General Information and FAQs

You should be able to find all important bits of information here – if you have additional questions, just drop us an e-mail.

On this page:

Questions about locations

All Classes and the Friday party will take place at Tanzschule Schwebach, Maculangasse 1B, 1220 Vienna (find it on the map).

The venue for the VBLE 2024 Camp Party (Saturday, March 23, 2024) is LORELY Saal, Penzinger Straße 72, 1140 Vienna (find it on the map).

The venue for the Sunday VBLE 2024 (Sunday, March 24, 2024) is Café Caspar, Grillparzerstraße 6, 1010 Vienna (find it on OpenStreetMap).

Questions about classes/workshop

Class levels offered in 2024:

  • Balboa: Hiker (II), Climber (III), Free Climber (IV)
  • Laminu: Walker (I), Hiker (II)
  • Slow Balboa: Walker (I), Hiker (II)

Open Private/Mentor/Feedback Session

For Balboa Hiker and Climber levels, we want to offer you more time for feedback in classes, as this usually comes short. This is why we offer what a so-called “Open Private” session.
The idea is to have a space where, depending on needs or even suggestions of the group, the teachers will suggest a topic to work on, use questions from the group to create a common workspace, or be able to provide you with group/individual feedback.

VBLE Brunch

Over the years, VBLE brunch has become an integral part of this event.
So we are having a Workshop Brunch on Sunday. The idea is to have a long breakfast together, socialise, dance. During the Brunch, our Shellac DJs will be playing wonderful tunes for you – and maybe share some info and stories about music and Shellacs/78rpms.
The Brunch will be personally prepared and catered by the VBLE team and is included for all tracks and levels. The offered food selection will also include vegan and gluten-free options.
Depending on space availabilities, Brunch-only-tickets will be available.
Please note that the ending time for the Brunch is 12:00 sharp, as we need to clear the space asap for the next classes. Due to organizational reasons, food will be available only during the brunch – so if you want to eat, please be on time!

Questions regarding levels

Level Descriptions

We want to break free from traditional level descriptions – so here we go:

Walker: Imagine you just learned to walk and now want to explore the road – then this is for you!
This level would generally by referred to as “total beginner”-level – for dancers with no or very little experience.

Hiker (II)
You enjoy to hike through forests and already discovered higher grounds. To walk on a hill once in a while is something you like, however you prefer to go back to flat terrain again in order to catch your breath.
This usually refers to an intermediate level – so you are not a total beginner, but are fine with the basic dancing vocabulary of Balboa and/or Laminu and enjoy dancing these dances whenever you can.

Climber (III)
You already have a good technique to survive in the wild, and you are not afraid of the work and sweat that comes with climbing up that steep hill. Your virtues: perseverance and inquisitiveness. And you love it.
This usually refers to an intermediate/advanced level – you have gained quite an amount of Balboa and/or Laminu dancing experience and want to push yourself further, fearless of new challenges.

Free Climber (IV) – Balboa Only
This level is for you if you are a more advanced dancer with solid technique and firm skills – regardless of how long you’ve been dancing. You can apply for this level, but not directly register, as your dancing skills will be evaluated by the teachers for admittance to this level. The audition will take place on Friday between 20.30-21.00 at Tanzschule Schwebach. Oh, and this level is limited to 10 couples.

With your registration, you’re stating your intention to attend a specific level – however you can decide on spot which level you want to join – provided there is enough space.

Questions regarding Parties

Please note that our parties are located in 3 different locations (see “Questions regarding locations”).

For all 3 parties, limited tickets will be available at the door.

For the Saturday Party (“VBLE 2024 – ELEGANZA BALL”), we required elegant attire that is suitable for a ball – no casual jeans/t-shirt attire will be accepted.

For Friday and Sunday, casual outfits are totally OK – however we appreciate if you dress up!

Parties will start (end end) on time; this is especially relevant for Saturday, as our live orchestra will start (and end) as scheduled.

Questions regarding registration

General

We encourage you to register as a couple (except for party passes). Also we ask both partners to register separately, as this helps us with administrating the registrations.
Your registration is binding once you’ve paid the registration fee – or at least gave us information about the payment.

We kindly ask you to check your schedule before registering 😉

Can I register for one day only?

Please contact us before registering in case you just can attend one day of VBLE 2024. We will try to do our best.

Can I transfer my paid registration to another person?

Registration are considered to be personal and non-transferable. If you cannot attend VBLE 2024 after making your payment and are willing to find a substitute, please let us know.
Also please see our Terms & Conditions regarding cancellations/denouncements.

Waiting lists

Balanced lead/follow ratios are important to us. Therefore we need to open waiting lists in case of too many extras of either leads or follows.
In this case, we will work on a first-come-first-serve-basis if additional spots are available.

Why is there no “Hosting” section in the registration form?

In the past years, we tried our best to find local hosts and to connect them with dancers in need of a place to stay. But this year, we removed the hosting question from the registration form. Why?

It was very difficult to find enough hosts for the multitude of dancers, and in return we unfortunately had not-so-nice experiences with inquiring dancers who thought of us as of a professional hotel service.

We think the best solution is to use a Facebook group so that you can talk directly to each other. In addition, we will try to provide you with options where to search.

Questions about payment/pricing

Why is there no Paypal option?

Paypal is very convenient, but for a smaller event like VBLE, Paypal is an expensive option – and we want to reduce fees on all sides. Therefore we prefer bank transfers.

What if my bank charges high fees for payments abroad?

Dancers from outside the EU often get charged with high bank transfer fees.

Please leave a comment with your registration or contact us before making payments.

Do we need separate payments for a couple?

No – if you registered as a couple, you can make a combined payment – but please note this in the payment information!

Do I get a discount if I cannot attend all classes in my track?

No. Sorry.

Covid related Rules

Covid feels like ages away, but it is still relevant. Our main goal is to ensure maximum safety during the week-end.
Currently, no masks or mandatory testing is in place. However and in any case we strongly suggest that everybody performs a self-test right before the event to be safe.

In all cases: If you feel unwell, develop a fever or show any symptoms related to Covid-19 or flu, please stay at home! Spread love, not pathogens 🙂

In addition, please always and in any case follow good hygiene – it never hurts to look at WHO’s recommendations.
Thank you very much for your cooperation!