Stepping out of your comfort zone to learn an international dance form can change you in ways you would never expect and all this in a dance room blazing with jazz music from the 1920s with people of all ages cheering for you.
Cadi Lane was fed up of her boyfriend’s never ending list of hobbies and leisure activities when she decided she’s going to stop feeling sorry for herself and do something new that changed her life.
Lane, 30, used to seldom attend dance classes as a student a decade ago, and she couldn’t help but think what it would feel like to don her dancing hat again after all these years. Being under lockdown had made her feel an urge to get out there and pick up this hobby once again.
Having lost patience for her friends to join her, she decided to join The Swing Project, a dance class that teaches Lindy Hop to people, irrespective of their age and experience. Little did she know something that started as a way to keep herself busy, would end up transforming her for good.
“I am a completely different person now than who I used to be when I started learning Lindy Hop five months ago. I am more confident and can walk into any room and dance without feeling anxious,” says Lane.
Lindy Hop originated in Harlem, New York in the 1920s and 30s, and has danced its way across the Atlantic to Cardiff. For many people, this gender-neutral partner dance is an outlet for having fun and being themselves while learning a whole new international dance form.
For others such as Sophie Reeve, 29, who has been learning the dance style for five years, Lindy Hop helps her de-stress after a long day of work. “I’ve been accustomed to Swing music since childhood, so it was an instant decision for me to learn Lindy Hop when I moved to Cardiff,. The energy I feel when dancing is of nothing but joy” she says.
The dance class exclusively teaches Lindy Hop by brining together dance enthusiasts of all ages under one roof. Dancers can explore a great deal about the history and legacy of the dance, along with learning steps right from the base.
Age is certainly not a bar for anyone who wishes to learn Lindy Hop, Helen, 60, feels that being at the dance class makes her feel like she is “just Helen”, she says, away from her everyday duties of being a wife or a mother.
Fascinated by its concept, I decided to try the dance myself, until the last minute I feared if I’ll end up lying on the floor with a twisted foot. I heard Charleston music blaring from the room and as I got closer, I saw people dancing away to the tune.
It was a beginner friendly class and the instructors Jessie and Benjie were keen to patiently teach me some basic steps, as I’d never done any form of Swing dance before. After several failed attempts, I managed to understand the counts and learnt my first set of Lindy Hop dance steps without twisting my foot!
