Manager
Sam Carroll
Sam discovered lindy hop in 1998, teaching in 2002, and she hasn't stopped for a breath yet. She's a great fan of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers and Frankie Manning, she adores eccentric solo dance (the weirder the better), and she's nuts about Leon James.
Sam has a long professional history in the jazz dance world. She DJs each year in Sweden, Korea, and all over Australia, and has been involved in running some of the largest dance events in Australia.
Swing Dance
We teach Lindy hop in our swing dance classes!
Our classes teach you to dance with another person, and to develop your own, personal style. We focus on old music and dance, but bring a new, fresh approach to lindy hop.
Lindy hop was the most popular swing dance of the 1930s and 40s. It's a partner dance, and you would probably recognise it for the crazy aerials and flips. But most lindy hoppers today are all about connecting with a partner on the dance floor, and on enjoying the exciting, fun music of the swing era.
We believe that dancing should be fun first, and serious second. But that doesn't mean you can't be really serious about fun :D
Check out this footage of Frankie Manning and Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in the film Hellzapoppin'.
Solo Jazz Dance
Dancing alone is great for improving fitness, balance, and coordination. But more importantly - it's crazy fun!
Soft shoe, black bottom, charleston, tranky do, the big apple...dancing alone was just as popular as partner dancing in the swing era!
Solo dance is the heart of lindy hop, and old time dancers like Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Al Minns, and Leon James couldn’t imagine lindy hopping without a grounding in solo dance. We take our inspiration from historic dancers like Bessie Dudley, Florence Hill, Josephine Baker, and Bill Robinson. Today solo jazz dance is hugely popular, and the best lindy hoppers in the world are all enthusiastic solo dancers.
Check out Bessie Dudley and Florence Hill dancing with Duke Ellington's band in this short film.
That means: old timey fun.
Rhythm Tap
One of the greats in the jazz dance family, tap bridges the divide between musician and dancer.
Our beginner classes take a simple, rhythm-first approach to tap dance.
Swing Dance Sydney celebrates the history of rhythm tap and dancers like Fayard and Harold Nicholas, Bunny Briggs, Mable Lee, and Cora LaRedd.
Tap is an important member of the jazz dance family. We dance tap as an improvised jazz dance, not a stage show, and our guest tap performers sit in with our bands, as another musician.
Check out this footage of the Nicholas Brothers in the film Stormy Weather.