Learn to swing dance and Lindy Hop at Cat’s Corner! Have fun, meet new people, and get great exercise all at once! Cat’s Corner offers:
- Hip, expert & friendly dance instruction with Nathan, Eileen and guest teachers
- Progressive format classes so you can get better each week
- No partner needed. We rotate partners frequently in class. Beginners always welcome!
- Convenient and secure online class registration
- Live Music Dance Party & Cocktails after class!
Class Dates: December 4, 11 & 18 (3 weeks)
Note: November and December class series will be 3 weeks long instead of 4, due to Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. The abbreviated 3 week sessions will prioritize covering the must-know, essential class material from our 4-month Beginning & 6-month Intermediate class cycle.
Class Schedule:
- 7-8 PM Beginning Lindy Hop Monthly Series (24 spots available, register online)
- 8-9 PM Intermediate Lindy Hop Monthly Series (24 spots available, register online)
- 9-9:30 PM Beginning East Coast Swing Weekly Drop-in Class (FREE for first time students otherwise $15/week, no registration needed)
Save $15 or more when you sign up early online!
More Class Details
For Beginners
Beginning East Coast Swing Drop-in Class (9-9:30 PM)
This short and sweet class is designed for the absolute beginner with no previous dance experience. We start from scratch each week, covering partner dance fundamentals and introducing simple 6-count East Coast Swing, Jig Walks and Charleston steps to get you out on the dance floor and grooving to the music.
Cost: FREE for first time students, otherwise $15 per week (includes dance party admission). No registration required.
Beginning Lindy Hop (7-8 PM)
In these classes, you will learn the basics of Lindy Hop, the original swing dance from the 1930s that features fast footwork and addictive rhythms. You’ll learn the basic 8-count steps that every lindy hopper should know — swingout, lindy circle & charleston — plus solid lead and follow technique and a different set of beginner level steps each month.
Previous swing dancing experience is helpful but not required. To get the most out of the class, we recommend that you are already comfortable with “triple-steps” — if you don’t know these yet, we suggest taking our 9pm drop-in swing class a few times first.
Four Month Class Cycle (okay to start any month!)
| Jan/May/Sep (A) | Swing out from open Swing out from closed 6-count tuck turn from closed 8-count tuck turn from closed Reverse Jerk Promenade with Pecking |
| Feb/Jun/Oct (B) | Side-by-side Charleston Toss Across & Yo-Yo Charleston Toss Across & Yo-Yo Lindy Swing out from closed Swing out from open Lindy Circle Shimmy |
| Mar/Jul/Nov (C) | Simplified Swingouts (no triple steps) Swing out from closed Swing out from open 8-count Inside Turn 8-count Outside Turn 8-count Texas Tommy Lindy Circle |
| Apr/Aug/Dec (D) | 6-count turns triple steps vs. jig walks closed vs. open position Behind-the-back Charleston Side-by-side Charleston Kick-through Charleston |
Cost: $90 early registration by Jan 3 / $105 full registration online. $110 door. $30/week drop-in with teacher permission.
Special Discounts: $85 for first 3 leaders and 3 followers to register. $90 when taking both monthly classes.
All class costs include dance party admission.
Intermediate & Beyond
Intermediate Lindy Hop (8-9 PM)
In this class, you will build up your repertoire of lead and follow techniques, classic lindy hop moves and styling.
Requirements:
Students wishing to join the Intermediate class must have completed our 4-month Beginning Lindy Hop program (or the equivalent) as well as a friendly level-check with one of our teachers. Students should be regular social dancers at this point, and should be able to confidently dance the steps listed on our 4-month Beginner curriculum (click the “Beginning” tab above) including 6-count turns, 8-count swingout, Lindy circle and related turns, and basic Charleston patterns. Contact the teachers to arrange a level-check and get class level advice.
Intermediate Lindy Hop 6-month Class Cycle (start any month)
| Jan/Jul (A) | Swingout Like Things: Reverse Jerk, Reverse Swingout, Half-Swingout, Slip-out, Travel Swingout Charleston: Airplane, Cross-plane & Shadow Footwork, Rhythm & Style I |
| Feb/Aug (B) | Mixing 6-count, 8-count Turns and Tuck Turns Classic Sequences: Pecking Promenade, Curl & Points, Quick-Stop, Jump Turn, Tango, Drags Spins & Turns |
| Mar/Sep (C) | Dancing Fast: Jig Walks, Charleston Swingouts & Fast Lindy Charleston: Kick-Through & Hand-to-Hand Footwork, Rhythm & Style II |
| Apr/Oct (D) | Swingouts, Circles & 6-counts: mixing 6- vs. 8-counts, Forward & Backward swingout technique, rotational swingouts Charleston: Side-by-side, Yo-Yo, Face-to-Face and Hacksaws Moving Like a Dancer Musicality |
| May/Nov (E) | 8-count Turns: Inside, Outside, Finger-roll & Texas Tommy from an 8-count swingout Charleston: Tandem & Hand-to-Hand Footwork, Rhythm & Style |
| Jun/Dec (F) | Tuck Turns Classic Sequences: Mini-Dip, Behind-the-Back Promenade, Sailor Kicks, the Chase More Spins & Turns |
Cost: $90 early registration by Jan 3 / $105 full registration online. $110 door. $30/week drop-in with teacher permission.
Special Discounts: $85 for first 3 leaders and 3 followers to register. $90 when taking both monthly classes.
All class costs include dance party admission.
Series class sizes are limited and often sell out. A few extra spots are also made available to our staff volunteers.
About the Teachers
Nathan Dias
Resident Teacher, Cats Corner Founder
Nathan specializes in Lindy Hop, the high-energy swing dance from the 1930s and 40s, and has been teaching, performing and DJing since 2005. He started swing dancing in 1997 and lindy hopping in 2000. A regular dancer in San Francisco since 2001, Nathan enjoys the creativity and personal connection of social dancing as well as the challenge and satisfaction on working on and improving his dance.
He has taught at practically all of the local swing dance venues at one time or another, including the 9:20 Special, Lindy in the Park, Tuesday Night Jump, Rent Party and original Doghouse, and has been a featured instructor at regional workshops such as Swingin' at the Savoy, California Swingin', *Workshop (San Luis Obispo), Santa Swing (Santa Barbara), and Le Hot Sauce (SF).
Eileen Gonzales
Staff Teacher
Eileen has loved dancing all her life, but got started with Lindy Hop in 2012 when she first took a class at Cat’s Corner! Since then she has been dancing across the world by combining work trips as an astronomer with dance! When out on the floor she aims to incorporate musicality and play into her dance. She has performed at various venues in the Bay Area and NYC, but most memorably at another dancer’s wedding! You can find her out and about at many Bay Area venues, but it’s a good bet you’ll see her at Cat’s Corner when Steve Lucky is playing.
Progressive vs. Drop-in Classes
All of the Lindy Hop classes are progressive, with each week’s material building on the previous week’s class. Lindy Hop drop-ins are allowed for $30 which also includes dance party and 9pm lesson admission. Please note that if you drop in to one of the classes, it may be in the middle of the class series, and you may fall behind. We recommend that you take the full series. We always offer a drop-in Beginning Swing class each Wednesday from 9:00-9:30pm.
Not sure which class is for you? Send us an email with any questions!
After the Classes
All class costs include admission to the Cat’s Corner Swing Dance Party. Stay to dance to live swing music starting at 9:30pm. The venue features cocktail bar, roomy dance floor, and great swinging ambiance. We often have surprises around 10:30pm – it could be a special performance, contest, or silly group activity — to add to the festivities.