Joel Plys (USA)
What a treat to have Joel at VBLE!
Today’s Balboa scene would not be the same without Joel. He has a huge, diverse knowledge of Balboa (and many more styles and dances). His aim is to preserve and evolve Balboa, with solid comprehension of technique and characteristics, but also to evolve the dances and to add creativity.
Together with Valerie, he started the first full weekend event devoted to Balboa in 2001 (“All Balboa Weekend”). And in 2011, Joel was inducted into the Camp Hollywood Hall of
Fame and in 2014 inducted into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame.
Tiphaine Wolfsgruber-Paillard(AT)
Tiphaine Wolfsgruber-Paillard, together with her partner Rudolf, has been spreading the love for Balboa since 2012.
Tiph is known for her elegant flow, smooth connection, and sound quality of movement.
Social dancing has always been her main focus of dancing and she is at her happiest shuffling around on various dance floors around the world. When dancing and teaching, she strives to push her limits, perpetually improving, sharing her passion, and hopefully inspiring and infecting the students with the Bal bug.
Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen (US)
For the first time at VBLE!
Grace brings her love of the dance to her teaching style, encouraging joy in her students, while keeping an emphasis on connection technique.
Blake has a deep reverence for the original dancers and loves to teach classes that focus on particular styles and techniques they used. As an instructor he also focuses on imparting his values of partner connection, tasteful musicality, and developing beautiful basics.
Together, they emphasize beautiful basics, the joy of connected partnered movement, and how to connect the dance to the music.
Dan Guest & Jessica Sötterman (Lennartsson) (UK/SE)
Welcome back at VBLE!
In Balboa, Dan 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 its source and history.
Jessica is internationally well-known and is frequently seen around the world teaching and performing.
Together, they combine technique, knowledge and fun!
Axel Schwarz & Sandra Hartbach (AT)
Axel has a long history of dancing, starting with ballroom dances and now focusing on Balboa and Laminu. He is a fan of “good basics and defaults” in dancing and transforms his knowledge to solid technique while being creative and entertaining.
Sandra has a similar history of dancing. She loves footwork creativity in Balboa and combines a good portion of technique with musicality and feeling.
Together, 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.