TEACHERS
Rikard Ekstrand was first inspired to start dancing in the early age of seven. Today it's his life and his way of living. Best chance to see this dancing creature is to visit Stockholm, Sweden, where he's most often found. His focus in swing dancing and teaching lies in the art of rhythm, music and partnering.
Rikard sees swing dancing as an artform and a culture legacy and calls himself a student more than a dancer. "In the school of dance and rhythm you will never be fully skilled". In 2006 he started his cooperation with the Harlem Hot Shots in Stockholm and since 2008 Rikard is one of the core members. Besides dancing Rikard holds a big passion for music and photography. He plays jazz piano in the Swedish band Hornsgatan Ramblers and he brings a camera wherever he travels!
Tatiana Udry, a native of Haute-Savoie (France), lives in Montpellier, France. She learnt classical and modern jazz for 12 years. After that she discovered the couple dances before then specializing in Lindy Hop and Charleston. She teaches Lindy Hop, Charleston and Solo Jazz Roots. Impressive for ease of movement, her technical maturity despite her young age and her craziness! She won many competitions in different categories: Solo blues, jazz and roots charleston, jack and jill, strictly, and also team, in prestigious events like: European Swing Dance Championships (2015, 2013, 2011) International Lindy Hop Championships (2013, 2012), Lindy Shock, Paris Jazz Roots…
& TOMAS DE GENDT
Elke and Tomas have been dancing and teaching together for a couple of years now. They love mixing different dances from the big swing family, fluently going from Peabody into Collegiate Shag, crossing over to Balboa, taking a side-trip to St. Louis Shag, and ending up swinging out Lindy Hop style. So get inspired to spice up your swing dancing with this contagious cocktail! 🙂
Sharon Davis is internationally known for her distinctive style in Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues and Burlesque. Australian born but now based in London, Sharon has taught and performed around the world. She holds 1st place titles at the International Lindy Hop Championships, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, National Jitterbug Championships, Canadian Swing Championships, Burlesque Hall of Fame, World Burlesque Games and has claimed numerous other awards internationally. She is known for her dedication to the history of vernacular jazz dances and the music they evolved to. Her classes focus on pairing dynamic connection and flow, with body awareness and quality of movement as a pathway to individual style, creativity and musicality. With her bright and bubbly personality, Sharon’s teaching style is energetic, inspiring and fun. She founded the European Swing Dance Championships and runs a dance company in London called JazzMAD. Visit www.sharonmdavis.com to find out more about her.
Ali says “I learned to dance better so that I can teach better”. His true passion is to find new ways of creating magic in the classroom. For him, nothing is as satisfying as to help dancers learn techniques and concepts that inspires them to create their own magic moments on the dance floor.
Throughout more than 14 years of dancing and teaching, he has both refined his own style as well as adopted and integrated many new trends and ideas. This experience has made him very versatile as a lindy hopper, with a strong focus on being able to connect to many different partners.
Today, his greatest joy in a social dance is to draw inspiration from his partner's movements. Being quick to respond, adapt and reply to what was just presented to him by his partner and the music, he creates a fun, witty and playful interaction that is great to watch and even greater to feel and share!
In class, he’ll teach you how to use all your senses to create such moments in the dance for yourself!
BANDS
Excellent Swing band from Belgium, brilliantly guided by Marie Anne Standaert. Being a dancer herself, she perfectly knows how to combine all the musical ingredients to provide dancers with top swing music. All Hop-sh-Bam musicians swing with their whole body, heart and soul! Be prepared: Heavy swing and Hot jazz that will make your feet move like never before!
Six musicians who have come together in 2002, share friendship and passion for Jazz and Dixieland music. The band’s blazing sound of the trumpet, the sax and trombone combined with striking banjo rhythms just makes people dance across country borders in Belgium, France Germany and Luxembourg.
