Swing Out New Hampshire - Lindy Hop Dance Camp

* Please Read This Information Carefully Before Registering.

Levels Information
Swing Out New Hampshire is a tracked camp, meaning classes with each teacher are progressive and you stay with your level throughout the weekend.

You Do Not Sign Up For A Specific Level. When you do register, we ask you where you see yourself (based on our descriptions of the different levels). We will also ask about your past year's Lindy Hop experience and who you learned from. If you're unsure, please contact us and we'll be happy to help you figure out which level description fits you best.

Before Camp We Assign You To A Level Based On A Combination Of Factors. These include your self-assessment, your prior Lindy Hop experience and feedback from your hometown teachers. We also take into account the size of the available classrooms and the need to maintain lead/follow balance.

At a tracked camp there will always be some spread of abilities at each level. Our intention is to place you in the track that will benefit your dancing the most. We also want to ensure the best learning experience for everyone, so we divide the camp into the most homogenous groups we can.

During the first day, the instructors will re-assign anyone whose Lindy Hop skills are clearly not appropriate for their original level. If you feel you were grossly mis-tracked (and this was not noticed during the first day's classes), there will be an opportunity at the end of the first day to have the instructors take a look at your dancing and make a final decision as to whether or not you need to be moved up or down, or stay in your original level.

Please remember we can only move dancers who in the opinion of the teachers clearly do not belong in the level to which they were assigned. You will not be moved simply because you might be at the top of your level and would rather be in the next higher level, or because your friends were placed in a higher level.

We try to create the best groups possible and to place you in the level where you can benefit most. In past years most folks have been very happy with this process and their placement. If you are not comfortable trusting this process and accepting the judgment of the teachers as to final level assignments, this is probably not the best camp for you.

Levels Descriptions

Level 2A - Beginner/Intermediate
There is no track for complete beginners. You have already taken some Lindy Hop classes, and you are familiar with the swing out, the Lindy circle and side-by-side Charleston. This track is also for experienced dancers (in other styles) who have already taken some Lindy Hop classes and experienced the above basics.

This level will explore the heart of Lindy Hop. You will work on and refine your core skills, so you can start to feel comfortable dancing the Lindy Hop socially.

Level 2B - Intermediate
You've probably been dancing the Lindy Hop for at least 6 months. You feel very comfortable with the basics and have already started to put the moves together and to go out social dancing. It's time to build your vocabulary and really work on some lead and following skills and some fancy footwork to make your dancing SWING. It's also time to start work on connecting to the music.

Level 3 - Intermediate/Advanced
You've probably taken lots of classes and workshops and attended camps as well. You've got a whole mess of Lindy Hop moves and social dance experience. You look forward to really working on the quality of your basic movement and your musicality, as well as lead and follow at a more refined level.

Level 4 - Advanced
This level is limited to the top Lindy Hoppers at camp. You must provide us with a recommendation from one of the SONH teachers before camp if you think you belong in this level. If you think you won't be able to interface with an SONH instructor, please let us know right away. You get it! As Paul Overton used to say, "If all that the instructors worked on four 4 days in Level 4 was Swing Outs (not that they will, but who knows), you would be just fine with that." Now it's time to make Lindy Hop into ART!

PLEASE NOTE:
Level sizes are limited by the capacity of available classrooms and the need to maintain lead/follow balance in class. We will be creating more than one track in some of the above levels. You will not be able to attend classes for a track or level other than your own.

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