Adam Speen & Nelle Cherry (USA)

Adam has been dancing Balboa since 2006, studying under many of the prominent instructors worldwide. He challenges himself to improve by competition but mainly enjoys social dancing. In the classroom, Adam offers his own experiences and knowledge in order to foster a creative and comfortable learning environment. He believes that social dancing and individual innovation are paramount in a dancer’s education.

Nelle has been dancing since she was 3 years old. With a background in tap, jazz, and ballet, she was not introduced to partner dancing until 2006. Balboa came into her life as the first predominant style of swing dancing she focused on. She found balboa to be the dance that fit due to its elegance and refined technique which complimented her dancing background. She stresses comfort and teamwork in the classroom and continually strives to pursue a constant goal of perpetual awesomeness through social and competitive dancing. She currently resides in Philadelphia where she teaches in hopes of spreading her love of balboa.

Together Adam and Nelle have competed and won competitions in balboa throughout the United States since beginning to compete together in 2006. Some of these competitions include:

• Finalists International Balboa Cup at Balboa Rendezvous ’10
• Runners up Open Balboa Comp at EBC ’10
• 1st place Balboa Jack and Jill at ILHC 2009
• Finalist Pro Balboa at All Balboa Weekend 2009
• 1st Place Strictly Balboa at Rocky Mountain Balboa 2009
• 1st Place Strictly Balboa at the Int’l Lindy Hop Championships 2008
• 3rd Place Eastern Balboa Championships 2008
• 6th Place Pro Balboa at Balboa Rendezvous 2008
• 1st Place Amateur ACBC All Balboa Weekend 2007

www.adamandnelle.com/

Andreas Olsson & Joana Ekeström (SWE)

Joana started dancing Lindy Hop in 1999, and Andreas in 2001. During 2002-2007 they were part of Shout'n Feel It, performing all kinds of swing dancing styles in Europe and the US. In January 2004 they attended their first Balboa/Bal-Swing workshop. Since then, they have attended workshops in Europe and in the USA, taking classes and privates. They started teaching in Stockholm in 2005, and have since then worked to develop the Balboa scene in Stockholm.

Andreas and Joana are also successful competitors and managed many top placements in international competitions. Recent accomplishments include a 4th place at the American Classic Balboa Championships 2010, a 2nd place in the All Balboa Weekend Showcase division 2010, a 1st place in the Open Classic Balboa Championships at Balboa on the Promenade in Cannes 2010 and 3rd place in the European Balboa Cup in Toulouse in 2009.

Andreas and Joana focus on musicality, partnership and lead-follow technique in their dancing. Their style is innovative, playful and elegant. They find inspiration in old movie clips, in all kinds of lead and follow dance and in the best dancers of our time. Their passion for the dance makes them aiming for being part of modern day development of Balboa.

Up to date they have been teaching at international Balboa workshops in Germany, Finland, Spain, Turkey, France and in the USA. Andreas and Joana have a calm, systematic and playful way of teaching. They love to teach, share their enthusiasm for the Balboa and see dancers grow.

andreas.olsson@maritima.se

Paul Cook (UK) & Natasha Hall (UK)

Paul and Natasha, UK Open Lindy Hop Champions, are professional and popular performers and teachers.

In 2005 they were watched by millions when they came top in the London heat of BBC ONE's Strictly Dance Fever, the reality TV show with Graham Norton, with their performance of the Lindy Hop. They secured a place in the TV house where they were trained in different styles of dance in order to perform live every Saturday.  Zoe Ball named them the 'nations favourite couple', the Guardian said they were 'the only ones with real style'.

They have been part of the London Lindy Hop scene for many years and have performed and taught all over the UK and abroad.  As accomplished dancers they naturally became interested in variations of Swing dance, and as well as Lindy Hop they specialize in Balboa and the Collegiate Shag.  Paul and Natasha rapidly became experts at this dance and have been influential in re-popularising its energetic and highly stylised dance form in the UK.

It is an absolute pleasure for them to be returning to Munich to teach Shag and Balboa for the incredible Marcus and Baerbl!

www.swingtimedance.co.uk

 

Marcus Koch (DE) & Bärbl Kaufer (DE)

Marcus & Bärbl have been teaching classes and workshops all over the world and brought Boogie Woogie, Swing, Balboa & Shag in many corners of the globe. They are most responsible for forming and establishing the Balboa scene in Munich. They are also well known for their World of Swing video series.

Their dancing skills are not limited to a particular style or dance. Many international successes in Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag, etc., witness from their versatility and class. Their model was always the class and dynamics of the old masters. They were given the prestigious Feather Award in 1996 and 1997, the International Dance Teacher Award in 2002, and have been inducted into the Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame in 2009.

Among their many competition titles are: World Champions, three times World Vice Champions, US Open Champions, five times National Jitterbug Champions, six times German Champions, and Rock’n’Socks Marathon Champions. They are the organizers of the world famous Rock That Swing Festivals (next RTSF: March 3rd - 7th, 2011).

www.worldofswing.com / www.rockthatswing.com

(Picture by Marcell Bendik (Ungarn) shot at Rock That Swing Festival 2009)