Oldest city of the Netherlands. This is the place where the Lindy What!? community was founded in 2014.
The city is located on a lateral moraine near the river “Waal”, the perfect location for a Roman outpost or a German Paltz (Valkhof). At the end of the 19th century Nijmegen transformed from a fortified city to a summer residence for wealthy Dutch burgers. A concerthouse was built and a university was founded. Without the fortifications the city could now expand, first to the south and in recent years to the north at the other side of the river. The river “Waal” is the pulsating vein of this beautiful city.
In the second World War during operation Marketgarden the city again became part of a frontline causing a lot of destruction.
Nowadays the city is best known for its International Four Day Marches (Vierdaagse) in the summer that attracts thousands of participants.
Find more info at visit Nijmegen.
For more than ten years now Lindy What!? is a vibrant community of coming and going of enthousiasts wanting to learn and dance the Lindy Hop. Travellers in this happy fellowship of the swing not always find the perfect swingout (we have to be honest) but instead not seldom find longlasting friendship .
Lindy What!? is a community of volunteers organizing swing dance classes, workshops and social dances with live music. We are passionate about the social dance culture of the swing era of jazz. We enjoy one other’s company and have a good time dancing with everybody, no matter their skills.
Organizing the What’s Hop Festival is a joy. It means that we can present our enthousiasm for the Swing Dance and the Lindy Spirit to an audience so much bigger than Nijmegen. Participation of so many of you makes means the world to us and makes the festival the pinnacle of our dance year.
Our first What’s Hop Festival was in 2019 with the amazing Ari en Simon. Our location for the Saturday party was at the Stadsschouwburg.
In 2020 the festival took place just at the moment that the covid outbreak started in the Netherlands. Our festival participants were spared miraculously.
In 2024 we decided it was time for a new festival celibrating the tenth birthday of our community. It was a blast!
Video by Danny Vermeulen