Since learning and improving your dance is the number one reason people attend a dance camp, we've put a lot of thought this year into how to make your class-taking experience as powerful as possible. In short, classes are grouped into tracks (similar to many other camps), but instead of those tracks being based solely on level, there are also theme-based tracks. Our goal is for you not to obsess over "how good you are", but instead "what you want to get better at"!

At Lindy Focus, it's not about grading yourself on a scale, it's about throwing yourself into the material.

This year, we're making a special effort to keep classes sizes smaller, to avoid the risk of overcrowding. We heard your feedback, and have taken action!

• Checkout the classes

The beginner track is all about giving you the full picture of this powerful and complex dance. Attendees to this track range from newer dancers to people who have trained in other styles but are new to Lindy Hop. Expect to work hard, make visible progress every day, hit the social dance floor your very first night, bond with a group of dancers and excellent instructors, and have more fun than you ever thought possible!

This track is for dancers who are already quite comfortable social dancing Lindy Hop on a regular basis. You have a strong understanding of the core repertoire including swingouts, lindy circle, texas tommy, tuck turns, other basic 8 count, as well as common 6 count turns and passes. You easily mix the two. You are strong with your technique, can move easily at a wide variety of tempos (dancing a little faster all the time), you've worked on frame, balance, and posture. NOW it's time to take it to the next level: Perfecting your movement, dancing consistently, finding new ways to be creative. After class, throw yourself into social dancing, processing the material so you're ready to move on and learn even more the next day!

This track is a new addition to Lindy Focus, designed for those who don't cleanly fall into either the Intermediate or Advanced categories. Maybe you're a very clear communicator with strong social dance skills, but have never made a serious study of lines and shapes. Perhaps you've done some competing, and are good at busting out classic patterns, even at higher speeds, but things can fall apart during slower social dances. This track will touch a little bit on the full range of topics, giving you the chance to fill out your skills and become a more solid, well-rounded dancer.

This track is simply for the most experienced social dancers at camp, and will require an audition. You can expect to be drilled on pretty flawless technique, fast dancing, and automatic familiarity with a huge range of repertoire. This is the kind of track where the instructor can show you a rather complex step or syncopation, and most of the class at least gets the general idea just from watching it. The instructors are asked to really push this group, rewarding those who work harder by accelerating the pace of class.

Taught at an intermediate-advanced level, the focus here is on performing and competing. You will be working on a lot of performance repertoire and challenging steps, but also on stage presentation, lines, and presence. This track will be performing for camp.

Also, this track requires a partner! Some classes may rotate, and some may not, (and there WILL be jazz/solo classes included) but instructors will have the option of keeping everyone with their partners in order to maintain a quick pace, and to allow you all to really develop strong, performance-ready partnerships.

This track is half-class and half meet-ups/practices designed to give those who pass the audition the opportunity to work together through material that pushes them to work beyond their limits. A very small group will be selected by the instructors to participate in this track, though the audition is open to anyone who has already placed into the Advanced group. You cannot pre-register for this track, you can only audition in; if interested, sign up for Advanced.

This year we are very excited to be offering multiple full-tracks for those wishing to focus on Balboa/Bal-Swing. NOTE: The classes below are for those with significant Balboa experience. If you are brand-new to Balboa, we will be offering two introductory classes, open to all campers.

This track is for those who have learned and are quite comfortable with the basic repertoire of Balboa and Bal-Swing, and could easily demonstrate such steps as the basic, paddle turns, transition step, out & in's, crossovers, come-arounds, lollies, and throw-outs. An intermediate dancer should be competent at a wide range of tempos, if maybe not the more blazingly fast numbers. At this level, you should be looking to refine your fundamentals, expanding your repertoire with more interesting bal-swing patterns, and exploring how you can express the music within the flow of the dance.

An advanced Balboa dancer should meet all the criteria for Intermediate, but should feel like they have near-spotless technique. If you are a Lindy Hopper, you are able to distinguish which Lindy Hop techniques *not* to use. Your understanding of Bal-swing is expanding all the time, as you tirelessly look for new ways to explore momentum in that format. You have a passionate if private love affair with pure Bal. If you're a follower, your spins and turns are getting really tight. Choose this track if you want to be thoroughly challenged.

Throughout camp, we will offer a wide selection of all-level classes designed to fill in the holes of what you already know. They will include things such as introductory Balboa, Tap, Shim Sham, and even some Air Steps and Jazz Routines -- all to help you choose how best to supplement what you're getting in your track.

We'll announce which divisions we'll be hosting as it gets closer to the event, based on our observation of the demands and interests of the dance community. Regardless, if you've got the eye of the tiger, be prepared to bring it! More coming soon...

A complete camp schedule, including all classes, dances, competitions and special events will be posted here as it gets closer to the event.

- The opening dance and welcome ceremony are the night of Monday 12/27
- Classes begin the morning of Tuesday 12/28 (any auditions will be this morning)
- Last day of class is Friday 12/31, and is followed by the New Year's Party
- Departure is Saturday 1/1