PhilE Swing Organizations:

Allentown Area Swing Dance Society - a nonprofit group that promotes swing dancing in the Greater Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Area. They welcome all dancers, no matter what level or experience, and place a special emphasis on helping beginners learn to enjoy swing dancing. Dances are held every Tuesday at the Fearless Fire Hall and include free lessons.

Tokio Swing - Thursdays at the Tokio Ballroom, regular dances with a preceding lesson that covers Hollywood Lindy, Balboa or Collegiate Shag. Lessons are pre-registered series and are taught from 7:00 to 8:00pm (partner optional). The dance from 9:00 to 11:30pm is free for those who are taking the lessons and $5.00 for others.

FREE beginner lessons are available at 9:00pm to anyone who expresses an interest. A partner is not required, but may prove helpful for beginners needing someone to practice with outside of class.
Paul Salter also sponsors nationally known teachers for occasional workshops and weekends.
Contact Paul for questions.

Philadelphia Swing Dance Society - holds twice-monthly dances, lots of people and big dance floors. All ages and skill levels welcome, no partners necessary, dress casual. Dances include free lessons.

UPtown Swings - sponsors the Saturday Night Fish Frys usually held the first and third Saturday of the month on the UPenn campus, but check their web site to be sure of the date and location. Free Lesson 7:30 - 8:30 PM, Free Dancing 8:30 - 11:30 PM. There is sometimes a small cover when live bands play the dances.

UPtown Swings also runs swing dance classes and outdoor concerts.

West Philly Swingers - a group of undergraduates at UPenn whose goals are: to instruct new members to swing dance; to dance socially in order to improve our dance skills; to attend swing dance events; and to perform swing choreographies on campus, in greater Philadelphia, and beyond.

PhilE Swing Dance Venues:

Atrium - has swing instruction and occasional swing nights. Located at: 4721 N. Crescent Boulevard (Rt. 130), Pennsauken, NJ. The schedule is fluid always check to be sure.

North Penn Elks Club - Wednesdays, in Colmar, PA (off Rte. 309 on Trewigstown Road), DJ Swing Dance (mostly WCS but also jitterbug and Lindy). Lesson from 7:30 to 8:30 PM, dancing till 11:00..

Tokio Ballroom - home of Tokio Swing. 122-124 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA. For information call: (215) 922-2515. The ballroom is above the Le Champignon and Tokio restaurants. More information about the restaurants and the Bed and Breakfast located at this location is available at Le Champignon/Tokio Website.

PhilE Swing Other Dance Venues:

Dance Haddonfield - hosts "" Sunday evenings at Grace Church, 19 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield NJ. Social dancing, Ballroom & Swing. Lesson 7:00 to 8:00 PM, dancing 8:00 to 10:30 PM. Just off Rt. For info call:

(856) 429-5355.

LaLuna Dance Studio - has weekly swing instruction and occasional swing workshops. A beautiful venue that was the location of the Saturday evening dance of the 2004 Philly Lindy Exchange. 4610 Bensalem Blvd, Bensalem PA 19020. Telephone: (215) 638-0418.

Stardust Ballroom - beautiful dance floor, with occasional swing nights. In Pennsauken, NJ. Route 73 & Haddonfield Road, behind the Pennsauken Mart.

National Dance Links:

Hop to the Beat - offering Lindy in the Boston, MA area and run the Beantown Lindy Hop Summer Camp and Northeast Lindy Hop Championships.

Swing Dance and Lindy Hop - Information, venues and more about the national scene run by Mike Davis of Jersey Jumpers .

Yehoodi - the website for the hardcore hep-cat swinger.

Philly-area Bands:

Beats Walkin' - a "Texas Swing" band. About half their tunes are suitable for East Coast Swing dancing, others are up at "two-step" tempo.

Brian Pastor Orchestra - .

Carmen Dee Orchestra - .

City Rhythm - Philly's most popular swing band. They can be heard regularly at several local venues.

Fred Hall Orchestra - .

Girls from Mars - very dance-able swing with three-part female harmony. They specialize in swingin' tunes from 1930's and 1940's.

Jive Five Minus Two - a three-man act, they play a mix of styles, about 50% of which is swing.

Joe Sudler's Swing Machine - .

Jonathan & His Orchestra - .

Jump City Jazz - performs original compositions, as well as songs originally performed by artists of the Swing era.

Melissa Martin and The Mighty Rhythm Kings - jump blues and swing. A solid band, with Melissa up front on vocals.

Midiri Brothers Orchestra - .

Mike Trombetta's Metropolis Big Band - .

Russ Patrick Orchestra - .

Slicked-Up 9's - swingin' classics and original tunes.

Walter Jay Orchestra - .

Walt Wagner Big Band - a full big band with accurate recreations of swingin' tunes from the 1930's and 1940's.

National Bands:

Artie Shaw - Shaw led one of the greatest, most dance-able Big Bands ever. This site has contact info for the current Artie Shaw Orchestra.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - one the new jump/swing bands, they get occasional radio airplay.

Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra - sounds like a newly discovered big band from 1940. Its musicianship is impeccable, the solos fit the era, and the arrangements swing up a storm.

Brian Setzer Orchestra - a full Big Band, with the guitar out in front.

George Gee - has two bands, the full-sized "Make-Believe Ballroom Orchestra" and the smaller "Jump Jive and Wailers". Based in New York, makes occasional Philly-area appearences.

Glenn Miller Orchestra - one of the greatest bands of all time. During 1942, one out of every three nickels dropped into a juke box was for a Glenn Miller tune. Currently led by Larry O'Brien, the band makes two or more Philly area appearances every year. See also The Glenn Miller Birthplace Society for memorabilia and a fan club.

Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - sultry singer in the style of Sarah Vaughn, makes occasional Philly area appearances.

Royal Crown Review - popular jump band.

Tommy Dorsey - the Sentimental Gentleman of Swing. The band makes occasional Philly area appearances.

Yalloppin' Hounds - New York based act, with an original style they call "Ghetto Swing".

PhilE Swing Radio Shows:

JukeBox Saturday Night - in Trenton, NJ, on WBUD 1260 AM, Saturdays, 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM, and Sundays 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

NJ Swing 1 - Sunday afternoons from 2:30 to 3:30 PM, swing music provided by NJ Swing 1 on WNJC 1360 AM.

Swing City - Pete Spina and Nick Vallerio from City Rhythm host this show every Friday and Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 PM on 950 AM WPEN. It covers all the great big bands and combos from the Swing Era, a wide array of blues artists, and the new jump groups on the scene today. Listen in your car on the way to the dance!

Swingin' Years - hosted by Chuck Cecil, features excellent recordings and background info from about 1935 to 1950. Saturdays, 9:00 PM to 2:00 AM on 950AM WPEN. Listen in your car on the way home from the dance!

WJBR 1290 AM - in Claymont, DE, Big Band Show Saturday mornings, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

WRDV 107.3 FM - in Philadelphia, plays a mix of music including swing at various times through the day. Simulcasts on 107.9 FM in Bensalem, 89.3 FM in Hatboro and 91.7 FM in Bristol/Levittown.

WSNJ 107.7 FM - in Bridgeton, NJ, occasional Big Band format, mainly in the evenings, simulcasts on WSNJ AM 1240.