A great resource for beginners is Bobby White's 101swing.com.  It's chock full of articles for new swing dancers!

What does Lindy Hop look like? Check out this clip from ILHC (International Lindy Hop Championships) from August 2016; it's a Mix & Match competition, which means the partners are randomly paired to social dance (all improvised, no choreography.)

New to Lindy Hop? Watch this video to see the most famous clip of the dance ever recorded on film, and then Google "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers" and "Frankie Manning" to learn more about Lindy Hop's history!

NEWSCENTER Maine did a story about swing dancing in Portland! You can see the video here.
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Check out this amazing performance from Diga Diga Doo in Thailand 2017!

Video: Nice solo jazz routine by Nathan Bugh with dancers from Taiwan!

If you are new to social dancing: Here's a handy dandy etiquette guide to prepare you for your next dance! Read all about asking people to dance, what (not) to wear, and how to not be a "stinky" dancer.

Bobby White of Swungover has created this guide to "floorcraft", or the art of dancing in small spaces without crashing into people. It's a skill all dancers need when social dancing and the video is a must-watch!

​Watch this for inspiration: William & Maeva in Milan in April '17 with a playful social dancing demo.

​Are you a podcast listener? Check out these two required podcasts for Lindy Hoppers: The Track with Ryan Swift and The Michael & Evita Show with Michael Jagger & Evita Arce.

The lindy hop community lost one of its guiding lights in 2016. Singer, dancer, performer, and lindy guru Dawn Hampton passed away in NYC at age 88. Take a minute to hear her talk to dancers at Herrang about how to "feel the beat." Then listen to The Track podcast to hear Dawn talk about her history in her own words. 

Thanks to all who participated in Portland Swing Project's Summer Swing Weekend 2016! It was a blast! Here's a clip of the jam circle that broke out at the end of Saturday Night's dance.

A record number of Mainers attended Beantown Lindy Hop Camp 2016! Check out one of the performances from instructor Remy Kouakou Kouame that is sure to impress.

May is "Frankie Month" and Thursday, May 26 is World Lindy Hop Day (Frankie's birthday)! Do you know who Frankie Manning is? Read about him here and see why he's so important to Lindy Hoppers. 

​Remy & Skye debuted a new swingin' solo jazz routine at the Jazz Roots Festival in Paris. Check it out.
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What's the difference between West Coast Swing and Lindy Hop/East Coast Swing? Check out the crossover Jack & Jill Competition from The Boston Tea Party, which randomly pairs a Lindy instructor (Zack, in this video) and a West Coast instructor (Alyssa) to dance both styles (West Coast is first in the clip, Lindy is second). See if you can spot the differences between the two.
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Watch this: The trailer for the Lindy Hop Movie "Alive and Kicking" captures the magic of swing dancing!

​What's a "Birthday Jam"? Bobby White from Swungover describes it like this: "A birthday jam is when a person with a birthday gets in a circle and gets new partners throughout a song. The goal of birthday jams is to give the person having a birthday a chance to shine and have partner after partner have a brief moment dancing with them." You can read more about this and other dance etiquette here.

Check out one of the many fabulous performances from Beantown Bounce 2015 here!

We had a great showing of Mainers at Beantown Swing Camp 2015! Check out this video of the solo Charleston competition. If you have taken classes with us, you will recognize many jazz steps you've learned!

Check out Skye and Frida at Gastroswing (Spain) in June 2015 with the Gordon Webster Band!

The "Heavy" Follower: There are several reasons why a follower can seem "heavy" to a lead. Find out all about it at Bobby White's blog, Swungover (hint: it has nothing to do with a follower's size)!

Tuesday, May 26 is World Lindy Hop Day and the late Frankie Manning's birthday! Learn more about Frankie Manning at frankiemanning.com and at the Frankie Manning Foundation. Promote the spirit of Frankie with these values: respect, generosity, inclusivity, humbleness, joy, and authenticity to the roots of the dance.

This video of 102-year-old Alice Barker watching herself on film as a chorus dancer in the 30s and 40s went viral.  If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check it out!

Check out this clip of Remy Kouakou Kouame & Mia Goldsmith from 2014's International Lindy Hop Championships Invitational Jack & Jill (all lead/follow, no choreography.) Watch closely: you'll see lots of simple moves used musically, exuberantly, and with lots of personality!

Amazing improv and musicality: Check out William and Maeva dancing at "Swingin' in the Rain" in Belgium. 

What is "proprioception", and why do I care?  It means "body awareness" and partner dancing requires it. Read this article from bettermovement.org to find out how it works and how you can improve it!

Shim Sham: A lot of you have been learning the Shim Sham in class. Here is a video that shows all the steps, filmed from the back. Follow the links to see more videos from Patrick and Natasha that explain all the steps.

One of the cool things about Lindy Hop is you can go anywhere in the world and dance! Here is a link to a Jack and Jill competition at a Moscow dance camp. (A Jack and Jill is a contest where competitors are randomly matched, so it is ALL social dancing and no choreography.) Enjoy!

Don't be that guy clapping on the ones and threes:  Be cool like Duke.  

Understanding and peace through social dancing: Check out this article about Palestinian and Israeli lindy hoppers who plan to finally meet up in Ireland after four previous foiled attempts.

Why "just follow" is terrible advice for followers:  Another exceptional article from Bobby White about proactive following.

Jammin' on the James 2014:  Check out this instructor demo from 2014's Jammin' on the James in Richmond Virginia.  The end is sprinkled with the magic of lindy hop and rainbows.

Interview with Skye:  Check out Chester & Linda Freeman's interview with the ever-emulated (but never duplicated) Skye Humphries.

Floorcraft:  We are spoiled here in Maine with how much room we have to dance and practice at our venues. Sometimes it gets crowded though, so be respectful of your fellow dancers and check this out!  It also covers other dancing etiquette that EVERYONE should read!

It's a crossover dance-off!  Check out swing dancers vs. street dancers at Montreal Swing Riot 2014! It's worth your time.

Still having trouble finding the "one" in jazz music? Try reading this post from "Swing or Nothing" and practicing with the accompanying YouTube videos.  It's pretty handy.

What the heck does "frame" mean??  Read this.

Swing 101: If you're just starting out with Lindy Hop, check out this article by Bobby White on Beginning Your Swing Dance Education.

ILHC 2014: Watch some of the action on YouTube.

Midsummer Night Swing in NYC:  Watch Voon and Vincenzo, winners of the lindy hop competition at Lincoln Center's MSNS, dance a victory social dance to the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra.  Lots of steal-able variations in here!

Are you a good dance student?  Read this blog post from "The Lindy Affair" and find out.

Another highlight from Frankie100:  JB Mino and Tatiana Udry performing this solo charleston routine!

National Geographic documentary "Jitterbug":  See some of the greats like Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, & Dawn Hampton dance and talk about the evolution of Lindy Hop in this documentary produced by Nat Geo in 1990. It's worth watching!  Click here for Part One and here for Part Two.

Frankie Manning Lesson: For those of us who never had the chance to take a class with Frankie Manning, here's an old instructional video he did with Erin Stevens!

Portland does the Lindy Chorus for Frankie 100:  Watch the video here.

World Lindy Hop Day:  May 2014 marks Frankie Manning's Centennial and the first World Lindy Hop Day, with a celebration in New York City from May 22-26.  Find out why Frankie was considered the "Ambassador of Lindy Hop" here (from the Frankie 100 website).

The physics of Lindy Hop:  Get your nerd on with "The Science and Magic of Lindy Hop" from The Guardian!

Lindy Hop Moves:  Check out this website for tons of fancy moves to impress everyone with your awesomeness.

Don't be a tool on the dance floor:  Check out this guide to Lindy Hopper's Etiquette from Israel based on a post by Bobby White.  Chock full o' good advice.

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