What's the best way to learn how to swing dance in New York City? Many of the dance clubs in new york city feature dance lessons taught by a local dance school, but it's usually best to go to an independent dance school directly,.  Some of our favorite schools for learning swing in New York City are listed below. These dance schools provide high quality dance education with low pressure group lessons. Pricing of the classes is quite reasonable, they cost between 60$ and $75 per class per month,and around $90/month if you signup for 2 different classes. Often partner is not needed when attending swing dancing classes, partners are rotated throughout the class, so everyone gets a chance to meet and dance with new partners.

Dance Manhattan , 39 W. 19th St. 5th and 6th., 807-0802. Co-Owners Elena Iannuci and Teddy Kern. Janice Wilson and Paolo Lanna, 1997 ASDC Lindy Hop Champions teach here as well. Janice also runs the Grit Ginders Lindy performance dance team. Elena is a well respected Savoy Style Lindy Hop teacher and performed in the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers. Dance Manhattan provides free swing lessons most nights at Swing 46. The studio is also known for West Coast Swing with it novel rotating roster of visiting national dancers and dance champions and its Tango and Latin programs. The Avis of dance studios. Special Feature Sunday Crash Courses in Lindy Hop: Dance Manhattan runs these every month or so and in my view, this it the best way to learn to dance from scratch. It is 3 1/2 hours and is about $35. Then, if you go to the Swing Society on Sunday night and practice what you learn, in one day, you might actually know something and can "get by."

Shall We Dance has been in its new studios at 200 Church Street, between Duane and Thomas, for one year. 566-1081. Co-Owners. John Knapp and Meredith Stead. John and Meredith coached and performed on the first-place Swing Team at the 1996 ASDC, and were third in Lindy Hop that year. Also in 1996, John and Meredith had the highest placement of any Lindy Hop couple at the US Open. Meredith apprenticed with Frankie Manning. Staffer Joe Palmer is a member of Nathalie Gomes' Hop Swing and Jump Dancers, and staffer Nate Dechongkit won the "Back to the Future" Lindy contest held at Webster Hall. They offer two levels of Lindy Hop and a Lindy-related class that teaches, on a rotating basis, Peabody, Balboa, the Big Apple, Charleston, et cetera. In addition to East Coast and West Coast, the studio offers Country-Western dancing, in which John and Meredith dance at the Champions level. If you feel overwhelmed in the bigger studios, I urge you to try out John and Meredith's studio.

In addition, many dance events and dances have free lessons taught generally by teachers from one of the above schools. Generally, the lessons are aimed at novices, but, frequently other more advanced material is presented.