Casa Del Mar is an upscale beachfront hotel in Santa Monica. They have a beautiful vintage lobby which sometimes hosts bands like Barbara Morrison and Leftover Cuties. There is no dance floor, but management doesn’t seem to mind people dancing in the aisles, which have marble tile. This is not a regular swing event, so Continue Reading…
The crowd is mostly twenty-something non-Swing dancing West-siders, so definitely bring your own partner. But, it’s worth it because the Feetwarmers are excellent and the semi-outdoor ambiance is very charming and even romantic. Floor is patio decking, almost like a pier. Some dancers hate this surface; I didn’t mind it. Don’t wear heels, or they Continue Reading…
The Fairfax Farmer’s Market occasionally has danceable bands during the summer. The bands usually play somewhere in the Farmer’s market dining area. There is sometimes a small dance floor. The ambiance is great. Bring a partner, though, because these events are often poorly publicized. Unfortunately, the Grove website often doesn’t list the bands playing.
Camp Hollywood is the biggest and best annual Swing dance event in Southern California. Dancers and instructors come from around the world to attend this celebration of Swing dancing, Balboa, Blues, and more. The popularity of Camp Hollywood has not diminished over time, and a solid attendance is expected! There are classes during the day and contests and Continue Reading…
This is one of the few weekly options for Swing dancing on the West side of L.A. Rusty’s has been going on since 1998 and always features live music. Crowd is friendly with very wide range of age groups and dance levels. At the Wednesday dances there are two classes prior to the dance Continue Reading…
This group started out dancing at Third Street Promenade, but now they mainly dance at Tongva Park in Santa Monica once a month on Sunday afternoons during the summer. Surface is a smooth pebble walkway, but it’s actually surprisingly easy to dance on! Music is provided by DJ Fons on his portable sound system. Bring Continue Reading…
UCLA has a ballroom dance club that holds swing dances about once per quarter, usually with a live band, Swing Inc. These usually have mostly students and staff of UCLA, with a few West Side locals. Go if you’re nearby and want to meet some new people. Bring your own partner if you want to Continue Reading…