Now I know what you’re thinking: dancing. Me? No way. Well, maybe a begrudged boogie at your little sister’s wedding if it keeps the barmy aunt off your case, but that’s as far as it goes. And if you’ve ever suffered the bane of being told you’ve got less grace than a JCB digger then it probably hasn’t helped your Fred-and-Ginger-mimicking aspirations. Am I Right? Well drum roll,

please. You’re about to be (pleasantly) surprised… Welcome to Lindy Jazz: swing dance enthusiasts of the north-east. Now I’m not talking about wife-swapping, or even salsa-dancing, here. This stuff’s all about feeling the swing-style jazz music of the 1920s to the present. It’s like jive and rock ‘n’ roll, but with a more social feel (in my humble opinion). And there’s loads of free reign to put your own stamp on stuff once you’ve grasped the basics. But what of the hip-wiggling, body-bashing, ego-suffering experiences you’d expect when you hear the words, ‘dance class’? Well, this lovely lot teach you how to look cool without actually having to kill yourself. While you’re enjoying it. Whoa. I turned up to a lesson one evening braced for a bit of a boot-camp, only to find myself in the basement of a pub, complete with bar, atmospheric lighting, decent music and people who seemed quite canny. Now, this looked interesting. When things got underway, the two main teachers introduced themselves (Joo-Lee and Andy), and they just got you feeling your way to the music. And I thought, hey, I CAN do this. After partnering up (I panicked at this bit, but there are plenty of people to go around so you don’t need to turn up with anyone), they showed you a little routine, and said you’d be dancing like it by the end of the lesson. Mmm, I thought. It appeared too good for a mere novice like me. But sure enough, by the end, even the most sceptical among us were looking like we had rhythm.
And you can leave it there if you like; feeling pleased with yourself that you’ve survived your first lesson (and you will, I promise). But if you stick around, you can play around with everything you’ve learned. So, random partner in hand, I shimmied my way towards the dance floor (feeling a little nervous, I have to say). But I came away with a big grin on my face, as we’d managed to do a few decent moves without me having to pull out my emergency actions to the ‘Birdie Song’. Hurrah!
And the fun doesn’t stop there. There are Lindy Jazz socials. And Lindy Jazz workshops. Oh, and even Lindy Jazz weekends. But with these guys, there’s a big friendly mix of ages, backgrounds and abilities, so you’re never going to feel on your own. And you’re free to just turn up as and when you can. Cool, hey? I thought so, too. So, go on, give it a whirl…
-Rachael Twist

Seek: http://www.lindy-jazz.co.uk
Lessons: Mondays in Durham. Tuesdays in Newcastle. 7.15pm start. Beginners, improvers and intermediates. See website for more details. Lindy Jazz Live now once a month on Tuesdays (Dancing to live music by Swing Conspiracy after Beginners' Class)

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