CLASSES
TEACHERS
ALBA
Alba discovered blues & lindy hop in 2007 and started to teach them for fun. She has been fully dedicated professionally to them since 2013. She brought her analytic foundation from her old career (pharmacy, medical information) and found in teaching a new way to apply her love for communication. Seven years ago she opened a school alongside Gastón Fernández, in her hometown, Madrid. (Big Mama Swing)
VICCI
There is nothing Vicci loves more in the world than dancing! She has a broad knowledge of dance and the body, training initially as a solo dancer and gaining a degree in Contemporary Dance and Choreography, and a diploma in Anatomy and Physiology. Her background in a variety of solo dances proved invaluable when she discovered Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Blues dance and she is known for approaching her partner dancing with grace, fluidity, and intense body awareness.
ANDREA
Andrea Liarco (Rome, 1989) is a professional musician (violin and piano) and DJ who grew up immersed in music. He discovered his passion for dancing at 18 with Hip Hop. Over the years, he explored various dance styles including Salsa, Lindy Hop, West Coast, Balboa, Fusion, Zouk, and Forró, but fell in love with Blues in 2016.
ALINA
Alina had always dreamt of learning to dance, but she could never have imagined that dance would transform her life as it did. Beginning with lindy hop in her hometown of Minsk in 2013, she quickly immersed herself in the spirit of swing. Shortly after taking her first steps in blues, she sensed that a profound change had already begun.
ALINA
SOKULSKA
a Ukrainian with Syrian roots, born and raised in Kyiv, based in Barcelona, alina sokulska is a choreographer, dance & performance artist, researcher and educator. PhD (“cum laude”) in Comparative Literature and Performance Studies, MA graduate in Literary Studies, and having studied choreography at Conservatori Superior de Danza, Institut del Teatre in Barcelona, she is continuing her artistic research within the medium of movement, currently navigating between contemporary, social dances as well as conceptual choreography.
LEVELS
What level should I take? Please read this before choosing your level. It is very important that you are realistic & honest about your skill level. You will gain the most if you participate in classes that match your own skill level. Don’t overestimate yourself, or you and your fellow students won’t have any fun. Even when a higher level sounds great, you should only register for that level if you already have the required skills. This will allow the instructors to meet your specific needs to the best of their abilities. We know it is hard to put yourself in the right level especially as levels have different meanings in different cities and communities. To give you a guideline to pick the appropriate level we created the elaborate level descriptions below. If you are still in doubt you can ask your/our teachers for a recommendation. If you register with a partner, make sure to choose the level that fits both of you. If your level/expertise/experience doesn’t match, we prefer you to register at different levels. It will still count as ‘registering with a partner’. The best advice we can give you is not to rush to get to a higher level. If you want to become better, you will benefit the most in the correct and not at the highest level. Teachers will check during the first class if everybody is on the right level, and changes might be requested if they feel a couple or an individual would be better off at another level.
LEVEL
BEGINNER*
COUPLE TRACK
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I’ve never danced blues before (but I do have experience in other partnered dances)
or
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I had a few blues workshops/tasters
or
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I’ve been taking blues classes for a few months or dancing blues for less than a year.
or
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I only participated in the previous edition of BB and haven’t taken regular classes since.
If one of the 4 descriptions above applies to you, this is your group!
* Please note that our beginner level is only for people who have taken partnered dance classes before (any other style is fine).
LEVEL
INTERMEDIATE
/ADVANCED
COUPLE TRACK
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I have taken regular (weekly) classes or workshops for at least 3-6 years.
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I feel comfortable dancing to different tempos and styles of blues music.
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I can incorporate different rhythms into my dancing.
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I know about different styles of blues music and try to change my dancing to fit the music.
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I go to socials frequently and can easily mix steps.
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I have a sound understanding of the blues aesthetic and solid partnering technique.
LEVEL
SOLO*
SOLO TRACK
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I have taken regular (weekly) classes or workshops for at least 1-3 years, dancing solo.
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I know several steps from the solo blues vocabulary.
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I feel comfortable dancing to different tempos and styles of blues music.
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I am a musical dancer and capable of improvisation.
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I don’t mind learning a choreo.
*This solo track aims at the more experienced dancers (intermediate/advanced). The tempo will be higher then what is expected in a ‘beginners or all levels class’
LEVEL
INTERMEDIATE
COUPLE TRACK
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I have taken regular (weekly) classes or workshops for at least 1 - 3 years.
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I am able to lead/follow the basic steps, and I know a nice range of vocabulary to play with on the social dancefloor.
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I am able to switch between different types of connections (close embrace, open, closed, side by side…)
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I can dance to different tempos, but the very fast (or very slow) ones can still be challenging.
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I understand the importance of the role of each partner in blues dance.
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I want to develop my skills and build confidence.
LEVEL
ADVANCED
COUPLE TRACK
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I have been blues dancing regularly for many years, and I am amongst the most experienced dancers in my community.
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I (might) teach locally .
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I am able to lead/follow a very wide range of moves.
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I am confident in dancing to a large variety of blues music styles and a range of tempos (Latin blues, Texas Shuffle, Chicago triple,...).
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I love to join jam circles, competitions or performances.
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I am a musical dancer and capable of improvisation.
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I have a sound understanding of the blues aesthetic and solid partnering technique.
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I have great quality of movement