Why this name?

The name "Jelly Roll" was inspired by Jelly Roll Morton, the self-proclaimed pioneer of jazz, reflecting his spirit of creativity and love for music.

Our Story

Founded in 2022 by a group of swing dance and jazz enthusiasts with a mission to grow the swing dance and swing music community in Thailand. Our motto, “Lose My Self Control”, reflects our belief that dancing is about letting go, having fun, and connecting with music and people in a vibrant, inclusive space

2022: THE BEGINNING

It all started with five friends — Su, Sompop, Ochit, Pat, and Bank — who shared a vision to grow swing dancing in Thailand. We began hosting dance sessions at Yellow Lane Cafe in Ari, simply calling it “Swing at Ari.”

At first, it was just about having fun, but soon we realized we needed a name. Inspired by the playful jazz tune "I Like Pie" we chose the name Jelly Roll Dance Club to reflect our quirky, joyful spirit.

On December 25th, 2022, Jelly Roll Dance Club was officially born with a workshop and social dance. The energy was incredible, and the feedback was amazing. Encouraged by the success, we made things more official in 2023, organizing more workshops and events to grow the community.

Our goal remains simple: to share the joy of swing dancing and create a space where everyone can connect, dance, and have fun. This is just the beginning of the Jelly Roll story!

2023: Jelly Roll Dance Club

We poured our hearts into bringing swing dancing to the public. We co-organized events like "Swing in the Park" with Bangkok Metropolis and Stumbling Swingout, hosted Tengli Swing" at Yaowarat, and participated in "Revitalize Bangkok" at Suan Lumphini. We made it our mission to spread swing dancing far and wide.

For our dance school, we took a fresh approach. We introduced basic dancer welfare by providing unlimited water — just bring your own cup. We also experimented with class durations, from 1-hour to 2-hour sessions, and found that 1.5 hours worked best for learning. To ensure students could improve at their own pace, we implemented unlimited retakes so they could revisit classes for free. We wanted to encourage more people to join social dancing, so we introduced a bundle: every class came with five social dancing credits to use at any event. To manage these systems, we developed a LINE application to handle credits, retakes, and more.

Understanding that not everyone could afford classes, we launched a Volunteer Program, allowing students to earn free socials and class discounts by helping out. We also brought back DJ Battles to spark creativity among our DJs and went all out for World Lindy Hop Day with an extended live band session.

For live music, we formed our house band, Yusu Jazz Band, focusing on New Orleans-style jazz, and collaborated with Thailand Jazz Orchestra to provide more live music for dancers.

We began connecting internationally by co-organizing KLSF in Kuala Lumpur, where we brought dancers and bands for the first Band Battle and City Battle.

By the end of the year, the swing scene in Bangkok was thriving with new dancers, bands, and DJs. We’re ready to keep the momentum going and take on new adventures in 2024!

2024: Swing Era

In just one year, Jelly Roll Jazz Club (rebrand from Jelly Roll Dance Club) has worked tirelessly with local swing bands, making waves in Thailand’s swing scene. Inspired by renowned events like Lindy Focus and Barswingona, we dared to take a bold step: creating Thailand’s first 5-day swing event.

Our concept? The longest live band sessions possible—kicking off with seven incredible bands in year one! For the first time in Asia, we introduced musician tracks and infused the event with Jelly Roll’s signature DNA: fun but deadly serious, featuring DJ battles, band battles, and multi-city showdowns.

With support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, we added a special bonus—a spectacular event at a train station that brought together over 1,000 dancers and music lovers. This is just the beginning of an unforgettable journey!

Now, in 2025, we're ready to make this year's edition an unforgettable experience once again.