Social Time — Before & After
Dancing is only part of what we do. The time we spend together before and after class is just as important as what happens on the floor.
We encourage everyone to arrive a little early and stay a little after class. Grab a drink, say hello, catch up with familiar faces, and introduce yourself to someone new. These are the moments where friendships form, where new dancers start to feel they belong, and where our community becomes more than just a class you attend once a week.
For newer members, especially, the social time before and after class can make the difference between feeling like an outsider and feeling like you’ve found your people. A simple “hi, is this your first time?” goes a long way.
We are a community, not just a class. The dances we practise were born in social spaces — at the Savoy Ballroom, at rent parties, at neighbourhood gatherings. The social connection was never separate from the dancing. We try to honour that spirit by making space for conversation, laughter, and genuine human connection alongside the steps.
👋 Welcome New Faces
If you see someone standing alone or looking unsure, say hello. Remember what it felt like to be brand new — and be the person who made you feel welcome.
☕ Stay for a Chat
Even ten minutes after class can make a difference. Share what you enjoyed, ask someone what they thought, or simply be present. Community is built in these small moments.
🤝 Include Everyone
Be mindful of cliques forming. If you’re in a group conversation and someone is hovering nearby, open the circle. The best dance communities are the ones where nobody feels invisible.
Rotations in Class
Partner rotations are a core part of how we learn. They expose you to different bodies, different rhythms, and different interpretations of the same movement — and that makes you a better dancer.
Why We Rotate
Dancing with a variety of partners is one of the fastest ways to improve. Each person you dance with will move slightly differently, offer different physical cues, and respond to your lead or follow in their own way. This is exactly how the original Lindy Hoppers learned — by dancing with everyone on the floor, not just one person.
Rotations also help build community. You’ll dance with people you might not have chosen to approach at a social, and more often than not, you’ll discover a connection you didn’t expect.
The Golden Rule of Rotations
When rotating partners in class, please refrain from giving feedback, corrections, or instruction to the person you’re dancing with — unless they specifically ask for your help, or unless something is causing you physical discomfort or pain.
The instructors are there to teach. Your role as a rotation partner is to dance, to be present, and to give the other person the space to figure things out in their own body and in their own time.
Why This Matters
Unsolicited feedback on the social or class floor — however well-intentioned — can undermine someone’s confidence, create an uncomfortable power dynamic, and interrupt the learning process. What feels helpful to the person giving the correction often feels patronising or discouraging to the person receiving it.
Trust the process. Trust the instructors. And trust that the person you’re dancing with is doing their best.
Try This
- Dance with focus and connection
- Smile — encouragement goes further than correction
- Say “that felt great!” when something clicks
- If something hurts, let your partner know gently
- Ask the instructor if you’re both stuck on something
Avoid This
- Stopping mid-dance to explain a technique
- Correcting someone’s frame, posture, or footwork unprompted
- “You should be doing it like this…”
- Assuming someone needs your help based on their experience level
- Back-leading or over-following to “help” your partner
A note on opting out: If for any reason you prefer not to rotate partners — whether due to anxiety, a disability, religious practice, or simply personal comfort — that is absolutely fine. Let an instructor know, and we will accommodate you without question or judgement. No explanation is required.
Everyone Leads, Everyone Follows
From time to time, we run ELEF classes — where every participant learns both the lead and follow roles, regardless of gender. Here’s what that means and why we do it.
A Bit of Context
Lindy Hop has traditionally been danced with men leading and women following. That convention still shapes how most people first encounter the dance, and it’s often the default assumption when someone walks into a class for the first time.
But the roles of lead and follow are just that — roles. They describe a function in the partnership, not a requirement tied to gender. At Sugar Hill Hop, we encourage every dancer to choose a role based on what excites them, to commit to learning it well, and to feel completely at home in that choice, regardless of who they are.
ELEF classes take this a step further by asking everyone to spend time in both roles during the same session. If you haven’t done this before, it might feel unusual at first — and that’s completely fine. It’s meant to.
What is ELEF?
Everyone Leads, Everyone Follows. In an ELEF class, all participants rotate through both the lead and follow roles. There’s no “lead line” and “follow line” — everyone does everything. You’ll be asked to try movements from both sides of the partnership, often within the same exercise.
Why We Run ELEF Classes
There are several reasons, and they reinforce each other.
🔄 It Accelerates Learning
Understanding how the other role feels — how a follower or a lead communicates through connecting — makes you significantly better at your primary role. You stop guessing and start knowing.
🤝 It Builds Empathy
Spending even ten minutes following when you normally lead (or vice versa) gives you a visceral understanding of what your partner experiences. That empathy translates directly into more considerate, more musical, more enjoyable dancing.
⚖️ It Challenges Power Dynamics
When lead and follow map neatly onto gender lines, it can reinforce dynamics we’d rather not carry onto the dance floor. ELEF disrupts that pattern and reminds us that dance partnership is a conversation between equals, not a hierarchy.
🌍 It’s Inclusive by Design
Not everyone fits neatly into a traditional pairing, and nobody should have to. ELEF classes create a space where the question isn’t “who leads?” based on assumption — it’s “what would you like to try?” based on curiosity.
What to Expect
In an ELEF class, the instructor will guide you through material in both roles, usually alternating throughout the session. You’ll dance with a variety of partners, and everyone will be navigating the same learning curve together. It’s normal to feel a bit clumsy in your less familiar role — that’s the whole point.
Nobody is expected to become fluent in both roles overnight. The goal is exposure and understanding, not mastery. Many dancers find that even a single ELEF class shifts how they think about connection, communication, and what it means to share a dance.
Rotating partnerships in ELEF
Terms used in class:
- Rotation Groups (Odd / Even) – your group for the duration of the class
- Roles (Lead / Follow) – the role you are currently dancing, this will change over the course of the class
- Swapping Roles – everyone changes from lead to follow, or follow to lead
- Rotating Partners – one group moves to find a new partner from the other group (for example, odds rotate, evens stay where you are)
How it works:
At the start of class, you’ll be assigned a rotation group — Odd or Even. You’ll keep this group for the entire class, and we’ll aim for roughly equal numbers in each.
Each group is then assigned a starting role: for example, Odds lead, and Evens follow. From there, the class follows a repeating cycle:
- Dance — practise the current figure or concept with your partner
- Swap roles — Odds switch from lead to follow (or follow to lead), and Evens do the same. You’re now dancing the other role with the same partner
- Dance — practise the same material in your new role
- Rotate partners — one group stays put, the other moves to find a new partner from the opposite group
Then the cycle begins again. Because only one group moves during the partner rotation and roles swap every round, you’ll always end up with a new partner in a new role. Over the course of the class, you’ll dance with several different partners and experience every combination from both sides of the partnership.
If numbers are uneven, you may occasionally rotate into an empty space, but do not worry, this is temporary, and you’ll be paired up again on the next rotation. Use the moment to solo drill what you’ve just learned.
Also, don’t worry about keeping track — just listen for the calls: “swap roles” and “Evens rotate, Odds stay where you are.”
Approach It With
- Curiosity — treat the unfamiliar role as a puzzle, not a chore
- Patience — with yourself and your partner
- Humour — it’s meant to be fun, and the awkward moments are part of that
- Openness — you might discover you enjoy a role you never expected to
Try Not To
- Sit out one role because it feels unfamiliar
- Assume it’s not for you before you’ve tried it
- Correct your partner — the usual rotation etiquette still applies
- Treat the “other” role as less important than your primary one
This isn’t about replacing how you dance. ELEF doesn’t mean you need to become ambidextrous. If you’ve chosen to focus on leading — or following — that remains your path, and we fully support it. What ELEF offers is a window into the other side of the conversation, and that perspective will make you a more thoughtful, more connected partner in your chosen role.
A note on tradition: Honouring the history of Lindy Hop means honouring its spirit of innovation, play, and breaking boundaries — not preserving rigid conventions. The original Lindy Hoppers at the Savoy were constantly inventing, experimenting, and challenging what dance could be. ELEF classes carry that same energy forward.
Social Dance Floor Etiquette
The social dance floor is a shared space. Good floor etiquette isn’t about rigid rules — it’s about awareness, respect, and making sure everyone has a good time.
Asking Someone to Dance
Anyone can ask anyone to dance — regardless of role, experience level, gender, age, or any other factor. A simple, clear invitation is all it takes. Make eye contact, smile, and ask.
Never assume someone’s dance role based on their appearance. If you know both roles, or if you’d like to switch, mention it: “Would you like to dance? I’m happy to lead or follow — do you have a preference?”
💬 Be Clear and Kind
A warm “Would you like to dance?” is all you need. Make it easy for the other person to say yes — or no.
🔄 Dance with Everyone
Ask people you haven’t danced with before. Dance with beginners. Dance with people from outside your usual group. This is how communities grow.
🌱 Match Your Partner
Adjust to the person in front of you. If they’re newer, keep things simple and comfortable. The best dancers make their partners feel great, not overwhelmed.
Solo Dancers on the Floor
Someone dancing alone — whether they’re working on their solo jazz, warming up, or just enjoying the music — is not automatically available for a partner dance. Solo dancing is its own thing, not a holding pattern while waiting to be asked.
This is often a point that is overlooked, and so we feel that it is worth bringing to focus. It speaks directly to the kind of community we want to be — one where everyone’s space, autonomy, and enjoyment of the music is respected, whether they’re dancing with a partner or on their own.
If you’d like to ask a solo dancer to partner up, first give them space to finish what they’re doing. Wait for a natural or logical end of the song, then ask the same way you would anyone else — clearly and kindly.
And just like anyone else on or off the floor, a solo dancer can say no. “No thank you” is a complete answer, whether the person is sitting at a table, standing by the bar, or mid-Charleston.
The one exception: if a jam circle has formed, or a group of dancers are trading phrases back and forth, that’s an open invitation to join in on the same terms, and anyone can jump in without changing the dynamics. But someone dancing by themselves near the edge of the floor is not a jam circle of one.
Floorcraft and Spatial Awareness
Be aware of the dancers around you. Keep your movements proportional to the space available — on a crowded floor, dance smaller. If you bump into another couple, make eye contact and apologise. It happens to everyone; a quick “sorry!” keeps things friendly.
If you’re not dancing, move off the floor. Standing and chatting, while encroaching on or in the middle of the dance area, makes it harder for everyone else to move safely.
Aerials, Lifts, and Drops
No aerials, lifts, or drops on the social dance floor.
This is a firm rule, not a suggestion. Aerials are moves where your partner’s feet leave the floor. Drops are moves where your partner’s head goes below your waist. Lifts are any move that involves bearing your partner’s weight off the ground.
These moves are for jam circles, competitions, and performances only — with a partner you’ve rehearsed with, who has given explicit consent, in a space with enough room.
On a social floor, they are dangerous to you, your partner, and everyone around you.
Dips
Even a simple dip requires your partner’s consent. Not everyone is comfortable being dipped — they may have a back injury, they may not trust that they’ll be held safely, or they may simply not want to. Always ask before you dip someone, especially if you’ve never danced with them before.
And a general point: just because someone consented to a dip once does not mean they’ve consented to every dance, every time. Ask each time.
Personal Hygiene
You’ll be in close physical contact with other people. Please shower before class, wear clean clothes, use deodorant, and bring a spare shirt if you tend to sweat. Fresh breath matters too. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference to the people dancing with you.
Conversely, go easy on the cologne and perfume — some people are sensitive or allergic, and strong scents in close quarters can be overwhelming.
Consent & Saying No
Consent is the foundation of every good dance. It starts before the first step and continues through every moment of connection on the floor.
“No thank you” is a complete sentence. You never need to give a reason.
You Can Always Say No
If someone asks you to dance and you don’t want to, a simple “no thank you” is enough. You don’t owe anyone an explanation, a reason, or an alternative. There is no expectation that you must sit out the rest of the song if you decline — that old-fashioned rule has no place here.
Equally, you can stop dancing at any time during a song. If something feels wrong — if a move is uncomfortable, if the hold is too tight, if the energy doesn’t feel right — you are always free to step away.
Receiving a “No” Gracefully
If someone declines your invitation to dance, the best response is: “No worries at all!” — and then move on and ask someone else. Don’t take it personally. There are countless reasons someone might say no that have absolutely nothing to do with you: they’re tired, they’re nursing an injury, they’ve only just arrived, they want a break, or they simply don’t feel like dancing right now.
Never ask “why not?”, try to persuade, or make a joke about being rejected. If someone says no to you more than once, give them space. If they’d like to dance with you later, they’ll ask.
🛑 “Stop” Means Stop
If your partner says stop — on or off the dance floor — you stop immediately. No questions, no finishing the move, no negotiating. Stop means stop.
👁️ Read Body Language
Pay attention to non-verbal cues. If your partner tenses up, pulls away, avoids eye contact, or seems uncomfortable, check in verbally or ease back. Don’t repeat a move that caused visible discomfort.
🤲 Touch Stays Appropriate
Keep physical contact within what the dance requires. Hands should stay in standard dance positions. If your hand slips somewhere unintended, acknowledge it and apologise immediately.
💛 Enthusiastic Consent
The gold standard isn’t just the absence of “no” — it’s an active, clear “yes.” Aim for a dance where both people genuinely want to be there.
What to Say — Some Real Examples
If you want to set a boundary
“I’m not totally comfortable in close position — can we keep a bit more space?”
This is enough. Your partner should adjust immediately and without fuss.
If you want to check in with your partner
“Are you okay with dips?” / “Do you want me to go a bit slower?”
Simple, direct check-ins show care and build trust.
If someone says no to a dance
“Oh come on, just one dance!” / “Why not?” / “You were dancing with them…”
Pressuring or questioning someone’s refusal is never acceptable. Just say “no worries” and move on.
What Counts as Inappropriate Touch
The following is never acceptable on or off the dance floor, regardless of intent:
Appropriate
- Standard dance frame positions
- Hands in agreed-upon contact points
- Adjusting for comfort and space
- Complimenting someone’s dancing or musicality
Not Appropriate
- Hands on hips, lower back, chest, face, or hair without consent
- Pulling someone into a close embrace without asking
- Sexualised comments about someone’s body or appearance
- Positioning yourself repeatedly near someone who has disengaged
If something doesn’t feel right, tell us. If you experience or witness behaviour that makes you uncomfortable — whether it’s unwanted touch, persistent pressure, or anything that crosses a line — please speak to a member of the Sugar Hill Hop team. You can approach any instructor or staff member, or contact us privately by email. We take every report seriously and will handle it with care and confidentiality.