Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing)
West Coast Swing classes and socials in San Jose, Thursday nights, all levels…
A swing dance studio offering instruction in East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, and related swing styles.
Photo: Riley WCS via Google
Before your first class
Level 1 is explicitly for brand-new dancers with no experience or partner required; the studio emphasises it as a welcoming, COVID-conscious, queer-led space.
Mask (N95, KN95, or KF94 with no exhaust port) required for classes.
Name-your-price $0–$40 per night at the door, or $100–$200 per month for advance sponsorship; suggested guidelines are $10 for first-timers, $15–$30 for classes and social.
About this studio
Do Your Own Swing teaches West Coast Swing on Thursday nights at Studio M Ballroom in San Jose. The studio was founded in 2016 by Riley (they/them), who began dancing West Coast Swing 16 years ago after watching classes while working as a janitor at a local dance studio. Riley has since competed, choreographed, coached, and taught at conventions, and built DYOS into what they describe as a pillar of West Coast Swing in the Bay Area.
The studio runs four levelled classes on Thursdays. Level 1 (West Coast Swing Foundations, 8:30–9:15pm in Sky Ballroom) is for those brand new to the dance with no partner or experience required. Level 2 (Beyond the Basics, 7:30–8:00pm) covers beginner and intermediate patterns for those who have completed at least one introductory course. Level 3 (Skills and Drills, 8:05–8:35pm) focuses on movement, connection, and rhythm theory through drills with less music and dancing. Level 4 (Artistic Application, 8:40–9:10pm) teaches improvised partnered musical expression and responding to music and your partner. All classes are held in Spotlight Ballroom except Level 1. Social dancing runs 9:15pm–11:30pm in the Main Ballroom after classes.
Do Your Own Swing describes itself as COVID-conscious, queer-led, and 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming. The community values community, inclusivity, consent, and mutual care. The studio emphasises that West Coast Swing is a lead-follow partner dance that functions as a conversation between dancers and music, built on connection and the interplay of compression and extension. The dance is versatile and can be performed to jazz, pop, hip hop, blues, R&B, country, and funk. Classes teach techniques, patterns, and skills for the social floor, and the studio regularly features guest instructors and special themed nights throughout the month with rotating DJs.
Riley also offers private lessons and teaches at the Explore Community Space in Oakland on Mondays. Beyond teaching, Riley runs Swing Reports and Restorations, a program designed to increase safety at West Coast Swing events through policy consultation and incident response planning.
What to expect
Your first visit
Arrive Thursday night at Studio M Ballroom for one or more levelled classes starting at 7:30pm, with no partner required. Stay for social dancing from 9:15pm to 11:30pm where you can dance to DJ-selected songs. The space requires N95/KN95/KF94 masks for classes (available for $1 if needed) and operates on a name-your-price model at the door.
Instructors
Who teaches here
Riley (they/them), founder and lead instructor, has 16 years of West Coast Swing experience as a competitor, choreographer, and coach. Guest instructors and all-star competitors regularly teach special classes. The studio also runs a volunteer instructor programme for the introductory class.
New to dancing?
What beginners can expect
Level 1 is explicitly for brand-new dancers with no experience or partner required; the studio emphasises it as a welcoming, COVID-conscious, queer-led space.
What to wear and bring
Before your first class
What to bring
Mask (N95, KN95, or KF94 with no exhaust port) required for classes. Dance shoes are implied but not explicitly stated in the source.
Studio history
Riley founded Do Your Own Swing in 2016 with the goal of creating a welcoming environment. Riley began their own West Coast Swing journey 16 years earlier while working as a janitor at a local dance studio, watching classes during cleaning shifts before eventually dancing themselves. The studio has since become, in Riley's words, a pillar of West Coast Swing in the Bay Area.
Styles offered
4 dance styles taught here
Gallery
The people, the parties and the dancing here
Amenities
Pricing
Approximate lesson costs
Class schedule
Weekly classes and workshops
Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing)hasn't set up a public class schedule yet.
If you own Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing), claiming the studio lets you add a public schedule in about 2 minutes. A free Google Calendar is the easiest path — visitors see your class times inline + can add events to their own calendar.
Frequently asked about Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing)
Quick answers to the most common questions
What dance styles does Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) teach?
Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) teaches Swing, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop. The full list of styles is shown above on this page along with each genre's classes and lesson options.
Where is Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) located?
Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) is located in San Jose, CA. See the map above for the exact address and one-tap directions.
Does Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) offer private lessons?
Contact Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) directly to ask about private lessons and current class options — their website has the latest details.
Does Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) teach kids and adults?
Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) welcomes students of varied ages and experience levels. Contact the studio to learn which classes fit your age group and level.
How do I sign up for classes at Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing)?
The fastest path is to visit Do Your Own Swing (West Coast Swing Dancing) via their website or check the class schedule above. Many studios offer a free or discounted intro lesson — contact them directly to ask.