From a young age, I have in some way or another been involved in dance. First came Welsh folk dancing, whether that be playing for it with my parents in their folk band, or doing it with peers at Eisteddfods or elsewhere. I have very fond memories of it all, though I can’t for the life of me remember any steps at this point. Then came youth theatre and the kind of performance movement that goes along with various plays and settings of text. Then salsa, and a tiny bit of salsa, and a very healthy dose of skanking and moshing to bands on the underground circuit travelling through the small towns of my home.

After moving to Cardiff, and to university, a natural break from dance came about. After graduating I wrote music for contemporary dance, but was nonetheless adjacent to it, until 2015, when Lindy Hop found me. I say that it found me, as I was dropped into it rather than me seeking it out, due to a friend teaching me steps in my living room until I agreed to go to a social with her (thank you, by the way).

I had an on and off again relationship with Lindy Hop, until I started teaching with my now partner on a regular basis. A real love of, and obsession with, the dance began. Right before the pandemic struck. But we practiced, and took and gave classes online, and after the world opened up, we built a dance school together in Cardiff. I say we, but Jessie does everything, I just help with content and teach!

I have since had the privilege of teaching alongside Jenny Thomas, a legend of the worldwide Lindy Hop scene, and I look forward to learning much more from her, and many others, in the years ahead.

Lindy Hop is a black American art form. It was developed in the 1920s, then popularised throughout the 1930s and 1940s, eventually reaching audiences across the world. There is much to be said on the topic of its creation and proliferation, not least through the lens of social justice, far more than I could summarise here (and there are people far better placed than me to do so). I am highly privileged to be able to pass on what I have learned about Lindy Hop, and I encourage everyone who participates in this cultural phenomenon to investigate its roots, its development, and how it is viewed and danced today.