Cloudland Dance is a decade-long dream in the making…

Founders Lauren Smith and Peter Flahiff have dreamt of running their own dance school since they first teamed up in 2014. Their shared vision of a relaxed and friendly spot for dancers to come and enjoy quality classes and evening social dances fueled their move from Southern California to Seattle in February 2020. The Coronavirus pandemic put this goal on the back burner for a while, but in 2025, they were fortunate to finally find a location in Seattle’s Eastside region to make the goal a reality.

The values of Cloudland represent the values of Lauren and Peter in their combined 40 years of dancing and teaching experience. These include:

• Welcoming and diverse dance home for any and all who want to learn.

• Commitment to the rich history of the music and dances of the Swing Era and beyond.

• Engagement with the local community to help spread the love and joy of dancing locally.

• Providing the highest quality music for dancing, whether through classic recordings or incredible live performances.

Mission Statement: Our goal is to bring swing dancing to our community, to create a safe space of engagement for dancers of all levels from beginner to professional, to educate and learn, socialize and share, and grow together. We aim to support our local dance community, as well as the Pacific Northwest region and national dance communities. We value being a welcoming space where everyone can be involved regardless of dance level or background. We focus on educating people about the rich and diverse history of the swing dances, many of which are historically Black American Dance styles and we want to honor and respect those roots.

Financial Accessibility: We want Cloudland Dance to be accessible and affordable for all dancers! With that in mind, we’re offering a discounted student price of $10 (with valid student ID) at ALL of our social dances. Need more assistance with costs? Email us at contact@cloudlanddance.com to learn more about scholarships or how to join our volunteer team. If you would like to sponsor scholarships for dancers needing assistance, please email contact@cloudlanddance.com