Lauren Jones got into West Coast Swing back in 2011 thanks to her wonderful mum but moved to Vietnam shortly after. 5 years later, she scooted over to Singapore, fell in love with WCS again as well as the community there and social danced her heart out before making her way through Europe in 2019.
Although she has dabbled in salsa/bachata and smooth jive on a social level, it is WCS that has her hooked. Whilst achieving All-Star level in 2022, it is the social floor that is her happy place; she loves the balance between connecting with a partner on the floor and the freedom of self-expression, all to a wide range of music genres.
Lauren began teaching the dance in 2022 with Chuck Brown, and you'll often see them working together at events.
She is over the moon to be working with the inspiring dancers of the community and her aim is to leave each person she dances with smiling, be it at her or with her!
Lauren is available at for one-to-one sessions, with a fun and friendly style. She can help you:
Love the shoes that Lauren wears in videos? Simply must know what they are? Find out here.
I could write pages in answer to this but in short, it is a positively addictive partner dance. It originated from Lindy Hop in 1930s and has since evolved into its own unique style allowing dancers to incorporate movement from other dance styles such as hip hop, ballet, salsa and contemporary, to name a few.
Danced to various genres of music such as blues, R&B, hip-hop, contemporary, pop etc, it is danced primarily in a slot with a focus on lead-follow technique and improvised musicality. It has become popular due to its versatility in style and music as well as its freedom of movement after learning the basic footwork and patterns.
It's all my favourite things put together - connecting with people from all walks of life, spontaneous self-expression through movement, and enjoying body-tingling eclectic tunes.
I've always struggled to sit still and I love to dance wherever I find myself and whenever I hear a note. But being on that dance floor gives me a feeling of euphoria unlike nothing else. It's my happy place, amplified tenfold when my partner is smiling with me.
Want to dance like Lauren? Affinity Swing maintains an awesome map of global classes. Find a West Coast Swing class near you.