They might have gotten some of the minor details wrong but they nailed the character's love for vintage jazz music.

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).

nathan@catscornersf.com

[/wptab]

[wptab name=’Intermediate Lindy Hop’]

Intermediate-Advanced Boot Camp

Class time: 7-9 PM Side Room on September 4 and 18

In this class, you will build up your repertoire of lead and follow techniques, classic lindy hop moves and styling.

September 4th with Nathan and Karen

Class Topics: Lindy Extremes – Dancing Fast and Slow

Part 1: Tune up your fast swingouts, and learn a fun mini-routine that will help you practice the types of movements you need when dancing at high speeds!

Part 2: Cool off with smooth, elegant steps from Slow Drag and Blues, including some simple dips and tricks. 

Requirements:

This class is open to students who have completed 4+ months of Intermediate Lindy Hop classes at Cat’s Corner, or the equivalent. Intermediate-Advanced and Advanced students are also of course welcome to join. Placement is by honor-system and there is no formal level check. Teachers will politely adjust student levels as needed.

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)

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!

Julia Gladysh

Lindy hop and Julia’s love story started the night she walked into a tiny bar with jazz music and saw how dancers faces lit up with joy. She immediately signed up for classes and hasn’t stopped dancing since. To learn more about the beloved dance and its story, Julia accomplished a 2-year "African Heritage Performance" program. She believes that dancing makes us happier and healthier and spreads her love of dance through teaching solo movement and performing with solo and lindy teams.

When Julia doesn't dance, she designs everything from brands to interfaces and plays the ukulele.

Benji Ng

Silly, and ever quick with a joke or animal fact Benji hopes to bring happiness and swing outs to everyone around him. The 1974 film “Benji” about a lovable stray dog is loosely based on his life. They might have gotten some of the minor details wrong but they nailed the character's love for vintage jazz music.

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).

nathan@catscornersf.com

[/wptab]

[end_wptabset]

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