In Full Swing Leicester is a growing community that loves swing dance and jazz music.
After a series of collaborations between Leicester Lindyhop (LLH) and In Full Swing (IFS), we officially merged the groups in August 2025 under the In Full Swing name.
Leicester Lindyhop was founded in 1999, bringing in teachers from Leicestershire and beyond and organising events and workshops, including Balboa Connection, to grow the community. Established in 2016, In Full Swing has social dancing at its heart and started to offer community-based classes in 2017.
Together, we aim to share our love of swing dancing and continue to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Our committee members are all volunteers.
Ian set up LLH around 1999 with a group of friends who previously learned modern jive. He teaches Lindy Hop and Balboa and has done so for over 10 years.
“I got into swing dancing as I loved the swing and jazz music from the early to mid-20th century. It is fun and a great way to socialise and meet new friends. I have attended many UK and international dance events and find there is always something new to learn.”
Lizzie first started dancing in 2012 with LLH after seeing a group of dancers performing on Oxford Street in London at Christmas. She was inspired by their energy, the music, and the smiling faces! You’ll find her front of house on Tuesday evenings and our socials.
“I particularly like dancing Balboa to fast swing music. Sidney Bechet, the New Orleans Jazz musician, is a particular favourite of mine. He is a master of the soprano saxophone, and I just can’t sit still when his music is played!”
Helen helped set up IFS in 2017, and in 2019 brought her teaching experience from The Swing Cellar. Alongside Mark and Pinky, she relaunched classes after the COVID-19 lockdowns. She is our committee Chair and Teaching Lead, and supports on social media.
“I fell in love with swing dance because it connects me with others and the communities that have built up around it. I love the wealth of music and finding different versions of swing songs that allow me to find new connections, rhythms, and patterns in my dance.”
Sherri joined IFS as a Safety Officer in 2017. After 3 years in Belgium, she re-joined the committee in 2024 to support on events, teaching, and comms.
“I love how jazz inspires creativity and expression when I’m vibing with the music and other people. My favourite thing about being in this community is creating spaces for dancers to connect with each other and musicians.”
Mark began dancing in 2016 and has been a member of the IFS committee since 2019. Together with Helen and Pinky, he relaunched classes after the COVID-19 lockdowns. In addition to teaching, he act as the committee Treasurer.
“I like quirky songs to dance to, especially I like Pie, I like Cake, by the Four Clefs.”
Pinky started dancing with IFS in 2017 and joined the committee in 2018. Working with Helen and Mark, she relaunched classes after the COVID-19 lockdowns. She is our committee Secretary and supports in teaching.
“One fun swing dance-related fact? We did a swing first dance at our wedding to Ray Charles – Hallelujah I Love Her So!”
Caroline first started swing dancing in 2019 with IFS after a friend suggested giving it a try and has been hooked since then! She joined the committee in 2022 and organises our events, website and all-round tech support.
“Social dancing is so different from learning in class and is so fun! It really elevates your experience when you can put into practice the tools you learnt from the classes onto the dancefloor.”
Laura discovered Lindy Hop in 2016. She started dancing at IFS in 2021 and, a year later, joined the committee organising events and started teaching in 2022. She is also our graphic and branding designer and Welfare Officer.
“I love swing dancing because it gives me a framework within which to move to and because it gives me the space to add my own creativity when I want to.”
If you have any concerns about welfare and safety, please reach out to us. We are here for discussion and reassurance, not just formal reports – please tell us your concerns, however small you think they may be.