Edinburgh Swing Dance Society

Edinburgh Swing Dance Society Lindy Hop is the original swing dance from the 1920s & 1930s. It is the longest established swing dance organisation in Scotland. We run on a non-profit basis.

Edinburgh Swing Dance Society (ESDS) is an informal society of dancers which exists to introduce and promote social swing dancing in Scotland, by organising classes, workshops and dance nights. We mainly offer classes in Lindy Hop, but also dance Balboa and Charleston, plus jazz routines and ‘strolls’ such as the Shim Sham and the Jitterbug Stroll. ESDS was originally formed in 1996 and received a

n enormous amount of support in the early years from Russell Sargeant and Carolene Hinds, leading members of The Jiving Lindy Hoppers. ESDS has a warm and welcoming atmosphere with all members able and willing to share their experience, knowledge, and passion for swing, music, and culture. None of the local contributors take fees for teaching, administering, or the organising of events. Any income after costs is used to subsidise weekend events with the highest quality teachers from around the world. Our emphasis is very much on learning social dancing. When on the floor socially, dancing is not about impressing the crowd, it’s about the dance-connection with your partner and sharing your interpretation of the music. Membership

You don’t have to be a full member of ESDS to attend our events, but if you do join you get discounted prices at ESDS and other reciprocal events, and an opportunity to partake in the running of the society. Stockbridge House
2 Cheyne Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1JB

✨Meet our Term 1 Lindy Hop Teachers, Kayleigh and Rob ✨- Level 2 (7.15-8.15pm)- Level 1 (8.15-9.15pm)Thursdays at Lifeca...
03/09/2026

✨Meet our Term 1 Lindy Hop Teachers, Kayleigh and Rob ✨

- Level 2 (7.15-8.15pm)
- Level 1 (8.15-9.15pm)
Thursdays at Lifecare Centre from 10th September 📆

A little about them:
Kayleigh & Rob have been teaching regularly together since 2017. They approach Lindy Hop from a social dancer’s perspective, combining their own broad experiences with wisdom gleaned from other dancers, teachers and historical sources. As guests in the Black American culture the dance is from, their understanding of Lindy Hop keeps evolving as they continue their learning. Starting with foundations of clear and authentic partner connection and good quality music that swings, they want to help you find your joy in the dance.

See you on the dance floor 💙

Welcoming Adam and Rebecca for Term 1 🙌They’ll be teaching a Level 1 Collegiate S**g block from 7.30-8.15pm on Thursdays...
31/08/2026

Welcoming Adam and Rebecca for Term 1 🙌

They’ll be teaching a Level 1 Collegiate S**g block from 7.30-8.15pm on Thursdays at Lifecare Centre.

A little about them:
Adam and Rebecca arrived at swing dancing through very different paths, but both came to the same conclusion - that Collegiate S**g is the best!
Rebecca has loved dancing from an early age and can’t stop grooving if there’s a good beat going. Adam has played jazz for many years (and still plays in the Castle Rock Jazz Band!) but it was only at university, at the suggestion of Rebecca, that he tried dancing to it. In all their classes the aim is to deliver the distinct feeling of Collegiate S**g, its history, and how it connects to and is built from the music. They want their students to feel creative and able to express themselves while still keeping the authenticity of the dance, and being conscious and aware of the African-American communities from where it originated.

See you on the dance floor!

Fellow dancers, we’re nearly ready to get back on the dance floor after a well-deserved summer break! 💃🕺✨Our classes wil...
27/08/2026

Fellow dancers, we’re nearly ready to get back on the dance floor after a well-deserved summer break! 💃🕺✨

Our classes will be resuming soon, but in the meantime, here are some important dates for you to save! 📅❤️

We can’t wait to welcome you all back and dance together again! Keep an eye on our social media for more information and updates. 👀✨

See you soon!!!

Tickets still available for next weekend’s Balboa workshop. Perfect for beginners and improvers or a chance for more exp...
05/07/2026

Tickets still available for next weekend’s Balboa workshop.

Perfect for beginners and improvers or a chance for more experienced dancers to try out switch roles!

We’d love to see a few more lovely leads on the dance floor 😊

ZERO to HERO Balboa Workshop with Christine & Sigga

Balboa is an elegant and fun swing dance from the 1930’s suited to faster jazz music. The workshop will start with posture and basic moves so you can social dance Balboa with ease. Before you know it, we’ll be breezing through a handful of the most common moves whilst making sure it all feels fun and comfy along the way. ��Sigga and Christine will be jumping into the partner rotation a lot, so you’ll get plenty of tailored feedback during this workshop to support and stretch you. This approach means dancers of all abilities will benefit, whether you’ve never tried Balboa before or you’ve been dancing it for a while.

* The workshop is aimed at beginners and improvers in Balboa.
* No partner required – we rotate. �
📍 Where: LifeCare, Stockbridge
📅 When: Saturday, 11th July | 1:30 – 6:00pm
🎟️ Tickets: £15 Standard / £13 Concessions
Social only tickets also available (£5/£4)

🔗 Link in bio to book via Dancecloud!

💡Make it a full Balboa weekend by joining us at Balboa Brunch on Sunday 12th July, 12–3pm at Leith Depot – three hours of FREE social dancing and a friendly space to practise what you’ve learned.

ZERO to HERO Balboa Workshop with Christine & SiggaBalboa is an elegant and fun swing dance from the 1930’s suited to fa...
22/06/2026

ZERO to HERO Balboa Workshop with Christine & Sigga

Balboa is an elegant and fun swing dance from the 1930’s suited to faster jazz music. The workshop will start with posture and basic moves so you can social dance Balboa with ease. Before you know it, we’ll be breezing through a handful of the most common moves whilst making sure it all feels fun and comfy along the way. ��Sigga and Christine will be jumping into the partner rotation a lot, so you’ll get plenty of tailored feedback during this workshop to support and stretch you. This approach means dancers of all abilities will benefit, whether you’ve never tried Balboa before or you’ve been dancing it for a while.

* The workshop is aimed at beginners and improvers in Balboa.
* No partner required – we rotate. �
📍 Where: LifeCare, Stockbridge
📅 When: Saturday, 11th July | 1:30 – 6:00pm
🎟️ Tickets: £15 Standard / £13 Concessions
Social only tickets also available (£5/£4)

🔗 Link in bio to book via Dancecloud!

💡Make it a full Balboa weekend by joining us at Balboa Brunch on Sunday 12th July, 12–3pm at Leith Depot – three hours of FREE social dancing and a friendly space to practise what you’ve learned.

This Thursday 18th June, join us for our Annual General Meeting. It will happen straight after the level 1 class and we ...
16/06/2026

This Thursday 18th June, join us for our Annual General Meeting. It will happen straight after the level 1 class and we welcome all member to participate so we can reach the quorum.

We will give you some quick info about our finances, past events, future events and we will vote for the Committee!

If you want to join the Committee and find out more about all the benefits of joining, please drop us an email at [email protected]

We promise to keep it short so you can still enjoy some social dancing afterwards!

☀️ Summer is calling, and somehow we’re already coming to the end of term!Before we head off for the summer break, we’ve...
03/06/2026

☀️ Summer is calling, and somehow we’re already coming to the end of term!

Before we head off for the summer break, we’ve got one more fabulous event lined up… our Summer Party! 🎉💃🕺

🎶 We’re delighted to welcome Ian Ewing and the Chevaliers, who’ll be keeping the dance floor buzzing with their fantastic live music all evening!

🎟️ Have you secured your ticket yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Head to the link in our bio and grab yours now!
We can’t wait to spend an evening of dancing, laughter, and great music with you all. ❤️

Thursday 25th June 7.30pm until 11pm

👀 And don’t pack away your dancing shoes just yet — we’ll be hosting another event during the summer, so keep your eyes peeled on our social media for more details!

Join us for the final Teacher Development Workshop before the summer break! ☀️ Whether you're new to teaching and curiou...
01/06/2026

Join us for the final Teacher Development Workshop before the summer break! ☀️

Whether you're new to teaching and curious to learn more, or an experienced teacher looking to spend a few hours with like-minded people who are passionate about learning, sharing and connecting, this session is for you.

This workshop won't be split into separate theory and practical sections. Instead, we'll explore ideas together in a fluid and collaborative learning environment.

Secure your free ticket via the link in bio! 🎟️ ⬆️

We are delighted to announce another Sunday extravaganza filled with workshops and live music! 🎉 Start the day with a fu...
21/05/2026

We are delighted to announce another Sunday extravaganza filled with workshops and live music! 🎉

Start the day with a fun workout learning some strolls with the amazing Iain Maxwell.

After the lunch break, we’ll be joined by the incredible Dick Lee’s Hot Club Hepcats 🎷 🎸 for a specially curated swing dance setlist featuring: Dick Lee (reeds), Ronan Toal (guitar), Ian McNally (guitar), Stephen Jack (double bass) and Maria Townsley (vocals).

And what would a proper Tea Dance be without some home baking? 🍰
Bring along a treat to share — and don’t forget there’ll also be a raffle with the chance to win some lovely prizes!

The event will take place in the Main Hall at Edinburgh Academy, with free parking available on site. 🚗

If you haven’t already, grab your ticket via the link in bio! 🎟️ ⬆️

One last term before the summer break starts Thursday 21st May with the wonderful Alex & Lottie ✨Tickets are available n...
12/05/2026

One last term before the summer break starts Thursday 21st May with the wonderful Alex & Lottie ✨

Tickets are available now via the link in bio 🎟️

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the dancefloor!

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Edinburgh

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