gottaswing.com > home photo photo photo Tom & Debra
Home Classes Register Dance Events FAQ About Us Contact



Our newest feature!

Special Classes:
• 5 Months choreographed dance routine with Tom and Debra; Bandstand Boogie with Sue and Gary at Elan DanceSport starts Sunday, July 12

•HardCORE FRAMEwork II and Advanced Lindy with Michael and Poppy at Elena's Dance Studio, Sunday, July 12

• Collegiate Shag with Joe and Tabitha at Elan DanceSport starts Sunday, July 26

• Dips, Tricks and Aerials coaching session with Joe and Tabitha at Elan DanceSport starts Sunday, July 26

• Level III classes with David Rehm at Chevy Chase Ballroom, Monday, July 13

• Beginner swing with Doug and Lily at Jewish Community Center, Thursday, June 18

Weekly Classes:
NO PARTNER REQUIRED! Learn more about Weekly Classes >

Private Lessons:
Could your dancing use some personal attention? Learn more about Private Lessons >

FAQ:
Want to know what material we teach? Not sure what level you should register for? Click here for answers to your Frequently Asked Questions >

Directions:
Click here for our handy Directions to Venues >

Monthly Calendar:
What's on your dance card? Check out our Month at a Glance Calendar >>>

Special Events:
Tom & Debra welcome you to Join us at our Next Special Event>>>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Tom and Debra are pleased to offer these opportunities to expand your dance repertoire beyond our basic beginner and intermediate classes. These short courses allow you to work on specific areas and require a basic working knowledge of six- and eight-count swing and are recommended for dancers at the intermediate and advanced levels. Please Email Debra with any questions before registering.


5 MONTHS choreographed dance routine with Tom and Debra
Sundays at Elan DanceSport Center, Studio A
New series starts July 12
8:30-9:30pm

BANDSTAND BOOGIE choreographed dance routine with Sue and Gary
Sundays at Elan DanceSport Center, Studio B
New series starts July 12
8:30-9:30pm

Learn a fun, fast-paced routine that is a great challenge for the more experienced dancer. Each class culminates in a recital performance at one of the Gottaswing dances. What fun! This is the first step to becoming a member of our world-famous dance team, the Eight Week Wonders.

This time around, Tom and Debra are teaching the "5 MONTHS" routine, one of our longest-running and most frequently performed routines. Sue and Gary are teaching "BANDSTAND BOOGIE," a routine that was recently created specifically for performance at the National July 4 parade. It's a remastering of the "5 MONTHS" routine cut down to fit a shorter slower tune. This is an excellent entry point if you're interested in performing.

Offers the opportunity to work on presentation and performance skills with an eye towards public performance. The routine class is recommended for students who have taken a beginner series and at least one intermediate series with Tom and Debra. Questions, or need a partner? Email Debra.

You must be registered for the entire session; no drop-ins allowed! Tuition is $110 per person for the eight-week session.

Elan DanceSport Center , 8442 Lee Highway, Suite A, Merrifield, Virginia | DIRECTIONS >

Back to TOP^


HardCORE FRAMEwork II and Advanced Lindy with Michael and Poppy
Sundays at Elena's Dance Studio
Starts July 12
HardCORE FRAMEwork II, 7-8pm, $110
Advanced Lindy, 8:15-9:15pm, $110

Finally! We're delighted to offer Sunday night advanced-level classes with Michael and Poppy, two of the most stylish dancers around.

HardCORE FRAMEwork: Every dancer has core and frame and engaging these elements is essential to becoming a better dancer. A little hard work will bring you to a higher level. You'll work on building Confidence, Orchestration, Responsiveness, and Execution as well as the Fundamentals, Realization, and Artistic and Musical Expression. (Get it? Ha!)

Advanced Lindy combines theory and application through moves of a more complex nature, and will teach you how to make them flow together musically as well as discovering new ways of altering moves you already know. This class will help put you in the right mindset to be the dancer you always knew you could be. This is an advanced level class appropriate for students who have taken Michael and Poppy's regular intermediate level class, plus Lindy Zen and HardCORE FRAMEwork, plus experienced dancers who exhibit a clear understanding of the fundamentals. This is not your average dance class!

You must be registered for the entire session; no drop-ins allowed! Tuition is $110 per person per class for the eight-week session.

Elena's Dance Studio, 12450 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD | DIRECTIONS >

Back to TOP^


Collegiate Shag with Joe and Tabitha
Sundays at Elan DanceSport Center
New series starts July 26, $85/six-week session
6:30-7:30pm

Originating in the 1920s, Collegiate Shag was THE dance of college-age youth. This six-count basic is extremely well-suited to fast tempos of music. Joe and Tabitha will teach the basics and then quickly move on to developing fundamentals and connection, as well as styling. You'll develop a repertoire of fun steps that are easy to use on the social dance floor, allowing you to add Collegiate Shag into your basic dance vocabulary.

You must be registered for the entire session; no drop-ins allowed! Tuition is $85 per person for the six-week session.

Elan DanceSport Center , 8442 Lee Highway, Suite A, Merrifield, Virginia | DIRECTIONS >

Back to TOP^


Dips, Tricks and Aerials coaching session with Joe and Tabitha
Sundays at Elan DanceSport Center
New series starts July 26, $85/six-week series
7:30-8:30pm
PARTNER REQUIRED

This class is specifically designed for partners who want to improve their presentation and performance with an eye towards competition. This coaching session will start with easier moves and increase in difficulty through the six-week session. You'll work on developing polish and perfecting your moves.

You must be registered for the entire session; no drop-ins allowed! Tuition is $85 per person for the six-week session.

Elan DanceSport Center , 8442 Lee Highway, Suite A, Merrifield, Virginia | DIRECTIONS >

Back to TOP^


BALBOA/BAL-SWING Level III (For intermediate/advanced students)
New eight-week session starts July 13

7-8pm, $110/eight-week series
Open dancing 9-11 pm, FREE if you're in the class

ADVANCED TECHNIQUE FOR LINDY Level III (For intermediate/advanced students)
New eight-week session starts July 13

8-9pm, $110/eight-week series
Open dancing 9-11 pm, FREE if you're in the class

You must be registered for the entire session; no drop-ins allowed! Tuition is $110 per person for the eight-week session. After-class dance party from 9-11pm is FREE to students in this class. Read below for course material descriptions.

Chevy Chase Ballroom, 5207 Wisconsin Ave., NW, DC | DIRECTIONS >

David and Kate's bio>

BALBOA
Balboa today is a combination of two original, partnered swing dances that evolved on the social dance floors of Southern California to big band swing music. The original (often called "pure") Balboa is done in a chest-to-chest closed position with a distinct, shuffling footwork. Bal-Swing (A retronym for what was originally known simply as "swing") is done in an open position wit a full complement of breaks and turns. While done to all tempos, Balboa is especially well-suited to accommodate faster music.
Level I—Foundations
Level II—Variations
Level III—Challenge

ADVANCED TECHNIQUE FOR LINDY
Focuses on the three pillars of great Lindy lead/follow mechanics: the generatioin and redirection of momentum between partners, swivels as a consequence of this momentum, and counterbalance. Together these three principles will improve both the look and feel of your dancing and are the crucial foundations necessary for advanced musicality and phrasing. All students must start with Level I, which is a prerequisite for Levels II and III.
Level I—Foundation of a System
Level II—Variations on the Theme
Level III—Challenge

Back to TOP ^


BEGINNER SWING with Doug and Lily
Thursdays at the 16th Street Jewish Community Center
June 18-July 9, 7:30-9pm, $60/four-week class
Class 7:30-8:30pm, dance practice 8:30-9pm

This four-week introduction to swing dance is a great way to get started! Doug Van Sant and Lily Matini will concentrate on basic 6-count footwork, introducing the basic principles of lead and follow, basic footwork, and fun and interesting spins and turns that are easy to use on the social dance floor.

In cooperation with the Washington DC Jewish Community Center dance programs.

You must be registered for the entire session; no drop-ins allowed! Tuition is $60 per person for the four-week session ($40 for JCC members). Registration is through the Jewish Community Center website.

Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th Street, NW (16th and Q Streets), WDC | DIRECTIONS >

Back to TOP^