Anni & Gašper (SE/SI)
They are back to VBLE!
Anni Skoglund (Sweden) and Gašper Hrovat (Slovenia) is an inspiring dance couple. Their style is playful, passionate and smooth. They share the love for the dance as their form of communication through rhythm, melody and harmony. To them it is the awareness of one another that make the couple dance so magic.
From a young age both of them danced several styles before getting into authentic jazz dances. Anni’s background lies in Swedish folk-dance, waltz and fox-trot, meanwhile Gašper’s in popular 90’s Street dances. Eventually swing dance came across and met them in Herräng Dance Camp.
Now – performing, teaching and lecturing about swing dances, at home and abroad, has seen them evolve into a couple that has won competitions with their vibrant style and superfast feet. But above all, social dance is their thing.
Dan Guest & Nikki Durrant (UK)
What’s VBLE without Dan Guest? Dan is a fixed star in our VBLE universe.
In Balboa, Dan Guest was instrumental in the revival of the dance, having learned from many of the original “old timer” Balboa dancers.
In Laminu, Dan has been one of the main drivers to keep this dance alive and to investigate the source and history.
Dan’s teaching focuses on the techniques and body mechanics that make dancing feel natural and effortless at all tempos. Being a perfectionist, he emphasises lead and follow technique together with developing good basics. He has a relaxed and light-hearted teaching style with a knack for simplifying and explaining complex ideas. His teaching is based on recognised learning methodologies for the acquisition of motor skills. He explains how to put energy and life into all aspects of the dance and how to vary the dynamics to really make it swing!
Nikki Durrant lives in London, UK and has spent the past 16 years as a professional yoga dance demonstrator, performer, teacher, and choreographer. She was introduced to swing dancing in 2016 through Swing Patrol UK and quickly became a devote student of the Balboa style. She then naturally progressed to and fell in love with Laminu, of which she is a conscientious student striving to do and be her best.
While working with her mentor Dan Guest, Nikki is honoured and privileged to share the knowledge that she has acquired with others who share her passion for dance.
Axel Schwarz & Sandra Hartbach (AT)
As founders and basically the heart and soul of the VBLE, Axel and Sandra will teach Laminu and the Balboa Rueda at VBLE.
Since 1998, Axel Schwarz and Sandra Hartbach have been dancing together, discovering, teaching and choreographing all forms of social dances. Their deep passion for swing and jazz music ever growing, they finally started swing dancing in 2006, first focusing on Lindy Hop and Balboa.
Over the last years, they became even more curious and discovered other dances of this era, including rare dances like Laminu, Peabody, and others.
In 2009, they again started teaching Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, Laminu – and also Ballroom classes, bringing together the experience and technique of their dancing and the joy and enthusiasm of swing dancing.
Their heart is burning for Balboa and Laminu – and for musicality. When teaching, they want to pass on their experience and love for dancing and music, trying to arouse this passion in their students who eventually will bring this to the social dancefloor.
In addition to teaching and organizing events, they LOVE to DJ for Swing Dancers – on their original 78rpm/Shellac records!
Rudolf & Tiphaine Wolfsgruber-Paillard (AT)
Premiering at VBLE!
Rudolf and Tiphaine have joined forces to spread their love for Balboa in 2012. Rudi is known in the swing world for his creative enthusiasm, playful improvisation, and solid technique, and Tiph for her elegant flow, smooth connection, and sound quality of movement.
Social dancing has always been a main focus of theirs and they are at their happiest shuffling around on various dance floors around the world.
Together, they strive to push their limits, perpetually improve, share their passion, and hopefully inspire and infect their students with the Bal bug.
