This competition is FREE to enter and goes straight to finals
You will dance with your partner in a big circle with all the other competitors, facing inwards.
The caller will call moves from the original Big Apple Contest repertoire and you must perform them with your partner until the caller calls another move
You will do this for two rounds – depending on number of competitors you may be tapped out after the first round
You will be judged as a couple, with consensus formed from the judges (no judging sheets)
There is only one winning couple who will be announced on the spot!
Longest Heel Slide Contest
This competition is FREE to enter and goes straight to finals
Competitors take it in turns to run up and slide across the floor on their heels
The slide length is measured from a fixed Start Line until the last moment that you were sliding on your heels
If you slide or roll over on the floor your slide is only measured until the last part you were sliding on your heels
If you pass over the Start Line during your run up you will have to take a slide again. This is a fault
If you make too many faults you may be disqualified!
Every competitor has at least two slide attempts in the first round
The crowd and the MC will decide who the longest slide competitors will be to go to the final rounds
There is only one winner who will be announced on the spot!
London Throwdown is a Bring Your Own Beverages event. You are more than welcome to bring beer, cider, wine & spirits. Whatever drinks take your fancy.
Soft Drinks & Water
There will be water coolers available for you to fill your water bottle and you are most welcome to bring whatever other drinks you like.
Drinkware
In an effort to use fewer plastic cups we will not be providing any disposable cups for water or other drinks. We will have a small number of LSF tin mugs available for £2.00 each which will be yours to keep. Otherwise we would strongly recommend bringing your own water bottles and other drinkware.
Keeping Drinks Cold
There are fridges you are able to use and we will provide buckets with ice. You are most welcome to keep your drinks cool in these.
Forgot to Bring Your Own?
There is a 24/7 shop down the road from the venue:
Please make use of the free unmanned coat rail next to the front desk if you need to leave coats, luggage or big bags but be sure to keep your valuables near you. Please avoid bringing large bags into the ballroom. While we will do our very best to keep an eye out, London Throwdown cannot take responsibility for any losses.
Footwear
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The floor at the Limehouse Town Hall is wooden with some wear and tear. We kindly ask that if you are not happy with how fast the floor is that you change your shoes and not the floor. In other words, please do not wax or talc the floor.
Photography
There will be photographers at the event, if you do not wish to have your picture taken please make yourself known to them. If you’d like to take your own photos or videos at the event please ask permission from the people featured. Feel free to tag them on social media with #londonthrowdown.
Videography
While every care is taken to have videos filmed of the competitions at the event we cannot guarantee that you will be featured in the videos of your competitions. Find a friend or spectator to film for you if you would like to save some video memories for yourself!
Costume Changes
There are toilet facilities in the building on the ground and first floor. There is not a lot of room so we recommend arriving ready dressed where possible!
Bring Your Own Beverages
London Throwdown is a Bring Your Own Beverages event… read more
General Information
Refunds and Exchanges
We’re sorry we can’t offer refunds – see our website for the terms. If you want to swap or sell on your pass to someone else please give them your name and they can attend with your ticket.
Weather
Please always check the weather before setting out. Limehouse Town Hall can get very hot on a warm evening. Perhaps consider bringing a change of clothes and maybe even an umberella.
Transport
Always check TFL for weekend transport updates. It would be terrible if you missed your comp due to engineering works.
Your wellbeing
We hope you enjoy the event – if you need any help during the weekend please come and find an organiser or a volunteer at the front reception desk, or you can contact us at festivals@swingpatrol.co.uk or phone Michaela on 07949027194 or Pippa on 07904 658 089
The wellbeing of our attendees and team is important to us and we reserve the right to remove any individuals who behave inappropriately. Please come and speak to us if you need some assistance, or call 999 if it’s an emergency. You can find our volunteers and organisers wearing orange wristbands. See our code of conduct for full information.
Tokyo Diner is a busy little restaurant close to Leicester Square that has been serving up cheap, satisfying, hot and cold Japanese food since 1992. They pride themselves on the authenticity of the food, decor and service: all the staff speak Japanese. It’s like a little island of Japan in the middle of London. Meals start at £6.
Richard Hills set up Tokyo Diner in his own home. He studied Japanese as a hobby in the mid 1980’s and used to go to Japanese restaurants in London so that he could practice the language. But frankly the food was neither easy nor satisfying to eat, the hushed atmosphere in those restaurants was like going into a temple, and the prices were extortionate: he worried about having to eat that food every day when he went to Japan. But when he eventually got there, what a difference: everywhere he went there were dozens of cheerful little places serving delicious, filling meals, no dearer than the supermarkets. Despite knowing nothing about catering, he decided to turn his home into a place that would serve the real thing: affordable, satisfying and fun.
That little project kept him busy for twenty years and then he felt he had time for something else. He first saw swing dancing in 2014 – and you can probably guess the rest of the story! Tokyo Diner rushed to be the first to sponsor the Solo Jazz and Charleston competition because of Richard’s strong belief that you cannot really call yourself a dancer until you can dance on your own.
You must have entry to the parties in order to be able to compete. This means that you will need to purchase either a Ballroom pass or a Party pass for the night the comp you are entering to be able to compete.
To enter the Up and Comers Strictly you must have started dancing swing from 1st August 2018 or 12 months in total.
You can enter the Rising Star Showcase if you have never placed in a competition of any kind before.
If you are entering a solo routine in the Showcase but you have placed in a Lindy Hop competition you will need to enter the All Star Showcase and vise versa.
You can choose Rising Star if you have never placed in a partnered Lindy Hop competition before, including Strictly, Mix and Match or a partnered couple or team Showcase. You can enter this division if you placed in Up & Comers in 2018.
You have to choose the All Star division if you placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the Rising Star Strictly or Mix and Match the previous year.
If you’ve placed in any Strictly, Mix and Match Lindy Hop or partnered couple or team Showcase competition you need to compete in All Star (or invitational as appropriate)
If you’ve placed in any Solo or Solo Showcase competition you can compete in whichever level partnered division you prefer if none of the above rules apply to you
If you are a teacher of Lindy Hop or are a Troupe member who has never placed in any competition as per the above rules as an individual or as a team member you can compete in whichever level partnered lindy hop division you prefer.
You are invited into invitational if you are a judge, invited by the organisers, if you placed in All Star Strictly or Mix and Match previous year or Fast and Furious 1st place.
If you don’t place in invitational this year you can compete in all star following year, unless you’re invited again.
Invitational contestants will judge each other.
Judges can compete in any invitational competitions as well as in the following competitions: All Star 60s Showcase, Heel Slide, Trio Challenge. They can also compete in Shag, Blues, Balboa depending on their background and specialism
The criteria for ‘placing in a competition’ includes any regional, international or semi-informal lindy hop competition.
Videography
Costume Changes
London Throwdown 