"It's like... a solo jazz mosh pit," Pamela, a lindy hopper from Singapore, remarks beside me, looking out on the crowd.

In front of us, hundreds of sweaty and happy people are solo jazzing like crazy to the sounds of the JB swing band, on day 1 of Jazz Roots 2019. I wonder if this is the future of lindy hop, as I watch five jam circles going on simultaneously in the packed dance hall.

Jazz Roots, now in its 14th year, is a weekend long celebration of all things solo jazz, held in the Menilmontant neighborhood in eastern Paris. Perhaps the largest solo jazz event in the world, Jazz Roots 2019 welcomed 550 dancers from as far away as Croatia, Argentina, Taiwan... and even one ancient dancer from San Francisco.

The weekend is divided into tracked dance instruction in the mornings, a buffet of "taster classes" in the afternoons, and dance concerts, performances and competitions in the evenings.

THE CLASSES

The classes are taught in six levels, from complete beginner to master level -- with several levels having up to four sub-groups to keep class sizes manageable. The teaching staff is composed of 23 top-level instructors from all over the world.

The variety of afternoon taster classes was incredible. You could choose between beginning tap with Daniel, dancing to contemporary jazz with Alina, boogie woogie footwork with Rikard, Latin Jazz with Markus, Appalachian clogging with Caleb, or Mambo Swing with Evita, among 50-some other choices over the weekend!

THE SHOW