Yes, if you want to exercise and have fun. And yes, if you are looking for a balance to stressful everyday life and want to enjoy life. All swing dances are social dances without rigid rules of conduct. You can dance to slow and fast music, relaxed and calm or with fancy moves and aerials. Because the possibilities are so numerous, many people find their place in the swing dance community. We are proud of this diversity, from young to old and without stereotypical gender roles. If you are still unsure, just give it a try at our free crash course at our parties, an In a Day workshop or in the Beginner 1 course. 

Incidentally, swing dancing can have extremely positive effects on your everyday life. It brings momentum into your life, has a relaxing effect and at the same time gives you energy and you get to know lots of new people. But hear directly from our dancers how swing dancing enriches their lives.

You can try out swing dancing in a free crash course at our parties. Or you can attend one of our In a Day workshops. In two and a half hours, you'll get a good impression of swing dancing and know whether a weekly course is right for you.

If you notice during the course that a course does not meet your expectations, write to us or contact us directly. We welcome your feedback and are happy to look for ways to improve your learning experience.

In the couple dances Lindy Hop, Balboa and Shag, success is achieved through two separate but equally important roles: leaders, who initiate forms and patterns, and followers, who react to the signals, embellish them and also determine how the dance continues. There are no gender-specific or other guidelines - everyone dances what he or she prefers.

We encourage you to sign up for the role that interests you more at the beginning and to try out the other role from time to time to increase your understanding of the dance and expand your repertoire. Always ask at the social dance which role someone would like to dance in.

No, we alternate in all courses and workshops so that you can learn to dance with everyone. You can therefore also register on your own. We pay attention to a balanced ratio of leaders to followers and keep a waiting list in the event of a severe imbalance. 

As all swing dances are so-called social dances, we recommend that everyone changes partners. This is the best way to learn how to follow and lead and you can also adapt to different partners at parties.

In times of Corona or we leave it up to you whether you want to switch or not. If official restrictions apply, you will be informed by e-mail and in our protection concept.

Fill out the registration form to register. Please make sure that your e-mail address is correct. You will receive an automatic registration confirmation. Please check your inbox and spam folder if necessary. It is best to add info@baseljitterbugs to your address book. As soon as we can confirm your place, you will receive a course confirmation and invoice. If you have any questions, just write to us.

Our courses are continuous and build on each other. At the end of a course series, you are therefore automatically registered for the next course. This means you don't have to worry about registration deadlines or fill out the form again. You will receive an e-mail with the automatic registration. If you do not wish to continue, you can simply unsubscribe by e-mail within the specified period. You can find out more in ourterms and conditions.

As a beginner, you can still join a Beginner 1 course up to 3 weeks after the start of the course. Book half a private introdu ctory lesson (at a reduced price of CHF 30) and let us know which course you would like to join. In the introductory private lesson, we will bring you up to speed with the group and give you valuable tips for a good start. New courses start approx. every 8-10 weeks.

If you already dance Swing, you can join at any time. No matter whether you come from another dance school, have had a longer break or want to join a higher level course straight away. Find your desired course using the course description in the overview and book half a private lesson (at a reduced price of 30 CHF). Our aim is to find the right course for you and guarantee you a good start. So you'll feel comfortable right from the start!

The total price for courses and workshops can be found in the respective course description. Because we love swing dancing and we want you to become a real jitterbug, you will receive a discount if you attend more than one course. This way you can concentrate fully on dancing and discover the whole world of swing dancing! Below you will find the basic price and the discount for additional lessons.

• 1 course per week: 25/23* CHF

• 2 courses per week: -8%

• 3 courses per week: -16%

Each lesson contains 70 minutes of dance instruction and a video summary (recap). Registration is possible with or without a partner and is usually 8-10 lessons per course. Payment in installments is possible, see FAQ "How to pay".

*Reduced price for students, trainees, pensioners and holders of a Kultur-Legi. We offer reduced prices for those who cannot afford the full amount - no declaration is required. If the reduced price is still not affordable for you, please contact us at info@baseljitterbugs.ch. Together we will find a solution.

Example course fee: A course participant attends Lindy Hop, Balboa and Shag at the same time, i.e. three courses, and is a student. He therefore pays CHF 23 (8% student discount) and receives an additional discount of 16%, i.e. he pays CHF 19/lesson instead of CHF 25. This corresponds to a discount of 24%! 

Basel Jitterbugs is a member of the Swiss Dance Association TVS. As a dance student with us, you can therefore benefit from sports subsidies of up to CHF 600/year. Simply ask your insurance company whether dance courses are subsidized. You can find more information about the dance association and funding here.

To pay, you will receive a QR-bill in CHF, which you can pay via online banking. Simply scan the barcode with your bank's app to transfer all the data directly. Please use and check the reference number and note the payment term.

You can pay in EUR or cash on request.

For weekly courses and from CHF 180, payment in installments is possible: 50% on the due date, 50% within 30 days thereafter. Please use the same barcode/reference and let us know in advance by e-mail.

If you know in advance that you will miss an appointment, please let us know so that we can keep an eye on the leader/follower ratio. We can only guarantee you good and consistent progress if you attend the course punctually and regularly.

To support you, we summarize the content after each lesson in a recap (short video) . If you are unable to attend, you can stay on the ball with the help of the video and catch up on the material yourself.

Cancellations for courses are free of charge up to 7 days before the start of the course. From 7 days before, the full invoice amount will be charged. Registrations for workshops are binding. Cancellations will be charged in full. There is no entitlement to reimbursement or compensation for missed course lessons or workshops, even in the event of illness or accident. On presentation of a medical certificate, part of the course fee can be transferred to future courses/workshops in the form of a credit note. Our general terms and conditions apply.

In the case of longer absences of 3 weeks or 4 lessons in a row, e.g. due to vacation or business trips, part of the course fee can be waived, transferred to future courses in the form of a credit note or compensated with private lessons. The condition is that we are informed of the absence by e-mail before the start of the course. We recommend compensating for longer absences with a half-hour private lesson to avoid any gaps.

We recommend clothing in which you feel comfortable and can move well. Please note, however, that the dance floor is not a gym, especially at dance parties. We like to dress in the style of the 20-50s, but this is not compulsory. With faster music you can work up a sweat, so it's a good idea to bring a change of clothes, at least a change of shirt. 

It is important that you do not wear street shoes to dance in our classes and workshops so as not to damage the beautiful wooden floors. Otherwise, sneakers with smooth soles or shoes with leather soles are suitable for all dances.

For Balboa, we recommend shoes that slide well and shoes with heels for those who want to. The heel should not be too high (3-4 cm) and offer good stability.

If you have comfortable shoes but they don't have a smooth sole, you can have a shoemaker glue on a chrome leather sole - just ask, many people know how to do this.

If you want to buy shoes for swing dancing, here are a few good addresses: Remix Vintage Shoes, Saint Savoy, Madame Dynamite or Swingin Shoes. If you have any questions, please contact our teachers, they will be happy to help you.

You can get started in the world of swing dancing in our "in a day" workshops or beginners' courses. These are usually continued. Up to Intermediate level, you will learn the most important techniques, moves and concepts of the respective dance. At Intensive level, we focus more on specific topics and individual aspects so that you can make constant progress and keep discovering new things. Here you will find a rough overview of the experience of the individual levels:

• Beginner 1-3: <6 Monate

• Beg/Int 1-3: 6-12 months

• Intermediate 1-3: 12-18 months

• Intermediate+: 18-36 months

• Intermediate/Advanced: >36 months (Intensive)

Yes, absolutely! You can learn your first steps on the crash course at our parties. Swing music is played by a DJ or a band. You dance to the music without fixed routines and strict rules. You can change dance partners after every song, leaders ask followers to dance and vice versa. Just give it a try!

We attach great importance to respectful interaction. People ask for a dance in a friendly manner and then say thank you. You will notice that there is a lot of laughter and the atmosphere is very informal. Check us out on Facebook or Instagram, where you'll find lots of pictures and videos. Everyone is welcome, from absolute beginners to dance cracks.

It is very important to us that everyone feels comfortable and is treated with respect. Please read and follow at least the code of conduct and treat others with care. We are proud to have a swing dance community where no one is excluded and everyone is welcome. Misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic or racist comments will not be tolerated.

We also don't recognize classic role models and encourage everyone to change roles from time to time. If you still don't feel comfortable, just talk to us or write to us, we'll support you!

Write us an e-mail. We usually reply within 24 hours. You can also hear directly from our dance students about how swing dancing enriches their lives.