Olga Marina was born into a family of teachers and has been an energetic live wire early on – studying music, doing athletics, martial arts and gymnastics. In 2007 she was introduced to Lindy Hop and this is where the real story of passion begins. She got dance hooked and started to explore more of the dance world by getting into Blues and later Balboa. She has been actively travelling the globe in pursuit of more opportunities to dance, learn and compete. Later she began to share her love for swing music and dance by teaching. Now Olga is an international balboa instructor, teaching solo and couple Balboa all over the world.
Did you know that Gio Olla started dancing at 10 years old, he was born in Sardinia, Italy and that he always travels with a portable iron to fix his shirts and look sharp?! These are just some fun facts, but what’s really fascinating about Gio is his dancing philosophy!
Gio promotes an original take to dancing and encourages others to develop their own personal style. He dances with a lot of rotation, always with plenty of details, and hilarious poses – it might be too much at times, but he is working on it! To all the nerds out there, Gio’s classes will give you something to chew on. Expect to go deep into details rather than trying many moves, the material will be structured and neatly presented and very surely you will have a good time! Gio is looking forward to meet and dance with you!
Eglė and Arnas are co-founders of What a Jazz dance studio and organisers of Vilnius Swing Dance & Music Festival – Swing Paradise. They’re both devoted swing dancers, teaching together locally and internationally since 2014.
Dance followed Eglė Nemickaitė through all her life, but she found the real passion for Lindy Hop and later on for Collegiate Shag too. Dance has always felt like a big liberation for Eglė. Liberation from routines, thoughts, work, limits. Dancing makes her feel true to herself, music and partner. It gives her the power of total freedom and also a peace to the mind, body and heart. Her rich teaching experience is being increasingly appreciated at the international workshops as well. She shares her enormous passion towards a dance with great joy and commitment.
Arnas Razgūnas is a true social dancer and explorer who often gets lost to surprise himself and discover things he didn’t think he could do. Rich experience in teaching weekly local classes grants quality and fun with clear explanation of his material by expressing music and yourself in it. Acknowledged jazz enthusiast inspired mostly by African American vernacular jazz art forms and energetic effortless swinging music Arnas is actively seeking for deep understanding of what’s swing in music and dance.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Fancy Dougherty fell in love with Lindy and Shag in 2008, with Balboa trailing not far behind. She’s been hooked ever since, constantly endeavoring to improve her technique on a never-ending quest for connection, improvisational freedom in social dancing and the true jitterbug spirit. She has performed, competed in and taught Lindy, Balboa and Shag all over the world, was inducted into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2014 and is a five-time winner of the National Jitterbug Championships in the shag division. She loves to dance with new people and beginners, so be sure to ask her to dance!
Vasu Sharma discovered Swing Dancing at the University of Florida and has been hooked ever since. His dedication to the art takes him around the globe to dance socially, perform, compete, and teach in Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag. Renowned for his precise technique and enthusiasm for swing dancing at any tempo, Vasu loves pushing the boundaries with unconventional rhythms, shapes, and connections. With a special affinity for Pure Balboa, he constantly seeks to innovate and redefine traditional dance partnerships. Whether he's dancing all night on the social floor or rigorously training for competitions and performances, Vasu's passion for swing dancing is evident. A lifelong learner, he is equally passionate about sharing his extensive knowledge with others.
Domen Bohinc and Fanny Bartl from Munich will teach you the basics, several footwork variations and some hot moves! They know lots of tips to master the figures with good technique and a cool vintage look. The two have been a dancing couple since Domen came to Munich from Slovenia in 2013 to dedicate his life to swing. It doesn't matter whether it's Lindy Hop, Shag or Balboa, together they bring playfulness and speed to the dance floor – and to the students! In their lessons they convey the joy of dance and movement, go into detail and inspire you for your dance future! Extra bonus: With their classes, a DJ is included! ;-)
The dancing devil caught Elisabeth Bayr already at a young age. Shortly after starting with Lindy Hop, she met Balboa and instantly fell in love! She acquired her knowledge of Balboa and its qualities in many international workshops and, above all, through long nights on the dance floor. Elisabeth has been teaching weekly Balboa classes in Munich at the Vintage Club for 8 years now. She loves precision in technique and movement - and is tireless in her perseverance to motivate others. Her other addiction is DJing as Lissi B. - she regularly attends many international dance events to play and inspire.
Aurélien Campergue's swing dance journey began 13 years ago, sparked by his love for fast and energetic music. His dance evolution took him from Lindy Hop to Collegiate Shag and ultimately to Balboa, where he crafted a unique blend of Shag`s vigor with the creativity of Lindy Hop. For the past 8 years, Aurélien has been teaching with a focus on both enjoyment and precise technique. He especially cherishes the social aspect of dancing – reveling in the chance to dance with everyone, surprise his partners and bring laughter to the dance floor.
Marcus Koch & Bärbl Kaufer are one of the longest lasting international instructor couples in the Swing world. 2021 marked the 30th anniversary of their dance partnership that started in Herräng in 1991. In 1992 they learned their first Balboa and Shag from Rob van Haaren and quickly started spreading those dances.
It all really started for them when they discovered that some of the original dancers have been still alive. So they took off to meet legends like Frankie Manning (Hellzapoppin’), Gil Bradey (Don’t Knock The Rock), Jean Veloz (Swing Fever, Groovie Movie) or Ray Hirsch (Blondie Meets The Boss). To be at the source of their passion they even moved to the US for four years.
They were pioneers at a time when Swing was hardly known anymore. Much has changed. Swing is now popular all over the world. In all those years they unrestless have been passing on their enthusiasm and their knowledge. They haven't only build up those dances in Germany, but also around the globe—either by traveling to teach and perform or inspiring through their world-renowned instructional dance videos.
Bärbl & Marcus can retrospect to a successful career. Their hard work was rewarded with many decorations and competition titles. They are multiple world, national and US champions and have been decorated with the prestigious Feather Award in 1996 and 1997 in the US and with the Dance Teachers Award in Germany.
Their excellent performance and teaching repertoire includes the dances Boogie Woogie, Hollywood and Savoy Style Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, Vernacular Jazz of the 30’s to 50’s, Shim Sham, Charleston, Jitterbug Stroll, Big Apple and Swing Rueda. A particular specialty of Marcus and Bärbl is their excellent ability of improvisation and music interpretation.
Most important for them are not their titles but to spread the joy and knowledge of those dances they love from their heart, to promote them, and see people smiling and having fun as they do.
Besides the Munich Balboa & Shag Weekend Bärbl & Marcus organize the world-famous Rock That Swing Festival in Munich, which happens annually at the German carnival weekend.
Websites: www.worldofswing.de / www.rockthatswing.com
