Bavarian slap dancing classes - Thigh slapping

Okay, I don't know the real name for this dancing, but if you've seen "National Lampoon's European Vacation" you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Remember the scene where Chevy Chase is at some outdoor Bavarian festival and he goes up on stage to dance with several burly-looking Bavarian men in Lederhosen? Is there anywhere to take lessons to learn to dance like this (not the Chevy Chase version, but the real guys)?

What you are refering to is called Schuhplattlern. I don't know if you can take lessons anywhere, perhaps the Volkshochschule offers them, but I doubt it. The people who do it are normally involved in local village clubs called Trachtenverein, which are traditional dress clubs. I'm not sure if you really want to get involved in that, as it could involve a fair investment to get the right clothes, especially for the women. Some of their outfits can easily be worth over 5000 Euros. Also, speaking German/Bavarian would be an obvious advantage here. But to be honest, I don't know if such an investment is required or how welcome they are to new blood. The Bavarian band I play in has a few members and we've played for them when they do their dances, so maybe if you are really interested, I can find out some more information for you.

In the meantime, you can try and learn the steps from this Schuhplattlern guide in English.

There's a very active group in central Munich called the Schwuplattler. Might not be your cup of tea directly, but I can ask them if they have any contacts for more regular clubs. It is a bit of a country thing though they are fun to watch for a bit.

Just so you know what you would be getting yourself into: Team Muenchen

Just in case that's a typo in the title of this thread, I believe NY Table dance are recruiting at the moment...