Getting in the Swing in Occitanie

Strictly Come Dancing has inspired thousands to take up lessons, and for some, the chance comes with a trip across the Channel.

It is midnight in the holiday village of Les Portes du Roussillon, and the sound of another era is drifting into the still-balmy air. The salle de spectacle is not showing a traditional variety show, but has been transformed into a 1930s ballroom: dapper gents and elegant gals twirl, slide and spin across the dance floor as a six-piece band blasts out the swinging rhythms that will keep them going for several hours yet, intoxicated by the music. By morning, they will be back for more.

This is the Studio Hop Summer Camp, which attracts hundreds of swing aficionados from all over the world to southern France to learn, socialise, practise and, above all, to dance together. The camp runs for three consecutive weeks and focuses each week on a different swing style: Lindy Hop, Balboa and Blues. The camp is the largest of the swing dance events organised by international teachers Anne-Helene and Bernard Cavasa, founders of Toulouse- based dance school Studio Hop.

For more than a decade, the camp was held in rural Gers, but having outgrown the site, the location was switched to Le Barcares for 2016. This former fishing port lies on the stretch of the Occitanie coastline transformed by the state-inspired ‘Mission Racine’ tourism development drive of the 1960s.

Resorts like these are not on many British travellers’ hit lists, though the endless sandy beaches and almost guaranteed sunshine still draw thousands of domestic holidaymakers. There is a retro charm to the enthusiastic timetable of organised fun (anyone for aqua aerobics, beach volleyball and the flying trapeze?) and the faux-rustic decor of the all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants. And as this is France, the food is fine and the wine free-flowing.

For us, however, the sun, sea, sand and bottomless carafes of rose are merely a pleasant distraction from our true purpose, which is the rare chance to spend an entire week indulging our passion with fellow enthusiasts. For, if swing dancing is something of a niche interest, then Balboa is the niche within the niche, an elegant close-hold dance with small, shuffled steps, spins and slides that originated in the crowded dance halls of 1930s Southern California.

Beach Shack Jazz

With four sets of teachers from France, Russia, Sweden and the United States, there are multiple streams and classes happening simultaneously throughout the day in airy, open-sided marquees, where shorts and flip-flops are exchanged for shirts and leather-soled shoes as the students from as far afield as Australia, Japan and Russia diligently work on new moves.

Come I’heure de Vapero, they will kick off their dance shoes over a beer in the nearest beach shack, while a handful of the resident musicians play jazz, with their bare feet in the sand. Although we come from over the world, we all speak the same language, connecting through music and dance. It’s a wonderful bubble to be in.

I get talking to Amanda, a wildlife conservationist, as we try on 1930s-style shoes and outfits in one of the pop-up vintage shops that take over the mezzanine of the main hall. “I got the swing bug after going to the 100 Club in London,” she tells me. “I’ve always loved dancing and tried lots of different kinds, but I think the two-tone shoes, zoot suits and music did it.

I first heard about this camp through friends – it’s easy-going and excellent fun. I have been to several international camps and the sense of community, trust, inspiration and fun is common to them all, and what keeps me coming back.”

IT consultant Chris, who got into dancing West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and Ceroc, began attending UK swing dance camps such as Goodnight Sweetheart and Camp Savoy before taking up Balboa – for which the UK scene had less of a reputation at the time. “The three friends I was learning with suggested we all go to the 2005 Frenchie Balboa Festival in Toulouse, and this kicked me off on a run of French Balboa events,” he says, listing numerous events from Paris to the Riviera.

Chris is now an established teacher, and he and dance partner Janet also taught their own weekend workshop in Caen (“I was more the glamorous assistant though,” he confides, “as my French is tres limited) The Studio Hop event and others like it feel as much like a summer holiday as a dance camp, he says.

“Being a week in length means there is less pressure to dance every minute of the day, which used to be the case with weekend events. I’m also more selective now as to the classes I attend – early-morning ones are definitely off the menu! A week also allows you to get to know other attendees and to experience wonderful scenery and food.”

Evening comes around again and there is no mistaking who is part of the dance crowd, as glamorous dancers emerge from their apartments, channelling the swing era style that characterises the scene: hair flowers and tea dresses, waistcoats and collared shirts. They flow on to the dancefloor as the band strikes up, and there they will stay until the music stops. They may be on holiday but there is no rest for these dancing feet – and that’s just how they like it.

Dance in France

More inspirational opportunities to get your body moving

En pointe in Paris

The opportunity to study ballet in Paris may sound like a romantic daydream, but the Paris Marais Dance School offers just that, with drop-in classes for all abilities. Housed in a stately 17th-century hotel particulier in the Marais district, the school uses the studios of the Marais Dance Centre and is run by Maggie Boogaart and Ghislain de Compreignac.

They offer instruction (with translations into English if needed) in their respective specialist fields of contemporary and Martha Graham technique, and classical and neoclassical ballet. paris-marais-dance-school.org

Tango in Tam

Tango-loving Dutch expatriates Peggy Spijkerman and Vincent Slemmer have created a dance haven every summer at their home in the Vallee du Tarn in Aveyron, turning their guest accommodation into a residential camp.

Workshops in Argentinean tango take place for a few hours before lunch and again in the evenings, followed by a social milonga (forerunner of the tango) until late. Afternoons are used for private lessons, practice or to explore the local area (wild swimming in the nearby gorges is a popular option). tangovalley.com

Breton Traditions

The Saint-Loup festival of Breton dancing and Celtic music takes place in Guingamp from 15-20 August. It is one of Brittany’s oldest festivals, originating from a grand public ball and a folk-dance procession. The Breton dancing world championship finals are a highlight of an event that also includes traditional music and costume competitions. Beginners’ workshops mean you can learn some of the steps yourself, festival-saint-loup.bzh

Dance in the DARC

Around 65,000 enthusiasts from around the world descend on Chateauroux in the Indre department for the DARC Festival (Dance, Art, Rhythm, Culture), being held this year from 7-19 August. Concerts and dance workshops cover a multitude of disciplines, from flamenco to hip-hop, Indian to African and qigong to ragga jam. The festival ends with a huge showcase featuring the participants. www.danses-darc.com

Lyon Bienniale

Alternating with the city’s contemporary art festival, the Lyon Biennale de la Danse is a month-long celebration (due next in 2018), with artists taking over venues and bringing the streets to life with parades and performances from circus to samba.

In addition to a packed bill of more than 40 shows, the programme includes daily taster sessions in different dances from visiting professionals, and actively engages with the community during the Defile, Europe’s biggest choreographed parade, which features 4,500 amateur performers. biennaledeladanse.com

Contemporary Cannes

Since the opening of the Rosella Hightower International Dance Centre in the early 1960s, Cannes has been a hub for contemporary dance. The biennial Cannes Dance Festival, founded in 1985 and running from 8-17 December this year, showcases the work of new choreographers alongside more established dance companies. festivaldedanse-cannes.com

Ceroc in Corsica

Modern jive (and its various names, branded or otherwise, such as Ceroc) is derived from swing, rock ‘n’ roll, salsa and other dance forms, but with simplified, minimal footwork to make it accessible to beginners. With clubs all over the UK and mainland Europe, it is an extremely social scene that loves its weekenders; some of the biggest events include Ceroc France’s early summer weekender at Cap d’Agde (19-22 May), and Jive Addiction’s week-long events with nightly freestyles (socials) in Corsica. cerocfrance.com, jiveaddiction.com

Dance in the Alps

Action-packed to say the least, ‘The Big One’ from Dance Action Holiday is a week-long dance and ski party in the French Alps. Guests enjoy doorstep skiing into the Paradiski, La Plagne/Les Arcs ski area and can build their ‘ski legs’ with classes in West Coast Swing, Argentine Tango and Blues from specialist instructors – and after-ski dances to cool down. danceholiday.co.uk

Song and Dance

A worldwide, multi-cultural movement inspired by the world’s spiritual traditions, Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) is a form of celebration and meditation in sound and movement. It is inclusive and easy to learn (everything is taught at the beginning of each dance), with everyone participating in the circle. Events in France include workshops and retreats in Brittany, Ardeche, Ariege, Pays de la Loire and Paris. www.aladanse.fr