Eglė Nemickaitė and Arnas Razgūnas

Eglė Nemickaitė is a swing dancer from Vilnius, Lithuania where she is dancing, performing, teaching and inspiring the community at What a Jazz dance studio everyday. Dance followed Eglė through all her life, but she found the real passion for Lindy Hop and later on for Collegiate Shag too. Dance has always felt like a big liberation for Eglė. Liberation from routines, thoughts, work, limits. Dancing makes her feel true to herself, music and partner. It gives her the power of total freedom and also a peace to the mind, body and heart. Her rich teaching experience is being increasingly appreciated at the international workshops as well. She shares her enormous passion towards a dance with great joy and commitment.

Arnas Razgūnas is a devoted swing dancer and teacher. True social dancer and explorer who often gets lost to surprise himself and discover things he didn’t think he could do. Acknowledged jazz enthusiast inspired mostly by African American vernacular jazz art forms and energetic effortless swinging music Arnas is actively seeking for deep understanding of what’s swing in music and dance. Rich experience in teaching weekly local classes grants quality and fun with clear explanation of his material by expressing music and yourself in it. Arnas is a co-founder of What a Jazz Dance Studio and co-organizer of Balboa & Shag festival in Vilnius, Lithuania – Swing Paradise.

Sylvain Guiheneuc and Marion Quesne

Marion & Sylvain are as passionate about social Lindy Hop as they are about performing. Socially, they particularly like to push the boundaries of leading and following, and create a space where everyone suggests and responds independently of their 'dance role'. In a more performative context, they enjoy creating dance routines with which they explore their personal expression. In 2022, they won the All Star Classic Routine Battle at the International Lindy Hop Championship Europe with their amazing and playful routine. Regular instructors since 2016 at Swing & Shout (Tours), they have recently created their own scene in Saumur. Sylvain is also a graphic and motion designer. Marion is a PhD student at the University of Versailles St Quentin, and is currently writing a thesis on the Lindy Hop entitled "Social codes and identity roles in the Lindy Hop: transgressive narratives". Sylvain & Marion pay particular attention to respecting the African-American origins of the dance, as well as placing the women and men who developed Lindy Hop at the heart of their practice.

Mette Herlitz and Andreas Olsson

Andreas Olsson and Mette Herlitz live in Stockholm, Sweden. They are swing dance instructors who teach, compete and perform Balboa, Lindy Hop, Charleston, St. Louis Shag and more. As a couple they are known for their musicality, creativeness, elegance and presence on the dance floor. As instructors, Andreas and Mette emphasize basics, musicality and follow-leading abilities. They have an easy going, relaxed way of teaching. Their ambition is playful and well planned classes with a content made up by useful technique and original figures, all with the goal to have their students enjoying themselves while improving their dancing.

Minn Vo

From Los Angeles California, Minn Vo started swing dancing in the 1990’s and quickly became known for his authenticity and being an unstoppable force in competitions. Inducted into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2004, Minn covers all areas of Vernacular Jazz Dance. Styles covered are Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Air Steps, Collegiate Shag, among others. He studied and worked with Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Nicholas Brothers, Ray Hersh, Leonard Reed. In 2021 he moved his family's homebase to Stuttgart, Germany.

The Smile Trio

The Smile Trio from Mozambique comprises three professional artists from the Hodi Maputo Afro Swing Cultural Association: Eugênio Macuvel and twins Elias and Augusto Manhiça. Specializing in traditional Mozambican dance, music, percussion, Afro Swing, and Lindy Hop, they have been using dance and music as instruments of change and universal communication since 2003. Throughout their career, they have participated in important festivals and cultural events all around the world. Their workshops aim to share experiences about Mozambican dance, music, traditional instruments, languages, and the history of the people through dance. Since the arrival of swing dances in Mozambique, they have been researching African influences in Afro-American dances, contributing to a better community and bringing the spirit and values of dance to all enthusiasts. Most of their classes feature live music and singing, providing an immersive cultural experience.

Check out their website for more info!

Janine

Janine is a trained dancer who likes to teach dance in a variety of ways so that everybody can understand it and enjoy both the fun and challenges that come with it. She’s currently working as movement director and choreographer at the Staatsoper in Stuttgart and also teaches tap and jazz dance in the area.