We are honoured to have so many overseas visitors join us for our swing dance events in Galway. Some also like to combine this with a mini-break and take advantage of the opportunity to see a little more of our city and the picturesque western seafront. For practical information like how to get here and where to stay etc., please see our page about Visiting Galway. Here you will find some suggestions for what to do when you're here, and to inspire a longer stay in Galway and around the west of Ireland. If you have just one day: Galway…
We understand that it’s natural to feel a little apprehensive when starting anything new – but please know that all such feelings will instantly disappear once we crank up the music and you start taking your first steps into swing dancing! Swing dancing is for real people of all shapes, sizes, and ages, and is perfect for complete amateurs and anyone who is looking to take up dancing for the first time – you only need be willing to have a bit of craic and give it a go! Of course, if you do happen to have prior dance experience…
Swing dancing evolved in the United States in response to the swing music that became popular from the late 1920s through into the 1940s. In ballrooms up and down the country, dancers started to invent new ways of moving to the music of Chick Webb, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and many more. Swing Dancing is actually an umbrella term for many related, but distinct, dance styles including Charleston, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and various forms of Shag. Close relatives of swing dancing include Jive and Rock & Roll. The different styles of swing dancing emerged because people…
Located in a wide bay on Ireland’s western coastline, Galway is a thriving cosmopolitan city that has retained its medieval charm and is renowned for its laid-back, bohemian atmosphere. Galway is large enough to provide every metropolitan convenience, yet small enough that it can be easily traversed on foot with relatively short walking distances. Most of our events take place in the vicinity of the city's historic neighbourhoods, The Claddagh and the Latin Quarter. Here, amidst the quaint cobbled streets and brightly-coloured buildings, you can find a rich variety of restaurants, traditional pubs, unique stores, and street markets. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL…
Balboa is a swing dance that originated during the 1930s in the dance halls of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. Seaside venues such as the Rendezvous Ballroom were so popular and so crowded, it is reputed that signs were posted prohibiting “breakaways” so that couples were obliged to maintain a close connection while dancing. This dance, which we now refer to as “Pure” Balboa, is therefore characterised by a close hold and subtle footwork. Elsewhere in the region, breakaway movements were commonplace, and often included intricate turns in a style that is referred to as Bal-Swing. Both of…