Now featuring Jenny Thomas, BBC's Strictly Come Dancing choreographer
Socials and Events
Our social evenings are suitable for dancers of all abilities. It's a great opportunity to practise the moves you've learnt and to socialise with other dancers.
Expect a chilled out and friendly atmosphere. Unless the evening has specific requirements, there's no dress code, but most people wear smart casual. Others make a real effort with suits and dresses… the choice is yours! Bring your own drinks.
Venue, parking, drinks and payments details
For a flavour of the atmosphere that we try to capture at our events, the following footage reel illustrates the vibe at one of our previous large-scale Speakeasies:
Saturday 3rd February 2024
Hot Tunes on a Cold Winter's Night with The Hot House Combo
They're back! Exuding a giddy blend of vintage charm and captivating rhythms, you'll be transported to the colourful and carefree, foot-tapping era of yesteryear. Inspired by the great musicians of the 1920s, '30s and '40s, The Hot House Combo play songs they love and create new ones in the same style. Fasten your swing seatbelt... you're in for a thrilling ride!
Timings
| Doors open: | 7.45pm |
|---|---|
| Doors close: | 11.00pm |
Prices
| Bundle: | £12 | (if also attending the Balboa Daylight Sessions on the same day) |
|---|---|---|
| Early bird: | £14 | (payment received on or before Tuesday 9th January) |
| Advanced: | £16 | (payment received on or before Tuesday 23rd January) |
| Full price: | £18 | (thereafter and on the door) |
Saturday 2nd March 2024
Lindy Hoppers Assemble with Just Misbehavin'
We love this quintet fronted by the incredible Lynn Thornton. Fusing swinging jazz with a little blues, gospel and soul, Lynn uses her incredible range and technique to create exciting interpretations of songs and to make them swing so hard you can't help but get on the dance floor and shake your thing. Lynn also teaches Lindy Hop so tailors the band's sets specifically for swing dancing. Lindy Hoppers Assemble!
Timings
| 7.45pm | Doors |
|---|---|
| 7.45pm | The Ultimate Lindy Acclimatisation Playlist – We'll be playing a carefully sculpted smorgasbord of Lindy Hop gems to get you in the swingin’ mood. Accessible for all, each and every track will be the perfect slow to medium tempo for beginners but also for more experienced dancers looking to practise their new moves or simply swing out in style. |
| 8.30pm | Just Misbehavin', set one. Expect awesomeness! |
| 9.15pm | Snowball, Shim Sham, Lindy Hop anthems... |
| 9.45pm | Just Misbehavin', set two. Additional awesomeness ensues! |
| 11.00pm | Doors close |
Prices
| Bundle: | £12 | (if also attending the Balboa Daylight Sessions on the same day) |
|---|---|---|
| Early bird: | £14 | (payment received on or before Tuesday 6th February) |
| Advanced: | £16 | (payment received on or before Tuesday 20th February) |
| Full price: | £18 | (thereafter and on the door) |
Saturday 4th May 2024
The Spring Swing Thing with The Sultans
The Sultans are a fantastic sextet consisting of vocals, a rhythm section of guitar, bass and drums further augmented by tenor and alto saxophones. Their sound is a lively blend of swing, rhythm and blues, and a little rock 'n' roll all geared for dancing. They swing, they jive and they get the party started!
It's May 4th so it's officially Star Wars Day. For the class, we have something extra special in store. If you loved what we did for the Bridgerton social, this'll go down a storm (trooper!)
Timings
| Doors: | 7.30pm |
|---|---|
| Fun & inclusive dance class: | 7.45pm |
| Live music & social dancing: | 8.30pm |
| Doors close: | 11.00pm |
Prices
| Bundle: | £12 | (if also attending the Balboa Daylight Sessions on the same day) |
|---|---|---|
| Early bird: | £14 | (payment received on or before Tuesday 2nd April) |
| Advanced: | £16 | (payment received on or before Tuesday 23rd April) |
| Full price: | £18 | (thereafter and on the door) |
The Cosy Balboa Twilight & Daylight Sessions
So what is Balboa?
Whereas Lindy Hop was born in Harlem in New York, Balboa originated on the west coast of America in and around the Balboa Peninsula, California. Stylish and harbouring an air of sophistication, it's fun to dance and a great addition to your Lindy Hop repertoire. Balboa can be danced to slow songs but is generally associated with faster music. You can make it energetic but if you're looking for something to suit those super fast tracks without breaking a sweat, this is it!
Daylight Sessions | Twilight Sessions
Balboa Daylight Sessions
Balboa workshops with Duncan and Louise split into two halves. The first half tackles core fundamental Balboa principles – suitable for complete beginners but also essential for anyone who doesn't dance Balboa frequently (Yep, that's pretty much everyone) or wants to embellish their technique. The second half builds upon the fundamental figures, introducing further patterns, concepts and technique. The Daylight sessions often coincide with an evening social but are not explicitly linked. The evening social can be tagged on at the reduced price of £12, making the bundle a complete bargain!
Timings
| First Half (Core Fundamentals) | 3.30pm – 4.50pm |
|---|---|
| Practice/Social Dancing (All Levels) | 4.50pm – 5.10pm |
| Second Half (Next Steps) | 5.10pm – 6.30pm |
Prices
| Early bird | Advanced | Full price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both Half Sessions (3 hrs) | £20 | £23 | £28 |
| One Half Session (1 hr 40 mins) | £13 | £16 | £20 |
Dates
| Date | Book | Corresponding social (bundle available) |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd February | Hot Tunes on a Cold Winter's Night with The Hot House Combo | |
| 2nd March | Lindy Hoppers Assemble with Just Misbehavin' | |
| 4th May | The Spring Swing Thing with The Sultans | |
| 5th October | The Sugar Foot Stomp with The South Devon Big Band |
How to Book
Balboa Daylight Sessions and the Evening Social (if any) on the same day are booked in the same booking form.
To book a bundle, please select at least one of the Daylight Sessions and the Evening Social in the same booking. The total price will be calculated for you (including the Social for just £12), and you can then make a single payment.
There is no time limit for booking bundles with the discounted £12 rate, but please book early to take advantage of early bird/advanced rates for the Daylight sessions, and to ensure availability for the social.
For example, if you select both Daylight sessions and the Social at the early bird rate, you will be asked to make a single payment of £32.
Balboa Twilight Sessions
An MAS concept that combines elements of the Daylight Sessions with the buzz of a social whereby the lesson content is intertwined with live music. For added pizzazz and to keep everyone fuelled, we include a candlelit dinner section. Attendees provide their own food and drink but we provide plates, cutlery and the all-important ambiance complete with candles and music.
Further details coming soon.
Dates
| 6th July | |
| 2nd November |
Saturday 1st February 2025
The Speakeasy
The Speakeasy returns with another evening of vintage splendour, giving you the opportunity to dress up in your glad rags and experience the frivolous jazz-fuelled lifestyle of the 1920s and 1930s.
- Live music from the Marvin Muoneké Quartet
- Live music from Hot Ginger
- 20’s Charleston Dance Class
- Performances from Jenny Thomas's Jazzettes and Jammers troupes
- Gambling Snug
- Photography Studio and Roaming Photography
- Vintage Shenanigans
- Bootlegger Bar serving all your favourite drinks (at Weatherspoon's prices!)
- Burlesque Performances
- Immersive theatrical entry experience
- Staggered entry times
- Enhanced cloakroom facilities
- Revised seating layout
Marvin Muoneké, affectionately referred to as the young man with the old soul, is a gifted singer-songwriter, arranger, trumpeter and recording artist. With a rich, deep bass-baritone voice, he possesses a rare and beautiful presence which lights up an audience within seconds. Oozing with elegance and style, we're honoured and delighted that Marvin will be gracing our stage once again, transporting us to a bygone age of yesteryear.
Hot Ginger play swingin' carefree music, straight from the roaring twenties, dirty thirties and prohibition speakeasies. Hold on to your hats, put on your spats and get ready to tap those feet!
Details
The following details apply for all events unless otherwise stated.
| Venue: | Abbey Hall, Behind St Andrew's Church (and adjacent to The Treasury), Catherine Street, Plymouth PL1 2AD |
|---|---|
| Parking: | You can find on street parking on Catherine Street directly outside the venue. The Guildhall car park is also a stone's throw away. Pay and display is required for both of these options. |
| Drinks: | Bring your own drinks (the exception to this is The Speakeasy, which has a fully licenced bar). Tap water is provided. |
| Payment: | Tickets can be purchased online or via our classes. A bank transfer is preferred but cash is accepted if you don't have access to internet banking. Mad About Swing does not issue refunds but tickets are transferable – just let us know the recipient of your ticket. We reserve the right to make changes to our events at any time without notice. |
