Rolling Swing 2025 Review: My First Coast Swing Event in Europe
French West Coast Swing WSDC event, Rolling Swing in Lyon, France
With a taste of the local West Coast Swing (WCS) community last night in Lyon, I was ready to… roll in’…to my first European WCS weekend event. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Rolling Swing proved to be mighty when it came to community vibes, bilingual teaching, and party atmosphere.
If you’re a dancer curious about attending a French WCS event, this review is for you. It is for anyone wondering what Rolling Swing is really like whether you’re considering competing, diving into workshops, or just going for the socials.
Event Basics
📍 Location: hosted at Novotel & ibis Styles in Bron, France. Tip: Novotel is a bit nicer than the conjoined ibis, especially the breakfast option.
📅 Dates: last weekend of August—beautiful time of year, but be prepared: it was very hot (dancing in France in August is no joke).
💲 Cost: Event tickets were pretty comparable to what I pay for full passes at U.S. events. They even let you compete with just an event pass, which is the option when you don’t want to do workshops.
🛏️ Accommodations: Highly recommend the Novotel for comfort and food options. ibis Styles works if you’re on a tighter budget, but the included breakfast at Novotel is worth it.
Workshops & Instruction
🗣️ Workshops were taught in both English and French, which was incredible for inclusivity.
🔢 The ‘leveled’ workshops did not fit my dance expectations of what a level 4 class should be. It was the highest level offered but many dancers self-selected themselves into it. As an Advanced dancer, this is what I enjoyed about the Level 4 classes I took:
Maïna Villa-Cobarsi & Arnaud Perga’s variations were increasingly challenging.
I really liked the pattern from Marina Motronenko and Glenn Ball.
⭐ Favorite takeaway: how much effort instructors put into bridging language and culture across dancers. Also because Glenn speaks English.
💡 Workshops feedback: Make sure you read the pass option descriptions clearly. I could have saved €50 and slept but for me, it was worth it to take classes from international teachers though.
West Coast Swing Workshop with Marina Motronenko and Glenn Ball at Rolling Swing in France.
Competitions
Dvisions offered like Jack & Jill (J&J) and Strictly:
WSDC J&J: Newcomers, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Allstars
Age-based J&J: Juniors (under 18), Sophisticated (35+), and Masters (50+)
Strictly: Novice+Intermediate and Strictly Open (all other levels)
Strictly Trio Swing: switch/stealing three-way strictly
Routines as Pro Shows: Classic, Rising Stars, and Showcase.
Mediocre judging quality because I think Glenn was the only Champion judging. They had All-Stars mostly judging, which makes sense for a smaller event.
💡 Competitions feedback: please list award times clearly on the schedule. It’ll save dancers a lot of guesswork or missing the awards completely (ask me how I know).
Social Dancing
🪩 Floor: The main floor wasn’t huge, but they removed two air walls used to separate workshops during the day to have three floors for social dancing at night.
🎶 Music: Variety kept the room buzzing until late at night. French folks do love fast club music.
💪 Skill: Lots of talented dancers, who usually come out and stay late for social dancing.
👯♂️ Role Balance: The dance role ratio was really heavily more on followers. Leaders were working hard all weekend, I’m sure.
💨 Comfort: France in August is hot, no way around it. They opened the doors and had these industrial swamp coolers that were pretty efficient when near them.
West Coast Swing dancers at social at Rolling Swing in Lyon, France.
Community & Atmosphere
🎉 Small but mighty: the size made it intimate, and the party vibe was chill and fun.
🎟️ Registration: I really appreciated flexible registration because I wasn’t required to register with a leader, which is common for many European WCS events. As someone attending alone, this made it much more accessible.
💬 Communication:
I spoke little to no French because 1) I don’t know it and 2) everyone also spoke English.
The organizers were also thoughtful with communication: instead of relying only on Facebook, they provided event updates via WhatsApp, which felt personal and convenient.
I was one of a couple Americans who also attended Rolling Swing. I also made friends with a few other local dancers, who I am hoping to keep in touch with.
⭐ Kudos: The bilingual element really set it apart—it felt like a dance and cultural exchange at the same time.
West Coast Swing friends at Rolling Swing on dinner break at Flunch in Saint-Priest, France.
Logistics & Practicalities
✈️ Travel: France in summer is easy to access by train or plane. The Lyon airport is 17.4 km from the event hotel.
🧳 Packing: Best to pack light and bring heat-friendly clothes. I always have my clack fan and hotel hand towels to wipe off sweat.
📆 Schedule: Generally well-organized and laidback, but awards should be posted more clearly.
♿️ Accessibility: The dance event is all on the ground floor, which was extremely accessible and inclusive for mobility device users. I also loved that they opened both double doors for width.
🥘 Food:
On-site hotel restaurant hours were odd but the Novotel included breakfast is worth it.
There weren’t too many nearby options except a French bakery and a bar across the street, which was where the social dance was held Thursday night.
Every night, the event team had a snack and drink bar until really late. It was great to get a homemade cocktail at 2 am!
Highlights & Challenges
⭐ Highlights:
My first European WCS event experience.
Bilingual workshops in English + French.
Special-case registration without requiring a partner.
WhatsApp updates instead of relying only on Facebook.
Intimate, friendly community vibe.
Novotel hotel breakfast (worth mentioning thrice).
💡 Challenges:
The heat (no escaping French summer).
Awards schedule not clearly listed.
West Coast Swing dancers at Rolling Swing until 6:00 AM for Breakfast Club.
Final Thoughts & Recommendation
Rolling Swing was the perfect introduction to European WCS events for me—small, welcoming, bilingual, and enjoyable. I highly recommend it, especially for social dancers and those curious about the French West Coast Swing scene.
I’m now curious to compare Rolling Swing with the event team’s other Frenchy Westy weekends. If Rolling Swing is any indication, those will be just as fun and community-driven.
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 (only held back by the heat and awards schedule, otherwise fantastic).
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Full review of WCS dance event Rolling Swing in France.