THE COLLECTIVE

Dancers
(and Prospective Dancers)

Bring your dancing shoes (comfortable, smooth-soled shoes are a great option) and your water bottle and leave your troubles behind! At the beginning of each dance event, a beginner swing dance lesson will be provided for those interested in learning the basics; no partner is required as you will rotate partners throughout the lesson, allowing you to meet a lot of new friends in a short period of time. We encourage experienced dancers to join the lesson as well.

Once the band starts playing, the floor is open for social dancing. All skill levels are welcome and we encourage dancers to be self-aware and to watch out for each other on the dance floor.

Musicians
(and Emerging Musicians)

Our house band is made up of a group of professional, local jazz musicians who know how to keep dancers on the floor and toe tappers tapping. Our event is formatted as a Jazz Jam, which means that we encourage musicians – including seasoned, emerging, and student musicians – to bring their instruments along and sit in with the band for a song or two.

If you are interested in joining the Jazz Jam, please let us know at the beginning of the evening so we can provide your information to the bandleader. The bandleader will coordinate drop-in musician participation. (Musicians get in for free; please contact us if you have questions.)

Toe Tappers

If you have a passion for live jazz and prefer to watch and listen, we welcome you to join us! There will be plenty of seating and light refreshments on hand for your enjoyment.

If someone asks you to dance, there’s no need to feel bad about declining, and no excuse is required. (There is no shame in admitting that you’ve never danced before but are willing to give it a try; most dancers are more than happy to show you the basics or answer questions about swing dancing.)