MEET
YOUR INSTRUCTORS
YOUR INSTRUCTORS
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ELISE KLEIN
Elise is a dancer and dance teacher, passionate about African-American dances and their origins: Blues, Lindy Hop, and Solo Jazz. With about thirty years of experience in a range of genres, including modern Jazz, Funk, R&B, Afro-Urban, Salsa, Swing, Blues, theatre, and singing, her artistic and dance path is marked by diversity. Formerly a member of an improvised dance troupe, a feminist jazz cabaret, and a musical, Elise has performed many times both on stage and in the street since a young age. However, her main and love focus is improvisation and she does her best to share that aspect in dance class. Elise is now based in Lyon, France, but she worked for a long time as a Lindy Hop and Blues dance teacher in Paris between 2015 and 2020, and then in Tours, where she founded her own local Blues association to honor the culture of Blues music, its history, and to place the notion of well-being at the heart of pedagogy. During these years, Elise has contributed as much as she could to the development of Blues music, dances and values in France; by conducting extensive research about the socio-cultural contexts of Black American dances, by keeping learning from gorgeous artists, by creating a partnership with musicians, by co-organising events in Paris, Tours and soon in Lyon. |
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HADRIEN HADEN
Since discovering blues in 2010, Hadrien has decided to fully immerse himself in this expressive and liberating dance, gradually setting aside his initial passions (Rock & Roll, Latin dances, and Lindy Hop). Inspired by the musical and cultural richness of blues, he uses his experience as a physiotherapist to help his students feel at ease in their bodies and move comfortably. His classes, open to everyone, mix humor, kindness, and personal exploration of movement. For Hadrien, dance and music go hand in hand: he encourages everyone to draw from the richness of blues to inspire their creativity and expression. Join Hadrien to discover a new freedom in movement, in a warm and inspiring atmosphere! |
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RENSKE BONGERS
Renske's love for dancing started when she was 3 years old. She might have tried almost everything there is, but her love for dancing stuck with Blues. Having danced solo styles for most of her life, she is a firm believer of discovering who you are as a dancer. In her classes she loves to explore different topics together with you. Diving into body awareness, playing around and improvising in both partner roles or how to become comfortable with expressing yourself. Her classes will be full of energy, but always with an eye for individual needs and personal development. We are delihted to have Renske teaching at ESBF 2025 with her dance partner, Edmilson, |
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EDMILSON BOTHELO
Born and raised in the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, Edmilson Botelho has always been surrounded by music, drawing inspiration from the vibrant rhythms of African traditional dances such as Usôa, Puíta, Funaná, Cadence, Kizomba, Semba, Kuduro, and many other African dances, as well as POP dance. His dance journey began at the age of 17 when he moved to Porto (Portugal) and discovered his love for Lindy Hop and Blues Dance. Currently, he is one of the managing partners at Hop Dance Studio in Porto. As a passionate dancer and teacher, Edmilson embodies the essence of dance, finding joy in every step and rhythm. With his dynamic energy and charismatic personality, he creates an atmosphere of fun and humility wherever he goes, inspiring others to feel the beat and express themselves through movement. |
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ADAMO CIARALLO
Adamo is dedicated to nurturing, developing, and promoting the blues scene in Europe and beyond. He is the co-founder and organizer of Espanish Blues Festival, Spain’s first ever blues dance festival. Adamo has a professional qualification in teaching adults and he sees his role as teacher to facilitate the classroom in response to learner’s needs, enabling all students to achieve to their potential. His classes focus on highlighting the relationship between the dancers and the music and the importance of personal expression and creativity. He loves social dancing, teaching, competing, and listening to music, and spends his ‘spare’ time reading and learning about the history of the dance forms he loves so much. But what makes Adamo’s dancing life worthwhile is the commitment, enthusiasm, and energy of his students and everybody else around in what he describes as “this beautiful community of dancers”. Find out more about Adamo on his website www.adamoandvicci.com and check out his online dance school thebluesroom.com |
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VICCI MOORE
There is nothing Vicci loves more in the world than dancing! She has a broad knowledge of dance and the body, training initially as a solo dancer and gaining a degree in Contemporary Dance and Choreography, a diploma in Anatomy and Physiology and a Masters in Education. Her background in a variety of solo dances proved invaluable when she discovered Lindy Hop, Balboa and Blues dance and she is known for approaching her partner dancing with grace, fluidity and intense body awareness. Vicci is committed to studying the history of blues dance and music and, through her teaching, hopes to honour and celebrate the dance and the people who created it. She is fascinated by the wider context of dance and its influences from and on society; when she's not dancing you can find her reading, studying and writing her blog about a variety of blues-related topics. As a trained teacher Vicci is passionate about providing high level pedagogy in her classes. In addition to organising ESBF she also organises Bluesology, a week long teacher training camp, and offers teacher training workshops all around the globe. Find out more about Vicci on her website www.adamoandvicci.com and check out her online dance school at thebluesroom.com |
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GAS FERNANDEZ
Gas is a professional dancer and dance instructor, based in Madrid, Spain. He specialises in vintage dance styles including Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues and Tango. As a former gymnast he is known in the swing dance community for his powerful acrobatics and aerials, while his background in Tango gives his Blues style drama and strength, grounded in a sensitive connection with his partner. Gastón’s passion for Blues has taken him around the world, and he has taught and performed in Argentina, Brazil, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, England, Portugal, Australia, EEUUU, among others. Gastón is devoted to promoting and fostering swing and blues dance and culture in Argentina and Latin America. He has directed two stage productions featuring live jazz and vintage dance in Buenos Aires and ran South America’s first and largest annual swing dance festival,LHAIF (Lindy Hop Argentina International Festival) each year in Buenos Aires, and the first Blues event Careless Weekend. He has also been a major proponent of Blues dance in Buenos Aires and is now increasingly in demand to teach Blues internationally. With intense partner connection, Gas fuses Blues with Tango technique, though always striving to stay grounded in the essence of the Blues. His mission in life is to pass on his passion for Lindy hop and Blues to others. |
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ALBA MENGUAL
Alba met these dances in 2007. She started to teach them 'for fun' and became a full time professional in 2013. She brought her analytic foundation from her old career (pharmacy, medical information) and found in teaching a new way to apply her love for communication. Seven years ago she opened a school alongside Gastón Fernández, in her hometown, Madrid. Her passion made her want to cover everything: from the local organisation to organising international workshops, local and international teaching (teaching all over Europe, with some incursions into China, Australia and the USA, having the pleasure to teach at iconic festivals such as Lindy Shock or Snowball), and little by little developing experience in choreographing and shows. Her true passion is teaching and social dance, letting go and allowing the communication magic to spark, being in the present moment and in her body. If she can teach both things, connecting the student with their self expression and how to express it through the jazz/blues language, she knows she has succeeded. Alba also understands the responsibility of being a cultural surrogate of this culture, and is very aware that she has to keep learning herself and conveying in classes the love for the culture, so people don't isolate the dance from its roots and people. Everything framed by jazz culture, she has learned to love and study with devotion. One day they were walking through Harlem and Gas said to her “after this walk, your dance will never be the same”. Indeed, it was true. Find out more at www.gasandalba.com |