Thursday 07.06.2018
20:00-23:30 Warm Up Party im Martinsviertel
On Thursday, we will kick things off for our early arrivers with a warm-up party in a small, yet very artistic theater located in the beautiful Martinsviertel. This quarter is characterized strongly by the university students living there, and offers several local diners for a quick meal before the party starts.
Location: HoffArt Theater | Music: Local DJ
Check-in at arrival
Evening tickets at the door – €5
Friday 08.06.2018
17:30-19:00 Historic city walk
Urs will take you on a little historic walk through Darmstadt’s center city – obviously not without some jazz in there, too!
If you arrive on Friday, it’s also a good opportunity to meet some other exchange guests and get some fresh air before the big evening party.
Meeting point: Luisenplatz, at the fountain in front of Kollegiengebäude
Check-in before tour start
21:00 (20:00) DSX Opening Party with the Swingsize Orchestra
The main event on Friday will be the opening party, set in one of Darmstadt’s most iconic locations: the Centralstation. Inside this old electricity-plant-turned-cultural-hub awaits a party with live music by the outstanding Swingsize Orchestra. Get ready to officially check-in and then swing-out to some fantastic songs in the styles of the old big band greats!
As Darmstadt has quite a few talented Balboa dancers, two of them – Betina and Verena – will be there to offer you a Balboa beginner taster before the party. If you are a curious Lindy Hopper, take the chance to check out another great swing dance!
Location: Centralstation | Music: Swingsize Orchestra, Local DJs
19:30 Check-In | 20:00 Balboa taster | 21:30 Band
Evening tickets at the door and online – €21
Online ticket link: here
Saturday 09.06.2018
10:00-11:30 Morning Yoga
„Morning Yoga“ with Franzi, our very own swingdancing Yoga-Teacher. Treat yourself from 10-11.30. If possible bring your own mat – but we also have some to borrow. Swing on & Namaste!
Meeting point: Herrngartencafé, nearest bus/tram stop is Willy-Brandt-Platz
12:00-ca.14:30 Hessian Lunch
Depending on how long you decide to sleep in on Saturday, you will have some time to explore Darmstadt on your own. Or you could come with us to get some great local food for lunch – nothing better to stock up on energy before the afternoon biking and dancing begins!
Everyone gets to choose and pay for themselves. We are reserving some spots at our location, the Grohe Brauhaus – a well known brewery and traditional food spot in Darmstadt!
Location: Grohe Brauhaus, Nieder-Ramstädter Str. 3, nearest bus/tram stop is Schulstr.
15:00-19:00 Swing&Ride
Saturday afternoon, we will head off to the famous Swing & Ride, one of our exchange highlights. Let Frank Patitz and his freight-DJ-bicycle take you on a tour to the nicest corners of Darmstadt. Starting point will be the Centralstation, where a short swing taster for local beginners will be held before everybody hops on their bikes.
We will finish the tour in the heart of the picturesque Bessungen Quarter, at the Bessunger Knabenschule. A food truck and refreshments will be waiting there for us, and if you like, you’ll get to hang out there until the party starts, as the charming Knabenschule will also be the location of the Saturday party.
Location: Centralstation | Music: DJ Frank Patitz from Leipzig
14:00 Beginner Taster | 15:00 Start at Centralstation | 19:00 End at Bessunger Knabenschule
19:00-ca.20:00 food truck & music in front of the Knabenschule until the party starts
20:30 DSX Main Party with the NOC Jazzband
After a little rest, get ready to put your party outfit back on, because another great party with live music awaits you! Now inside the Knabenschule (which by the way is German for boys‘ school), the NOC Jazzband will grace your ears and legs with the finest New Orleans swing.
Location: Bessunger Knabenschule | Music: NOC Jazzband + Local DJs
20:00 doors open | 20:30 Band
Evening tickets at the door – €15
Sunday 10.06.2018
12:00-14:00 Guided tour to Mathildenhöhe
As Darmstadt is one of Europe’s most important Jugendstil hotspots, we offer you a guided tour to the Mathildenhöhe, an old artists‘ quarter with heritage-preserved museum buildings and villas.
If you want to catch a panorama view of Darmstadt after the tour, we recommend a visit to Darmstadt’s landmark Hochzeitsturm, as the amazing view is definitely worth the entry fee of 3€. Also, you’ll see where we got the inspiration for our logo from! 😉
Location/meeting point: to be determined
15:00-19:00 DSX Tea Dance and Farewell
For the last official dance party, we will return to the cozy HoffArt theater. The Sunday afternoon will be a farewell tea dance, where one of the local DJs will bust out some tunes while we let the weekend come to a relaxed end.
As there was quite some interest, we would love to have a little swing jam session, where dancers play for dancers – we encourage everybody to bring an instrument and join in!
Location: HoffArt Theater | Music: Local DJ + Jam Session
Party tickets at the door – €5
Inbetween at 16:00 we have a cozy music history talk…
16:00-17:00 Music history talk
Our MC Oskay is a jazz multitalent – besides being a great dancer, drummer and dance teacher, he’s also a total music history nerd. Come listen to his talk and let him take you on a journey through the history of swing music!
This is included for DSX pass holders.
Location: at HoffArt during the tea dance