What we’re about
This group aims to inform the swing dancers of San Diego about the places where we can dance swing. The event selection reflects the organizer's preferences, primarily the Lindy and Charleston varieties (a. k. a. "East Coast" swing).
Please note the prominent resources for the swing dancers in San Diego:
- SD Swing Cats calendar includes most of the swing-related events in San Diego: http://sdswingcats.com/calendar/
- List of regular swing events by Glenn Tesler sites.google.com/view/san-diego-swing-dance-venues
- San Diego Swing Dance community on Facebook is a news feed for swing dancers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sandiegoswingdance/
Unlike these all-encompassing resources, this group will be focused on at most just a several events per week where the live ("in-person") swing dancing is expected to happen, there will be no announcements for online events, lessons, or opportunities to merely listen to the music.
Note also the Firehouse Swing Dance. This major weekly event is typically not covered here since on Wednesdays I am usually traveling. Check their Web site, firehouseswingdance.com.
All members are expected to be experienced dancers familiar with both the dance and the community, thus no common-sense instructions will be posted for each event. Swing dance etiquette is discussed, for example, at www.dsds.org/Etiquette.
If you will have any questions, feel free to send me a message or talk to me at the event.
As is typical with the Meetups, all activities are done at your own risk. The dance events announced by this group are not professionally guided and not hosted by the Organizer or the group: these announcements simply describe the public dance events already set up by someone else. You are responsible for your own safety and safety of non-Members you bring with you to the Meetup. There is no guarantee that your fellow dancers will have the training or experience to prevent an injury or other adverse issue. As a member of this group, you agree to release all Organizers, Hosts, and fellow Members of any and all liability. By participating in the events announced by this group you agree to accept any and all risk associated with these events .
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Swing Dance Under The Dome (live music by the Garners)San Diego Central Library, San Diego, CA
A little-known, yet fun - and free - and outdoors! - SD event. Note that these events are frequently cancelled due to weather and other circumstances, so double-check the links before going (the event is not yet posted on the library site, a schedule of events for the rest of 2025 is attached).
The event alternates between the DJ music and live band is playing. On this occasion, the Garners will playing. This is a small band (a duo or trio) with a pretty good sound for such a small group. I love dancing to their tunes.
This hidden gem is happening approximately every two-three weeks (on Mondays) on the roof (floor 9) of the San Diego Public Library in the downtown San Diego. Around holidays and during the Padres games the scheduling becomes hectic and unpredictable. To the best of my knowledge, there is no dedicated website for the event; sometimes checking the Facebook page of the swing dancing community of San Diego, www.facebook.com/groups/sandiegoswingdance/, helps. You can also find the dates on the library web site (sandiego.librarymarket.com or follow the event link above and click on Also Occurs On button on the left). Last chance is the sdswingcats.com/calendar site. Note that the schedule always skips the days when Padres have home games (as the library garage is used for paid parking).
Follows and leads are usually pretty balanced, still, as for any sparsely attended event bringing an own partner might be useful. On some occasions there were more follows, not disastrously.
The free beginner lesson starts at 6:00PM with dancing at 6:30PM (unlike many dance venues, this one starts on time, so allow yourself 10 minutes for parking and the elevator ride). The crowd is about 30-40 dancers (up to a hundred if a star band is playing), with a quite large percentage of beginners, and a few intermediates. The lesson is intended for true beginners and assumes no previous dance experience.
Few tips:
a) The event happens on the actual roof, i.e. outdoors, and the view is great - but the temperature matches the one outside, sun goes down as we dance, and a fair amount of wind is possible - therefore dress wisely (and in layers). The seating is limited. Note that in case of inclement weather the event is usually not cancelled, but moved instead into an auditorium on the same 9th floor.
b) The library roof is paved with smooth concrete tiles, so this dance floor will not be suitable for your good dancing shoes, although limited pivots can be executed by a skilled dancer. There are grooves between the tiles, so the stiletto heels will not work well either. Library suggests "sensible shoes". The backup location, auditorium, has a carpeted floor, not great for dancing, but also OK for limited pivots. In any case, leads should be careful leading an unfamiliar follower into, say, a double turn.
c) Plenty of free parking is available in the garage under the library (entrance off the 11th Avenue, come on time, or you might find the entrance gate closed). At this time of the day the parking is usually almost empty. Do not forget to validate your parking ticket on the first floor of the library using a device on the left side of the information desk, this self-service contraption resembles a barcode scanner at the store checkout. Validation is good for two hours, the dance is shorter, still the extra time for parking and elevator ride might push you over this limit. On few occasions I had to pay $1.25 for extra minutes.
