Capital Blues hosts dances, classes, special workshops, and other events celebrating blues dance in the Washington, D.C. area.
Special Event Thursday, April 23!
Capital Blues and DCLX are partnering to bring you a special event the night before DCLX!
In the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park:
Schedule:
8pm–9pm Intermediate “Blues for Lindy Hoppers” lesson with Kenneth Shipp (appropriate for int/adv lindy or blues dancers)
8:15pm-9pm Beginner lesson with Colin Hay and Moira McCauley
9pm–11:30pm Dance with live music from Nella B & the Noise
Price: Free for DCLX registrants (You can check in here for the weekend)!
Otherwise: $20 at the door for the intermediate class & dance, $15 for beginner class & dance or just dance!
Nella B and her crew took home the top prize at the DC Blues Society Battle of the Bands in October, and will be headlining Red Hot Blues & BBQ weekend next month! She is a true blues singer and entertainer, so expect to dance, sing, laugh, and join in on the fun! Nella B and the Noise play a mix of Jump Blues, Swing Blues, Go-Go Blues, and Mississippi Delta Blues, just to name a few.
Plus, instructor Kenneth Shipp joins us from St. Louis, with a special “Blues for Lindy Hoppers” class appropriate for intermediate-and-up lindy hop and blues dancers. Perfect for blues-curious DCLX attendees! Get ready for those late night slow tunes!
Kenneth grew up dancing hip-hop and DJing breaking comps before jumping into blues. He has spent the past few years passionately studying the family of blues idioms, incorporating his nerdy personality along the way. With every class and practice, he’ll encourage you to approach social dancing with coolness, relaxation, or in other words “Chill The F$%& Out.”
Our signature annual event is Red Hot Blues & BBQ, a weekend of dancing to live music, late nights, and delicious BBQ, happening this Memorial Day weekend, May 21–25, 2026.
Every Thursday night, we host Back Room Blues, a DJ’d dance to blues music in the Back Room at Glen Echo Park, just outside of Washington, D.C. Come join us!
The dance is at 9pm. Join us at 8:15pm for a beginner-friendly lesson in blues dance foundations, free with admission!
