Artists

Main teachers

Sonia & Hector

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

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Ana & Alberto

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

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Open Class teachers

Liane & Ionut

Airsteps & Dips extra track

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TBA

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Musicians

Hot Swing Sextet

They’ve been with us for years, and still we can’t wait to experience their music again. Who was with us in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2024 does not need to be convinced. Who has not been – let him come and check. They are true masters of swing rhythms, wonderfully sensing the mood of the audience and playing for the dancers. Dancing with them is a real pleasure! Hot Swing Sextet will play at two parties during our event – on Tuesday and Wenesday. And we promise – they will create a truly “hot” atmosphere 🙂

Hot Swing Sextet will take you back to the crazy atmosphere of jazz clubs of the 1930s. We will be wandering from Paris to Harlem, from Django Reinhardt to Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong under the supervision of the Hot Swing Sextet. Get on board with these six young musicians full of energy. “Swing”, “swaying” and good humor are on the menu of this great journey through the “middle – jazz”.

Open Classes

Aleksandra Szatkowska

She made her first dance steps in 2010 in boogie-woogie and did not expect then how much this hobby will change her life. Some time later, after attending a swing festival for the first time, she completely sold her soul, heart and legs to dev… lindy hop and authentic jazz.

The most important thing in dance for her is music - after all, it all started with music. She likes to think about her dance development as a process that never ends, so he tries to draw inspiration from many different sources: both from old clips and from modern dancers.. In dancers, she appreciates: a good sense of rhythm, empathy and a sense of humor. It is also an accurate summary of what she tries to focus on during her classes and work on her own dance.

Open Classes

Alexey Kazennov

He is a talented and inspiring dancer from Russia. He started dancing in 2013 and was very enthusiastic from the start at every swing party, making progress very quickly. In 2015, he decided to devote himself to his passion even more - he began to travel all over the world, win competitions, train and conduct classes. You will dance lindy hop, authentic jazz, blues and St. Louis Shag with him. He still explores the roots of swing dances, in his dance he tries to combine tradition with new ideas.

Alexey is famous for his dance style, wide smile and enormous energy. If you don't believe someone can dance 24 hours ... then you need to get to know Alexey!

Open Classes

Weronika Kwiatkowska

Like many dancers, Weronika also started dancing as a child, when her mother took her to a course at the school. Then, however, Weronika boycotted these classes and returned to dancing voluntarily after almost 15 years of break. Since then, she has been dancing incessantly and there is no indication that she will quickly think about giving up her passion again.

Ania and Piotr Makowiecki, who were her boogie-woogie teachers, infected her with the love of dance and hard training. It was also thanks to them that she met her current husband - Michał, with whom she achieved the greatest success in dancing. Since 2012, they have been running the ShimSham school together - Warsaw swing, they organize dances, festivals and concerts.

Privately, she is a happy mother of three wonderful daughters who accept their parents' dancing passion with great patience and understanding.

Open Classes

Michał Kwiatkowski

He has been involved in swing dances since 2003, when he started dancing boogie-woogie at the Youth Cultural Center in Chełm. Along with the development of this passion, he became more and more interested not only in dance, but also in music and history of the 1920s - 1940s. Thanks to this, in 2009, already in Warsaw, he found Lindy Hop and Charleston :)

Thanks to a small group of friends, including his future wife Weronika, he abandoned boogie-woogie (in which he was quite successful) in 2011 to fully take up lindy hop.

With great commitment, he started activities that were to attract as many people as possible to this dance. Hence, in 2012, he started the ShimSham school - Swing in Warsaw and continued his adventure - not only with dancing, but also with teaching and organizing various events.

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

Jonatan Hedberg

In 2010, Jonathan graduated from physical education (and mathematics), during which he tried many sports and couple dances. But the day he tried lindy hop, all the other dances ceased to matter. He immediately fell in love with the smooth movements, rhythms and vibrating energy of this dance, which perfectly captures the essence of swing music. He is grateful that he discovered lindy hop while being in Stockholm, where he saw the famous lindy hop group Harlem Hot Shots perform, and that these dancers were his first teachers.

In 2017, he moved to France to join Anna in Toulouse and devote his life to this dance even more. Since then, they have been teaching and organizing events for the local scene together, and traveling to share their passion for dance and music. Since 2017, Jonathan has been exploring swing music, spending a lot of time playing the saxophone. It gave him a better understanding of swing music and how dance relates to it, and increased his already enormous respect for musicians.

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

Anna Rio

Anna has always been passionate about dance. For five years she has been professionally training modern jazz, contemporary and contemporary African dance in schools in France and Burkina Faso. But in 2010, she fell in love with lindy hop. She was enthusiastic about discovering how you can inspire and communicate with a partner you are connected to through music. Since then, she has been keen to travel the world to learn and develop both as a dancer and instructor. As a teacher, she is always eager to discover new teaching methods and open to new experiences. Since 2013, Anna has been conducting regular lindy hop and solo jazz classes in Toulouse and organizing regular workshops and dances, because she is a great fan of the social side of swing.

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

Sylwia Rozpierska

Sylwia has been loving dance and music since childhood, and has always dreamed of performing in front of an audience. She took her first steps on the dance floor at home under the watchful eye of her dad. She was supposed to be a famous singer, but it quickly turned out that more talent was hidden in her legs than in her voice;)

In 2013, for the first time, she went to a lindyhop event and the trace of her was lost, because she fell into her new hobby over her ears, forgetting about her entire "previous" life. She's become one of those freaks who honk left and right about swing and don't pass up any chance for crazy dancing until they drop. Since then, it has been constantly developing at workshops abroad, drawing handfuls from the best dancers in the world. He shares his knowledge, teaching regularly since 2018, and together with Michał, she is developing the Swing Avenue Dance School in Warsaw. During classes, she values an individual approach to each student and cares for a friendly atmosphere. She focuses on the quality of dance, polishes her movement technique and excels in other areas: yoga, tap dancing and house dance. However, she always remembers that this feeling of joy and carefree is the most beautiful in lindy hop.

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

Michał Ruszkawski

He came to his first Lindy Hop class completely by accident, to immediately understand that he had always been waiting for this moment! The carefree joy that comes from music and dance, the unlimited freedom of improvisation, as well as a cordial bond with another human being aroused in him an unrestrained curiosity in the universe of swing. And during his classes he invites to a journey through this universe.

Thanks to his extensive experience in other dances, after a year he was given a chance to inspire others as an instructor. Since 2013, he has visited a three-digit number of festivals in over a dozen countries to draw knowledge from versatile dancers, constantly improve his definition of lindy hop and ... still not enough! He polishes his rhythmic workshop during tap dancing lessons, and playing the piano allows him to better explore the secrets of music. He is also active as an organizer - in 2019, together with his friends, he established the Capital Swing Foundation, which organizes unconventional festivals, while his apple of the eye is Swing Avenue Dance School, which he proudly runs with the support of Sylwia and seven dance-crazy teachers just like him :)

Open Classes

Agnieszka Pluwak

Agnieszka started dancing at the age of 7. She trained- among others - ballroom dancing, afro, hip-hop as well as modern and Broadway jazz. Extensive experience and spreading enthusiasm naturally directed Agnieszka towards teaching. She taught modern and ballroom dance also in Germany and Spain. While conducting classes, she is constantly looking for new methods of transferring knowledge, inspiration and development of each participant. She is a finalist of prestigious blues dance competitions, incl. Drag the Blues festivals in Spain (third place in the J&J 2016 competition, second place in crazy J&J 2015), Bluesila in Lithuania (second place in the J&J 2015 competition) and Fallin 'Blues in France (1st place in the solo category, second place in J&J 2016) .

Open Classes

Konrad Pruśniewski

Konrad practiced Japanese martial arts since he was a child, thanks to which he developed motor skills extremely valuable in dance, such as smooth movement, agility, body awareness. In 2013, he abandoned boxing gloves in favor of lindy hop and blues. He already has, among others, wins in J&J competitions at festivals such as Bluesila 2015, Spoonful 2016, Amber Swing 2015, Grenoble Fallin 'Blues 2016, or second places at Drag the Blues 2016, Dragon Swing 2015, WLHX 2015.

The joint dance of Agnieszka and Konrad opened up new paths of a dance career for them. For several years they have been dancing blues dance together and developing their own slow lindy / slow dance style. They focused on creativity, improvisation and musicality. They learned from outstanding instructors from both Eastern and Western Europe, and also realized themselves by organizing blues festivals and events in Poland. During these few years, they conducted classes, inter alia, in Spain, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and the United Kingdom Britain.

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

Anna & Jonatan

Anna has always been passionate about dance. She trained for five years in modern jazz, contemporary and african - contemporary dance in a professional dance school both in France and Burkina Faso. In 2010, she fell in love with the powerful energy of Lindy Hop and she enthusiastically discovered the exchange and communication between two partners, connected through and to music. Since then, she enjoys traveling the world to continue to learn and train as a dancer and instructor, always eager to explore new teaching approaches and experiences. Very active in the swing scene in Toulouse, she has taught regular Lindy Hop and solo jazz classes since 2013 and runs regular workshops and socials, as a strong believer in social dancing.

With a solid background in sports Jonatan graduated as a teacher in physical education (and math) in 2010. During his studies he started to dance a wide range of different couple dances but from the day he tried the Lindy Hop all the other dances faded away. He instantly fell in love with the fluid movements, rhythms and vibrant energy of this dance that fits so perfectly to the swing music it embodies. He is forever thankful for discovering this dance while living in Stockholm where he was able to see the ”Harlem Hot Shots” perform and to have them as teachers during those early years. In 2017 he decided to move to France to join Anna in Toulouse and dedicate his life even more to this dance and they have since been teaching and organizing events for the local scene as well as traveling to other scenes to share their passion for this dance and its music. In later years Jonatan have dived even deeper into the swing by putting a lot of time into playing saxophone which has given him a greater understanding of this music and how the dance relates to it, as well as a tremendous respect for musicians overall.

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

Ari & Simon

Ari and Simon are full time swing dance teachers, performers and choreographers. They love all aspects of swing dance as well as the impressive history and culture that it comes from. Their main dances are Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz but they love all swing dances for the freedom, self-expression and connection they give. They have been working together since 2016 and are now based in Madrid working globally as well as growing their online platform through Patreon. 

They have a dynamic, elegant and powerful style that is a testament to their diverse backgrounds and their growth together. They hold titles from the International Lindy Hop Championships, The Savoy Cup and The Korean Lindy Hop Championships, among others. Their passion for the dance and the culture of swing has grown with them and is something they constantly strive to develop and express, whether in classes, on stage or in competition.

Jessy & Will

𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲

Jessy Miller was classically trained in Ballet 🩰 and Tap before finding her passion in Lindy Hop at the age of 19. Jessy fell in love with the culture and the music of the dance and values expression and authenticity. Jessy & Will train as much as they can and social dance as often as possible in London. In London, she is part of the London Jazz Works team, running socials and teaching regular classes.

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥

Will spent his pre-dance years in the world of professional rugby 🏉 and tries to bring that same work ethic and energy to his dancing. Will teaches classes and weekend workshops with Jessy in their home city of London 💂. A melting pot of creativity, the city offers endless inspiration to dancers and it has hugely shaped Will’s dancing. You can expect Will’s teaching to focus on clean basics, interesting rhythms and unfamiliar power moves.

Artūras & Eglė

Eglė Trečiokaitė and Artūras Kisielius are swing dancers from Vilnius. They have been dancing Lindy Hop with great passion since 2014. Later they discovered and became fascinated by Collegiate Shag. They started dancing together in 2017, ensuring that their dance develops in a creative, balanced and ambitious way, expressing themselves through fun, competition and performance. Being passionate about swing, they share their love of dancing with the community during social dancing (which they love) and teaching, among others. at the What a Jazz studio.

Alexey & Marta

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚

She took her first steps in dancing at the age of 6. The choice fell on Hip Hop. It wasn't long before sequins and Ballroom Dance competitions took over her life 💃. It's a fact that many years of experience and work in the atmosphere of Latin rhythms and elegance of Standard are a strong core of Marta's dance development. Something was missing after all - an element of improvisation!Since 2018, Lindy Hop, a space filled with inspiring music, freedom of movement, and plain fun, is her most important source of energy. Thanks to unique people and the magical atmosphere of dancing together, the journey with Lindy Hop may never end for her. She tries to share her inexhaustible energy, passion, and knowledge during classes, workshops, and social dances.

𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐲

Alexey Kazennov is an incredibly talented and inspiring swing dancer who is currently staying in Poland. He started dancing in 2013, with extraordinary enthusiasm going to every single party. In 2015 he began teaching, practicing, and traveling all over the world, making dancing his profession. Since then, he has won a great number of competition titles 🥇🥈🥉 (ILHC, Savoy Cup, The Snowball, Lindy Shock, Rock That Swing, and long etcetera!). He loves to challenge and push himself constantly to improve. Lindy hop, Authentic Jazz, Blues, Balboa, and St. Louis Shag… He can dance it all! Alexey is famous for his personal style as a dancer, his big smile, and most of all for his high energy on the dance floor. You will probably see him until the party ends, don't miss his "survivors picture"! His purpose as a teacher is to inspire people to find their own style.

Lindy Hop & Solo Jazz

Marion & Sylvain

Marion & Sylvain are a dynamic duo! As passionate about social Lindy Hop as they are about performance Lindy Hop, they love to explore all the different ways to express themselves through this dance.
Socially, they particularly like to push the boundaries of leading and following, and create a space where everyone suggests and responds independently of their 'dance role'. In a more performative context, they are passionate about creating dance routines with which they explore their personal expression.

Regular instructors since 2016 at Swing & Shout (Tours), they have recently
created their own scene in Saumur. They are also regular contributors to Shake
That Swing (Paris) for the Advanced Wednesdays classes.

Sylvain is also a graphic and motion designer. Marion is a PhD student at the
University of Versailles St Quentin, and is currently writing a thesis on the Lindy Hop entitled "Social codes and identity roles in the Lindy Hop: transgressive narratives". This research work addresses many issues such as cultural appro-priation, the need to decolonise this discipline and the central importance of identity construction through dance.
Sylvain & Marion pay particular attention to respecting the African-American
origins of the dance, as well as placing the women and men who developed
Lindy Hop at the heart of their practice.

Ionut & Liane

Ionut

Ionut is a dancer based in London known for his ability to connect with any dance partner and an ever-happy demeanour.
He draws his inspiration from the old clips of Frankie Manning and Shorty George, as well as tap dancers such as the Four Step Brothers. An avid reader, he reads many books about jazz - both on dancing and music.
In London, Ionut teaches weekly classes and is part of the London Jazz Works performance and event organising group. When teaching, Ionut focuses on rhythm and connection - and how these tools can be used to bring a smile to your partner’s face. His aim is that everyone leaves the class with something to take home and practice.

Liane

Upon moving to London, Liane discovered Lindy Hop, which quickly evolved into a profound passion. She finds immense joy in Lindy Hop's spontaneity, not only delighting in making her dance partners laugh but also revelling in dances where experimentation with connection and expression brings a unique and ephemeral quality to each dance.
Liane's home library contains a growing collection of books on jazz dance and music that inspire her and help her enhance her understanding of the dance. Currently pursuing a PhD in feminist philosophy, she is on a quest to bridge the gap between her two great loves—dancing and philosophy – focusing on questions about oppression and culture.
Her teaching emphasizes connection, musicality, and communication with your partner.

Ana & Špela

Ana

Ana loves to explore movement in various styles and forms. Prior to joining the swing dance community, she trained in modern dance, ballet and contemporary dance. Her love for swing dance started in 2013 and she has been exploring it ever since. For eight years, she has been teaching in her local swing dance community, participating in performative dance groups and taking part in festivals to perform, compete and deepen her knowledge of Afro American culture. By education she is a professor of pedagogy and adult education.
What she loves about swing dance is the opportunity for self-expression and the two-way communication with a partner. She values musicality, playful energy, authentic body movement and connectivity on and off the dance floor.

Špela

Dance has been Špela's great passion since an early age: beginning with ballroom dancing, gymnastics, jazz ballet and contemporary dance, she discovered Lindy Hop in 2013 and immediately immersed herself in this rhythmical and expressive dance style. Since then she has been upgrading and deepening her knowledge and love of the many swing dance styles at various festivals and dance workshops. She started teaching at the age of 18. For the last 8 years she has been focused on teaching swing dances and exploring ways and techniques for body awareness and movement.
What she loves about swing dance is a connection to music and how the music makes you move. She values rhythm, communication and a space for self-expression.

𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚 & 𝐇𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫

Sonia and Hector, a professional Lindy Hop couple (Swing Dancers). They both have been teaching Lindy Hop on a regular basis in various dance schools in Barcelona since 2003 and they have been partly responsible for promoting the success of the Lindy Hop boom nationally. They are now are travelling all around the world involved in “spreading the Lindy Hop word”, venturing on as many attractive projects as possible. Sonia and Hector are keen to demonstrate their love and enthusiasm for Lindy Hop through their work in the hope that others too can enjoy and learn the same.

Hector and Sonia teaching perspective is focused on the fundamental aspects of what they find interesting in Lindy Hop; bouncing, partner communication and quality of movement form the basis of their teaching. From their own creative standpoint, teaching “cool” moves or combinations is not the priority, although they use them as tools for enjoyment and as a way for students to remember what they have absorbed during the classes.
Hector and Sonia always try to incorporate their own individual creativity into their teaching, often showing students their own originality and invention in steps and movements which they have developed. They do this to help the student on their own creative journey and inspiration. Feedback has shown Hector and Sonia that students enjoy clear examples to explain certain movements.

Ana & Alberto

Ana

Ana is a guest in afro american dance culture: social dancer & teacher from Granada (Spain) currently residing in Berlin, where she is the founder of Rayuela Swing, the school where she teaches and organises events.
Her classes focus on communal sharing- learning by trying with more dancing than explanations taking place. In her classes she strives to create an environment where partnered and solo dance can feel like an exploration rather than mechanical repetition of patterns.
Her space in the classroom is dictated by her belief that by approaching the dance with humility and respect, we can honour its legacy and share its beauty with others in a meaningful and authentic way.

Alberto

Born in Italy, Alberto discovered Swing dance in 2015, and he hasn't stopped since.
Shortly after beginning his dance journey, Alberto started traveling to various festivals across Europe, where he learned from different artists and participated in competitions. Following a couple of residencies in Budapest and Vilnius, he has now made Warsaw, m Poland, his home/dance base, teaching at the dance school ShimSham.pl.

While he still enjoys competing and 'throw down' on the dance floor, his favorite moments are undoubtedly spent social dancing. Alberto finds inspiration in every lindyhopper he meets, as each encounter on the dance floor brings something new. Dancing fuels his energy and curiosity, driving him to continually explore the history and culture of the dance. His pockets are filled with rhythmic variations and…joke ;)

Zuzka & Dario

Zuzka

Swing became a central part of her life when she took her first lesson less than seven years ago. Since then, she has immersed herself in the dance—dancing, training, attending international festivals, and co-running the local swing dance school, Flyin’ Hoppers, alongside Dario.
She thrives on faster tempos, her energy becoming wilder as the music speeds up. The faster the song, the crazier her dancing becomes.
In her lessons, she focuses on each individual, sharing her knowledge and experience to make every dancer’s journey as joyful and comfortable as possible. She passionately believes that anyone can, and should, dance.

Dario

Dario discovered Lindy Hop and instantly fell in love with the dance. He dances whenever and wherever he can, whether it’s in a studio or at a bus stop.
Much of his inspiration comes from old dance clips, which he studies closely and incorporates into his own style. He holds deep respect for the original dancers and the roots of this beautiful art form, striving to honor that legacy in his teaching.
In his personal dancing, Dario values connection between partners, simplicity, and, above all, the pure joy of dancing.