Teaching Team

Swing Dance Courses

Fall 2024

 

Teachers

The dedication and love our local teachers bring to each class is what makes our dance community truly exceptional. We can’t wait to embark on this exciting journey with you in Fall 2024, guided by these passionate individuals who make learning to dance an unforgettable experience.

Let’s swing into this new semester with enthusiasm and gratitude for our incredible teaching team!

Alex, Boris, Daniele, Danielle, Eric, Ingrida, Jana, Maria, Sjouke, Terje and Vassia are going to teach this semester courses together with our resident teacher Kamilé !!! Want to find out more about them ? Read below

 

 

Alex: “I discovered Lindy Hop in 2016 and immediately fell in love with it. I enjoy swing dancing because it is playful and welcoming. Every dance is filled with joy, fun and surprises. I want to support this wonderful community and give back as much happiness as I received.”

 

 

 

Danielle Gillen is a local teacher with ASBL Swing Dance Luxembourg. Attracted to Big Band Swing by her musical education as a child, she started learning Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz in 2014 in Luxembourg as a young adult. Over the years, other Swing styles were added, such as Charleston, Blues, Balboa and Shag. 

Danielle began teaching Lindy Hop at ASBL Swing Dance Luxembourg in 2019. In her classes, she seeks to convey the joy of dance and values the concept of co-creation that couple dancing allows, without forgetting the historical context behind the dance and the technique underlying the role of leader and follower. She also loves to switch from one role to another, adding an extra layer of exchange and creativity.

 

Daniele Perlo, class 1990, dancing Lindy Hop since 2016 and Balboa since 2018. The Balboa fever, in the Turin swing panorama (Italy), soon becomes the most addictive style between dancers. Now he is in Luxembourg from almost 2 years and he would love to practice Balboa with everyone!

 

 

 

Eric: “Since I started dancing Lindy Hop, one thing is certain : I can’t get enough of it ! Put on some swing music and my body will start bouncing.

Building a conversation with another dancer while being connected to the music is what fascinates me. It’s what makes each dance unique. So let’s connect and dance !

 

 

 

Jana: “When I first discovered Lindy Hop I was dazzled by the joyfulness, excitement and creativity of the dance, and the ingenuity of the music. I was enchanted by the good vibes and relaxed atmosphere. I knew I had to be part of this community – and continue to be after so many years.

 

 

 

 

Maria : “I started dancing swing in Luxembourg in 2021 and I immediately felt a deep connection to it. Dancing is for me a means of self expression and communication. Sharing the joy of music and rhythm with the other dancers is one of the most special things I can think about. This is what brings me to teaching: after all, dance is all about fun!

 

 

 

Terje Koppelmaa & Sjouke Mauw : “We started teaching blues, because we couldn’t otherwise. We believe that dance is more than just movement—it’s a language of the soul. It’s all about feeling the music deep within and allowing it to guide your every step. We interpret dance as a conversation, a silent dialogue between partners, and sometimes silence is talking incredibly loud. The sensation of being immersed in the dance with your partner, to feel the subtle cues and responses that create a seamless dance experience together.

Our mission is to spread the love for blues dancing and share our belief in the power of dance. In our classes, we aim to create an environment where you can forget the outside world and immerse yourself fully in the dance, while interpreting the emotions of the music. 

We are constantly developing our own style, searching for new music, finding new expressions, looking for new possibilities to experiment and practice. For us it’s a journey, a process, and ongoing change. Today we dance differently from yesterday, and tomorrow it will have evolved again.

 

Vassia: ” I discovered LINDY HOP in 2017 and directly got into it! I love to dance swing and be part of this lovely community! It simply makes me feel so happy! It’s so much fun after all! Every dance is unique, full of joy, improvisation, communication and connection!!! And if by teaching I could add some more value into it, more than happy to do so 😜!

 

For this Fall courses we are excited to welcome back as a resident teacher, Kamilė Pundziute !!!

photo by Arminas Valunas

Kamilė Pundziute is a real gift to the Vilnius Lindy Hop community.  She’s been keeping it swingin’ since 2003 – the very B of the Bang of the Lindy Hop explosion in Lithuania. Being at the core of the very first team of dancers in Vilnius, she’s been a pioneer in many artistic, educational and community building projects. These include creating and performing jazz dance theatre plays and shows, initiating and organising international jazz dance and music festivals such as Harlem and All Lithuanian Weekend, programming the dance class curriculum for the Lindyhop.lt Club and many other successful endeavours.

Following her degrees in psychology (BA) and education science (MA) Kamilė has also worked as a dance and movement therapist and somatic educator for over a decade.

The great variety of skills and an impressive amount of experience in different movement disciplines make her a master teacher, bringing concepts of movement and jazz dance to a whole new level. A knowledgeable approach coupled with an honest, joyful perspective of life is attractive for students, who value her insight and ability to patiently facilitate progress in every class. Her knowledge and skill has been appreciated widely across the world in workshops and teaching residencies.

Kamilė reflects, “I find a workshop successful when alongside new shapes and moves I see progress in movement quality and control. I like to see that students feel more at home in their bodies while tackling progressively difficult material. I’m happy to combine the most effective methods from different disciplines to reach that goal.

 

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