vble

THEY ARE BACK! <3 👏🏼 <3     

Beginning in 1998, Abigail Browning fell in love with the grace and athleticism of swing dancing, and has pursued the art and history of Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Charleston ever since. She fosters creativity and musicality for follows and leads through technique, and emphasizes body control through isolation, repetition, and balance while having fun and understanding the historical background of the dance. When not dancing or DJing, Abigail is pursuing her PhD in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media Studies at NC State University.        

Adam Speen strives to provide a unique perspective combining classic swing dance technique with a modern ideology. Partnership and playfulness are the focus for Adam on the dance floor, creating a ‘yes and’ environment for his partners and himself. He brings the same positive environment to the classroom where conditioning drills, visual media, and demonstrations by students are commonplace. Adam loves having the opportunity to travel and teach so many amazing students, but you will find him his happiest on the social dance floor. When not dancing, Adam works as a Toxicologist at the US EPA.

Returning to VBLE!

Rudolf and Tiphaine Wolfsgruber-Paillard 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.

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!

Jessica Sötterman (Lennartsson) is a multi-talented dancer specialising in swing-related dance styles. Like most other successful dancers from Sweden she started at very young age. Her career is and has been most comprehensive and includes several major titles. She is the only dancer in Sweden to receive Svenska Sportspegelpriset (Swedish Sport News Award) in recognition for her extra ordinary level of dancing and international success. Jessica is internationally well-known and is frequently seen around the world teaching and performing.  She was also a member of the Harlem Hot Shots and has been touring in Sweden and internationally with them.

Axel Schwarz and Sandra Hartbach are the founders and organizers of the Vienna Balboa & Laminu Experience – and basically the heart and soul of Vienna’s Balboa Scene. At VBLE, they will teach Laminu and the Balboa Rueda at VBLE.
Since 1998, Axel and Sandra 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 are DJing with original 78rpm/Shellac records and LOVE to DJ for Swing Dancers!

Monsieur Pompadour (DE)

They are back to VBLE <3!

In the summer of 2014, the French bohemian Monsieur Pompadour ended up in Berlin. The illustrious circle of his lavish parties included a Belgian singer, a Hungarian violinist, an extremely taciturn bassist and an aristocratic guitar virtuoso. They decided to form a band that ever since has been convincing with a very special mixture of cheerful swing, ambitious wildness and a pinch of melancholy; Songs, chansons and songs about life and love, sung in four voices and interpreted in the style of their idols Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.
For their debut, Monsieur Pompadour gave them the honor of his melodious name and then disappeared as a stowaway on a luxury steamer.

The Band – line up:
Ernesto – vocals, guitar
Ferenc Hegedütok – violin, vocals, singing saw
Florian von Frieling – guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals
Antti Virtaranta – double bass, vocals

Learn more about the band – visit their website

---

Belle Affaire (AT)

Belle Affaire are good friends of VBLE – we still remember their gig in 2013!

Belle Affaire create a personal, acoustic style of gypsy swing, jazz and nouvelle chanson from the different influences and musical preferences of the individual musicians. The clear and fine voice alternates with the virtuoso guitar playing, paired with the clarinet and the swinging foundation of the bass, result in this special Gypsy Swing vibe with a French twist.

Their repertoire reflect the French attitude to life and is a rousing, entertaining mixture of lively swinging titles and atmospheric ballads, presented with verve, joy of playing and virtuoso ease.

The Band – line up:
Paula Duschek – vocals
Julian Wohlmuth – guitar
Julian Eggenhofer – guitar
Helmut Strobl – clarinet / saxophone
Werner Dorfmeister – double bass

Learn more about the band – visit their website

---

[dʒãŋɡo] – The D is silent (AT)

Premiering at VBLE!

Django Reinhardt – a name that represents a musical genre like no other: Gypsy Jazz. The D is silent is a Viennese ensemble that is passionately dedicated to this unmistakable musical style.
As part of dance events, for Lindy Hop or Balboa, this band plays swing music classics and provides a pinch of Parisian flair to energetic dances.

The Band – line up:
Silvio Wagner – guitar
Erwin Glatz – guitar
Thomas Zahel – accordion
Franz Oberthaler – clarinet
Phillip Unterreiner – double bass
Michael Seyfried – drums

Learn more about the band – visit their Facebook site