During the spring and summer you can see this team of dancers teaching the public how to bust a move! Swing Patrol organise classes and dances across the capital for newbies and hardcore dancers alike. We caught up with Michaela Delmonte, Swing Patrol’s Bookings Manager to talk about Swing Patrol’s upcoming weekender!

We know you often hold classes around London, how do you feel when you do session in the City? The sessions in the City are good fun, people often come quite smartly dressed but inevitably have to loosen up a bit for the classes! It’s great getting a room full of strangers to dance together and there’s always a lively atmosphere when we run classes in that part of town.

What is your favourite place to visit in the Square Mile? The Bishopsgate Institute is one of our favourite venues – we love dancing there and it has a lot of history. Plus they have a fantastic library, which is perfect when you’re looking for a little bit of calm in the heart of the city.

Do you have any special collaborations or projects coming up? We’re working with the Bishopsgate Institute for a couple of weekend events in February and June. Our February event, London Jump, brings together dancers from all over the country to take classes in vintage solo dancing and to sample some of the finest London swing bands playing today. We’re excited to be collaborating with the Bishopsgate Institute on this venture, it’s great working with a team of people who are as enthusiastic about swing dance as we are!

Where are your favourite places to have a meal in London? Rasa in Stoke Newington, The North London Tavern in Kilburn, The Begging Bowl in Peckham.

What artists are you listening to at the moment? Louis Jordan, Gentlemen & Gangsters, Basin Street Brawlers

Where can we find you? Our offices are based in Haggerston, but our classes are all over London! I teach in Brixton, and we have classes everywhere from Kings Cross to Forest Gate.

You can find out more about Swing Patrol via www.swingpatrol.co.uk

– Interview by Deborah Ajia