- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Big City Swing
Categories: Active Life Fitness & Instruction Dance Studios Education Specialty Schools Dance Schools Dance Studios, Dance Schools [Edit]
1012 W Randolph St(between Morgan St & Carpenter St)
Chicago, IL 60607
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, West Loop
(312) 243-0700
- Hours:
Mon, Wed, Fri 11:30 am - 6 pm
Tue 11:30 am - 8:30 pm
Thu 11:30 am - 8 pm
Sat 11 am - 2 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
33 reviews for Big City Swing
33 reviews in English
-
Review from Matt P.
Chicago, IL
11/12/2011
Speaking as someone who can only "dance" when he's been drinking ... and the sole move being "the cholo" at that, Big City Swing was totally informative. Audra was great, as we learned the modified fox trot over 5 sessions, so we can dance at our wedding and not look like complete fools. She was totally patient, and really encouraging. She also says "so check it out" which reminds me of the Beastie Boys song, that would catalyze me to laugh each time she said it.
Good times! -
Review from Mark K.
Chicago, IL
8/19/2011
I can now enthusiastically say, "Would you like to swing with me and my girlfriend" without sounding like a total perv! I'm talking about dancing, swing dancing. Obviously.
Took Swing I at BCS last month and really enjoyed it. The classes were well taught, laid back, and time really did fly each session. The structure of the classes were extremely helpful to me in developing the muscle memory to do all the moves (somewhat?) correctly. The instructors were rather delightful and gave everyone the attention they deserved while practicing.
Seems like the biggest issue people have is that you trade partners every few minutes during the classes. I thought of it as an asset! Being able to lead and work with other partners, rather than just your significant other, only made me better at adapting. Swing dancing is a social exercise, after all.
Totally looking forward to taking more classes there in the future and improve my ability to spin and throw women all over the place. -
Review from Amy G.
8/18/2011
After years of avoiding formal events and clubs for fear of having to dance, I finally succumbed to the jealousy of (and gentle prodding by) my blues-dancing friends and called Big City Swing about taking some lessons. Hell-o new obsession.
I got to the studio fifteen minutes early-- parking was incredibly easy with the four dedicated spots out front-- and was ushered in by the friendly office manager who showed me to a comfortable, modern seating area with mints and water. My instructor, Sara, arrived minutes later and we strolled next door and up the stairs to the second, auxiliary studio.
The lesson itself? Phenomenal. Sara really knows her stuff and is eager to pull you into the world of blues. She begins your instruction with a bit of history, relates it to other forms of dance, and draws from both your and her personal experiences to make the lessons easy to absorb. To boot, she embraces multiple learning styles by writing down what you need to know on a whiteboard, explaining every motion step-by-step (verbally), and then actually progressing through the movements.
An hour later, I emerged a passable social dancer.
Pricing is fair at $60 per hour for private lessons and $65 for two-week group classes. The space itself is lovely and nestled in the midst of West Randolph's trendy restaurant row. Oh! And their online scheduling and course registration system rules.
I cannot wait until our next lesson and the group course I intend to enroll in (hooray, confidence) at the end of the month. With any luck, I'll be cuttin' it up at any number of dance events around the city in no time. -
Review from Kasey M.
Chicago, IL
4/20/2011
I wish I had read reviews before signing up and paying full price for Swing I. My boyfriend and I like to dance together and we were pretty disappointed when we found out that we would get to dance together for 5 minutes total every class. I realize that dancing with others is a good way to learn- but perhaps dancing with your partner for a majority of the time and then the rest of the people for a few minutes would have the same affect..."what are we doing differently? Am I being a good leader/follower etc".
On the plus side- the teachers are good, funny, our male teacher looks like Fox Mulder....which is cool....if you're into that sort of thing.
I would really like to improve my swing skills with my dance partner...you know...without actually "swinging" with some sweaty-handed lead-footed men.
Does anyone know of any studios in Chicago that encourage couples to dance together? If so, please let me know! -
Review from Steve L.
Chicago, IL
3/22/2011
I'm going to help these guys out with another 5-star review because
A) They deserve it
and
B) I like the cool little thing on their website that tells you how many 5-star Yelp reviews they have. (This is 24, for anyone too lazy to hit the site.)
Anyway, this place is wonderful. As someone with a decent dance background, I can tell you that it can be difficult to teach across all experience levels and Jenna, Louis, and Max (the three teachers I've had in 2 weeks) kill it. They absolutely kill it.
I also come from a very different background than Swing, so I had no idea how I'd take to it, but, as someone said in a different review you definitely find yourself practicing your moves in all sorts of places without really realizing. I know that after my first class, even the guy on the bus who was trying to lick his own forehead was like, "....what the fu*k is that guy doing?"
Definitely worth your while. No need to be nervous.
Oh, yeah, I should mention that too. Part of what the teachers do best is keep a total judgment-free zone. Leave your self-consciousness at the door, because nobody and I mean NOBODY, gives a sh*t how you look.
Again. Enjoy! -
Review from Jenn R.
Chicago, IL
3/9/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Hubs and I used the Groupon for the Swing 1 class and have only had one class, but for a couple with four left feet, even we enjoyed ourselves.
The best part is that we rotated partners so we didn't learn with just our partner. This is HUGE! I only spent about 1 minute dancing with hubs. This gives everyone a chance to learn how to dance, not to learn how to dance with one person. It's awesome.
Jenna and Lou are fantastic and funny. They make learning so simple.
Can't wait to learn more from them and I wouldn't be surprised that if all goes well, we sign up for Swing II! -
Review from Claire Y.
Chicago, IL
11/15/2008
A complete yet curious novice, I decided to ventured into swinging my Saturday night away at the Big City Swing. I'll admit I was quite nervous and felt out-of-place at first, but once I warmed up to the idea of moving my limbs a certain way that is largely different from my usual tennis swings and dancing with strangers (mostly quite experienced, it seemed), I was having the most fun I'd had in weeks. Everyone here seems to be very friendly and inviting. For $10, I had a 1-hour lesson of Balboa and 3 subsequent hours of feel-free swinging.
Definitely a great alternative to the usual weekend night activities once a month. I'm looking forward to my next dancing session at the Big City Swing! -
Review from Samuel A.
Chicago, IL
7/2/2009
I always had this seemingly wild fantasy of learning swing dancing, seeing as how I'm into old movies and music and that era in general, but I never figured it would be something I'd have much hope of being good at, seeing as how I'm a bit bookish and well... not someone you would expect to do much dancing. Nevertheless, on a somewhat daring whim I decided to give it a shot so I signed up with no partner for the Swing I class at Big City Swing.
It's now two and a half months later and I've completed two group classes, a private lesson, and one workshop, and I'm signed up for a third group class. I go dancing at least twice a week now, and I spend way more time than I should watching videos of competitions on YouTube. I can't wait to get to the more advanced dances like the Lindy Hop and the Charleston.
The instruction at Big City Swing is great; the usual Monday Swing I teachers (Jenna and Lou) in particular have a really fun dynamic -- the teaching is great but there are also a lot of amusing jokes and the like to help you remember stuff (like "Barbie Arms" which someone else here on Yelp mentioned). I took a private lesson that was really helpful, too, and some of the stuff we're learning in the Swing II classes is just plain cool.
But what really got me hooked was the people at BCS and the local Swing & Lindy community to which this studio is central. I just moved to Chicago recently and had not had the best luck meeting people, but this is the best way I've found so far. It's a small enough crowd that you see and get to know a lot of the same people at dances, but that you pretty frequently come across new people too. I'm already having to balance my time between different groups at Fizz (a bar that does swing on Monday nights, closely connected with the Big City Swing crew) because I know more people in this than I can mingle with or dance with in one night.
It seems like swing dancing (or maybe just the core members of this particular community, hard to say which -- maybe both) attracts a sweet crowd with comparatively few bad apples, and of course the dancing is fun and you're always learning new tricks.
If you want to get hooked into this scene or just learn some classic American dances BCS is a good place to get introduced. You could either give First Fridays a try (first friday of the month they have a beginning lesson and a dance for $10), or just sign up for Swing I cold like I did. Just be warned that once you start learning it's a bit addictive... you might get caught practicing your triple steps in the supermarket like some kind of jitterbugging junkie. -
Review from harper m.
Cook, IL
7/9/2011
I found Big City Swing on Yelp and all the good reviews turned out to be right on.
We hired Jenna S. for 6 private wedding lessons. My wife and I are certainly not dancers and wanted to look great dancing at our wedding. Jenna listened to the music we chose, taught us a simple fox trot, and showed us how to make it look great with only six hours of lessons.
Jenna made us laugh CONSTANTLY so we never felt pressured or uncomfortable. This was very important, since we did not know what we were doing and were completely self-conscious.
Jenna was super knowledgeable and her years of dance experience is definitely evident in her teaching. When we weren't quite getting it, she could find the problem, show us again, and have us looking even better in two minutes.
We thought the $60/hour for the private lesson was totally fair and well worth it. The space was clean and beautiful, easy location in the West Loop. I highly recommend coming here! We felt confident on wedding night, dancing to two songs, with 3 different turns and two dips. So much fun. -
Review from Marjorie F.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 7/2/2009
Something has to be pretty darn good to keep me coming back for more... Big City Swing's classes certainly fit the mold!
It will one year next month that I have been taking classes at BCS. So far I have covered Swing I thru III and now I'm making my way through the Lindy Hop and Blues Swing series of classes.
The teachers are all great, although I must say that Jenna is by far my favorite. Her teaching style keeps things interesting and her overall goofiness makes you just want to hug her.
I've been lucky enough to take classes with fun people who I now consider friends. It's a great way to broaden your social circle without going to a bar.
Soooo...
Take a class.
Make friends.
Get fit. (FYI - Blues Swing makes my quads burn)
Look cool on the dance floor. (You'll be a star at weddings!)
Don't be afraid... Come out and dance!1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/6/2008
I love running, but admittedly, after I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2006, my body just hasn't been… Read more »
-
-
Review from Martha D.
Chicago, IL
11/28/2007
All of the 5 star reviews on this place are dead on, Big City Swing is fabulous. Six of us from my office decided to take the 4-week Intro to Swing class. Our class consisted of singles and couples, and our instructors (Jenna and Lou) did a great job of mixing it up - you switch partners often so that you don't get used to one person's dance style.
What makes Big City Swing so great is that their instructors don't just teach you how to dance they really get you excited about using your newfound skills. It's a tradition for the Swing I "graduates" to go to Fizz after the last class and show off what they've learned. We went on Monday and had a blast! Definitely signing up for Swing II. Can't wait!! -
Review from Matt S.
Lisle, IL
7/12/2007
These days, if you want quality instruction in swing dancing (especially lindy hop) Big City Swing is really the only way to go. Sure, you can take a class at the park district, but trust me - it won't be as good as what you can get from the BCS folks.
Big City Swing has a dedication to the history of vernacular jazz dance, not to mention some of the most fun instructors you'll ever meet. They run a professional, quality business, and you won't be disappointed.
My wife took her first swing dance class from Big City Swing in November of 2006 - by the time of our wedding in May 2007, she was accomplished enough to "wow" all of our friends and family in attendance. If that's not recommendation enough for you, I don't know what is!Listed in: Swing Dancing in Chicago
-
Review from Jennifer J.
Chicago, IL
1/22/2010
I signed up for this class with my boyfriend. I signed up with him because I was looking forward to learning swing TOGETHER, not with complete strangers. I understand the idea of constantly rotating partners, but I was very annoyed that I was only able to 'practice' with my boyfriend once the entire night. Not cool. I called the place and while they said it was completely ok if I opt out of the gigantic rotating circle of partners, I didn't want to be the only couple doing that and therefore feel out of place and kind of snobby.
Wish I could have gotten my money back since I was disappointed with the setup. If you're single, then I highly recommend it. If you're wanting to dancing with strangers, then go for it. But overall, I felt like I could find some better dance lessons in the city and ones that my partner and I could partake in TOGETHER.
The instructors were nice and very knowledgeable, but the level of beginner is very beginner so be prepared. The space could be a little bigger as well. Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend to anyone. Sorry, since it looks like everyone has loved this place. -
Review from E. W.
Evanston, IL
6/2/2010
The dance floor often feels too small, but that's because everyone likes to dance here. I haven't taken any of the classes, but I've been to several of the swing and blues nights. Cover is reasonable and there are usually complementary snacks. Because dances are crowded, it gets bloody hot, so dress accordingly.
Earlier in the evening there is a broad range of experience levels, especially when there's live music upstairs as well as a DJ downstairs, but usually only the advanced dancers stick it out till the end.
While it's heck of a lot easier to drive here than to take public transport, parking can be a pain on the weekends. Carpooling is recommended. -
Review from siouxzi r.
Chicago, IL
4/30/2008
Big City Swing can teach even the most nervous of people to be fabulous on the dance floor. Their individual lessons (or in our case private couple) was by far one of the most fun experiences we had leading up to our wedding. Their class times are convenient and they seem to be very accommodating to your needs, as much as possible. The instructors are enthusiastic and realistic while helping you learn how to move to the beat. Even with the hardest of "first dance" songs they made my (now) husband feel comfortable on the dance floor. We both even remembered everything they taught us on our big day. We had so much fun we're talking about taking a specific style class.
So don't just learn to dance, enjoy yourself at Big City Swing. The best place to don your dancing shoes! -
Review from Laurel W.
Mishawaka, IN
6/8/2007
Great, fun swing classes for all levels of dancers. They offer group classes and workshops, as well as private lessons. The instructors are fun, energetic, engaging, and knowledgeable, and they play great tunes! The classes can be challenging, but with a casual approach. Sick of dance classes where the follows outnumber the leads two-to-one? Not at Big City Swing--they try to balance the classes, which results in a much better experience for the follows.
I've taken several swing classes and a lindy class here and really like the environment. As a bonus, they pay attention to details (eg, providing breath mints and hand sanitizer--how cute and thoughtful). Plus, there's plenty of street parking. Group classes are reasonably priced ($60), especially if you register early ($5 off). -
Review from Paul C.
Chicago, IL
5/8/2009
I have to say this place makes swing dancing easy. I first tried swing at a free group lesson at U of C and it was not fun or easy. My fiance suggested I go to Big City and it was a huge difference. I have had numerous classes from most of the instructors and they are all great and give different suggestions for improvement.
Prices are reasonable for what you get in return. The place used to be pretty cramped, but they expanded to the upstairs and made more room for instruction. Good group deals and offers if you choose to keep taking lessons!
Oh yeah, and parking is pretty available. Big plus. -
Review from Elaine H.
Chicago, IL
8/29/2008
Whoooo-hooo, I'm dancing!!! There are lots of places to take swing dance classes, but this is definitely the place to go if you want to learn to swing dance WELL. The instruction focuses on how to position and move yourself correctly so you won't look like you're doing drunk wedding dancing and how to dance with your partner in such a way that they won't hate or fear dancing with you. I've gone swing dancing before and taken lots of freebie intro lessons, but this is by far the best instruction that I've had. Rather than throwing a ton of steps at you, they show you how to do a few like a pro, breaking them down in tiny detail until you master them. Although it felt like we weren't learning a lot of steps during the class, after just four 1-hour lessons, we had a great vocabulary of steps with which we were totally comfortable and we were really dancing!
Jenna and Lou are great instructors, not just great dancers. They make sure everyone understands what to do and are very encouraging. They know how to take things that look complicated and explain them so that they're easy, and there's lots of emphasis on proper technique. They've also got great teaching chemistry- each class is packed with the kind of goofy jokes your grandpa would tell :) At the end of the 4-session introductory series, they take everyone out to a swing dance club where they have a graduation dance- a really nice touch that goes above and beyond other classes. Great experience all around. -
Review from Kristina C.
Chicago, IL
5/19/2009
I had been forever wanting to learn how to swing dance. When a friend and I signed up at Big City Swing a few years ago I was so excited and very impressed. The instructors are awesome and very professional. They stress how important keeping your "frame" is and please do listen to that . Everything you learn in your early classes is very important and you'll use later on as well. Money well spent.
Since I've started I've taken their swing and lindy classes and even a few workshops. It's a lot of fun and a great workout. You don't need a partner. The class rotates the whole session so you don't dance with just one person. It's great to get to dance with others in your class since everyone has their own style. Swing dancing is a social dance so you never know what your partner may do when your out dancing.
The classes are usually pretty well balanced between leads and follows, but like a previous comment a follower sometimes ends up dancing with their air partner. But if you're lucky, one of the instructors will fill in on your turn. Don't be nervous to dance with an instructor. It's a great opportunity to learn a new move since you'll be able to get the real feel.
Since my man has learned how to swing dance I just can't get enough! I love when we're at a place in the city or even out of town where dancing usually doesn't take place and a tune comes on that we get up and dance to. People are always so amazed by some of the most basic moves. I love it!
I haven't been to a class in quite some time, but hope to start back up soon. Big City Swing is definitely a great place to learn how to dance. -
Review from Andrea N.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2008
This place has been great so far! Such an improvement from Arthur Murray - and SO much more reasonably priced. My fiance and I have been working on our first wedding dance. If you can believe it, Big City Swing has managed to not make it the most embarassing and cheesy undertaking of my life. The instructors are fun and respect that we don't want the "high school sway" but that we're not looking to "dance with the stars" either. Plus, they've been honest with us, i.e. not telling us that we're doing great and then trying to sell us some HUGE package that we "need".
The only criticism I have is that they could be a little more organized. -
Review from Margaretsen H.
Berwyn, IL
2/9/2010
I am very happy with the classes that they have here. The great thing about this place is that they teach to lead and follow. Not just to do certain steps and learning to lead and follow is very important.
There is another review where someone is saying they did not like the rotating. I did not like it at first but you can improve your dancing skills when you see that everyone has their own way of leading or following.
I'm just happy to see a place that wants you to dance and eventually take it on your own instead of just following a certain routine that you would get bored with over time. -
Review from Louis P.
Chicago, IL
8/16/2006
-
Review from Dave O.
Chicago, IL
1/9/2008
Learn from the best!!! This is the place to go to learn from real dancers!! It requires hard work but it is worth it.
-
Review from Brandon H.
Chicago, IL
10/31/2007
Fantastic lessons, great instructors (Lou & Jenna were awesome) and plenty of fun for a couple of first time dancers. Definitely worth every penny!
-
Review from John J.
Brooklyn, NY
7/18/2008
I'm a very experienced swing dancer and the instructors at Big City Swing always have material in their advanced classes to challenge me. There's always something to learn and I feel I get enough attention in the group classes even though I'm less maintenance.
-
Review from S. R.
Washington, DC
5/13/2010
I contacted Big City Swing when my company needed eye-catching and memorable entertainment when we participated at the Bio Conference. We are based in DC, so I worked entirely by phone and email with Jenna, their program director, until an hour before the performance. I can tell you, she definitely came through!
Big City Swing did not shy away from the challenge of fitting a 6 piece band and a dance floor for two couples within a convention center booth. In addition to their flexibility, I was very impressed by the enthusiasm they brought to the performance. The dancers even engaged the audience, inviting people onto the floor for impromptu swing lessons.
I'm sure this performance played a significant part in upping our booth traffic that evening and making us stand out among the 100 + other companies and organizations in attendance.
I'd definitely recommend Big City Swing to anyone looking for entertainment for an event. -
Review from James V.
Chicago, IL
8/20/2009
My fiancée and I just finished a class designed to prepare us for our wedding day's "first dance". I should say that I'm all left feet and quite introverted when it comes to dancing, so I was a bit nervous about embarrassing myself in front of all the other couples, but the class made it super easy for anyone to dance. The instructors were simply awesome (Audra, Julee, & Dave), explained every 'move' in clear detail, and were jovial throughout. I'd highly recommend this place to any couple looking to drop their "Frankenstein Sway" and really look interesting on the dance floor.
-
Review from Ivy H.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 2/11/2010
I took more classes at Big City Swing, and they have made a great effort to improve the balance of leads and follows in the classes.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/26/2009
I love Big City Swing. I have taken dance classes at a couple of other places, and much prefer this… Read more »
-
-
Review from E. B.
Queens, NY
8/4/2008
This is actually the most amazing environment for taking dancing lessons that I could possibly imagine. I've been studying with them for several months and would literally take their whole gamut of programs if I could.
The instructors are kind, funny, fun, and do a great job of making learning how to dance (which has previously been such an embarrassing experience for me that I have frequently broken down in tears - no joke!) a feel-good experience for everyone. Their pedagogy is excellent - they always have a number of different examples for explaining something if a first explanation is not enough, and can easily field all questions their students think up. One teacher even offers to give out a dollar if a student ever asks a question he can't answer (but he's never had to give one out yet).
In the early classes, they teach at a slow enough pace, and review everything enough times, to make even the slowest learner confident they're absorbing everything. As the classes progress in difficulty levels, the pace of the class speeds up so that you don't get bored when your skill level and understanding of the form increases as well.
They also do something else which I think is quite excellent: after you finish taking Swing I, you are eligible for Swing II, but there are three different possible Swing II classes which all cover different material, but the material is all at the same level. You can take all of them, or only two of them before moving up to Swing III. This ensures that you don't get bored if you're a fast learner, and that you have plenty of time to feel comfortable at your own level before moving up, if you're a slow learner. The same system is used for Swing III, and also in the upper levels of their Lindy Hop classes.
They also teach an enticing array of other swing-related classes for the truly obsessed, including several kinds of Charleston, solo jazz movement, etc.
The last fabulous thing about their instruction that I'd like to comment on is their dedication to the history of jazz and swing. I can't imagine learning swing dancing from a studio that didn't specialize in it, because swing is different than other partner dances it's traditionally taught alongside. It started as an African American response to ballroom dance and other Western European partner dances, and as such, there are elements of the dance that mock ballroom and use an exact opposite energy and spirit. BCS harnesses that energy and does its best to share it with their students. BCS teachers are committed to including their students in the history and origins of the dances (without turning classes into a mind-numbing dance history lesson - don't worry!), which makes you as a student really feel like you really understand what you're learning, and that you're a part of a larger, historic and culturally relevant American dance movement.
Other positives include:
The studio is centrally located and there is ample free street parking.
The classes are scheduled monthly (so each one is four weeks long) following the calendar month, so it's really easy to remember when they start and end and when to re-enroll, etc.
The classes are relatively inexpensive (55-60$ for 4 classes = 15 or less per class).
Big City Swing has addicted me to swing dancing and I'm positive that if you have any inclination to learn Swing dancing at all, they'll do the same to you! -
Review from John A.
Los Angeles, CA
11/25/2009
We were in town and looking for a quick brush up for an upcoming wedding. Joy and Jena got us right in and it was a great experience. I recommend this place for all levels of experience.
-
Review from Anonymous U.
Chicago, IL
8/1/2009
Short review, but great teachers, good pricing, and REALLY fun.
-
Review from KiKi B.
Chicago, IL
5/24/2009
My husband and I took both a group swing class as well as private lessons with Julee to prepare for our first dance at our wedding. It was a great experience. We brought a song that we wanted to use and she helped us create a fantastic dance that our guests loved. It was really fun, we had such a good time and we would recommend Big City Swing to friends.
-
Review from Christina R.
Chicago, IL
10/23/2009
My boyfriend and I first attempted swing dance at Chicago Summer Dance in August 2009 and that is where we first heard of Big City Swing (BCS); two of the instructors were there to teach everyone before the night of dancing began. Needless to say, we both had a blast at Summer Dance and signed up for lessons with BCS that same night! We have now taken Swing I, are currently in one of the Swing II's and are planning to sign up for another Swing II and start Lindy Hop!
The BCS studio looks like your classic "old" dance studio, very quaint, and it's in a convenient location right across from Harpo Studios (where Oprah's show is taped) in the West Loop/Greektown. It also has free parking all around which is very nice considering how much it costs to park in the city usually. The classes are a good size, big enough to accommodate everyone but small enough so everyone gets the instruction they need. Once in awhile, a class might be a one or two short on follows or leads, which I have heard other people complain about, but now BCS does their best to have "ringers" (other instructors or upper level students) to fill in the spots at the beginning of class. Sometimes they have extras and sometimes they still can't find enough which then usually one of the instructors for that class will jump in with a student when they have no partner (which is actually quite enjoyable). The classes consist of a good variety of people, people of all ages from their 20s on up, people from many different dance backgrounds, people who are taking the classes for different reasons, etc. The classes rotate partners, which I didn't like at first but learned to be comfortable with; it actually allows you to get a feel for the different "styles" of leads and follows and helps you critique yourself.
The instructors are Great! My boyfriend and I have had the privilege of working with Jenna and Adeoye through Swing I and now in Swing II (we actually arranged our schedule to take Swing II with them again because they are so great). Jenna is a Riot! Her goofy personality definitely makes you feel at ease and have fun. She even makes you feel like it's okay laugh at yourself if you mess up. You can't help but to smile real big when you see Jenna! The same goes for Adeoye who is just as Awesome as Jenna! They are both very knowledgeable of what they are teaching and explain the technique really well too. It helps that they use goofy analogies to remember stuff by (i.e. "Bad Jenna" and "Good Jenna", "Barbie arms", and "Let the little Leprechaun run through"). They make you feel very comfortable with asking questions and will make sure you understand before they move on. They also pay close attention to each individual and give great critiques without making you feel like you are being called out. But most importantly is that they know how to really lighten the tension amongst everyone to make the class so much fun and "More Better" (that is for you Jenna)! Jenna and Adeoye make a great team!!! I'm sure all of the instructors at BCS are just as great as Jenna and Adeoye though!!
BCS also hosts "First Friday" which is social dancing at the studio the first Friday of every month. Even if you haven't taken a class at the studio before or danced swing before, you are welcome to come. They have a lesson for beginners at 8PM and start social dancing at 9PM until Midnight. We went for the first time right after we completed Swing I, and I thought it would be totally awkward since I didn't know much, but I had the Best Time EVER! I got to dance with people who had all different levels of experience with Swing, Lindy Hop, and Charleston; and never once did they make me feel dumb like a beginner! It was actually a great time to learn more from these people. It was also just as much fun to watch the people who have been dancing together for awhile; it really makes you look forward to being just as amazing as them! I can't wait to go to the next first Friday!!!
Overall, Big City Swing is THE BEST!!
