Description
In this class you will learn the basics of Collegiate Shag - a partner dance that originated in the 1930’s and has a history similar to other jazz and swing era dances. The dance is known for its hopping basic step and high energy footwork to up-tempo swing and pre-swing jazz music (185-220+ beats per minute).

In Col. Shag 1 we focus on two types of basics. First is the face-to-face basic in both closed and open connection. Next we also work on our side-by-side basic both on the spot and with travelling patterns. Within those basics we will teach you different turns and spins in a way so you are a ready for a social dancefloor already after this first round.

Level Guidance
You don’t need any prior dance experience to join this class. But if you have danced swing or another dance before, then that’s of course an advantage.

Description
Col. Shag 2 is a continuation from the Col. Shag 1 course and we are ready to explore more of what this dance can bring us. We will keep working on the basic moves and techniques and we will introduce new types of footwork as well: double kick basic and "breaks" to hit those special moments in the music. In every round we will come along figures and variations that will make you work on both the styling and functionality of different kind of footwork so you will feel comfortable changing between plain basic, single-kick basic, double kick basic, smooth basic and more. At the end of this level you'll be able to enter a social dance floor with cool moves like ‘sliding doors’, ‘Shag-dips’, Shag-outs (Collegiate Shag's interpretation of swing outs) and Shag Sailor step.

Level Guidance
You need to complete Col. Shag 1 course to be able to join this class.
If you have danced Collegiate Shag in another school before, you need to have at least 2 months of experience to be able to join this class. And please have a dialogue with the teachers if you would like to join to make sure to end in the best suitable level.

Description
Col. Shag 3 is a continuation of Col. Shag 2 and will be a level where lead/follow-technique and new types of footwork will be combined with more complex figures and combinations/spicing up of known figures and moves. You already use and understand footwork variations and different types of basics as part of your styling and as a functionality in your dancing. With other words – both are no longer a struggle but a thrill.

Expect to be both challenged with faster tempo and new moves while you have fun and you’ll find your Shag technique to develop along the way.

Theme for Shag 3 Wednesday: Sweet shagouts - fancy feet

• A theme class for level 3 and up - after completing shag 1 and 2. We will work on your basic shag-out technique to give you a good foundation to make them both sweet and sharp. Different variations including the entrance and exit as well as fancy but functional footwork will help you to spice up your shag-outs. It is going to be fun, challenging and exciting!
  

Classic Arthur Murray Shag Routine from 1937
This is the first time in Copenhagen, where we will teach this classical and very important routine from 1937 danced and performed by the Collegiate Shag students of Arthur Murray as you can see in this video clip.
It goes through a lot of fundamentals in shag and a variety of swing and jazz dancing fundamentals like the Suzie Q and Charleston steps.

This course is open to anyone who has danced shag for at least 2 rounds or who has danced lindy hop or other swing dances for 6 months. If you already know how to swing you will easily learn the necessary basics of shag through the routine.

Partner sign up is required and you will learn the routine with the partner. We might still do some rotations in class in case of unbalanced lead/follow show up or if it will be good for learning purpose of a move.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, currently there is no partner rotation in any of our partner classes. Which means that if you want to participate in the course, you need to sign up with a partner, and that will be your dance partner for the full round of classes. 

You don't need a partner to register. If you register alone we will simply pair you up with another participant. We will also have partner rotation in the classes, so you will get to meet and dance with everyone in the class. A nice way to make new friends!

A little tip though: since this is a partner dance we need to balance the number of leaders and followers ( traditionally leaders are men and followers women. However, in these modern times we welcome anyone to pick whichever role they prefer). We typically have many more followers than leads, so if you choose to be a follower we recommend that you sign-up with a partner to avoid the waiting list.

We organize Intro Classes to Swing Dancing during our Friday Parties, which take place in our studio every second/third week. You don't need to sign up beforehand, just show up on the day and pay the entrance to the party at the door. The intro class takes place right before the party. For more information on that, check our Friday Party section.

You can also join an intro class to swing dance in Student House on Tuesdays. See more info about it here.

We don't offer sign ups for single classes to our weekly classes. We need to make sure that our classes are well balanced, so that there is an equal or almost equal amount of followers and leaders (where leaders are usually men and followers are women). Sign ups for single classes would disrupt our leader-follower balance. Therefore it is only possible to sign up for a full round of classes (7 weeks of classes).

We teach in English because our classes have dancers from all over the world. However, you are welcome to ask questions and speak to us in Danish.

Anything that you feel comfortable in that doesn't limit your movement. We suggest bringing some extra clothes to change into after class - Lindy Hop is an energetic dance, so you might get sweaty. We have a Shower Area in our studio, where you can take a shower and change clothes before or after class.
Regarding footwear, flat shoes will be the best choice, preferably with a not-too-sticky sole. We do not recommend high heels for beginners. If you want to invest in some good dancing shoes, try these brands: Keds, Aris Allen, Toms, Dance Joy.

Don't worry if you happen to miss a class or two. We do a recap after all our classes. which students are welcome to film and share with each other. You should be able to get the video from your classmates and practice the moves.

If you feel like you have missed out on too many classes, and you are having trouble catching up with the new material, you can:
• book a private lesson with us, where we will work one-to-one with you on the material. Check our Private Lessons section for more info.
• sign up for the Beginners Course again. It will give you a chance to recap the material you've learned, and catch up with the things you missed.

Regarding refunds: Once the course has begun, we do not offer refunds for any missed classes.

You can have your registration refunded, if you write us latest one week before classes start, after which we do not offer refunds. You may sell your registration to someone else. All we need is an email from you, with their name and email included. Please note: It is not possible to change the follow/lead role of your original registration.

Swing dancing is for everyone, regardless of age. In Copenhagen you can meet swing dancers from every age group, having lots of fun together on the dance-floor. That said, you must be at least 15 years old to join our classes, due to legal regulations. We do not however have a maximum age limit. 🙂

Friday Parties at Happy Feet Studio
(every second/third week)
Great evenings of dancing and hanging out in in the home of happy feet! Each party starts with an Intro Class to swing dance. After that, the dancefloor is open, and we have plenty of special attractions prepared for you, making each party different and unique.
From time to time there will be live music, dance competitions, dance shows, quizes, intro classes in blues/shag/balboa, and much more. There is also a cozy bar where you can buy drinks and hang out with your friends in between dances.
Get more info about Friday Parties here.

Open Practice in Happy Feet Studio
(almost every day)
You can come to Open Practice in our studio up to three times a week, to practice moves from your class or just dance with your friends. You might want to bring a partner to dance with, but otherwise the dancefloor is open, and the music is playing, so just show up and dance! Open Practice is free and open for everyone, no sign up needed.
Get more info about Open Practice here.

Other social dancing opportunities in Copenhagen:

• Tuesday Swing Dance
at Studenterhuset: 19.30 - 23.00

• Sunday Swing organized by Swingin' Hepcats
at Indre By Kulturhus: 15.00 - 18.00
(and 16.00 - 19.00 on the 1st Sunday of the month)

• Saturday Extra Training organized by SwingShoes
at Vesterbro Kulturhus: 12.00 - 14.00

Apart from that there is also plenty of other events and places where you can dance socially and meet other swing dancers. For more info, check out the Facebook group Swing Dance in Copenhagen - it has over 3000 members and has important updates on swing dance events in Copenhagen.