About Rx

Hi there! If you’re an experienced West Coast Swing dancer, then you should come dance with us! Easy eh?

Check out our schedule for when we have dances, learn about what we find important (and how to report any issues) in our Code of Conduct.

What’s Rx?

We have 100% West Coast Swing dancing from 8pm to 11pm “every” Friday. We started in 2014 as an experiment to see if downtown Vancouver would be responsive to a weekly dance on Friday nights.

Our mostly unwritten mandate is to raise the skill level of the existing Vancouver West Coast Swing community.

We have a variety of DJs that play music you’re likely to hear at conventions as well a sprinkling of their own personal tastes.

Some nights we have two DJs splitting the night into two. You’ll know when there’s a switch; the music will stop for a moment around 9:30pm and people will clap.

We also, on occasion, run experiments to see what interests dancers and just try new things! If you have an idea for an experiment, let us know!

Is This Swing Dancing?

Yes! No! Maybe? It’s West Coast Swing; often also called Modern Swing.

Should I Come?

Probably?

Rx doesn’t have beginner lessons, and we do ask that you have a solid understanding of the basics of West Coast Swing. During the busiest of times, you’ll have the best experience if you have a bit of floorcraft skills too!

Getting There

As of 2026 we’re dancing in the much bigger UOC Auditorium at 154 E 10th Ave (V5T 1Z4).

If you’re driving, there is metered parking around and is only a couple dollars for the night.

We’re a 15-20 minute walk from the Main Street-Science World station, or a 10-15 minute walk from the Broadway-City Hall station.

Once the Broadway Line is done, we will be a 3 minute walk from the Mount Pleasant Station!

There are bus stops for the 3, 8, 9, 19, and 99 nearby (also the night buses: N8, N9, and N19).

Dress Code

You must wear clothes. If you’re new to the dance, you’ll discover dancers dress very casually. That said, shorts and dresses (together or separate) may seem out of place.

If you have dance shoes, bring them! If you have multiple dance shoes, then bring your fast ones.

If you get sweaty when dancing, bring a change of clothes.

Like the song: Don’t be stinky.

Age Restrictions

There’s no maximum or minimum age to come to Rx.

We don’t serve alcohol or anything like that. Music played can have adult themes and occasional swear words though.

If you need to bring your baby, please bring ear protection for them. Then also take a photo because babies wearing huge earphone things are super adorable.

How much is it?

$15. We also have a “ten-dances-in-a-row” pass for $70 which is great for regular addicts. Having an active Rx pass comes with perks from time to time too.

We accept most cards, and cash. We now prefer cards (it makes our life easier). To keep things simple, we take USD at par. We don’t accept any other currencies, cheques, magic beans, crypto, etc.

We also have quite a few volunteer positions.

Pointed All-Stars, contact us.

Etiquette, Rules, Etc

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

  1. Don’t sit in front of the fans for more than a couple minutes. The air is for everyone (and you might be stinky)
  2. No entry past 10pm Don’t try to sneak in later. Also, when we see you sneak in you’ll be charged the full amount, and we’ll talk about you.
  3. Stealing: By consent only. If you augment a dance into a steal dance, remain with that group for the whole song. Generally max 3 people.
  4. Forgot your water bottle? Shoes? Underpants? We generally try to hold onto things for a couple weeks.
  5. Rx organizers can help you if needed. We’re a group of both men and women. If something comes up, tell the DJ or front desk person that you’d like to talk to someone who “runs Rx”.

Need more details? We have a Code of Conduct, with instructions on how to report any issues you or your friends have experienced.