ABOUT
Cleveland Swing Thing is a new workshop weekend being hosted by the Cleveland Balboa Club from August 21-23, 2026. Expanding out of the Bal & Blues weekend held last year and featuring a mixed dance floor, lessons from your favorite instructors, and an all-around great time, this event will harken back to the idea that the dances we love developed on the same dance floors and we can dance to the music our body feels instead of limiting ourselves to a single dance, rhythm, or tempo. This year, lessons will focus on Blues, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag, with a fun addition of the Cleveland Shuffle. The social dances will broaden those options even further with music also suitable for Lindy Hop, Charleston, and whatever other movement your heart desires. Dancers of all levels are invited to shuffle, kick, and groove to the music that grew up with these dances and learn how to bring them together for one truly fantastic swing dance.
True to this mission, our instructors are working to put together a program of mixed-level classes in a choose-your-own-adventure setting that will have options for both beginner and more advanced dancers alike. So whether you want to refine or build your skills or learn a new dance altogether, you will find something for you. Class descriptions will be updated as the event gets closer, so check back in after purchasing your pass so you can be prepared. There will also be three social dance opportunities (four if you could the late night separately) and we are thrilled to partner with Forest City Django Club and some amazing DJs to provide some amazing music. Our venues include a historic 1940s ballroom and another local gem situated right in the middle of where life happens in Cleveland.
And don’t forget about comps! This event will feature two unique and fun centered competitions that will be an experience you won’t want to miss out on!
SOUNDS GREAT ALREADY? SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO REGISTER!
INSTRUCTORS
MUSICAL TALENT
venues
When choosing where to stay, out of town guests are encouraged to prioritize a location near the Elliot or Market Square Park.
Market Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Sitting outside the historic west side market, and surrounded by local favorite restaurants and breweries, We are thrilled for our rain or shine welcome dance at market square park in the heart of ohio city.
15335 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, Ohio 44110
Featuring a 100-year-old refurbished ballroom and a 1940’s era bar/social club, The Treelawn will host Saturday’s events. A local favorite with quick floors and great acoustics, this venue connects us with dancers of the past.
1415 Kenilworth Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113
Sunday events will find themselves at The elliot. The Elliot’s ballroom and rosehip room sit in a recently renovated Byzantine church turned ballroom and speakeasy, this community-oriented space is beautiful and located in the heart of cleveland culture. Out of town guests are encouraged to find lodging nearby.
Weekend schedule
You can check back later for more in-depth class descriptions, but for now, here’s a rough outline of events:
Friday August 21 – Market Square Park
6:00-6:30 pm – Beginner Swing Lesson with Devon & Deanna
6:30 – 9:00 pm – Evening Welcome Dance – DJs Doug Bae and Marissa Hlavacek
This rain or shine outdoor dance will introduce you to a fantastic neighborhood in Cleveland. Surrounding by local favorites restaurants and breweries, and sitting just across the street from the historic West Side Market. With beats brought to you by the amazing Doug Bae and Marissa Hlavacek, we can’t wait to start dancing with you!
Saturday, August 22 – The Treelawn
10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Morning Classes: All-level collegiate shag (Jeron & Chealsia) and experienced blues (Dan) lessons.
All-Levels Shag Description:
An all-levels collegiate shag class made to give everyone the tools they need to dance Collegiate shag and have fun throughout the weekend. We will go over some iconic moves and ideas to help everyone grow to love the dance.
Experienced Blues Class Description: Intra-Body Movement and Rhythms
This intensive explores key elements across Blues dances through polycentric movement. We’ll find a variety of ways we can articulate ideas through the entire body, refine the control of our movements, and add rhythms in a way that feels grounded in a Blues aesthetic
2:00 – 4:30 pm – Afternoon Classes: Experienced balboa (Dan & Jeron) and a all-levels lesson on the First Stops routine (Chealsia & Andrea).
Experienced Balboa Class Description: Toss Out Tech and Dance Musicality
Dan & Jeron will break this class into two main sections: toss out technique and musicality. In the first section, we’ll refune our fundamental toss outs, how we flow through movements, and maybe throw in a few variations. In the second section, Dan & Jeron will each share a bit of how they think about dancing musically, and we’ll all work on finding the ways we like to hear and express music. Prereqs: Dancers should have danced some bal before.
All-Levels First Stops Class Description:
Stops (now called First Stops) was the first Lindy Hop ensemble routine, created by Frankie Manning. Our elders, Barbara Billups and Sugar Sullivan, talk about the stops being called out at the Savoy and dancers busting out into the choreo. This class will empower you to bring that tradition back to the dance floor in your city. Come ready to swing out, charleston and catch a little bit of air.
6:30 pm – Pre-Dance Cleveland Shuffle Lesson with Steffanie – Main Ballroom
Big Mucci, leader of Cleveland’s own 71 North, wrote the Cleveland Shuffle over 25 years ago and we’ve been doing it ever since. It’s sure to be a blast!
7:00-10:00 pm – Evening Social Dance with Forest City Django Club featuring Kara Scott – Main Ballroom
During the dance, don’t miss out on the Mix-and-Match Competition that will definitely leave an impression! Sign up when you check in for the weekend!
10:00pm – 12:00 pm – Blues Late Night at the Treelawn’s Social Club for a cozy end to our Saturday dancing.
Sunday, August 23 – The Elliot
11:00 am Late Morning Brunch – Roseship Room
This wouldn’t be a Cleveland Balboa Club event if we didn’t have something specifically cozy and welcoming. Come join us for brunch before we dance.
12:00 – 2:30 pm – Early Afternoon Classes: All-levels slow balboa (Dan) and experienced shag (Jeron & Chealsia) lessons.
All-Levels Slow Bal Class Description: Dean Raferty Basics and Variations
This intensive is about exploring the ways we can move to slow music as Balboa dancers. We’ll use a Dean Raftery basic as our starting point, and then break that into modular pieces that we can use to express the music or split into even further variations.
Experienced Shag Class Description:
A Collegiate Shag class focused on technique and musicality, with lots of opportunity to explore your own ideas and find movements that work for you and make you more comfortable with the dance. Prereqs: Know the Basic (Slow – Slow – Quick Quick), be comfortable in Closed/Side by Side/Open, and comfortable at 170bpm – 190bpm.
3:00 – 6:00 pm – Forest City Django Club ft Kara Scott Teatime Dance
Questions or concerns? Need a scholarship or have access needs? Reach out to us at clevelandbalboaclub@gmail.com. We can’t wait to dance with you!
Coming to town early? Check out Sunny Side at the Treelawn on Aug 20 here: https://facebook.com/events/s/swing-dance-with-sunny-side-fr/1464108081706538/
REGISTRATION
Saturday Social Dance Passes are available at the door or through the Treelawn box office https://www.ticketweb.com/event/forest-city-django-club-ft-treelawn-music-hall-tickets/14239264
All other tickets are below.