Now that you’ve learned your swing basics, you’ve been out to dance at Atomic every night of the week you can spare, and you’ve danced with every lead or follow in the Orange County area, it’s time to start branching out a little more.  You are ready to take on the challenge of…the lindy exchange!

Back in the 90s, when lindy hop was being revived by mainly small groups of young students spread throughout the United States, dancers sought to expand their horizons by travelling to other dance communities.  The idea began as a simple one;  just as foreign exchange programs swap students between schools or countries to experience the local culture, so the lindy exchange began as a way for communities to open and share their local swing dancing culture to non-local dancers.

San Francisco and Chicago led the way with “The Weekend” in December of 1998, when 19 Chicago lindy hoppers traveled to San Francisco for 72 hours of social dancing and city fun.  The following April, the San Franciscans flew to Chicago and thus the lindy exchange began.  Soon, cities all over the US began hosting their own weekend exchanges, moving from the city-to-city format to an open invite for all dancers wanting to get a taste of the local swing culture.  It was not long before exchanges in Japan, Australia, and throughout Europe brought dancers from around the world together, fostering a new international lindy hop community.

The size and format of these exchanges may vary greatly.  While some communities have fewer than 50 dancers to host and socialize with visitors, other lindy exchanges can exceed 500 attendees.  Since the focus of the exchange is on social dancing and cultural exchange, many do not offer the variety workshops or lessons typically found at swing camps.  Instead, guests are invited to stay in the homes of local dancers, experience the city by day and dance all night with local bands or DJs.  And while there are exchanges that focus on a particular dance style, such as Lindy Hop, Balboa, Blues, Shag or Charleston, most lindy exchanges are open to all styles.

So pick your town, pack your bags, check in with your local host – don’t forget your dancing shoes!  And just have fun out there!

Our Favorite US Exchanges:

Up Coming International Exchanges

Check out www.lindyexchange.com or dancecal.com for a full exchange calendar.