Classes Description
Friday May 2nd 2025
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Blues introduction class
Studio : Disstorsion
Track: Zero to Hero
Teachers: Erica Harris & Robin Chow
​
​
If you are curious to discover the basics of blues dancing before our evening dance.
Saturday May 3rd 2025
11:10 am - 12:10 pm
Continuity and Flow
Studio : A
Track: Partnership & Connection
Teachers: Jamica & Mike
​
​Smooth out the wrinkles in your partnering, then learn how to unlock dynamic and powerful moments. As a follower, be confident in where you are and how to improvise without breaking the flow. As a leader, learn how to lead clearly and set up cool energy exchanges.
From Across the Pond
Studio : Ashtanga Yoga
Track: Music & Culture
Teachers: Kenneth & Katrina
​
​The lineage of black diaspora dances are directly affected by their journey across the world. We'll discuss what rhythmic elements persisted from various African nations and traditions and how they still affect the blues and other black dances today.
​
Dancing Close
Studio : B
Track: Zero to Hero
Teachers: Dan & Julie
​
This class is all about how to dance close, in an embrace position, in a way that’s comfy and cozy for both partners, covering physical mechanics as well as consent, choice, & body language.
​
All Together, Now!
Studio : D
Track: Advanced Concepts
Teachers: Andi
​
​Dance through your whole body! We’ll connect our movements together and make everything more cohesive, as we start with groove and expand from there to motivate moves from the ground up, and go on to creating compound movements and engaging our whole body in responding to the music and our partner.
Team-building
Studio : C
Track: Think Outside the Box
Teachers: Alfredo
​
Without giving away too much, this class is designed to provide some introspection on how we participate in a small group setting. This dance project will hopefully provide some fun insight.
​
​
​
1:10 pm - 2:10 pm
The Fab Four Foundation (transition)
Studio : A
Track: Partnership & Connection
Teachers: Alfredo
​
This class is going to focus on the way we build mini choreo’s in our dances and how we use that to establish communication with our partners. Transitions between them can be challenging, but not if we follow the fab four.
Ellington, Jungle Jazz, & Navigating Performances of Blackness
Studio : Ashtanga Yoga
Track: Music & Culture
Teachers: Dan & Julie
​​​
Our scene enjoys songs like Black & Tan Fantasy and the Mooche, but do you know the history and implications of songs like this, which came to be known as “Jungle Jazz”? This class will explore both the complicated history of this music and ideas on ways we might dance to it.
Musicality From The Ground Up
Studio : B
Track: Zero to Hero
Teachers: Andi
​
Blues music is so diverse and fun; let’s listen together and look at all the ways that you can turn what you’re hearing into how you’re dancing! You’ll learn a bunch of tips and tricks to help you diversify your own movements, and play around with each new song.
Tempo Challenge - Fast & Slow
Studio : D
Track: Advanced Concepts
Teachers: Jamica & Mike
​
What happens when the music is super fast or super slow? We'll share some of our favorite ways of dancing to very fast and slow Blues.
Hearing The Call
Studio : C
Track: Think Outside the Box
Teachers: Kenneth & Katrina
​
When we hear clear directions or asks in a blues song, why don't we react to them? Using modern and classic black line dances, we’ll work on hearing these calls to action and then find where they show up in our favorite blues songs.
2:25 pm - 3:25 pm
Next-level Momentum Moves & Techniques
Studio : A
Track: Partnership & Connection
Teachers: Dan & Julie
​
Stretchy jazzy blues moves to challenge your lead-follow skills! In this class, learn some fun partnered momentum moves while improving your lead-follow skills & precision.
Pre-requisites: Stretch, compression, & momentum techniques from blues or swing
Chicago Triples
Studio : Ashtanga Yoga
Track: Music & Culture
Teachers: Andi
​
Come get comfy and play around with the rhythms, shapes, and textures of Chicago triple step blues. Juicy triples, zoomy stretch and squish, we’ll see how the basic footwork and partner dynamics can change our dancing in fun new ways!
Starting your dance
Studio : B
Track: Zero to Hero
Teachers: Alfredo
​
The first minute of a dance, especially with a new partner, can set the tone for the whole dance (and possibly future dances with this person). We will be focusing on tuning in to the song, tuning in to your partner, and kicking off a great dance experience.
Shaping and Draping
Studio : D
Track: Advanced Concepts
Teachers: Kenneth & Katrina
​
​Ballroom blues dances are iconic for the way partners shape themselves and move together. We'll tackle a few signature stylings that incorporate various body parts and challenge you to explore draping your body in ways often neglected in ballroom dances.
Funk Blues
Studio : C
Track: Think Outside the Box
Teachers: Jamica & Mike
​
Jamica and Mike LOVE funk blues and they love teaching it. We will show you a couple of ways to layer funky expression onto your blues and we will aim to reach the full funky butt basic, which includes counterbalance.
3:40 pm - 4:40 pm
Asymmetry and partnership
Studio : A
Track: Partnership & Connection
Teachers: Andi
​
​Your unique ideas are part of what makes dancing fun and interesting. We’ll get comfortable with doing different things than our partners, enable each other to try new stuff, practice adaptive and confident leading and following, and make cool dances together!
Blues isn’t “Dirty dancing” (unless you want it to be).
Studio : Ashtanga Yoga
Track: Music & Culture
Teachers: Alfredo
​​
Why is it that most people who don’t know about blues dancing perceive it as dirty dancing? We will focus on this misunderstanding, how it occurs, and how this knowledge can be either a powerful tool or weapon.
How To Dance In Community
Studio : B
Track: Zero to Hero
Teachers: Kenneth & Katrina
​
Sharing traditions, passing down knowledge, jumping into line dances are just some of the ways elements of black community are passed onto future generations. Together, we will dive into a few of these methods and walk away with new ways to learn and grow in your blues dancing.
Precision Axis Shifts for Jazzy Blues: The Details You’re Missing
Studio : D
Track: Advanced Concepts
Teachers: Dan & Julie
​
Being able to lead/follow subtle differences in axis placement opens possibilities for more complex musicality and partnering. In this class we’ll challenge your ability to make distinct choices by comparing similar movements and other challenging exercises.
Mixing Idioms
Studio : C
Track: Think Outside the Box
Teachers: Jamica & Mike
​
Which Blues idioms form the foundation of your freestyle Blues? We'll experiment with using different aspects of different idioms to create something new. This is one of our favorite classes, and it is guaranteed to open your eyes to more possibilities.​
​
​
4:55 pm - 6:10 pm Free Class to attend
Building anti-racist communities
Studio : C
Track: Music & Culture
Teachers: Julie
​
​
​This class is for all dance community members, whether you're a teacher/DJ/organizer or not. In this lecture & discussion class, we'll look at actions & practices any dance community member can take on to engage responsibly & intentionally in Black art forms, both within our dance communities and beyond them. You'll come away with a personal 'why' statement, a list of concrete actions, accountability buddies, and clear exercises/practices you can do on your own or with other dancers.