Rice Social Dance Society

Swing

September Class Schedule

Swing classes will meet on THURSDAY evenings in Miner Lounge:

• 7:00 Beginner swing class
• 8:15 Practice / free dance
• 9:00 Swing Sampler class

September Class Syllabi

Beginner Class:

Over the semester we’ll cover two types of swing dance: 6-count Jitterbug (which you’ll find is a lot of fun for many types of music, including modern pop and R&B) and then Lindy-Hop (the original swing from Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom in the late 1920’s.) The classes are designed to give you a very sound foundation in the dynamics of Lead/Follow dancing, a variety of fundamental movements, and also a feel of how to swing and play to a variety of music. We’ll start from scratch, getting the feel of what makes Swing work… before long you will discover that there is sooo much we can do with it as we explore, add, embellish and create!

The class is structured in six week cycles: the first six weeks will be spent on Jitterbug and the second six weeks on Lindy Hop.

• Sept 3 – Oct 9: Jitterbug
• Oct 16 – Nov 19: Lindy Hop
• (November 26 is Thanksgiving. Go eat turkey.)
• The remaining Thursdays in the semester will be practica / free dance / DJ practice. We will be dancing here, so come and join us!

Swing Sampler Class:

Richard and Chloe will be teaching the California routine, which is a fun, fast, and furious routine and a great introduction to Lindy Hop. It often performed on Sunday nights at Melody Club so once you know it you can jump in and join the other dancers.

Teacher Bios

Chloe Delepine started swing-dancing at the Melody Club about 2 1/2 years ago and has been swing-dancing ever since.  She joined the Houston Hepcats performing group led by Ryan Strohl and Julie Wood and has performed at numerous events including parades, Harvest Moon Ball, Christmas and other holiday parties, churches, universities, and of course at the Melody Club.  Her partner, Richard Lyders has been swing-dancing and ballroom dancing on and off for about 10 years and is also on the Houston Hepcats.  Both have attended Lindyfest for the past two years and went to our first competition at Lone Star in Austin last year.  They competed in the Jack and Jill competition and performed a routine called “You Can’t Live in Harlem” at the competition.  Richard and Chloe are constantly striving to learn more about swing and help each other improve as dancers.  They are excited to pass on some of the things they have picked up and find to be the most fun routines!

Hank Hauffe is an experienced swing dancer who has taught many classes for the Houston Swing Dance Society (HSDS), Rice Social Dance Society (RSDS), and Second Cup Swing. Hank loves the dance and teaching what he feels to be the heart of the dance – its energy; and its connection in the moment with the music and each other. He enjoys dancing swing as a true lead/follow dance and that’s the emphasis of the lessons, to understand how to make the dance work as true lead/follow. Hank started the swing dance night and lessons at Taft Street Coffee along with Amber Thomas in October 2004. In July 2006 these lessons and very successful monthly dance were re-christened Second Cup Swing. In January of 2008, Second Cup Swing began another Saturday night dance, know as “Demitasse”, that is scheduled weekly at Té House of Tea.

Natalie Weber began learning swing her first year at Rice University, and has been dancing for over five years. Last year she was Swing Coordinator of RSDS and has helped organize the major swing events on campus, Harvest Moon Ball and Jazz Soiree, for three years now. She finds the mutual conversation of lead-follow to be the main component of swing, and loves to explore that conversation within different styles and connections.

Contact the Swing Events Coordinators if you have any questions: