Why Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz
First, we are dancers, not just leaders and followers. We love the connection of Lindy Hop and the moments we share when we dance together.
We want to incorporate solo movement as an expression of this art form and an opportunity to improve partner dancing.
Class Content
We will focus on self-expression while promoting a deep appreciation and understanding of Swing and Jazz music and the African-American roots of this dance.
Amazing Teachers
You will learn with experienced and inspiring teachers, with an approachable, inclusive attitude. They all come from different backgrounds and will share their unique journey. You will have one Lindy Hop class with all the teaching couples and 1 Solo Jazz class with one of the teachers.
Class With Live Music
Our camp wants to encourage interaction and knowledge-sharing between dancers and musicians. You will have 1h musicality masterclass with live music with Shirt Tail Stompers. They will offer 3 different topics and you can attend 1 of them.
Time to experiment
6 hours of Lindy Hop , 1.5 hours of Solo Jazz and 1h of musicality class and will be distributed between Friday morning and Sunday morning. You’ll always find time to share, experiment and party.
Teachers
These are your Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz teachers! Every level will have a 90 minutes Lindy Hop class with each teaching couple (total of 6 hours) + 90 minutes Solo Jazz class with one of the teachers.
Gus & Laia
Laia, from Barcelona, grew up dancing, and when her parents took her to a Swing concert at 19, she got hooked. Gustav, from Sweden, grew up practicing all kinds of sports and attending a music school. He discovered Lindy Hop at Herräng Dance Camp and instantly became obsessed.
They are based in Barcelona, where they dance, teach, learn, and also contribute to building the community at their dance school called El Taller.
Their teaching approach focuses on rhythm and flow, and Laia especially likes to encourage followers to actively participate with strong rhythm in the dance. They both constantly work on improving their dance, taking Tap classes, different types of African dance, as well as practicing their Solo Jazz and Lindy Hop movement.
They sometimes compete and have achieved good results at events like The Snowball, ILHC, Lindy Shock, and lately at ILHC Europe.
Maria & Clàudia
Maria and Clàudia’s work is focused on developing their own context for couple dancing. While having learnt from the classics, from Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz roots, showing admiration and gratitude they also look for expressing their own interpretation and voice always adjusting their individual moves to each other.
Although working on the dynamics from both roles, they believe in initiating the movement from the body as a whole; as one unit. Body awareness is one of the foundations that enables them to develop and work on a continuous and flow of movements, adding rhythmical contrasts.
Their goal is to find different ways to understand movement and rhythm changes in order to apply them to Swing music and give way to playful interpretations. What they believe is that the more open we are to learn and explore, the more freedom we can feel to fill the dance with personal characteristics united with the partner and enjoy the swing songs together.
Sylvain & Marion
As passionate about social Lindy Hop as they are about performance Lindy Hop, Marion and Sylvain 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.
Sylvain is also a graphic and motion designer. Marion wrote a Masters thesis about Lindy Hop entitled “Social Codes and Identity Roles in the Lindy Hop: Transgressive Narratives”. This research work addresses many issues such as cultural appropriation, 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.
Alberto & Ana
Born in Italy, Alberto discovered Swing dance in 2015, and he hasn’t stopped since.
His dance journey took him to many festivals across Europe, where he learned from different artists and participated in competitions. Now based in Poland, he is teaching at ShimSham.pl, and finding inspiration in every lindy hopper he meets.
While he still enjoys competing and ‘throw down’ on the dance floor, his favorite moments are undoubtedly spent social dancing. 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 good humour!
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.
Levels
We know it’s hard to identify your level sometimes. Our classes will have interesting content for every group.
Level 1: Intermediate
You’ve been dancing Lindy Hop for around 9 months. You already learned in classes and social dance moves like: basic 6 counts with triple steps, swing out, circle and basic Charleston steps like tandem Charleston and hand-to-hand. You are excited to (maybe) go to your first festival and improve your dance by learning new vocabulary and discovering more about connection.
You might have tried or not some solo jazz classes or know some solo jazz moves and routines like the Shim Sham, but you are excited to learn and explore more about the routes of Solo Jazz.
Level 2: Intermediate-Advanced
You’ve been dancing for around 2 years, taking classes and social dancing. You are comfortable with the basics like swing out, circle, tuck-turn, outside turn and you already know a lot of moves that you cannot name. You are able to improvise and maybe add some Solo Jazz moves to your partner dancing. You can mix between triple steps and kicks, 6 and 8 count and you can dance fast and slow tempos. You are excited and open to receive new ideas around musicality, connection and to add diversity to your dance.
You have learned some basic routines like the Shim Sham, tried alone or in classes some Solo Jazz moves. You are ready to learn some more vocabulary or pick the harder challenges also provided in class.
Level 3: Advanced
You’ve been dancing for around 3 years, and you have been to some festivals already. There’s no doubt that dance is in your life to stay. You are comfortable with different tempos, different types of partner connections and you feel like you can improvise and stay connected with your partner, the music and yourself. Vocabulary is not your priority and you want to know more about the origins of the dance, to find your own style and to feel more free to express your dance.
You have learned some basic routines like the Shim Sham, tried alone or in classes some Solo Jazz moves. You are ready to learn some more vocabulary or pick the harder challenges also provided in class. If you already dance Solo Jazz frequently, the classes will have challenges for you too.
Level 4: Advanced+
To join the Advanced+ or Pro levels, you are required to audition on the first morning (Friday at 9:45 am). This is the best way to check all levels and be considerate to the majority of dancers, keeping the best balance possible. If you don’t stay on the Advanced+ level, don’t take it personally – We are sure you will still learn a lot on the Advanced level with our great teachers and you can always ask for extra challenges.
You’ve been dancing for around 5 years, and make sure to practice regularly.
You must be comfortable in all tempos, from very slow to very fast, and be an experienced social dancer. You are searching for your own voice in dance and actively look for more knowledge on the dance culture and history. You are eager to bring some homework to do after our festival and new tools to your dance.
You have taken Solo Jazz classes, regularly or not, dancing solo doesn’t scare you, although you might not have as much experience as you have with Lindy Hop. If you already dance Solo Jazz frequently, the classes will have challenges for you too.
Level 5: Pro
To join the Advanced+ or Pro levels, you are required to audition on the first morning (Friday at 9:45 am). This is the best way to check all levels and be considerate to the majority of dancers, keeping the best balance possible. If you don’t stay on the Advanced+ level, don’t take it personally – We are sure you will still learn a lot on the Advanced level with our great teachers and you can always ask for extra challenges.
You’ve been dancing for AGES and are ready to be challenged to your fullest potential!
You are a local teacher, with experience in performing and competing. You are eager to learn new approaches and to get fresh inspiration for your dance journey. You are developing your own voice in dance, and expect deeply nourishing classes that make you question what you know. These classes are meant to motivate you to work on your craft and empower others in your local scene.
You are comfortable in Solo Jazz improvisation and are not afraid of an extra challenge.
Taster Topics
Play in a Band
with the Riverside Band
Last year we sang and played the song “When You’re Smilling” and it was a blast. This year, we will have a new song and our Riverside Band is going to lead you again into an amazing experience together, either you want to sing, play an instrument or just slap a hand-made bucket bass.
If you’re an amateur musician and want to play, send us a message with your phone number and we will gather you all in one Whatsapp group – This will be your channel to exchange music sheets and start to get to know each other.
Sing in a choir
with Margarida Martins
Margarida Martins is a Portuguese singer, guitarist, and songwriter.
Currently, she serves as the vocalist for the swing jazz band “Stomping at Six”, sings as a chorus member and soloist in the gospel choir “Soul Gospel Project”, is a vocalist, guitarist, and percussionist in the jazz and world music group “Dwop”, and performs for her solo rock project “Daisy”.
With the amazing skills of Margarida, we know you’ll find the chorus member in you! Come join this amazing group feeling of singing together.
Camp Choreo
with Marta Chamosa
Be the first to learn our camp choreography with the wonderful Marta Chamosa.
Marta is a gifted swing dancer from Galicia. She discovered Lindy Hop on the streets of Vigo, learned Shag and other swing dances in Barcelona, and became a regular teacher in Porto, Lisbon, and also abroad. Marta is passionate about the scene and making a community grow, and she’s also part of the Little Big Apple School team.
Check the video from last edition here!
More tasters TBAs
In the next weeks we will update this list with more out of the box tasters to inspire you in and out of the dance floor.
Classrooms
Most of our classes will happen in the Hotel, just a 2-minute walk from your room, by elevator if you’re really, really tired from yesterday’s party… which you will be.
We will have 2 extra rooms outside the hotel, at a comfortable walking distance.
