The Lindy Project

TLP is legit awesome. I moved to Austin about 2 years ago and didn’t know anyone. I had taken a few lindy classes in Boston before I moved, so I decided to give the Lindy Project Wednesday night classes a try. Through these classes I met great people, improved my dancing extremely quickly and suddenly found myself slightly obsessed with this dance.
CLASSES
I’ve taken both beginner and more advanced classes from TLP and thought they were all level-​appropriate. The classes are usually pretty balanced (almost equal numbers of leads and follows). The instructors break down each move into parts and show it multiple times, giving you time to practice in between.
During class you switch partners so that you can adapt the skills they teach to partners with different styles. This is really important because being able to lead and follow anyone is what makes lindy a great social dance! The instructors don’t just teach you how to execute and memorize specific patterns; they give you the technique you need to succeed when dancing with any partner.
FACILITIES
The facilities are nice. Hardwood floors and mirrors on one wall so you can watch yourself if you’d like.
INSTRUCTORS
Some of the instructors teach and compete internationally, but this doesn’t make them any less approachable and excited to teach new dancers. I see them dancing out at the Fed (the weekly Austin Swing Syndicate dance) and many other nights of the week and they love dancing with students. They are also big supporters of local venues and musicians which is pretty awesome.
The instructors stick around after class to answer extra questions and to give individual feedback if solicited. They’ve also recently started hosting free monthly Saturday practices for students to get some extra help. Definitely take advantage of those!

Outstanding. The instructors are so personable and knowledgeable.
They create such a comfortable environment for a potential nerve-​wrecking experience (I’m a decent dancer and a fast learner but always get nervous to learn something new especially with a group of strangers!).
I really can’t recommend them enough. Again, it’s one thing when the instructors are talented, but they are also such a pleasure to be around as they’re a group of happy, nice folk.

My partner and I took the Intro to Swing class. We are both absolute beginners at dancing, and we would NOT recommend it for other beginners. The class was very fast paced for us and the instructors did not take the time to explain the moves. They simply demonstrated the moves, and we were expected to copy them. And then they quickly moved on to more advanced moves, and we were expected to copy them too. There was no personalized feedback, so we had no way of knowing if we were doing it right (almost everyone else was struggling too, so we couldn’t exactly count on copying them).
There were about 20 – 25 people in our class, which was part of a three-​class series. We didn’t go to the rest of the classes, but they send out a video recap of the class each week, and I could see that by the third class, there were only about six people left. I guess we’re not the only ones who had trouble following along.
If you have some experience with dancing and you’re good at copying dance moves, this might be a great class for you. But we would have preferred it if it was quite a lot slower, they verbally explained some of the moves, and there was some feedback.

I recently bought the groupon for 2 people for the intro to swing sessions. We’ve been wanting to take swing forever and were excited about starting the lessons. However, we weren’t really fans of the way they taught the class/​how full it was.
First, there were about 40 people in the classroom – that’s okay, but it is pretty hot here in the summer and the crowded classroom did not help with that. We just didn’t really expect the class to be so overcrowded.
Second, I guess the class is geared towards people who come without partners, because you switch partners about every minute or so. That would be fine had we come alone, but we came as a couple and wanted to learn how to swing with each other as a couple – we didn’t even get to dance together for more than that first 10 minutes of class. In fact, most of the people that were in our class came as couples, and seemed equally as surprised as we were that we weren’t going to get to dance with our dates.
The teachers Mike and Joanna were really great and a lot of fun – super helpful with all of the moves, and just made the environment a lot of fun and non judgmental. I never felt embarrassed about my lack of rhythm or beginners dancing. So overall, we had a fun time, learned quite a bit, but were disappointed we didn’t get to dance/​learn together in the classroom. If you are interested in swing dancing and don’t have a partner to take with you – The Lindy Project is the place for you! :) If you have a date that you want to specifically dance/​learn with, I would suggest looking elsewhere for lessons.

AMAZING!!!
Mike and Teni were our instructors for Intro To Swing held at the Tapestry Dance location… I can begin to say how great this was and how much we loved our instructors.
I have wanted to learn swing for over 5 years and not had the guts nor the funds to do it. I stumbled upon the groupon and bought 1 month for 2 people for 44 $ worth every penny and more. The first night of class we both walked in nervous as hell about looking like idiots. The instructors are amazing and dont make you feel awkward or judged for being first timers and tripping over yourself at the start. The class is geared specifically towards what the students need and ask. You dont have to have a partner to attend which I really liked and you rotate around the room learning to dance with everyone so it prepares you for a great night out of dancing. You get emailed video recaps and links to great practice music. We found ourselves excited to practice at home and left every class with a smile anticipating the next.
Bought another groupon while the offer was up to do 2 more months for 2 people.
Cant wait to go for the Lindy and Charleston classes.
This should be on your must do list!

I thought long and hard about what to write about for my 1000^th review. So long in fact, that I just kept writing updates to old reviews in order to postpone the inevitable. I felt like I needed to write about something life changing, momentous, mind blowing. Well I’ve tired of updates, I’ve already reviewed the city of Austin, I can’t review Unilocal (because I work for them ahem) and so I’m just going to bite the damn bullet.
Having spent a good amount of time in my dorm room in college grinding to «Too Close» or lurching about to Friends in Low Places, I figured it was high time I learned to move my feet in a way that might actually require a little brain work. Enter the Lindy Project. I’ve taken the first class for Lindy Hop & the second class for Swing Dance and both took me from zero to a reasonable facsimile of a relatively decent (if basic) dancer.
Here’s what I like about organizations like these: They’re keeping something alive that is a significant part of American culture. These dances hearken back to a time when people learned a legit dance, touched each other in a non creepy way, learned to move with confidence and creativity and swung each other around the floor to the rhythmic croonings of Billie and Ella and Louis. It requires you to think, interact, build a rapport with someone on those smooth wooden planks, instead of mindlessly humping the first person that’s near you when Poker Face starts screeching through the speakers.
In today’s world of rap videos glorifying overpriced champagne and cheap strippers and songs by the Zac «no k, no h» Brown Band, it’s really refreshing to be able to engage with music that’s simple and compelling. Instead of spending time at the same old bar, money on yet another watered down vodka soda, you could be meeting new people, learning an enviable skill and bringing a little culture in your life.
I’ve never felt weird being without a partner there because everyone rotates around and the instructors jump in. You don’t need to be Fred or Ginger either — I’m certainly not. The best part is that every Thursday night, at the American Federation of Women, there are 200+ austinites at varying skill levels who cut a rug. You can practice your new skillz there and maybe find a hot partner to boot.

I’m on my second month of classes here, lured by a Groupon for one month of swing classes (they run one every so often — snap it up when you see it.) Scott Angelius has been the lead teacher both months, and I had Sarah for Lindy and now Laura for Charleston.
These guys are fun, enthusiastic, helpful, and all-​around stellar dancers to boot. They are palpably passionate about what they do — you should hear Scott go on about Frankie Manning. The classes begin on time and sometimes go long. They keep in touch between classes via email for review and stay after class to answer questions or to help you practice a move. I’ve never been spoken down to or laughed at (and lots of times, I’d definitely be laughing at me.)
I’ve only been to the Fed once (the big Austin-​wide swing dance held every Thursday night) but their intro lesson is enough to make you feel comfortable on the floor. I really can’t say enough good things about the Lindy Project and its owners. I knew I would love swing, but I didn’t know I’d enjoy the process of learning it, too.

Bought a Groupon for 4 dance lessons for 2 people and used it for the Charleston Boot Camp. Scott and Vanessa were our instructors, and they had great energy. The class was very small; there were 6 – 8 people total. You don’t have to bring a partner, but I think it balances out the class better. Scott and Vanessa were very patient and great at explaining the steps. We learned the basic and five moves the first class, and a couple more «advanced» moves the second class.
I would definitely recommend classes from The Lindy Project. It’s a fun activity for you and a friend.

A little over a month ago I went to the free swing dancing lessons at the Women’s Fed building downtown. The lesson is a hour long with instructors who actually switch out and this week we happened to have two instructors from «The Lingy Project». After class was over they handed out flyers that would point us to where we can have them teach us on a regular basis. I was all over that idea, just in that one hour they had taught me more then I had learned the previous three weeks. Not only did they really know their dance but they also were professional and entertaining just in how they related to the class.
Three weeks ago I started my weekly lessons with The Lindy Project at Uptown Dance Studio in North Austin and I have been hooked ever since. Not only do I feel that I am getting more then my moneys worth in the fact they have excellent teaching abilities as well as incredible dance skill, but joining them in class has brought out more in me then any other physical activity. I leave sore, tired, but completely enthusiastic for the next lesson. If your thinking of learning swing dancing check them out for sure, they are helping me get rid of the two left feet syndrome and I swear any day now I will find that right foot.