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Best Swing Dance Clubs In Minnesota

Lindy Hop or Charleston, there's nothing cooler than tearing up the dance floor with the classic moves of "The Greatest Generation." Between the 1920s and 1950s Swing evolved, along with the jazz music, into one of the defining pieces of the era. It's just as much fun today. You can bump and grind all you want to, but if you really want to dance, check out these local places for a night of Swing.

Tango Dancing
(credit: JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images)

Lee's Liquor Lounge
101 Glenwood Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 338-9491
www.leesliquorlounge.com

Keep a lookout on the calendar. Wednesdays you can pop in for a night of swing dances with some of the finest, and most dedicated, dancers in the city. Don't worry, you can take a quick course offered for free beforehand if you're feeling nervous. This is an old-school kind of a place, one that recalls the juke joints where people danced 60 years ago. There's nothing to be had here but booze and good times, with plenty of room to dance the night away.

Wabasha Street Caves
(credit: Wabasha Street Caves)

Wabasha Street Caves
215 Wabasha St S
St Paul, MN 55107
(651) 224-1191
www.wabashastreetcaves.com

What could possibly be the coolest place to go swing dancing, this old gangster nightclub comes alive Thursday night with live jazz bands and all the dancing your shoes can handle. It's like stepping back in time to St. Paul's illustrious gangster days. Take part in the lessons offered at 6:15 p.m. if you're not feeling too confident in your swing dancing skills, and let loose when the music starts at 7 p.m. There is an $8 cover at the door.

Related:  Best Latin Dance Clubs In Minnesota

Cinema Ballroom
1560 St Clair Ave
St Paul, MN 55105
(651) 699-5910
www.cinemaballroom.com

No matter if you're a beginner or expert, the Cinema Ballroom (that was, at one point, a movie theater) is the place to go to for a night of kicking up your heels and dancing the night away. They offer classes so that you can break in your shoes a little bit before joining in the dance nights offered every first and third Friday of the month. The quiet neighborhood surrounding this historic building belies the lively time found inside.

Natalie Ballroom Dances
(credit: CBS)

TC Swing
301 Main St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(651) 558-0562
www.tcswing.com

One of the premier places to get your swing on, TC Swing is led by Cindy and Terry Gardner. They have various swing nights throughout the week, so keep an eye on their calendar, but every Thursday they turn the music up at 301 on Main for Late Night Swing. This is the event you want to attend, with dancers from all over the state showing up and getting lively. Dress up or go casual; there's no dress code, but there is a cover: $6 to get in, $4 for students and students of the Lindy Hop class, offered through Uptown Swing, can go dancing for just $2.

Four Seasons Dance Studio
1617 2nd St N
Minneapolis, MN 55411
(612) 217-1087
www.uptownswing.net

This is not a club in the traditional sense. You don't come here to grab a drink and have a wild night out on the town. This is a club for dancers, and on Monday, a club for swing dancers specifically. Like the Cinema Ballroom, Four Seasons specializes in classes, teaching the unsure footed how to express themselves through dance. Every Monday night however, from 8-11 p.m., you can leave the classes behind a be a part of Rhythm Junction, a program looking to "revolutionize and inspire vernacular jazz dancing here in the Twin Cities."

Related: Best Dance Classes For Kids In Minnesota

Adrian Schramm is a resident Saint Paul writer with a passion for all things local. Through his work with Saint Paul Almanac and Minneapolis Examiner at Examiner.com, as well as in the kitchens of bars and restaurants around town, he has discovered what truly makes the Twin Cities tick.

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