Four on the Floor - The premier Swing Dancing and Lindy
Hop studio of Austin since 1997.
Offering lindy hop and swing dance lessons, featuring group classes
with Austin's most experienced instructors.
SWING AND LINDY HOP GROUP CLASSES
TUESDAY NIGHTS
at the TEXAS FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS MANSION
2312 San Gabriel, Austin, Texas 78705 (the corner of San Gabriel and 24th St.)See the Fed at http://themansion.info/
SEPTEMBER SERIES BEGINS SEPTEMBER 7
We will be closed on August 31
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CLASS SCHEDULE -
CURRENT CLASS SCHEDULE
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
CLASS PRICES AND REGISTRATION
Interested in Dance Workshops? -
Go to our workshops page
OUR SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Join us in CENTRAL AUSTIN on TUESDAYS for a full night of our original program of swing and lindy-hop classes. —
SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE BEGINS -
SEPTEMBER 7
We will be closed on Auguist 31
SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE
7:15 PM
LINDY 2 with Johnny Serrano and Laura Malloy
September 7 - Getting Your Lindy Game On - Charleston
This class opens with a great review and refresher
of Lindy and Charleston fundamentals.
Plus, the Sugar-push Swing-out, Cross-hand lead to swing-out
September 14 - Swing-0ut Fun
Styling for leads and follows, Basket swing-out, Basket Circle, Basket tuck-turn
September 21 - Lindy-Hop Variations
Mixing 6-count with Lindy, sugar push and barrell roll, continuous sugar-push.
September 28 - Fun and Flashy
Corridor tuck-turn, jump tuck-turn, dip
LINDY 3 - with Matt Jones and Lynne Koehlinger
Class Topic - Advanced Tandem Charleston
Take your Tandem Charleston to the next level - learn new variations, entries and exits,
and work to improve your technique. There will also be plenty of work on Lindy Hop
mixed in with the Tandem
September 7 - Week One
Class description to be posted here.
September 14 - Week Two
Class description to be posted here.
September 21 - Week Three
Class description to be posted here.
September 28 - Week Four
Class description to be posted here.
For the Intermediate Level Lindy Hopper (and above) who
wants to improve the use of the patterns and stylings
they have learned, while fine-tuning their ability
to lead and follow Lindy Hop at this level.
Balboa for Beginners - with Charlotte Simpson and David Bradford
Come learn this fun, fast-paced swing dance which started in
California and is still popular among swing dancers today. Balboa is especially
popular in Austin because of all the great live music which the dance fits so well.
David is one of Austin's most experienced and talented teachers.
We are proud to welcome Teni Lopez-Cardenas to join us as a Balboa teacher.
Teni competed, taught and performed in both Balboa and Lindy for
five years in Colorado before moving here last Fall.
Teni is fun and accessible in her classes, striving to instill a sense of playfulness,
while focusing on the importance of connection, body awareness, and technique.
She encourages her students to develop their own personal style.
Learn Balboa from the ground up. A dynamic and fun 4-week series that
teaches the basics of Balboa that each beginner needs to know.
September 7 - Week One
Learn the Balba 8-count Basic and the Come-Around
September 14 - Week Two
Review the Balboa Basic and the Come-Around, and move on to Lollies
September 21 - Week Three
Review the Balboa Basic and the Come-Around, and learn the Throw-Out
September 28 - Week Four
Review the Balboa Basic and the Come-Around, and learn the Cross-Overs
BLUES BASICS - with Chris and Campbell
Come and learn how to feel the Blues.
Blues dancing is all about rhythm, pulse, and connection with your partner,
as well as to the music. In this series, you'll learn the basics of Blues,
and gain the confidence to be able to dance with anyone.
For Beginners.
8:30 PM
INTRO TO SWING with Sally Matsumae and Matt Jones
If you've done a little social dancing (maybe even tried swing a few
times), or if you've never danced before, this is the right class for
you. Learn the basics of swing dancing - the rhythm, the patterns and
the basic technique of leading and following.
LINDY 1 - with Laura Malloy and Chad Skeeters
Learn Lindy Hop from the ground up. Start the first week with side-by-side
Charleston. As more lindy hop patterns are taught, the class will also learn
the posture, rhythm and the technique of leading and following Lindy Hop.
A dynamic and fun 4-week series.
Students must come to all four classes in this series in order
to move on to Lindy 2 (No exceptions).
Need some one-on-one attention to your dancing to help learn Lindy Hop?
There will be mini-private lesson sessions available for $10 each per
person between 7:15 and 8:15 pm, before the Lindy 1 class starts.
Just email us the weekend before class to xet one up.
1920's Partner Charleston
with Lynne Koehlinger and ChiaWen Lin
Lynne Koehlinger and ChiaWen join forces to teach the
1920's Partner Charleston.
This is a three month series of classes that new dancers
can drop into on the 1st week of each month; or you can come for all
three months and become a great expert
Lynne and ChiaWen taught the material of this month in May of this year.
If you have not yet taken this series, then jump in and take it now.
If you were there in May then you would want to repeat the class to get better
at this material before Lynne starts a series of Intermediate Level
1920s Partner Charleston
Lynne loves '20s Charleston and has a lot of experience
teaching and performing it in the Bay Area for the last
5 years. Here is a video of her performing Partnered
'20s Charleston at the 2008 Gatsby Picnic in the Bay Area:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQdjSyNApf8
This class will teach the style, energy and patterns
of '20s CHarleston.
Class material designed for the '20s Beginner to Intermediate level dancer.
Ballroomin' Blues - Chris and Campbell
Ready to explore the smooth side of Blues?
In this series, we'll explore Ballroomin' Blues --
a style that mixes the rhythms and movements of Blues with the smoothness
and lightness of the Ballroom styles
While staying firmly grounded, Ballroomin' Blues can help you float across the floor.
Intermediate: 3 months of Blues classes or teacher approval required.
MINI-PRIVATE LESSONSwith Ruth Calisch
Free for everone currently enrolled in Lindy 2
9:40 PM
Dance in the ballroom With DeeJays:September 7 - with D.J. to be announced. No cover charge.
September 14 - with D.J. to be announced. No cover charge.
September 21 - with D.J. to be announced. No cover charge.
September 28 - with D.J. to be announced. No cover charge.
OCTOBER CLASSES BEGIN OCTOBER 5
WHAT DO WE DO?
Why take swing dancing or lindy hop classes in Austin? Well, to us, dancing is the way to become a part of the Austin we love: the music, the atmosphere, and the people. There's nothing better than moving around and letting yourself go to a great song; there's also nothing scarier than feeling like you don't know what you're doing, right? We know! Four on the Floor believes in social dancing in the real world — so our swing and lindy hop lessons keep it simple, social, and down to earth. We offer expert teaching with an easy attitude and the loose, fun nightclub style that will get you out there.
WHAT IS LINDY HOP? WHAT IS SWING DANCING?
"Swing" dancing takes many forms, and has its roots in the rhythms of swing music... but the grandaddy dance form is known as Lindy Hop. It was not invented overnight; it grew out of a culture of social-dancers and shaped by some now-legendary street dancers in the age of big-band jazz, from the late 20's through the 40's. Lindy Hop often draws special attention on a dancefloor, just because it looks so different... it seems so fluid and flying, and no two people dance it exactly alike! But the ABC's of Lindy Hop come straight from the rhythm and feel of the music, and the patterns become something to play with and make your own.
HOW DO THE CLASSES WORK?
Every month in Austin, there is a new four-week series of swing and lindy
hop classes. There are several levels to step you up as you become comfortable
with swing and lindy hop and build the vocabulary and skills you need,
four weeks at a time.
Our class series are progressive - each week builds on the material taught
the weeks before. Please start each series with the first class
in the series. We ask that Students not start a series after the second
week.
You don't need a partner, and you can pay as you go if you wish. Registration on the first class day of the month is all it takes. Go to class descriptions for more details.
Complete each series at each level, repeat or drop in again as you like, and step up when you are ready; if you need help or feedback, we are happy to give you our time!
CLASS PRICES AND REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION
All class registration is at the door. There is no advanced registration.
There is no requirement to reserve a space in classes.
PRICES
If you pay as you go:
$15 for a single class
$25 for two classes in one night
If you pay for a class series:
$45 for a four-week series (ALL CLASSES)
$70 for two four-week series in the same month
Class Credits: If a student pre-pays for an entire
month of either 1 or 2 series, but fails to take
one of some of the classes, they will receive one
credit for one class in the next month. If that credit
is not used in that month, then it elapses.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Intro to Swing:
4-week series This is the most familiar and user-friendly version
of swing, seen in the nightclubs around Austin and on virtually
every dance floor.
This is a 6-count rhythm, aka East Coast Swing/Jitterbug,
but with an “old-school,” club-dancing style.
This is considered to be a basic element of Lindy Hop,
and makes an excellent introduction to the rest of our
classes. We teach the basic step, new turns and moves
each week, and basic skills to lead or follow successfully.
Lindy One:
4-week series
This class is a very thorough introduction to the basic
steps and fundamental skills of Lindy. Get the must-have
moves: The Charleston, The Swingout (the signature basic
step of Lindy Hop), and The Lindy Circle. After that,
the class adds several more simple turns and moves,
dance with style, and lead or follow clearly.
Students must come to all four classes in this series in
order to move on to Lindy 2 (No exceptions).
Need some one-on-one attention to help learn Lindy Hop? -
there will be mini-private lesson sessions available
for $10 each per person between 7:15 and 8:15 pm
before the Lindy 1 class starts.
Lindy Two:
These are four 4 week series, which can be taken
in any order.
You must have completed the Lindy Hop 1 series in order
to enroll in Lindy 2.
The Lindy 2 lessons include variations on the basics
from Lindy Hop 1, keys and exercises to sharpen your skills,
and a wide vocabulary of must-have moves and steps.
Lindy 2 also includes many varieties of Charleston,
including “Tandem” Charleston.
For current class content, see the schedule
for this month, above.
Lindy Three:
4 week series, alternating themes each month
Completion of Lindy Hop 2 4-month program required
Talk to your teacher before moving on.
Every series builds your quality of movement and
partnering skills. We work toward moving, looking,
and feeling like an accomplished Lindy Hopper.
Intermediate-to-advanced themes include:
Breaking Out of the Basics, Total Recall - Improving the Basic Patterns
of Lindy 1 and 2, Spins and Turns - Technique and Patterns,
Swing-out Fun and Games, Picking up the Tempo - Fast Lindy,
Improvising with Styling Steps, Musicality,
Smooth and Slow Lindy, Integrating Jazz Steps,
Breaking Out of the Count, The Lead/Follow Challenge,
Lindy Hop Classics - Cool Stuff that Frankie Taught Us,
Advanced Tandem Charleston, and Basics Boot Camp.
Lindy 4:
4-week series.
Class not offered in February, 2010. To resume later in 2009.
Admission by invitation only, or by permission of the teachers..
This is an advanced curriculum to be determined by the instructors
teaching the class. Dancers must have completed the curriculum
offered in Lindy 3 and/or raised their dancing to the level
which is sought to be developed there.
We will be featuring special classes in addition to our series this year — check each month for something new and different! Class costs will sometimes vary for these — please check.
