Al & Leon Shim Sham
Inspired by a Classic
Day & Time: Monday, 19:30 – 20:30
Dates: 27.10.2025 – 17.11.2025
The Shim Sham is a classic! Find out how different it can be when some of Lindy Hop’s inventors add their own style to it. Al Minns and Leon James were two of the most famous lindy hoppers of their time, and in this course you’ll learn their interpretation of the Shim Sham. Their steps and combinations are a bit more challenging than the classic shim sham version that we modern lindy hoppers got from Frankie Manning, so the routine gives you a lot to dig into.
Aside from just being a fun routine, the combos are really great for putting into your dancing, whether you’re choreographing or improvising, and it gives you a window into how these amazing dancers injected their own style and flair into the dance.
Join us and put a whole new spin on your Shim Sham!
What will I learn in this course?
Of course you’ll learn the routine itself, we’ll guide you step-by-step through all the moves and sequences you need to be able to dance Al & Leon’s Shim Sham with confidence. But you’ll get much more than just a routine out of this course! You’ll also train important concepts that will improve your dancing overall:
- Basic rhythm, groove and posture
- Swinging rhythm; Ball-changes, Half-breaks
- Classic but challenging moves: Full-breaks, Eagle slides, etc
- Combining kick movements with other jazz elements
What should I know before I join this course?
This course is mixed-level solo dancing, from beginner-intermediate all the way up to the most experienced dancers. We will build up each movement “from scratch” with no assumptions about which moves you know, but the transitions can be a little tricky so there will be enough challenge for everyone.
If you haven’t done any jazz dancing before, you're welcome to give it a try - but be ready for a challenge!
Want to Join Al & Leon Shim Sham?
Step 1: Select a payment option below and fill out the form
Step 2: (While logged in) Select this course again and sign up
6-Class Package for a couple
210€
If you want to take classes with us, but you don’t want to commit to a subscription yet, then this option is for you.
This package is intended for couples who want to sign up for classes together.
You can also purchase this package as a single person, to have even more tickets available for yourself 🙂
All Info at Once
Our Studio in the Ringstraße
Ringstraße 19A
69115 Heidelberg
The building is at the intersection of Ringstraße with Hildastraße, our entrance is at the north-east corner, from the Ringstraße.
The building is closed on evenings and weekends, please use the buzzer so we can let you in. Our studio is in the “souterrain” – go downstairs and follow the sound of swing music 😉
Public Transportation: many busses, streetcars, trains; stops “Hauptbahnhof”, “Ringstraße”, or “Römerkreis Süd”.
Parking: it can be a bit tricky to find parking spots, so you should plan in some extra time. There’s a little bit of free street parking available in the Ringstraße (with Parkscheibe), metred parking at Kaiserstr and Belfortstr (the metre is at Kaiserstr 60). You can also try a nearby Parkhaus: there’s the nearby Scheck-In Centre (entrance from Kleinschmidtstraße), or a bit further away the P1 (entrance from Poststraße).
Accessibility: our studio is wheelchair-accessible, but the elevator is in a locked area of the building. If you have any mobility issues please contact us in advance so that we can arrange access for you.
