To find the best places to swing dance in Okemah this summer, we evaluated every active studio and dance organization in town based on four criteria: instructor credentials and competition experience, breadth of class offerings, quality of social dance events, and value for new students. We then visited each finalist, took drop-in classes, and interviewed local dancers about community culture.
What we found may surprise you. Okemah—population roughly 3,200 and best known as Woody Guthrie's birthplace—does not have four full-time swing dance studios. It has one dedicated studio, one hybrid academy, and two traveling dance collectives that rent space in the historic downtown district and at Lake Okemah. For this guide, we included all four because each offers a distinct way to learn and dance this summer. Here is what you need to know.
1. The Rhythm Room
Downtown Okemah | 119 W. Broadway
The Rhythm Room is Okemah's only studio devoted entirely to swing and jazz-era dance. Owner and head instructor Marcus Chen, who placed third in the 2019 International Lindy Hop Championships' novice division, opened the space in 2012 after touring with a swing revival band.
This summer, the studio runs three tracks: absolute-beginner Lindy Hop on Tuesday evenings ($15 drop-in, $60 for a five-class card), an intermediate choreography intensive on Thursdays, and monthly themed dance nights in the attached speakeasy-style lounge. July's theme is "Cotton Club Revival"—live jazz from the Okemah City Players, dress code encouraged, $12 at the door. The sprung maple floor, installed in 2019, is the best in town for knee protection during high-energy Charleston.
Pro tip: The lounge has limited seating. Arrive by 7:15 p.m. if you want a chair for the June 29 and July 27 events.
2. SwingTime Studios
Rotating outdoor locations | Headquarters: 208 S. 2nd St.
SwingTime is less a traditional studio than a mobile dance collective run by married instructors Dana and Roy Pritchard. Both are former competitive West Coast Swing dancers from Tulsa who relocated to Okemah in 2021 and now teach here three nights a week.
Their signature summer offering is the Sunset Swing series: every Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Central Park band shell near Lake Okemah. A beginner lesson runs 7:00–7:45 p.m., followed by open social dancing until sunset. Admission is $10, free for students with ID. The Pritchards bring their own portable dance floor, which holds up well on grass but can get slick if it has rained. Check their Instagram (@SwingTimeOkemah) for weather cancellations.
Best for: Dancers who want a relaxed, picnic-friendly atmosphere and do not mind adjusting to outdoor conditions.
3. Hop & Roll Dance Academy
204 W. Broadway | 2nd floor above the Okemah Antique Mall
Hop & Roll is a multidisciplinary studio—ballet, hip-hop, and contemporary—that adds swing to its schedule each June through August. Co-founder Lisa Ortiz, who trained at the Boston Conservatory, developed the academy's "Swing Fusion" curriculum: traditional Lindy Hop footwork layered with contemporary body isolations and floor work.
The four-week summer intensive meets Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6:00–8:00 p.m., and costs $180 total. It is physically demanding; Ortiz recommends at least six months of any dance background before enrolling. The studio itself is a converted 1920s opera house with uneven floorboards in the corners—charming, but test your footing before attempting any aerials.
Note: Class size is capped at sixteen dancers. The July intensive is already half full as of this writing.
4. The Savoy Swing Club
Meets at the Okemah Community Center | 301 S. 3rd St.
Named after Harlem's legendary Savoy Ballroom, this member-run club is strictly a social-dance and workshop organization with no permanent studio. Membership is $25 per year, and most events are pay-what-you-can with a suggested $8 donation.
Their summer highlight is the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Swing Dance, held July 13 this year from 8:00 p.m. to midnight at the community center gym. Oklahoma City-based instructor and historian James "Big Jim" Holloway will teach a 90-minute workshop on 1930s-era Southern ballroom style before the social dance begins. The club also hosts beginner-friendly first-Sunday dances year-round, 4:00–7:00 p.m.
Best for: History-minded dancers and anyone seeking the lowest barrier to entry in Okem
