Instructors / Directors

Pat and Sian Thomas

We are Pat and Sian Thomas, and we are delighted to be involved with Tumble Lindy Hop Jive. We admire the work being done by Steve and Paula in their quest to help their community by introducing them to dance; helping to fight loneliness and isolation, helping to improve people’s well-being, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and building lasting links with other like-minded individuals and organisations.

We began swing dancing in 2004, learning with B&C Jive, and were hooked from the start! We embraced the music, dancing, and the outfits, and began to travel to weekend dance camps to extend our learning. At one of these we saw dancers doing Lindy Hop, and we decided that it was just the challenge we needed. So in 2008, we travelled weekly to Gloucester to learn with ex-UK Lindy Hop champions, Gary and Sara Boon, and subsequently performed as part of their dance troupe.

Since late in 2008, we have been teaching: first, swing jive and Charleston, but then, as we grew more confident in our Lindy Hop, we began to pass on our knowledge and love of that dance! We have continued with this over the years, teaching in various venues, near and far, maintaining our own learning at dance camps across the UK and abroad. We feel that we are well known in South Wales and beyond. Our aim is to make learning fun and we really enjoy all the smiling faces we encounter on the dancefloor at Tumble Lindy Hop Jive and beyond!

Paula Eldridge

I started dancing as a child when my parents took up ballroom dancing. I danced ballroom and Old Time competitively until my early teens. I have many fond memories of dancing at competitions and entering the parent and child categories with dad. I enjoyed many years on the competitive circuit and completed my Gold Bar exams but left ballroom dancing for ice skating and disco. Something I often regret.

Work and family life came along and took me down a different path. We moved to Wales in 2016 when I hung up my Police boots and put on my dancing shoes. I have found my happy place.

Since then I have embraced the Lindy Hop world after initially learning Rock n Roll. Lindy Hop allows you to interpret the music and bring your own style to the floor. Since starting our group in Tumble with regular Tea Dances and Lessons, we have now grown and I have the pleasure and absolute joy of sharing what we do with others.

Steve Eldridge

I started dancing rock and roll 2016 I then moved on to learn Lindy Hop with Pat and Sian.
I am also a musician who plays guitar and sings.

I just love the joy of this dance form, everyone is just so happy and the music is great too. I also have the fantastic job of being script writer for the murder mystery parties.

Sarah Day

Our dancing journey began in London 28 years ago (1997) when we joined a Line Dancing Club just for fun. We moved to Wales in 2004 and continued dancing in our local Welsh clubs. Not long after we were introduced to a new style of dance… ‘Rock n Roll’ where we first met Pat and Sian whilst dancing in the De Valence Pavillion in Tenby. The buzz of learning a new dancing genre took over and we went on to learn Rock n Roll, then swing Jive and also Lindy Hop. We now dance all the above styles wherever and whenever possible.

I am immensely proud to have become a small part of the team helping delivering these services and running sessions such as Therapeutic Chair and covering various other sessions and classes within the community.

Karen Armitage

Session Leader

Dave & Eirian Mutch