Trinity Swing 2025

It’s hard not to start my first article in five years without some way acknowledging the fact that it's my first article in five years. As a bespectacled leather-clad dino-dodging chaotician once said, "Life… uh… finds a way" and sometimes that's just to get in your way. And at various stages over the last few years the way to dancing has been Gandalfed by this, that or the other.

But then something comes along that makes it impossible not to scratch that itch and start typing. And that thing was Trinity Swing 2025.

I’ve still being going to events here and there—last year I had a “treat yo’self” moment for one of those birthdays ending in zero and I nipped over to the USA for what had long been the event atop my bucket list: the West Coast Swing/Lindy Hop lovechild that is the Boston Tea Party. It was all I'd hoped for: Lindy classes, Westie classes, fab socials for both, meeting great people, catching up with old friends (including an unexpected birthday celebration), and getting to saunter around one of my favourite cities in the US… it was a brilliant weekend but I still didn’t feel like composing an article (maybe I still will).

But as great as it is to be a visitor in a foreign land, it’s an entirely different experience to be part of the local community hosting an event and to feel the joyful energy and appreciation from 'outsiders' who have invested faith, time and money in what your community can offer. Then, when all's said and done, to feel your heart explode with love and pride at what your community can achieve.

First, a quick disclaimer: I had nothing to do with organising this event. I was as much a guest as the next guy, so I get to say everything here from a point of relative* objectivity (*I say relative… there’s every chance some biases may creep in…) and I’ve no credit to claim. Secondly: I missed Friday and most of Saturday due to the aforementioned reasons, but still I got more than my fill.

Friday night at Trinity Swing. Pixploration©

I arrived on Saturday just in time to catch the last few songs of the ‘Shindig’ live acoustic set by Peter Kennedy. Truth be told, I’m not normally a fan of live music at dance events. There are musicians who perform for listening and there are musicians who perform for dancing, and more often than not the former turns up where the latter was hoped for. This can most dangerously manifest itself at Lindy hop events where, goodness knows why, the incredibly gifted band performing thinks that a 12-minute high-tempo barnburner is as much fun to dance to as it is to listen to and your smart watch is trying to draw your attention to the alarming altitude of your heart rate. Or where a musician plays about with the volume and does such a long and convincing diminuendo that you believe the tune has finished; so you thank your partner, walk off the floor, and find someone else for the next dance only to discover, as the volume picks back up, that it’s actually the very same tune and your previous partner is standing exactly where you left them reeling from your infidelity. 

But Peter was just fantastic—great to listen to and great to dance to—and there was an extra treat for those of us who went into Carlingford on Sunday night where he gifted us a bonus set including a few more cracker medleys. But more on that later.

Then it was time for the pro-shows which are always a highlight, but when one of the pros is Gráinne Farrell—one of ours—it’s a new combination of feelings because as well as excitement, appreciation and wonder there’s also pride involved. And all the while being performed in front of an enormous ‘Trinity Swing’ event banner. 

And the banner matters because it communicates that you're not at just another local social but at something much bigger. It communicates to everyone—there and watching online after—that “we’re legit,” that there’s something going on here that you want to be a part of. A big naff off banner to celebrate the fact we're now a big naff off thing. 

But a good banner without good dancing would be 'all fur coat and no knickers' so I'm very proud to say Trinity Swing was clearly quite tastefully undergirded.

As already mentioned, I missed Friday in its entirety as well as the classes and competitions on Saturday, so I arrived as a relative stranger to many, not having had the opportunity to meet folk in class or on the dance-floor the night before. But I was up to speed in no time at all because the vibe was so infectiously positive.

To be clear, I can’t say I’ve ever experienced a negative vibe at a dance event but this one just felt extra positive. Maybe it’s because I already knew a reasonable number of people there, or because I arrived in the middle of the weekend so the first night pre-competition jitters had already been dispensed with, but I didn’t feel like I needed to warm up at all (despite not having danced WCS for 5 months). And add in the discovery that one of my absolute favourite dancers was at the event (I wasn’t counting but I’m convinced I set a new PB for most dances with one person in a single weekend—thanks, Ji) and things were shaping up to be rather decent.

Plus: I can’t actually remember having a single bad dance. My dance partners from the weekend may not agree, I’m not going to pretend every dance I shared was pure gold, and there were a few where I thought I definitely could have done better. But I didn’t have one single yup-I'm-done-with-this moment all weekend; which is a bit of a rarity to be honest.

And I really think that was down to the positive feeling that permeated the whole weekend: it was the craic! Missteps and dropped connections were quickly forgotten and I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared so many back-to-back “can we have another dance?” moments at a single event. Which set things up really nicely for the wee small hours.

Normally by the end of the night, I hit a point where I realise I’ve danced with just about everyone left in the room at least once. A quick scan also involves trying to remember how recently we just danced, how did it go, did I think they enjoyed it, and do I think they'd be receptive to me asking again. There is also the mild panic that comes from thinking "but now they know all my moves!" and worrying I might bore my partner when I repeat all the same stuff.

But both nights I confidently approached, or was approached by, just about everyone for multiple dances, such was the relaxed feeling on the floor. It was so refreshing and clearly it was not just me having the time of it.

As for the actual end of the night, however, I had a slight oversight by not actually planning the logistics correctly. 

With it being a 'home' event, I thought I'd save a bit of cash and just drive home once the dancing was over (I'm averse to premature evacuation) but by that stage of the morning a 90-minute drive simply wasn't appealing. Or, for that matter, terribly wise. Thankfully, Sarah had encouraged me to throw together an overnight bag before I left the house just in case I was overcome with sense. But even more thankfully, as I started to walk towards the hotel reception in the hope of being told they'd a spare room, I was offered the spare bed in the room of two other Belfast locals on tour, so thanks again to Miles and Richard!

Due to my late arrival the night before, Sunday was the only day I got to attend classes which meant I unfortunately missed Lee and Fab entirely but I was still able to get along to three of the four other teachers/pairs. First up was Gráinne Farrell (yeeooo!*) and Mathieu Compagnon with a smooth pattern I'll definitely be incorporating into my vocabulary, followed by my first 'switch' workshop with Rosemary Whitson that showed me just how much I need to work on my following. But I then made a slightly bold call and went to Sean and Alyssa McKeever's class rather than staying put for James Bartlett and Lauren Jones.

(* admittedly a guttural "yeeooo!" isn't quite as elegant as the French encouraging each other at events with an "allééé!" but the sentiment is similar in Northern Ireland at least)

Sharon, the pros & the banner. Pixploration©

I'm sad I missed James and Lauren, and I did get to ask Lauren for a dance later (fantastic, obviously), but Sean and Alyssa were the headliners, have been high high high up my list of pros I've wanted to take a class with for years, and this was my only chance to do that. So, although it was a more advanced level than I was otherwise signed up for, I figured I would go in and at least observe. And if I felt I wouldn't be a hindrance I would ask if I could join. 

So much for being inconspicuous.

Because it wasn't a regular everyone-dance-together kinda class. Rather the entire group was asked to sit, then Sean and Alyssa offered their critique as, one-by-one, couples got up and did a mini-spotlight.

And the opportunity for me to dissolve into the wallpaper rapidly disappeared when I was asked to lead two different follows.

I'd attended a class like this the year before in Boston with Arjay Centeno, although that time I didn't actually take the opportunity to get up and instead sat anonymously in the corner. I remember regretting missing out on what was effectively a mini-private, and that had been with a larger group of dancers I felt much more on par with, and with several couples getting up at once. So whilst I was keen to actually make the most of the opportunity this time, it was also very much swaddled in apprehension.

But what a class.

My bit went fine and I can take solace from the fact I didn't embarrass myself, but the critique from Sean was something I would expect to pay big bucks for. Plus, I was able to observe all of the other leads, listen to the feedback they received, and in doing so identify things I also need to work on myself. I hope no one thought I was being rude or disinterested but I frantically typed notes on my phone throughout the class and if I can use even half of them to improve my dancing I know it will make a big difference. Seemingly my gamble paid off.

That was the final class of the weekend but one of the highlights was about to kick off after a brief social break: the Newcomer Competition.

One of the focuses of the event was the "Zero to Hero" track, coordinated by Vicky Vasiliauskaite, which invites anyone with absolutely no previous WCS experience to learn the basics over the course of the weekend and then, if they feel up to it, to compete in front of the entire event's audience.

Zero-to-Hero finalists enjoying the moment. Pixploration©

I'd seen Vicky's brilliant concept in action last year at the Midland Swing Open and it was repeated here with similarly immense success: a dance-floor filled with newcomers, looking like they belonged, looking like they felt they belonged, and a euphoric crowd cheering them on. It was hard not to be moved by the amount of love and support in the room and to me this is what dancing is about. I've already commented on the atmosphere of the event as a whole but it was here that it really fizzed, and that pride feeling started to surface all over again.

Then it was off to the pub for something to eat, drink and, maybe, a bit of live music. And as numerous people said to me after: this was the outing that truly gave Trinity Swing its unique identity.

To start off, Carlingford is a beautiful village that sits at the foot of Slieve Foy ('slieve' is the anglicisation [and phonetic spelling] of 'sliabh' or 'mountain') and at the head of Carlingford Lough, and plenty of its streets and signage still retain the original charm that make it such a popular destination for those seeking "authentic" Ireland. The Carlingford Arms did a masterful job of accommodating the 40-odd people who rocked up at their door for dinner without fair warning (noted for next year) and after squeezing us all into their restaurant, we were soon all subsequently tempted into their adjacent (and smaller) pub by the sound of live music.

The original plan had been to give everyone about an hour, maybe an hour and half, to grab a pint of the black stuff and listen to the musician-in-residence, but it was soon plainly apparent that no one was in any rush to get back, and I'm sure the fella behind the bar hasn't worked as hard on a sports-free Sunday night in a while.

Whilst there was no dance floor per se, and space was at a premium (even without the 40 of us) it didn't stop the evening turning into a frantically happy social with people giving it stacks no matter what was playing. And as most of us aren't dance-monogamous it meant, with the right tune, different styles came out to play and were soon copied or cheered by the rest. We had jam circles, country line-dancing, salsa, Lindy hop, Charleston, I'm fairly certain I saw the Macarena at once stage, and we definitely had a conga going that, due to the tight conditions, put me in mind of the last stages of 'Snake' on the old Nokia phones (there's a reference that has gone over the head of plenty).

By this stage, the guy playing was in need of a well-earned break but before he put down his guitar up stepped Peter Kennedy to volunteer to take over for a while. These two swapped over several more times as the night went on to ensure no one was deprived of phenomenal live music covering every genre under the sun, including a smattering of Irish traditional to ensure that when our tourists did eventually head back to the main event to join another fantastic final night social, they did so with that particular bucket list item well and truly ticked.

In case it wasn't evident, I loved this event. And I missed half of it! But that in itself says something.

I go to events in different places to experience different countries, cities and cultures but most of all I go for the people and the atmosphere they create. So often I choose events because I've met dancers from that event's local scene who—through their fun and warmth (and I suppose their dancing)—make me want to visit. Then off I trot and discover that those few I met somewhere else really were true ambassadors for their home scene.

Ireland as a whole may not be able to boast too many roving ambassadors just yet (though the number of new Belfast and Dublin dancers on the weekend's Zero to Hero track makes me think things are on an upward trajectory!) but I've been so encouraged by what I've heard from those who made the trip here. It sounds like they really felt welcome and that they'd the kind of experience I look for when I travel for events, so it's hard not to feel a little proud of that. Add in the fact that, courtesy of this year's successes, Trinity Swing is now officially a WSDC event and the pride keeps coming.

But before I finish I must also give particular mention to Sharon Matchett. Sharon was the weekend's fabulous MC, event organiser, event director, artistic director, location scout, tour operator, chief negotiator, head chauffeur, and has been the force pushing WCS in Ireland forward. There are others who have helped and continue to help, and Sharon would be the first to ensure others know they are appreciated (as demonstrated by her emotional closing compèring on Sunday evening), but otherwise the stonking success of Trinity Swing was simply down to Sharon willing it into being. For most of us in Belfast, she's the reason we got into WCS and now she's the reason people from across the world are coming to Ireland to experience WCS here. Safe to say, everyone who enjoyed Trinity Swing has a lot to thank her for.

See you all next year at Trinity Swing 2026 (6th-8th February).

Swingterfell: swing is coming!!

In just a few weeks, Belfast will be hosting Northern Ireland's first ever west coast swing weekender: Swingterfell, and to say I'm excited would be a gross understatement.

In order to temper said excitement, I thought I'd ask the organisers and hosts, Sharon Matchett and Andrew Shellard from West Coast Swing NI, a few questions in the wild hope that a little bit more info about this event would somehow satisfy my impatience.

It didn't, but here are their answers anyway.

Sharon & Andrew, tell us more about Swingterfell! To start with (and for anyone who somehow doesn't know) - where has the name come from? 

A: The idea for the name came from Northern Ireland’s association with ‘Game Of Thrones’ as Northern Ireland is the principal filming location for the show and Sharon and I are big fans! So we just combined ‘swing’ and ‘Winterfell’ (the name of the most iconic castle in Westeros)! And as part of our event we have arranged a Game of Thrones tour that visits many of the shows settings located across Northern Ireland.

Well the swing community does seem to love a good pun when it names events! What about the pros and DJs – who are they? 

A: As well as myself, the other pros are Kevin & Aggie Town from London, England, and Estelle Bonnaire from Montpellier, France. Kevin will also be DJing alongside Sharon and I.

If not just for the dancing, why should people visit Belfast?

A: I'd say, the weather obviously is the best all the time (not) haha. More seriously, Belfast has a lot of istory to offer, both recent and older, as well as great food and scenery. The Titanic museum is definitely worth a visit.

And Lonely Planet just rated Belfast as the world’s Number 1 place to visit in 2018 so there's that! 

Swingterfell's hosts: Andrew Shellard & Sharon Matchett

What about who or what has influenced your dancing?

A: I have been influenced by all sorts of dances. I love watching the creativity of hip-hop, so I watch groups like the Jabbawockees or "Les Twins". I also watch Lindy hop (William & Maeva) and Carolina Shag (Brennar Goree) for some more different flavours. In WCS a lot of people inspire me, but if I had to give a top 5 I would say: Kyle Redd, Benji Schwimmer, Maxence Martin, Virginie Grondin, and Ben Morris. Although I’d also like to add Michael Kielbasa and Maxime Zzaoui to this list. As well as Sarah Van Drake.
Andrew, your dancing suggests you know how to count but that is more than five.

And what about your dance background and influences, Sharon? How did you end up in WCS? 

S: Well I actually don't have that much of a dance background. I didn't start partner dancing until I was in my 30's. As a kid I was a figure skater until about 14. I was a national champion and I started training for the Olympics, but alas that was not to be. I may have had a very long gap between but I would but my balance and spin technique firmly down to my skating days.

I had started to learn modern jive as something to do with my husband, you know, like a date night. I however never do things half-heartedly and so began to search YouTube for dance videos, this is when I saw Jordan Frisbee and Tatiana Mollman! I eventually after a couple of years looking in NI found a class and the rest is way too long to go into here!

Jordan and Tatiana continue to inspire and influence me, but I would also add people like Jennifer DeLuca and Sarah Van Drake.

Kevin & Aggie Town and Estelle Bonnaire

And you, Andrew, came to WCS from quite different styles – has this helped or hindered your dancing? 

A: Yes, I have a background in Boogie Woogie and Rock n' Roll and that helped me in many different aspects. As I was competing at a high level in these dances, it taught me how to work, how to be organised and disciplined to get to where I wanted to go in terms of "dance level", but more precisely it helped me with a lot of different aspects within the dance such as frame, musicality, footwork and creativity.

You have come to us from Lyon, which has arguably the biggest WCS scene in Europe - why did you leave?! 

A: Yes Lyon has the biggest in Europe by far. I left to experience more than just ‘teaching’, I wanted to contribute to the growth of WCS somewhere in the world that didn't have the access to so many influences. And I can tell you now, that growing a community is way harder than trying to teach or inspire people to dance! It is a different job entirely but it is definitely worth it!

Sharon, were you the one who convinced Andrew to move here?! 

S: Ha ha! I don't think he needed convincing. Andrew had come to NI for a weekend event that I had organised and our friendliness and charm clearly won him over! He certainly didn't come for the weather. On a more serious note though, I was really shocked when he told me he was going to move here, I couldn't really believe it was happening until he showed me his one way flight to NI. I am incredibly grateful that he did.

So, Andrew, why was it you chose our beloved Belfast?! 

A: I came to Belfast for different reasons, but I would say that the main ones were the people and their incredible sense of welcome, and also because I wanted to get to live in an environment that feels relaxed and easy going, and NI offers all of that and more.

Dawhh...we love you too...

Clockwise from top left: The Dark Hedges (a.k.a. 'The Kingsroad'), the Titanic Museum, Belfast City Hall, the Giant's Causeway

This all said, the scene obviously existed before Andrew arrived so, Sharon, what have been some of the biggest challenges in establishing a scene in a small country and in preparing for this event? 

S: WOW, that's a biggy. The West Coast Swing scene has been a labour of love and I would emphasise the word LABOUR. No one knew what WCS was, I myself came by it by accident and spent 2 years searching for a class.

We had a young teacher for a while from the line dance scene, but after a few months he moved on and I didn't want it to end so along with the original teacher Richard Turner we took the classes ourselves. I was under qualified and honestly that probably had a huge impact too, but I spent every penny I could to go away to workshops and learn from the best.

West Coast Swing is also perceived as a really difficult dance so people come along and after a 6 week course of learning the basics, they can either feel like they know it now and move on to something else or feel frustrated that they aren't dancing it at the level they maybe dance salsa or Lindy hop, so they give up! My biggest frustration is the amount of people who have come to classes, made huge progress and with a few more months of classes would begin to really "get it" but they give up before they reach that stage. Fledgling scenes take time, dedication, money and consistency. We would have a social and 5 people would show up! So trying to then have a social the following month would be a bigger challenge as people would say "well there are only five going, so I won't bother". Trying to turn that attitude into "well there were only five at the last one, if I go this time there might be six" is by far the hardest part.

You've plenty of local events under your belt but how does this one compare? 

S: Well it's really not that different from an organisational point, there was just more fear of the unknown. Will people register? Will students who have been dancing for six months understand that we are bringing world-class teachers to Northern Ireland for their benefit, to give them a flavour of an international event and that hopefully afterwards they will not only have gained lots more skills, practice and love for WCS, but also feel what it's like to belong to this amazing world-wide community.

And how proud are you that NI is finally hosting its first ever swing event?!  

S: I think I will wait until after the event to see if I can say I'm proud, but I am certainly very excited! Oh and nervous!

Finally, Andrew, Belfast has a strong Lindy hop scene, what tips do you have for dancers with a Lindy background who are considering giving WCS a go?

A: Well WCS and Lindy hop are so close as dances and have the same kind of mechanics in terms of patterns and musicality ‘builds’. It is not hard for a good Lindy dancer to be decent at WCS after only a few classes. The major tip I would give, is just relax, come along and enjoy dancing to different kinds of music!

Budding Belfast: swing is snowballing!!

Attendance at one of Swing Belfast's weekly classes

Last Saturday night I was at our first social of 2017 and as things started to heat up I noticed that dance floor space was at a premium. This may not be rare at many events and rarely is it welcomed at any, but seeing it in Belfast made me feel incredibly proud as it was proof that our scene is very clearly growing.

We have successfully hosted events in and around Belfast for the past few years where there have been north of 120 people trying to find space on a large dancefloor whilst a live band provides the soundtrack. But such events occur only 3-4 times a year and the bedrock of a scene is not the occasional big night out, when the swanky corner of your wardrobe is perused - no no! 'Tis the humble weekly social that provides the bread and butter of a healthy swing diet!

The weekly social is when someone's mp3 playlist is on shuffle (DJ optional) and folk are bouncing onto the dancefloor to practice everything they've recently learnt or perhaps they are taking the opportunity, drink in hand (and some freshly baked desserts if doing it the Swing Belfast way!) to really get to know others in their home scene.

For much of the first year after I started dancing in Belfast, we didn't have regular socials and actually getting to practice was entirely dependent upon you being free on one of those rare nights that an event reared its lovely head, or upon nabbing a partner with whom you could meet up outside of class.

But now, in the year that I celebrate my third swingaversary, we have regular social dancing every week and our scene is in rude health.

I should clarify that I'm not trying to take credit for my scene's growth but merely sharing that I have witnessed its genesis first hand: Lindy hop classes have gone from 6-8 people to 60-80, from one class a week to four, west coast swing numbers have quadrupled, we've seen the creation of our first regular monthly social, the addition of weekly mini-socials after classes, the establishment of a second monthly social, and now we are surging towards the delightful dilemma that soon we may need to find a bigger social venue.

It. Is. Incredible!!

And on top of that, a further measure of our scene's evolution shall be proudly on display at the Birmingham Bounce in March this year when Swing Belfast shall be represented by around THIRTY dancers - and that, once again, makes me swell with pride.

I have been to quite a few events over the past couple of years and as much as I have thoroughly enjoyed myself when flying solo, a lot can be said for travelling in a crew.

Having a few familiar faces by your side as you assess an unfamiliar dancefloor (especially when your confidence matches your ability and neither are high) can be immensely comforting whilst the craic to be had from four close friends sharing a room (when it really only has enough space for two people) is something else.

But I have yet to attend an event beyond Ireland's shores with more than three other Belfast dancers, so the idea of rocking up at the Bounce with about six times that number is hugely exciting for the following reason:

I choose the events I go to, not just because the teachers are good or the host city is interesting, but because I've met amazing people at previous events who left me thinking that I absolutely had to visit their home scene.

So considering how many brilliant Belfast ambassadors we shall have in Birmingham, I am well and truly stoked that others may think the same way and start to wonder when they are going to visit our home scene.

9-10th April, All-Stars Andrew Shellard & Hailee Lopez are coming to Belfast!

Next weekend, Andrew Shellard and Hailee Lopez will be in Belfast for a weekend WCS workshop and I am stoked!

Scenes simply don't exist without the serious commitment and enthusiasm of local teachers but it's hard not to get a little excited when you get a visit from a couple of top international pros!

Andrew hails from Lyon, France (what do they feed the west coast swing dancers in that city?!) and has been immensely supportive of our nascent scene in Northern Ireland and as he has friends in high places Andrew is bringing Hailee with him also an all-star dancer and all the way from from Kansas, USA.



For anyone unfamiliar with the title 'all-star', west coast swing dancers are classified by ability and consistently good performances in international competitions are needed to advance from one classification to the next. All-stars are at the top of that tree, having moved up from advanced, intermediate, novice and newcomer, so the significance of having two of them teaching in Belfast cannot be understated!

This will be Andrew's third visit to Belfast and Hailee's first but what makes me all the more appreciative of their visit is the financial compromise both of these guys are making by coming to such a small scene.

There are few pro WCS dancers who can or will enjoy the longevity and financial success of your Jordan & Tatianas (for those reading through Lindy lenses, think Skye & Frida, except imagine they have been dancing professionally since the age of 14!) so it is not a career choice anyone makes for the money.

Andrew & Hailee could teach anywhere and no doubt will have had bigger offers to do so, yet they have agreed to come to Belfast to help us along a little more and we could not be more appreciative.

This is especially thrown into sharp contrast with the recent visit of a Lindy hop pro who, whilst was within their rights to charge as they did for their classes, could have been more sympathetic to a smaller community when it came to their superfluous expenses. So a massive MASSIVE thanks to Andrew & Hailee for their obvious love of west coast swing and a desire to give the little guys a leg up!

More information about the event is on the Facebook page but here it is in brief!

There are two levels with each costing £30 for 3½ hours of class. The first is 'Fundamentals' and is for those starting from scratch or wanting to work on the key moves again, and 'Level Deux' which will involve an obvious step up, and it is also possible to take both levels (7 hours of class) for only an additional £10.

To sign up, follow the instructions on the Facebook page or click here.

See you next weekend!