Included in your track is a Pick ‘n’ Mix workshop of 1,5 hours. You can choose from no less than 7 options. All workshops are open level and happen at the same time on Sunday March 8th, 16:15 – 17:45.
Do I need to register? We highly encourage you to sign up online, to secure a good balance in switch/follow/lead dance roles and group size. You can put your name in the spreadsheet from Fri March 6th onwards. You can find the link to the sign up sheet in your booklet, and you will receive it via e-mail.
Dive into Slow Drag Krysia & Filip
@ Studio Modest
Born in the Deep South, Slow Drag grew out of African American communities as a deeply expressive social dance. Rooted in history and cultural context, it became more than just a set of steps — it was a powerful form of resilience, intimacy, and human connection.
In class, we’ll practice different types of connection, experiment with various shapes, and explore how we can express ourselves through posture, timing, and musical interpretation.
When the Lights are Low & the Music is Slow Annette & Dexter
@ Doxtudio 2
We’ll be inspired by the style of dancing made popular in the jook joints in the American south and in the rent parties and saloons in the big cities where Black dances developed and thrived. In this class, we’ll explore how to dance to slow Blues (and even Jazz) music by covering a few Blues dances such as the Slow Drag and the Grind. We’ll also learn how we can adjust our movements to fit into the Blues aesthetic, how to allow improvisation, and how we can enjoy a simpler but deeper and connected dance.
From Mississippi to Sahara (or the other way other) Nawelle
@ Doxtudio 3
For the Tuareg people, the word ‘Assouf’ signifies both nostalgia and resilience. It is the exact mirror of the ‘Blues’ born on the banks of the Mississippi. In this workshop, Nawelle breaks down the boundaries between Jazz/Blues and traditional music to rediscover the very essence of movement: a deep connection to oneself and to others.
This workshop is an immersive exploration at the heart of this poetic crossroads. Drawing from her Algerian roots (steeped in Raï and Gnawa) and her Jazz/Blues knowledge, Nawelle invites you to dance upon an organic bridge where American groove meets Saharan trance.
What is the music telling you? Elise & Hadrien
@ Expeditie Box
Let’s take a moment to listen deeply and notice how it begins to influence your body from the very first notes. Each sound may create a specific impulse or quality of movement, but the blend of all the sounds together also creates a unique texture that can guide your timing, energy, and intention in a different way. As you follow both these details and the overall atmosphere, what kind of story, emotion, or landscape does the music suggest to you?
Grooving to the 80s Kenneth
@ Expeditie Studio
How did our elder blues dancers transition from 50-60s soul and blues dances, into a synthesized, more digitized era of blues music that dominated the 1980s? We’ll work on some of the techniques used in 80’s juke joints and the musicians and line dances that were popular in the era, as well as how they connect to later decades of blues music and dancing.
In the Pocket Breonna
@ Wisper music studio
We’ll explore movement and different ways to sit inside of the music. This blues dance workshop focuses on developing a deeper connection between movement and rhythm. Let’s find that sweet spot where expression, control, and freedom meet right “in the pocket”.
Jam circle Genia
@ Wisper photography
Genia invites dancers to reconnect with the community spirit that emerge when people share movement together. Drawing inspiration from the cypher traditions of house dance, this workshop explores how jam circles can become spaces of joy, comfort, support, and creative exchange. The practice of jamming together brought Genia the ability to acknowledge and appreciate people dancing around her, and she is eager to share this with you.