This community/studio grows primarily through word-of-mouth. It's a gem and I love their growing roster of instructors and core of familiar faces. They have a referral-for-refresher model, such that when you invite a new student to an Uptown Swing class, you are allowed to retake a class that you have already taken. Mondays, Thursdays, and now Tuesdays too. I really appreciate their 4-leveled curriculum model for actually progressing in skill; as others in the lindy world, it can be rather opaque to navigate how to become a more serious/skilled hopper, short of traveling to allll the conferences/swingouts around the world... The swing world comes to the Twin Cities each year thanks to Uptown! Hope to see you at Uptown Swingout this August... read more

Wow.. this place gives great lessons, or Peter does. I've taken years' of lessons in Chicago at Galaxie whose Nicole I LOVE, and also at Big City Swing, whose teachers some here at Uptown Swing know, it seems. Small community I'm sure. The low-down: while I was in intermediate classes in Chicago, I was decidedly in Beginner A classes at this studio. I might be able to advance to Beginner B at this point though my husband might need a repeat or at least for us to review Beginner A moves a few more times. The teacher Peter is quite fun, and Really Really Good. Not sure if this guy was a musician or what, prior to his 2-year-path to World Champion, but he knows his stuff. 4-stars so far only because I think he sometimes misses some simpler ways he could actually -teach- the moves, but, he definitely gives some good pointers. My favorite so far is "imagine you are bouncing a ball with your butt". Hilarious. :) The studio space is a little echoey, so it's sometimes hard to discern what anyone is saying. If dancers crowded IN closer to Peter a bit more, it might be easier to hear as well as to ask questions as we go through moves, as has happened in other classes I have taken [in Chicago]. I'm really looking forward to taking more lessons here. Looking forward to finding some local swing spots out in the wild in this new town, which seems un-easy so far. read more

Great swing dance instruction in the Twin Cities! Peter is top notch and sure is observant and more than willing to tell you what you are doing wrong to help improve your dancing. It's a fun atmosphere and class sizes are reasonable. At $12 per class or $40 per session, it's fairly reasonable for the caliber of the training. Also, intermediate is more like advanced and if you are coming in from another dance studio, likely you will have to start with the beginner classes to prove yourself capable on the dance floor. If that is an issue for you, it is worth discussing with Peter and the gang at Uptown Swing though! That's just my interpretation. Happy Dancing :) read more

A decent alternative when TCSwing.com classes are full. Unfortunately, Peter's obsessive teaching methods killed the fun for me.

WOW!! I just had the most fun! Naomi & Pete just led about 60 people in a 4.5 hour level 1 swing dance class and they totally rocked it! Even the most nervous novices had a great time and they us all swingin! I am hooked if you want to swing this is THE place to learn Beautiful venue and excellent teachers If I could give 10 stars I would! read more

If there was a way to give them more than five stars I would! I've been swing dancing for about seven months now just learning on the fly from friends once a week at late night swing on Thursday evenings with TC Swing, but man I learned more in my 4 1/2 hour crash course with Peter and Naomi than I have in the past seven months on my own! I can't tell you how amazing and what good teachers they are. They make everything fun and easy, breaking down the moves and really focusing on the basics. If you're serious about learning lindy hop the right way this is hands down the only place to go. I can't wait to go back for more! read more

Peter Strom, his wife Naomi, Jeremy, Stacia and all the fill-in instructors (Mikey, Dee and more) are all dedicated to making lindy hop the best it can be in the Twin Cities. Peter, a world class swing dancer, teaches the beginner lessons. Peter works on making this dance easy to learn and fun, and his beginner lessons are legendary. He puts people at ease by injecting humor into a challenging situation. You'll be awarded for paying attention, putting in a little practice outside of classes and letting your inhibitions go. I came to Uptown Swing more than three years ago as a non-dancer and a skeptic and was hooked by the end of my first month of lessons. Three years later, the studio has expanded, but prices are still reasonable for a month of dancing, $12 per lesson or $40 for a whole one-month block. Students get a discount. Beginner lessons are taught in one-month blocks, and you don't need a partner since everyone rotates through all the partners. If you're a swing dancer, Uptown Swing focuses primarily on lindy hop with some solo jazz and a dash of hip-hop (in separate classes) to boot. Peter is very focused on getting people dancing, but once they're off the ground, he cares a lot about form. Dance moves are certainly part of the lesson plan, however he places a lot of focus on quality and making the dance feel good for both leaders and followers. He's also a strong proponent of the follower as an active participant in the dance. If you have experience and want to move beyond beginner classes, he's approachable and open to trying you out to see where you should land. There are four levels with level one being beginner, two and three being intermediate and four being advanced. (Drop-in lessons are also possible.) Whether you're a beginner looking to try out dancing or an experienced lindy hopper, check out Uptown Swing. You won't be disappointed. read more

When a swing dancer from Paris found out I was able to take weekly lessons at Uptown Swing he suddenly became very serious and said, "that is very precious." This is a fantastic place to learn how to swing dance. The atmosphere is encouraging and upbeat. No matter which level you enter, you will learn solid technique so that everyone will enjoy dancing with you. They do their best to kill any bad habits from the start so that you can enjoy this dance for years to come without anything standing in your way! You can stay in whichever level you are in until you feel confident enough in the material to move up. Many find this comforting. No need to bring a partner because they rotate partners ever two seconds. This way you meet lots of new people, while getting exercise, and listening to great music! read more

This place is so fun. Well run, great instructors, no cheesy comments or inappropriate hitting on your partner, just a cool and fun place to learn great skills. Do it. read more

Best! Best swing dancing classes in the twin cities.

What struck me most about this place when I first visited last year was the inclusiveness and feeling of community. All of the instructors are top-notch and bring unique qualities and view points to class. And of course, Peter and Naomi are gems. If Uptown Swing were open 7 days a week, I would be there 7 days a week. When I'm away, it's definitely on the list of places that I miss. read more