Schedule
June: 5, 12, 19, 26
at Lake Merrit Dance Center
Level 1: Tuesdays, 8:00 - 9:00 pm
Level 2: Tuesdays, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Elective: Tuesdays, 8:00 - 9:00 pm
Swing Dance Series
Level 1 : Intro to Charleston
Come learn Charleston, the proto-swing dance! Charleston continues to be a fun and integral part of swing dancing, especially when dancing to faster music. Energetic and fun, this is a great class to take to build a strong foundation in swing dancing! Time: 8-9pm
Level 2: Fundamentals of Lindy Hop - Connection Focused
Learn how best to communicate with your dance partner so you can speak without talking! Our connection focused fundamentals class is for those who find themselves stuck in the rigidity of "moves". Break free! Time: 7-8pm
Elective - Finding Your Style
In this elective class, Sam and Calvin will show you different ways the dance can look and feel. Each week you'll learn different variations and moves; they might be upbeat and bouncy, smooth and controlled, playful and sassy, silly and funny, etc. There are many ways to express ourselves in lindy hop, and knowing multiple ways helps us match our partner, match the music, and solidifies our own personal style. Time: 8-9pm
Swing Series Instructors
Level 1 & 2
Olivia Ortiz & Kevin Whang
Olivia Ortiz started swing dancing at SwingCal, UC Berkeley's student-run swing dance course. She's followed for four years and, inspired by her friends and a want to delve deeper in her understanding of swing, started leading less than a year ago. A recent grad, during her time at Cal, Olivia choreographed and performed with The [M]ovement and Sproul Stompers, taught at Lindy on Sproul, and facilitated SwingCal for 2+ years. As a teacher she's very excited about making partnered dances as comfy as possible and the importance of "listening" within a partnership. Always a fan of trying out new, impossible ideas, she hopes to one day lead performance teams.
Kevin has been an active member of the UC Berkeley and East Bay lindy hop community as a teacher, DJ, and organizer. He helped found the UC Berkeley performance team Sproul Stompers in 2013.
elective
Sam Nguyen & Calvin Lu
Sam and Calvin fell in love with swing dancing at UC Berkeley's Lindy on Sproul and SwingCal, both becoming active members of the swing community by teaching, mentoring, and DJing. Raised in Cal's ambidancetrous community, you'll often find them both leading and following on the social dance floor. Their dancing focuses on playful partnership and lighthearted silliness. Coming from performances with the Sproul Stompers and recent competition experience, Sam and Calvin are excited to share their enthusiasm at the Breakaway.
FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS: REGULAR OPEN PRACTICE
Every 3rd Friday of the month is The Breakaway's regular Open Practice session.
It's FREE for ALL students!
More info here.