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.
Helen helped set up IFS and brought her teaching experience from The Swing Cellar to IFS in 2019. 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 of the connection that it brings 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.”
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.”
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!”
Lizzie first started dancing in 2012 with Leicester Lindyhop (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! She’s been on the committee at LLH for over 10 years (before merging with IFS), and you’ll find her front of house on Tuesday evenings at St Andrews 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!”
Sherri joined IFS as a Safety Officer in Mark2017. After spending three years in Belgium, she re-joined the committee in 2024 to support on events, teaching, and comms.
“I love how jazz can inspire creativity and expression. Especially when I’m dancing with someone and we’re playing with what we feel in the music and sparking ideas off each other. My favourite thing about being in this community is creating spaces for dancers to connect with each other and musicians.”
