Class levels

When choosing your level, think about where your dancing will realistically be in January, when we meet at Jumpin’ at Istanbul, rather than only where you are today.

You still have several months to dance, practice and develop before the festival. Years of experience are only a guideline. How often you social dance, take classes and practice can make a big difference.

And remember: you don't need to be perfect at everything listed in your level. These descriptions are here to help you find the group where you will feel comfortable, challenged and inspired.

Intermediate

You know the fundamentals of Lindy Hop and have started building regular social dancing experience.

You are familiar with essential movements and rhythms such as swing outs, circles, tuck turns and Charleston, although some of them may still feel more comfortable than others.

You can enjoy a full social dance and are beginning to feel comfortable with different partners and tempos.

You are ready to move beyond simply remembering patterns and start exploring more rhythm, musicality, connection and variation in your dancing.

As a general guideline: by January, you will probably have been dancing regularly for around 6 months or more.

Intermediate / Advanced

Lindy Hop is already a regular part of your life.

You feel comfortable on the social dance floor and have a good understanding of the fundamentals. Swing outs, Charleston and other common Lindy Hop vocabulary are familiar to you, even if there are still technical details you are working on.

You can dance with different partners, explore variations and respond to the music without everything needing to be planned in advance.

You are comfortable learning new material at a moderate pace and are beginning to focus less on what the move is and more on how, why and when you might use it.

As a general guideline: many dancers in this level will have been dancing regularly for around 1 year or more.

Advanced

You are an experienced social dancer and Lindy Hop feels natural and familiar to you.

You have likely been dancing regularly for 2 years or more, attending social dances, classes, workshops or festivals. This is only a guideline, not a strict requirement.

You have a solid understanding of Lindy Hop fundamentals and can comfortably dance with different partners and at different tempos. You can work with rhythmic variations, musical ideas and changes in connection without losing the overall flow of your dancing.

You learn new material relatively quickly and are comfortable when teachers explore concepts rather than breaking down every individual step.

You do not need to be an expert, teacher or competitor to choose Advanced. You also don't need to be equally strong in every aspect of your dancing.

You might have a great sense of rhythm but still be developing your technique. You might be very comfortable socially but less experienced with complex vocabulary. That's completely fine.

Advanced classes are for experienced social dancers who are ready to be challenged, not only for dancers who have already mastered everything.

Advanced+ / Invitational

You have extensive Lindy Hop experience and are looking for a faster-paced and more demanding learning environment.

Your fundamentals are deeply familiar, you learn new material quickly and you are comfortable working with challenging rhythmic, technical and conceptual ideas.

You can adapt easily to different partners and approaches, and you have enough experience that teachers can spend less time introducing fundamental concepts and more time exploring their possibilities.

Many dancers in this group may be experienced teachers, competitors or performers, but being one is not a requirement.

Advanced+ is simply intended for dancers who are ready for the highest pace and level of challenge offered at the festival.

Placement in Advanced+ / Invitational is subject to approval.

Which level should I choose?

First, remember that you are choosing your level for January, not for today.

Think realistically about how much you expect to dance and practice over the coming months.

The descriptions above are guidelines, not checklists. You don't need to match every sentence perfectly. If most of a description sounds like you, you are probably looking at the right level.

And don't worry too much about the label. Being in a higher level doesn't necessarily mean having a better festival experience. The goal is simply to put you in a room where the pace feels exciting, the material feels challenging, and you still have enough space to actually dance, experiment and learn.