TEACHERS
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As a child, Elle was already dancing to anything she could get her hands on from Modern Jazz to Ukrainian Folk Dance. When she discovered Lindy Hop and swing music in her hometown of Adelaide, Australia, there was no turning back and her classes truly display her passion and joy for the dance. With her own particular style and energy, she is always looking for new shapes and rhythms to inspire and communicate with her partner.
Elle encourages creativity and the freedom of expression within the dance and believes that Lindy Hop is a conversation between two people and the music.
Peter has been in love with jazz for as long as he can remember. Starting with bebop, he realized it was possible to dance even to a very old jazz music. He used to dance ballroom dances as well and proved to be a talented saxophonist. By the end of high school he knew he was going to express his love for jazz and swing music through dancing.
Moving to Bratislava 8 years ago, he started to dance Boogie Woogie. At the time, the Bratislava community was rather focused on competitions in Boogie Woogie. Missing jazz and swing music, he met Pavlina. She invited him to practise, travel to lindy festivals and surprisingly to teach in newly created dance school Swing Wings in Brno (find out more on www.swingwings.cz). It was around 6 years ago. With Pavlina, they practised and traveled more and soon became international teachers.
Beside being 1st in Open Showcase division (with Pavli), 1st in Open Solo Jazz and 2nd in Advanced Jack and Jill at ESDC 2015, and 3rd in Pro Classic Routine (with Pavli) and 2nd in Advanced Solo Jazz at BLHC 2018, his most valued prize is a special prize called Golden Lion he won at BLHC 2018. Peter was named Golden Lion for cheering, encouriging dancers and musicians and sharing his passion (loudly) on the dance floor with others.
Being able to teach Lindy Hop, Collegiate Shag, St. Louis Shag, Solo Jazz, Solo Charleston, 20’s Charleston and Jazz Dances (like One Step or FoxTrot), he values mostly the music, history and passion for this music. So if you hear really good jazz music rockin it, you can almost always see Peter jumping around the dance floor. The Golden Lion mostly represents what he brings to the festival. He does not want you to stand quietly while listening to a wonderful jazz/swing band. So come and join him for the next wonderful event: LindyBug 2019!
Photo credits (for Peter): David Poul
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Alexia was rescued by swing dancing in 2005, when she was about to engage into standard competition dancing. Attending her first Herrang in 2007, she has since traveled the world to learn more about the dance, its origins, and jazz in general.
With a background in Ballet, jazz and contemporary dancing, she mostly gets interests in African rhythm based dances… also learning percussion and drums in the process. That would explain why rhythm stays so important to her, and the core of her dancing.
Sep Vermeersch is a very passionate swing jazz dancer and music expert. He is based in Ghent, Belgium. The combination of his educational background and daily practise makes him a unique person to work with. His energy and passion for the dance, music, art and vintage business made him a welcomed guest in many projects in Belgium and around Europe.
Alexia & Sep partnered up as they discovered that Belgian Chocolate and French Wine was indeed a tasty combination.
In their dancing they are exploring all kinds of connection. Because what is important to them, is to be able to share the swing dance magic and fun with anybody on the floor.
In their class, they make sure everybody enjoys it, and improves within their own style and way of moving.
Photo credits: Eric Bobrie (Sep), For Dancers Only (Alexia)
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Maja is a well-known teacher and choreographer that has been dancing for years. 2005 was the year when she embraced the lovely Lindy-Hop at Herräng Dance Camp in Sweden.
She finds her inspiration from Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Judy Garland and with this unquestionable input, Maja ads to her list of talents singing and acting and a great ability to improvise through Swing-Dancing along with her dance partner.
Maja has a degree from Stockholm Ballet Academy, modern dance being her specialty after finishing her degree.
She is a very creative and playful dancer, Lindy-Hop and Jazz being the main reasons for her joy and love for the profession she excels in.
Nils was born and raised in Mora, Dalarna and then moved to the city to study drums. He was drawn to arts and always willing to learn new things. This is how he has encountered Lindy-Hop and the beginning of a wonderful dance carrier came along. He took his first class in 2009 at the Swedish Swing Dance Society.
Being a drum player at base, he has developed a special talent as a tap and rhythm dancer, being quite strict with technique and a perfectionist. He is inspired mostly by vintage dancers like Frankie Manning and George Christopherson and since 2016 he has been part of Harlem Hot Shots dance company.
Photo credits (for Nils): Gyuhan Lee
Taster TEACHERS
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Ugur and Bilge have joyful and graceful partnership, and they have been teaching as a partner locally and internationally. Periodically they are creating some choreographies in their local community. Their dance is focused on following each other and the music. Their teaching methodology is mostly based on being in rhythm (or creating the rhythm), being comfortable and also being aesthetic.
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Noa felt deeply connected to movement and rhythm since an early age, learning Tap as well as other types of dance. Having a rich background in dance, theater, and art history, she loves mixing different artistic aspects in her dancing.
Itay is a professional jazz drummer and plays in different swing bands in Israel. He is also an official ambassador of the “Frankie Manning Foundation” since 2013.
Noa and Itay are running “Swing It” dance school activities in Jerusalem and have been teaching there together since 2014.
In their teaching and dancing, they like to incorporate different forms of traditional jazz dance such as Lindy hop, Charleston, Balboa, Tap, and Solo Jazz.
They believe that “once a teacher forever a student,” and therefore, they strive to keep learning and developing while hoping to inspire their students to do the same.
Photo credit: Meyttar Tohar Bitton
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We fell in love with Shag at Atlantic Swing Festival from a taster class with Arnas and Egle. Since then we’ve been to many festivals like Swing Paradise (a yearly must), Rock That Swing, and others that had shag courses.
We spent a winter in Barcelona where we had the chance to learn shag intensively from Sandy & Marti.
We’re happy to share what we’ve learned with you in our taster class at our friend’s festival Lindy Bug.
It’s for complete beginners who want to get the first steps in this fun dance that can be seen in old cartoons, which just makes you constantly smile and play around.
BANDS
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The Morning Call Jazz Band was born in Brussels in September 2017. They love to share there passion for swing inspired by composer and musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington… They now work hand in hand with swing dancers. They just toured for more than a month, where they worked and arranged a new set where they all sing in Barber Shop Style (Miles Brothers). They are now fully charged with an explosive and sharp sense of rhythm and melodies. Come and join, they’ll swing your socks off your feet!