Our Classes & Socials

You come for the dance and stay for the community 😉

Beginner Classes

New to West Coast Swing? Start here.

Our beginners classes are designed to give you solid foundations in rhythm, connection, and partner work — all in a friendly, relaxed environment. No partner or experience needed — just bring your curiosity (and maybe some comfy shoes).

Next Beginner track events:

For now, we don’t have any classes scheduled for beginners. But you’re welcome to take private lessons and learn the basics of West Coast Swing at your own pace and time (and if you have any other dance background, it can be much faster than in a group).

Workshops

Ready to level up? Our advanced workshops dive deep into technique, musicality, and partner dynamics — perfect for dancers who want to refine their craft and challenge themselves. Expect focused drills, geeky insights, and lightbulb moments!

Our next Workshops:

To be announced soon 😉

Socials

Come dance, connect, and have fun! Our socials are a relaxed space to practice, meet fellow dancers, and enjoy the magic of West Coast Swing.

Great music, good vibes, and no pressure — just bring your smile (and maybe a spare T-shirt 😉).

Private Lessons

Get personalised feedback and faster progress with one-on-one or couple sessions. Whether you’re working on technique, competition prep, or just want to learn the basics at your own time and pace, our private lessons are tailored to your goals and learning style.

Prices:

£40 on the weekdays, 9am-5pm (lessons with Julia)

£50 on the evenings and weekends (very limited availability)

Contact us:

HenryJuliaLeonard@gmail.com

FAQ

Nope! Our beginners classes are designed for absolute newcomers. We’ll guide you step‑by‑step so you can feel confident from your very first class.

Not at all. We rotate partners throughout the class so everyone gets a chance to dance with different people — it’s the fastest way to learn and make friends.

Wear something comfortable that you can move in. For shoes, smooth soles (like jazz shoes or clean trainers) work best — avoid heavy grip soles as they can make turning difficult.

Yes, there’s free street parking nearby, plus good public transport links.

Yes, but we don’t recommend – you and your partners will enjoy it more if you’ve taken at least one class. We sometimes run beginner taster classes right before socials so you can jump straight in!

Yes! You can split the cost and learn together, it’s a great option for practice buddies or couples.

Absolutely! We welcome dancers from teens to retirees. If you can walk to music, you can dance WCS.

The leader guides the dance, deciding the direction, timing, and patterns. The follower listens to that lead, interpreting it with their own movement and styling. Both roles are creative, social, and equally important.

Traditionally, men lead and women follow, but in West Coast Swing you’re free to choose whichever role you prefer, or even learn both. If you’re not sure, start with the one that feels most natural to you, or try each to see which you enjoy most.

What people say

Julia and Henry are amazing dancers and brilliant teachers. Whether you want to build a strategy for competitions, create a development plan for your dancing or just perfect that one really cool move that you want to nail, they can help. They bring complex concepts to life by clear and practical explanations and they give focused feedback to help you elevate your dancing.

Livia Pality

I’ve had a fantastic experience learning from Henry and Julia as I began my dance journey. Henry taught me the basics in the beginners’ class with great professionalism and patience. As someone completely new to dance, I really appreciated how clearly he explained everything and how supportive he was throughout. Read more Julia is an incredibly precise and focused teacher who brings out the best in her students. She helped me put together a plan for my competition dance and worked closely with me to iron out the challenges I was facing. Her attention to detail and commitment to helping me improve made a real difference. Together, they make a brilliant team and I’m excited to see their new business grow — they truly care about their students and are passionate about what they do. Highly recommended!

Mark Rigarlsford

Julia and Henry are incredibly passionate, talented, and inspiring dancers. They bring a great mix of creativity and technical skill to everything they do. As teachers, they’re honest and direct, yet always fair, encouraging, and genuinely supportive. Read more They continue to play an important part in helping me grow as a dancer, and I’m really looking forward to continuing my West Coast Swing journey with their support and input.

Angela Wood

Having had years of dance experience across disciplines, it’s rare to find a teacher who is as astute, specific and personalised in their ability to teach as Julia. Her ability to spot, articulate then help improve the individual nuances of what your gaps are in technique, timing and awareness, are amazing. Read more She’s also brilliant at getting to the core of things without overwhelming you, allowing you to work together directly on isolated things to help improve your dancing. I owe a lot to Julia’s teaching and cannot believe how after even just my first private lesson with her, people were commenting regularly on my improved ability and connection. Henry provides such a detailed and articulate approach as a teacher, really helping to break things down and identify areas to work on in ways that feel super clear. He’s really patient and feels aware of your needs and limits while also explaining the minutiae and details in a selective way. He has really helped me become a stronger and more confident dancer – it’s a joy to see my own progress thanks to both Henry and Julia!

Ruthie Sarah

Bristol Swing 9

Where we’re located:

Stoke Bishop Village Hall
42 Stoke Hill, Bristol BS9 1EX

Email: HenryJuliaLeonard@gmail.com

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