VBLE 2027 Teachers Introduction
Elena & Alberto (IT)
A warm welcome – with their dabut at VBLE!
Alberto and Elena are Balboa and Slow Balboa dancers and instructors, known for their elegant style and fluid dynamics. With backgrounds in contemporary dance and dedicated swing training, they bring a unique perspective to Balboa, focusing on harmonious partnership and exploring the dance’s subtle nuances.
Featured instructors at international events, they have achieved numerous placements in major Balboa competitions worldwide.
Anna-Maria & Ralf (DE)
Welcome Back Anna-Maria – hello Ralf!
Anna-Maria & Ralf look back on a long lasting career in Swing Dance and teaching. In 2016 they got married and since then, they share their passion for swing dancing and their lives.
In 2012 they started their first classes together. They are well known for their unique partnership, flow and smooth style in Balboa. Additionally they love to swing out and do the Lindy Hop, twist their feet in Charleston and play around in Authentic Jazz. In 2014 Anna-Maria & Ralf founded their own Studio named “Swing Dance Leipzig”, teaching Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz and their most favorite dance Balboa in weekly classes and weekend workshops.
Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen (US)
They’re back!
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.
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. Also, they are very active and passionate 78rpm Shellac DJs!