We are happy to welcome such great teachers to swingomania, some of them were here before, some brand new in Nuremberg!
Alexia Legoueix & Sep Vermeersch
Alexia and Sep are a one-of-a-kind duo. Their individual devotion to swing and blues dancing, its culture and its community, makes their pairing so unique. They prioritize an authentic dancing state fueled by the music. Their goal is always an honest and shared dance relationship.
Since 2016 they have worked and traveled around the world together. They have grown as dancers and master educators and have challenged each other from their complementary qualities. They taught at many prestigious events and won competitions, but that’s not what matters anymore to them. During Covid pandemic, they made their separate journey about how the scene was changing, but found themselves even more connected when the scenes
‘reopened’.
Alexia and Sep have different projects running at home. They both aim to shape the dance scene with their own events, where values of appreciating black culture, inclusivity, equality and diverse activism are important. Lindylicious, Upside Down, Big City Blues, Wonderfollow…
They are also part of the international team Mind The Beat, along with 6 other awesome dancers whom they share a vision of dancing dear to their heart.
Alexia’s and Sep’s Teaching spirit is always exploring how to teach their concepts and values. Always working hard to respect the original black African American culture, in which they consider themselves lucky guests. Individual responsibility in the partnership, self-expression, inspiration drawn from music are their go-to topics that they will teach in many different ways. Don’t expect them to micromanage your dancing, cause they won’t! Instead, they will help the students find their own way to move – by themselves and with a partner – in the (let’s hope) spirit of jazz. They’ll shake you in a pleasant and caring way. Are you ready?
Elle Brenecki & Joris Focquaert
ELLE
From a young age Elle was already exploring various dance styles from Modern Jazz to Ukrainian Folk Dance. However, when she stumbled upon Lindy Hop in her hometown of Adelaide, Australia, there was no turning back. Committed to fostering individual expression and improvisation in both Lindy Hop and Solo dance, Elle empowers her students to embrace their unique qualities through movement. Her greatest source of inspiration is the conversational nature of jazz and she continuously strives to deepen her connection to and awareness towards the African American roots of the dance and the music.
JORIS
Joris Focquaert (Belgium) is a versatile artist currently living in Berlin, Germany. His road to the performing arts began in 2004 at the Commedia School in Copenhagen, Denmark. Next to physical theater, he was introduced to different dances, music and rhythm. It was in 2006 that he got to know about some of the early African American Jazz dances like the Charleston and the Lindy Hop, and their link with improvisation, expression and performance.
Founder of Crazy Legs Dance School in Ghent (2010, Belgium), the city where he honed his skills, today you can find Joris giving individual sessions in Berlin’s dance studios (e.g. Jam Haus), or occasionally visiting different dance festivities in Europe. For more than a decade, his humble and respectful approach to these artforms has been sought after by local dance communities in over 17 countries. As a dance instructor, he gives his best, always seeking answers in the roots of Jazz, making sure his sessions are an exchange instead of a one-way stream.
In recent years, he has developed autodidactic multi-instrumental skills; playing the clarinet, trombone & piano. This has accelerated his understanding of Jazz connected to dance in a way that is very unique, as playing music on stage instead of dancing in front of it is the same yet very different. He’s currently playing for dancing crowds in Germany with swingband The Infinite Chocolate Jar, and traditional jazz band the Jawzom 6.
Joris is happy to see you in one of his sessions – let’s share, create and inspire!
Genia Tsvietkova & Arnas Jasiūnas
Genia’s dancing story begun when she was 6 years old. She is a lindy hop and blues dancer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She likes to learn, teach and explore. Really appreciates the process of teaching, working with people, sharing energy and ideas. On the classes mostly works on discovering body motion, body control, joy of listening to music and being moved by music.
Genia taught at swingomania 2023 and is now coming back, finally!
Arnas Jasiūnas is one of the top dancers of the thriving Lithuanian jazz dance scene, dancing since 2006. His original approach to dance will add to the knowledge of a dancer of any level.
Arnas ideas are based on concepts of body movement, rhythms and authenticity of both the dance and the dancer. With his dance technique and teaching methods in the background Arnas turns the classroom into an effective workshop and gives students ideas for future training. His long training in music makes his dancing a creative musical experience. And his
playful personality will surprise and cheer you on the social dance floor. Rumor has it all 😉