Sip & Swing Singles Mixer
Learn the super-fun partner dance Country Swing while mingling with other singles!
Sip & Country Swing
Learn this Easy Partner Dance and Meet Singles!
Country Swing is an easy and fun dance with a large community of dancers in Nashville. Come out to Nashville’s only dedicated country dance academy to learn from professionals who make dancing and meeting singles fun!
Event Details
Next Mixer: January 29th
Times: 7pm Ages 35 and up; 8:30pm Ages 21 – 40
Length: 75 minutes
Cost: $25
Registration form below
What is Country Swing?
Modern country swing is a rotational dance that takes elements from West Coast Swing and Western Swing. It’s the fastest growing dance in the country with several hundred dancers in the Nashville dance community. It take it’s name from the music that it was originally danced to, but today, it’s performed to any genre of music and just about any tempo.
It’s a small area dance which makes it suitable for nearly any music venue or function. It has an easy base step that has a lot of movement, so even if you only know the basic step, it appears that you are doing far more than you actually are. Additional moves are easy to learn and are endless, so it never becomes boring. Because the dance came from social dancing roots, it is not as formal as other styles of dance such as the ballroom dances. This makes it more fun and forgiving for beginner dancers.
The dance requires partnership to work well, which makes it exceptionally well suited for a singles mixer. It’s a great way to learn a lot about a person. 🙂
What Makes It Easy to Learn?
There are so many reasons this is such an easy and fun dance to learn. Here are just a few…
1) Dancers do not need rhythm, nor do they need to be able to stay on beat to have a good time. As opposed to some dances like two step, where being off beat causes you to kick your partner or step on their feet, that is not the case with Country Swing. You can even dance without music and it works just as well. Now, if you do have rhythm, you can add flare to your dancing, but unless you are competing in a Country Swing competition, rhythm is not required.
2) The footwork is slow relative to some dances and there are no tricky syncopations like in East Coast Swing.
3) You can do it to whatever style or speed of music you like. That means you can do it anywhere – your kitchen…a parking lot…local music venues…weddings…the list is endless. Because you can dance it anywhere, at anytime, to the music you actually listen to, you can practice it all the time. That helps you get better faster, and gives you more reasons to dance.
What’s the Event Format?
Every Sip & Swing begins with a brief explanation of the dance and a demo of the basic step. Instructors will also perform some fancier moves so you can see what is possible and how much fun it can be.
Instructors will break down the basic step into pieces and you will practice each step by yourself to get a feel for the dance. You will then partner up and introduce yourself. The instructors will then lead you through the dance step by step. After a brief period of practice, leads will rotate, you’ll make introductions, and practice some more. That general pattern will continue throughout the evening. After each round, we will provide prompts to give you a way to easily learn something new about each partner when you dance with them again.
Most everyone will be legitimately dancing within the first 10 minutes of class. It may take another 20 minutes for it to feel smooth and natural, but that’s part of the fun. You will be given several short breaks throughout the night to rest, catch your breath, sip on the beverage you brought, chat with those you want to get to know more, or practice more dancing.
After everyone has a decent handle on the dance, participants will learn a new move to add to their dancing. This move will be different each month so that you can continue to improve your dancing and level up the fun.
You will continue to rotate partners while you practice the new move with new conversation prompts added each round.
Will There Be Opportunities to Interact with Participants?
Yes! You will rotate partners throughout the night so you will have a low-pressure way to interact, chat and dance with all the dancers of the opposite sex. Each rotation will be long enough to learn a little about each other but not so long that it becomes awkward. There are also planned breaks that give you a chance to chat more to those you want to get to know better, but again, they aren’t long enough for things to be uncomfortable. It’s a great way to meet a variety of people in a low-pressure, structured environment. Our conversation cues will help spur the banter so there’s less pressure to come up with something to say. Everything feels more natural than at those singles events that feel more like a job interview.
What is Proper Attire?
We recommend comfortable clothing and footwear. You will be active so keep that in mind. There is nothing overtly country about the dance, so don’t feel the need to wear country attire, unless that’s your jam. As for footwear, worn out sneakers or shoes with smooth bottoms are ideal. You do not want grip…you want to be able to smoothly pivot. We don’t expect boots, nor do most of the country swing dancers in Nashville wear boots, but if you like to wear boots when you dance, then go for it. The only no no is spike heals. Anything else is allowed.
Do I Need to Drink Alcohol?
Absolutely not. You can bring water, your favorite sports beverage or whatever you want to rehydrate. We called it Sip & Swing so that folks knew they were allowed to bring a bottle of wine or their favorite canned beverage. Most of your time will be spent dancing, so there isn’t even a ton of sipping time. We do not sell alcohol, but we do have water and energy drinks available for purchase. We have a water fountain if you don’t bring anything.
When do I need to arrive?
Doors will open 30 minutes before the first session. Feel free to arrive early if you want to relax with a beverage first, or chat up people. Be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes in advance to pay your fee.
Do I need to Know How to Dance?
Absolutely not! This event is designed for those with zero dance experience. If you have experience, you can enjoy the activity and get a chance to meet other singles and maybe share your knowledge. Each of these mixers starts with learning the basic step. The second half of the event will be learning a new move each month. The new move will also be beginner level so those with two left feet can continue to learn and improve while meeting other singles each month.
How Do I Pay?
You can pay in advance or at the door via Venmo, Cash App or Zelle. Cash will also be accepted at the door.
I Have Two Left Feet, is this for Me?
Absolutely! Turn Their Heads Country Dance Academy specializes in complete beginners who have never danced before. Over 200 beginners per month, from all over the world, take country swing lessons at Turn Their Heads, so you are in good hands. Also keep in mind that this is a singles mixer. No one is expecting you to be a good dancer. People are there to get to know you as a person. How you dance is nowhere near as important as how you tackle new adventures, how you handle struggle, how you treat others and so on.
How Does this Differ from your Weekly Beginner Class on Saturdays?
The teaching aspect of our $25 Sip & Swing events is pretty much the same as our $40 weekend class but are 15 minutes longer and are specifically designed for individuals to get to meet each other. The Saturday class is primarily couples, so we don’t rotate partners and there are no breaks.
REGISTRATION
Country Swing Reviews
A great insight into dancing plus of course you get taught the basics on country swing in a very short space of time
I can assure you I was born with 2 left feet , but our instructor Nicole who I may say has a patience of a saint , was truly outstanding, the private lesson was brilliant , fun and exiting ,
Both myself and and my wife are still talking about it everyday , we both saying one of our best ever things we have done togethor ....
We would highly recommend going and will be sharing our experience with just about every social media platform there is , as Nicole and Turn their heads deserve every ounce of praise , our time there was absolutely awesome.
Please if you are reading this and thinking of attending a lesson in dancing , please stop thinking and GO , you will not regret it , you will learn the basics , you will have fun and you will experience a little bit more than your usual visit to Nashville
From the booking of the experience online right through to us walking out the door after the lesson was amazing ,
Turn your heads really do get it right !!!!
Please just go !!! If we ever return to Nashville we will be 1000000% be booking another slot...
Thanks from a very happy Paul and Lisa
P.s Nicole does really have patience of a saint x
If we lived here we would probably take regular lessons.
Besides how knowledgeable they are about Country Swing and how great they are as instructors, both create a fun, welcoming, and encouraging atmosphere (and community) for all dancers.
I highly recommend booking a lesson with Turn Their Heads!
Other Country Swing Lessons at Turn Their Heads
Intro to Country Swing Dancing
This 60-minute country lesson is designed for beginners who want to learn the basics and get out on the dance floor tonight. By the end of class you’ll know how to lead and follow, do the basic step, spin and be spun plus perform a move or two to add variety and look good. Partner not required.
This is great for a date night, for tourists who have limited time, or for those who want to see if they like the dance before jumping into our 4-week course. This class is primarily for couples. If you are a solo individual, please reach out to us so we can try to find you a partner.
Private Country Swing Lesson
If you work better without a crowd, want more one-on-one attention or want to learn advanced moves, this 45-minute lesson is for you. Beginners will learn basic fundamentals, the basic step for both the follow and lead, how to spin the follow plus a few moves to add variety. If you are an experienced country swing dancer and want to learn advanced moves, or have specific moves you want to learn, let us know in advance so we can have you looking amazing. Available for couples and solo students (partner provided).
4-Week Country Swing - Fundamentals 1
Our super-popular 4-week course is once per week on Mondays from 6:30pm – 8pm. Partner not required. Attendees will have access to a recorded version of the class so they can watch the videos if they miss a class or if they want to practice at home.
Go deep into the fundamentals and truly understand how to country swing dance. You will come away from this course knowing how to properly perform today’s country swing, and be able to dance with anyone smoothly.
Fundamentals 2 & 3
Continue what you learned in Fundamentals 1! Fundamentals 2 (High Beginner) and Fundamentals 3 (Low Intermediate) are 55 minutes long and teach 2 – 5 moves and variations. These are a bridge between Fundamentals 1 and our intermediate classes.
Intermediate Country Swing - Drop-In
These semiprivate, weekly 55-minute lessons are held every Monday from 8pm – 9pm. If you are wanting to learn intermediate to advanced moves and techniques, and fine tune your skills in a small-group class with lots of instructor interaction, this class is for you.
You will learn a variety of moves and combos in addition to higher level techniques for improving your dance. You’ll also gain improved connection and better transitions so that you are actually dancing and not just being a “move robot”. Flare, timing and musicality will also be featured throughout the classes.
Partner not required. Class is a drop in format so you can come to any individual class. Class fee is $25/person/class.
You should have a high beginner/low intermediate skill level or above to get the most out of these classes. If you have attended Fundamentals 1, 2 and 3, you are ready to go. If you are unsure which class to take, you can swing by for a brief dance evaluation to determine whether our Fundamentals or intermediate classes are best for you.