Study the roots of jazz dance! This is a weekly drop-in class with solo jazz champion & historian Sharon Davis. Learn legendary jazz dance steps and classic routines from the 1920s to 1950s. See lesson plans below for class topics by date. 

When: 8.30pm-9.30pm every Tuesday during term. Here are our 2022 term dates (click the + sign to see the exact list of dates):

What is this class about?
In each class you will learn a segment of authentic choreography, as seen in a vintage film or passed down to us by the great legends of jazz dance. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the class topics by date.

Note: These are solo jazz classes, not tap dance classes. Sometimes we work on steps by famous tap dancers, but we learn the jazz version (as is swing tradition). Tap shoes are never required in this class.

What is the level? This is generally a level 1.5 to level 2 class. The Shim Sham is the easiest and most important jazz routine, so we start every term with it. All the other routines will be more difficult than the Shim Sham, and a few are very advanced.  We recommend you check the lesson plan (at the bottom of this page) before booking, to check the level.

For all classes you should already know your classic jazz steps and 1920s Charleston fundamentals. For many classes it will be helpful to be very comfortable with the Shim Sham routine.

(If you’re not sure you’re advanced enough for this class, but want to give it a go anyway, that’s fine with us. We love brave and ambitious students! We recommend you stay in the back row so you can follow the other dancers, and not slow down the class progress. No worries!)

Is this a drop-in class or a course? This is a drop-in class, so you can start anytime and drop in when you like. Some choreographies are covered over multiple classes, but each week focuses on a distinct segment of the choreography, so you don’t need to attend them all and it doesn’t matter if you missed the previous week. For example, if we are teaching the second chorus of a routine, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know the first chorus. You are welcome to just drop in to classes whenever you like. You don’t need to take these classes in any particular order and it’s no problem if you miss a week.

Location

Address: Jazzbourne, 443 New Cross Road, London SE14 6TA

On arrival: venue doors open from 6pm. Come early and have a drink before the classes!

Closest tube stations: New Cross, Deptford Bridge, Deptford, New Cross Gate.

For more information on visiting the venue Jazzbourne, check out their website here.

Prices at the Door

Booking is not essential, walk-ins are very welcome (if we’re not full up).

At the door the price is £15 per class, or discounted to £12.50 per class if you take both that evening (ie: £25 for two classes).

We are cashless, so card and contactless payments only please. Sorry, we can’t accept cash.

2022 Lesson Plans