JEFFERSON COUNTY SWING DANCE CLUB-ST LOUIS SWING DANCE LESSONS ST LOUIS

swing dance club st louis

St Louis Swing Dance Club.  East Coast and West Coast Swing Dancing St Louis. First time visitors on Tuesdays get dance and lesson for free. Free swing dance lessons before Tuesday dance. Free soda and popcorn. JCSDC Jefferson County Swing Dance Club dances biweekly on Tuesdays to both east coast swing dancing and west coast swing dancing. Our Tuesday dances are at 2301 Church Road, Arnold, MO  63010.  Our Sat/Sun dances are no longer at 10140 Concord School Rd, St Louis, MO 63128 (Concord Farmers Club in Sappington, Missouri.) (Web Master: Bob Thurau)

MIDWEST FEDERATION SWING DANCE CALENDAR 2021 (click here)

INFORMAL JCSDC SWING DANCE
LaChance Vineyards
Outdoor Tables
May 1, 2021, 1-4 pm
Leslie and Scott singers
12237 Peter Moore Lane
DeSoto, MO 63020

SWING DANCES BEGIN TUESDAY JULY 13, 2021 AT THE VFW IN ARNOLD

WATCH OUR SWING DANCING

Imperial Swing danced in the SLOT with cross-overs and sugar push breaks

SWING DANCE LESSON VIDEOS

1. IMPERIAL EAST COAST SWING DANCING LESSON – VIDEO – SWING DANCE LESSONS ST LOUIS
2. WEST COAST SWING DANCING LESSON – VIDEO – SWING DANCE LESSONS ST LOUIS
3. HOW TO PUT IMPERIAL DANCE MOVES INTO WEST COAST SWING DANCING – VIDEO -SWING DANCE LESSONS ST LOUIS
4. COUPLES’ LINE DANCES

Jefferson County Swing Dancing Club
SWING DANCE LESSONS EAST COAST SWING DANCING & WEST COAST  SWING DANCING
2nd & 4th TUESDAY DANCES IN ARNOLD, MO
FIRST TIME VISITORS ARE FREE-SWING DANCE LESSON
ALSO VISIT US AT OUR ST LOUIS LOCATION
Sat: West County Swing Dance Club, WCSDC
Sundays: Southside Swing Dance Club

FOR CLUB INFO OR SWING DANCE LESSONS :  CALL OR TEXT JOHN ROEDDER at 314-570-0365 OR 636-296-6702.  OR SEND A MESSAGE USING THE WEBSITE CONTACT FORM

MIDWEST SWING DANCE FEDERATION CALENDAR IN ST LOUIS (includes West County Swing Dance Club, WCSDC) ⇒ ALL CLUBS

REAR VFW BUILDING ENTRANCE LEADS TO DANCE HALL.  First time visitors on Tuesdays get into the dance for free. Free beginner swing dance lessons (St Louis) before each Tuesday dance. Free soda and popcorn.  Swing dance lessons are 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. (free with paid dance entry)

DJ Lisa Gendron (Rebels DJ) on 2nd Tuesday and DJ Willie Braswell on 4th Tuesday of each month.
JEFFERSON COUNTY SWING DANCE CLUB DATES – 1,040 sq. ft. dance floor (40 x 26)

2021 Tuesday
DJ – Lisa		 Tuesday
DJ – Willie		 ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME AT BOARD MEETINGS
July 13 27 First Dance after Covid
Aug 10 24  
Sept 14 28  
Oct 12 26  
Nov 9 23  
Dec 14 28 Dec 14 Chrismas cookie dance – members encouraged 
to share their favorite cookie 
Jan      
Feb      
Mar      
Apr      
May      
June      
  1. Our Jefferson County swing dance club in Arnold, MO is the place for swing dancing St Louis for any age, any gender; single or married.  We also do line dances.
  2. We meet on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month at the Arnold VFW Hall at 2301 Church Road, Arnold, MO  63010.  The rear building entrance leads directly to the dance hall. Our Sat/Sun dances are no longer at 10140 Concord School Rd, St. Louis, MO 63128 (Concord Farmers Club in Sappington, Missouri).
  3. Visitors are welcome.  You do not need to be a club member.  It is not necessary to have a partner, we have many members who are available to dance with you.  Our dance club also does line dances (Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, etc.)
  4. Free swing dance lessons are 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. (with paid dance entry).  If you can do 2 triple steps and a rock step, then you can get out on the dance floor immediately.
  5. Open dancing is 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
  6. Admission is $5 for JCSDC and sister club members and $8 for non-members.  Members admitted free on their birthday.  Annual member fees are $20.
  7. We are a non-profit organization.   Our club does Imperial Swing Dancing and also  West Coast Swing Dancing.   Sometimes we are called Club Imperial Arnold MO.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER, CLICK HERE ⇒  JEFFERSON COUNTY SWING DANCE CLUB NEWLETTER 

VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, CLICK HERE ⇒  JEFFERSON COUNTY SWING DANCE CLUB FACEBOOK PAGE 

      1. Jefferson County Dance flyer and DJs schedule (quarterly flyer) (click here) PDF file ⇒ qtrlyflyer Jan 2020
      2. Jefferson County Dance Club newsletter ⇒ news letter Jan 2020
      3. Visit our membership page for information on becoming a member of J.C.S.D.C. ⇒ Membership

WEST COUNTY SWING DANCE CLUB LESSONS – WCSDC

Dances every Tuesday at the Moolah Shrine Center, 12545 Fee Fee Rd. St Louis, MO 63146

WEST COUNTY SWING DANCE CLUB LESSONS (WCSDC) MEETS MONTHLY, USUALLY ON A SATURDAY IN KIRKWOOD, MO – St Louis Dance Clubs

West County Swing Dance Club Lessons WCSDC – Dance Lessons

      1. West County  Club has 4 levels of dance lessons every Tuesday
      2. Each 1 hour lesson is:  $3.00 for sister club members, $5.00 for guests

West County Swing Dance Club – WCSDC

      1.   Has a dance lesson workshop on Saturday mornings at Kirkwood community center.
      2. 2 hour workshop 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
        FREE to WCSDC members
        $3.00 for sister club members
        $5.00 for guests

MIDWEST SWING DANCE FEDERATION – SWING DANCING ST LOUIS

      1. The federation sponsors annual Caribbean Cruise, Picnic, and Rolling on the River

Southside Imperial Dance Club has a brand new great looking website ⇒ southsidedance.org

SouthSide Imperial Dance Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Imperial Swing Dancing, Missouri area.

Moolah swing dance club – St Louis Shriners – Dances every Friday at the Moolah Shrine Center, 12545 Fee Fee Rd. St Louis, MO 63146

Moolah Swing Dance Club – St Louis Shriners Dances every Friday night, with live bands on 2 of those Friday Nights.

Southside Imperial Dance Club

Dances the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month at the Crestwood Elks Lodge, 10261 Bauer Rd, St. Louis, MO 63128.  Open dancing from 6 – 9 pm.  Beginner Lessons 5:45 – 6:30 pm at Every Dance.  Dances begin July  2021.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO SWING DANCE?  

It does not take long to learn to swing dance for women who are musically inclined (can follow a beat) or have done any previous dancing.  They can learn the basic swing dance after just one swing dance lesson.  They can get on the dance floor.  They will be able to dance the basic steps and follow basic leads.  For those who have no prior dance experience, we generally recommend 3-4 dance lessons before dancing.  Group dance lessons are helpful in establishing confidence in dancing with different people.

Is Swing Dance Hard to Learn?

Swing dance is not hard to learn.  Most women can can get on the dance floor after just a one hour lesson.  The  foot  work is a simple :  triple step, triple step, rock step.  Men with no  musical background, generally have a more difficult time learning to dance.  They  have to learn how to do leads and learn to not dance stiffly.  If  you can do any type of dance, then learning to swing dance will be easy.

What do you wear to swing dance lessons?

Both men and women typically wear comfortable slacks to swing dance lessons.    For women:  About 2/3 wear slacks  and the remainder wear skirts.  As for shoes, any  flats with hard soles (leather) that you  are comfortable in will be fine.  Actually for lessons, most men and women wear blue jeans. For men’s shirts:  some half wear button down shirts, some wear pullover knit shirts, and the remainder wear t-shirts.  For men’s trousers:  most wear black, grey, or khaki pants (sometimes  shorts) to dances.  

What shoes should I wear to go swing dancing?

For shoes, wear flats with hard soles (leather) that you  are comfortable in, to swing dancing.  Do not wear tennis shoes or rubber soled shoes, as these grip the floor so that  you  cannot turn during swing dancing.  Women should stay  away from high heel shoes until they are experienced dancers.  I would avoid sandals or slippers because occasionally feet get stepped on.  

Destination Swing meets at the Affton Elks Lodge, 6330 Heege Road, St. Louis, MO 63123

WEST COAST SWING DANCING CLUBS – Destination Swing on 2 Saturday nights per month. Dance from 8 pm- midnight.  Non-members $10.

SWING DANCE LESSONS ST LOUIS

Most St Louis swing dancing clubs provide free or low cost dance lessons before their dances, including  our Jefferson County Swing Dance Club.  West County Swing Dance Club charges $3 for members and $5 for guests for each dance lesson.

MIDWEST SWING DANCE FEDERATION – SWING DANCING ST LOUIS

The Midwest Swing Dance Federation has 11 dance clubs, mostly in the St Louis, MO area (St. Louis dance clubs).  See “sister clubs” menu for links.  Most clubs use the east coast style of dance (unless stated differently below).

  1. Jefferson County swing dance club – Arnold, MO (St. Louis dance clubs)
  2. Destination swing dance club (west coast swing dancing St Louis with swing dance lessons)
  3. Jefferson City Swing Dance Club, Jefferson City, MO ( swing dancing with swing dance lessons)
  4. Lake Of The Ozarks Club, Lake Ozark, MO (swing dancing with swing dance lessons)
  5. Moolah Shrine swing dance club (St. Louis dance clubs) (swing dancing with swing dance lessons)
  6. Midwest United States Imperial Club, Collinsville, IL (St. Louis dance clubs) (east swing dancing  with swing dance lessons)
  7. Southside Imperial Dance Club, St Louis, MO (St. Louis dance clubs )(imperial swing – east swing dancing with swing dance lessons)
  8. St Charles Imperial Dance Club, St Peters, MO (St. Louis dance clubs) (imperial swing – east swing dancing)
  9. Rebels dance club (west coast swing dancing St Louis)
  10. West County Swing Dance Club, St Louis, MO St. Louis dance clubs
  11. St Louis Imperial Dance Club, St. Ann, MO (St. Louis Area) – slidc.org/

WEST COAST SWING DANCING ST LOUIS

Our club does both east coast swing and west coast swing dancing.

1. There are 2 west coast clubs, Destination Swing and the Rebels.
2. Destination Swing has west coast swing dance lessons from 7 – 8 pm before their Saturday dances.
a. Free Level 1: Beginner lesson
You’ll be introduced to the basics of partner dancing, learn some fun patterns, and have time for Q&A.
b. Level 2: Fundamentals (non-members $5)
You’ll learn some new patterns, and gain more knowledge about connection, body-flight, and motion.
3. Level 3: Intermediate
Intermediate West Coast Swing Dance Lessons,  patterns, musicality, stylization, and technique.

MOOLAH SWING DANCE CLUB -Dances Friday nights at the Moolah Shrine Center, Maryland Heights, MO 63146

IMPERIAL SWING DANCING ST LOUIS

      1. In the St Louis, MO, Imperial Swing Dancing is the most common type of swing dancing.  Imperial swing dancing is a combination of east coast swing and west coast swing   Imperial is considered to be an east coast swing dancing style because the footwork is the same as east coast swing.  However the NATIONAL FAST DANCE ASSOCIATION states that St. Louis Imperial Swing is an off-shoot of West Coast Swing Dancing, not East Coast Swing Dancing.
      2. St. Louis Imperial is halfway between east coast swing dance and west coast swing dance.  It uses the east coast dance footwork and faster tempo, but uses the west coast dance slot pattern with west coast  dance turns.
      3. A non-dancer cannot tell the difference between a west swing basic move and an east coast swing sugar push move.  Those two dance moves will look the same.  But to the dancers, there is a huge difference.
      4. The Midwest Swing Dance Federation has 9 dance clubs, mostly in the St Louis, MO area. Most of these St. Louis dance clubs use the east coast imperial style.  Everyone is welcome at any of the St Louis swing dance clubs.  You do not need to be a club member.  Each St Louis dance club offers free or nominal cost dance lessons for beginners the hour before their dance starts.  These dance lessons are group lessons, where you rotate partners to be sure that everyone learns the lesson equally well.  Partners are not needed for the dance lessons.  Each club has its own website that lists the dates of their dances.

Concord Farmers Club (sometimes called Concord Hall) -Hall with independent swing dancing St Louis dates

What’s the difference between East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing?

      1. Imperial east coast swing dancing and west coast swing dancing are similar but distinct dances.  Both styles are danced in the slot.
      2. West Coast Swing is generally seen as a little slower, more stylized dance. Imperial east coast swing is a little faster dance, using pop music such as Lady Gaga or Rihanna.  For both dance styles, dancers often stay within a specific rectangular slot on the dance floor, moving in an up and down section.
      3. Both dances use a 6 count pattern of triple step, triple, step, two step.  But the way the steps are counted is different.
      4. When people see that we teach both East and West Coast Swing Dance Lessons at the Jefferson County Swing Dancing Club, their first reaction is often, “What’s the difference?” Because a lot a beginning dancers assume that “swing dancing” in itself is a singular dance style, they don’t realize that there is more than one type.

Swing Dancing Steps (6 count patterns)

      1. The East Coast style dance is made up of two triple steps and  a two step (rock step).
      2. The West Coast style dance is made up of two walking steps and two triple steps.

Variations of Dancing in the United States.  Many of these are regional variations.

      1. East Coast Swing Dancing  – is a simpler 6-count variation that spawned from the six-count variations of the Lindy Hop. It evolved with swing-band music of the 1940s and the work of the Arthur Murray dance studios in the 1940s. It is also known as Six-count Swing, Triple-Step Swing, or Single-Time Swing. East Coast Swing has very simple structure and footwork along with basic moves and styling. It is popular for its simple nature and is often danced to slow, medium, or fast tempo jazz, blues, or rock and roll.
      2. West Coast Swing  Dancing- was developed in the 1940s, as a stylistic variation on the Los Angeles style of the Lindy Hop. It is a slotted dance and is done to a wide variety of music including: blues, rock and roll, country western, pop, hip hop, smooth, cool jazz, R& B, and funk music. It is popular throughout the United States and Canada but was uncommon in Europe and much of Asia until the 21st Century.
      3. Carolina Shag – was danced along the strands between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, during the 1940s but, during the 1990s and later, has expanded to many other places. It is most often associated with beach music, which refers to songs that are rhythm-and-blues-based.
      4. Imperial Swing – is a cross between East Coast and West Coast Swing as it is done both in slot and in the round. It started at the Club Imperial in St Louis.

ABA CLUBS (American Bop Association) – East coast

    1. Atlanta Swing Dancing, Atlanta, GA – atlantaswingdancers.com
    2. Chicago Jitterbug Club, Chicago, IL  – chicagojitterbugclub.com
    3. Chicago’s Windy City Jitterbug Club, Chicago, IL – jitterbugchicago.com
    4. Choo Choo Shag Club, Chattanooga, TN – choochooshagclub.com
    5. Cincinnati Bop Club, Cincinnati, OH – cincibop.com
    6. Corvette City Bop Club, Bowling Green, KY – corvettecitybopanddanceclub.com
    7. Derby City Bop Association, Louisville, KY – derbycitybop.com
    8. Evansville River City Bop Club, Evansville, IN – ercbopclub.com
    9. Indy Dancers, Indianapolis, In – indydancers.com
    10. Great Lakes Club, Burton, MI  – glsdc.org
    11. Jefferson City Swing Dance Club, Jefferson City, MO – jeffersoncityswingdanceclub.wildapricot.org
    12. Lake Of The Ozarks Swing Dance Club, Lake Ozark, MO – lakeozarksswingdance.com
    13. LEXDANCE, Lexington, KY – facebook.com/lexdanceky
    14. Little Rock Bop Club, North Little Rock, AR – littlerockbopclub.com
    15. Memphis Bop Club, Memphis, TN – thememphisbopclub.com
    16. Mid-Ohio Boogie Club, New Albany, OH – midohioboogieclub.org
    17. Magic City Boppers, Birmingham, AL – magiccityboppers.wixsite.com/magiccityboppers
    18. Midwest United States Imperial Club, Collinsville, IL (St Louis area)- musicswingdance.com
    19. Moolah Swing Dance Club, St. Louis, MO – mssdc.org
    20. Music City Bop Club, Goodlettsville, TN (Nashville Area) – musiccitybopclub.com/
    21. Ohio’s North Coast Jitterbug Connection, Cuyahoga, OH – oncjc.org
    22. STL Rebels, West Coast, St. Louis – stlrebels.com/
    23. R & B Shag Club of Spartanburg, Spartanburg, SC – rbshagclub.org
    24. Shag Atlanta, Roswell, GA (Atlanta Area) – shagatlanta.com
    25. Smoky Mountain Shaggers, Knoxville, TN – smokymountainshaggers.com/
    26. Southside Imperial Dance Club, St. Louis, MO – southsidedance.org
    27. Spa City Bop, Hot Springs, AR – spacitydanceclub.com/welcome—main-menu.html
    28. St Charles Imperial Dance Club, St. Peters, MO (St. Louis Area) – scidc.com/
    29. St Louis Imperial Dance Club, St. Ann, MO (St. Louis Area) – slidc.org/
    30. Steel City Boogie Club, Pittsburgh, PA – steelcityboogieclub.org/
    31. Tampa Bay Beach Boppers, Tampa Bay, FL – tampabaybeachboppers.com/
    32. Top Of Kentucky Boogie Club, Fort Mitchell, KY – topofky.com/
    33. West County Swing Dance Club, Manchester, MO (St. Louis Area) – wcsdc.com/