About Us

Duncan and Louise

Hey! As the founders of Mad About Swing, we established the Plymouth Lindy scene back in 2007. Having started our dance journey with Modern Jive, we soon discovered and fell in love with Lindy Hop during a year's working holiday in Australia in 2006. Brimming with enthusiasm, we returned to the UK, set up Mad About Swing and spent a further 6 years attending high level workshops and camps across Europe and the US, honing our craft and building a local scene in Plymouth. During this time, one class grew to two... then three and, before we knew it, Mad About Swing boasted five weekly Lindy Hop classes across two venues plus two additional Balboa classes on the weekend. The occasional dance nights we hosted grew to regular monthly socials with live bands plus elaborate multifaceted events such as our annual Speakeasy and Cotton Club events in which we attempted to recreate the frivolous and carefree vibe of the 20s, 30s and 40s. We also hosted a number of workshops with international teachers, including our Swing Thing weekenders, which incorporated a multi-teacher line-up. As well as teaching our own scene, we were fortunate to accept invitations to teach at a variety of swing events across the UK including repeat bookings at the Ryan & Jenny Weekend, Rock Bottoms and Palm Swings.

In 2013 we became parents and, although Mad About Swing has always held a very important place in our hearts, we have had to cut back a little. In 2021, we were honoured to have Jenny Thomas join the teaching lineup, leading the majority of the Tuesday night classes partnering Duncan. This was an incredible opportunity for Mad About Swing and the Plymouth scene. Three years later, with our boys a little older and more independent, Louise has made the decision to return to weekly classes, reforming the original husband and wife team.

Our passion for both Lindy Hop and Balboa prevails and we continually reevaluate and tweak the Plymouth classes and events that we host in order to make Mad About Swing the best it can be within our means. We endeavour to make our classes relaxed and fun but also provide the necessary technique and building blocks for attendees to succeed and progress to the next level. We genuinely love sharing the dance, and teaching all ability levels, and take great pride in the scene that we have created. With so much Swing dancing in the southwest, we're delighted to be a part of such a friendly thriving dance community. We feel very fortunate to attract a diverse range of genuinely lovely people to our classes and to have the opportunity to collaborate with exceptional local bands who make our weekend socials and events so special. A huge thanks to everyone who's been part of the journey!

Teri and Matt

Matt and Teri met through their love of Lindy in 2008. Teri has been integral to Mad About Swing's formula since its inception, previously dancing Modern Jive and enjoying success in a number of competitive events. She was drawn to Lindy Hop because of the additional challenge and advanced rhythmical aspects that it offered. Matt, on the other hand, joined Mad About Swing's classes as a pure beginner, encouraged along by a close friend. As a natural, whose technical mind-set embraced the mechanical aspects of the dance, he soon ascended the ranks and became a leading figure on the Plymouth scene. Their mutual enjoyment of swing dancing has taken Matt and Teri to various events and camps across the UK, where they have learned from some of the most respected and influential swing dance teachers on the modern circuit. They relish sharing their strong and varied knowledge with students looking to learn and hone their Lindy Hop, emphasising the importance of refining the basics and building good quality foundations on which to build more advanced techniques and figures. Matt and Teri teach a monthly L3 Lindy class and fill in when Duncan and Louise aren't available. They have a fun, informative teaching style and believe that the best way to learn is to get on the dance floor and do it. Their relaxed approach enables people to learn to dance in an environment that is comfortable, fun and friendly.