In preparation for the Northwest Balboa Festival held here in Seattle, we're hosting a Balboa Bootcamp! Learn one of the original Swing Era partner dances, Balboa! Whether you're a first time dancer or experienced in the Swing Era dances, this workshop is for you! It's a great opportunity to try out the other dance role, too!

This workshop will focus on the foundational moves and rhythms to get students comfortable with Balboa, and ready to take classes and join social dances.

90 minute workshop
Workshop only: $25
Buy social dance and workshop for $35!

--What is Balboa?--

Balboa is a refined and elegant swing dance that emerged in Southern California on the crowded dance floors of Orange County, CA in the 1920s and 1930s, with contributions coming from the socially and ethnically diverse SoCal dance communities. With some ballrooms mandating that couples stay in a close-embrace position, the swing music lovers created a dance that borrowed rhythms and movements from Fox Trot and Charleston, shrinking them down to an elegant and swinging shuffle dance and adapting its signature close embrace.

Later in the 1930s, the Balboa dancers of Orange County started combining their dance with another swing dance style from the Los Angeles area, simply called “Swing”. Over time, Balboa and Swing came to be known as Bal-Swing. Close embrace Balboa, referred to now as “Pure Balboa,” and “Bal-Swing” make up what we now call “Balboa,” a hugely popular swing dance around the world. Because of its mechanics and partner connection, Balboa has the widest range of comfortable tempos of any of the classic swing dances! Balboa is particularly well-suited to faster tempos, allowing dancers to glide smoothly across the floor with minimal movement while maintaining a strong connection with their partner.

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Join Balboa instructor Lauren Smith for our Fancy Feet Balboa Workshop: Footwork Stylings in Pure Bal and Bal Swing on Saturday, February 21. This workshop will be Intermediate+, please check the prerequisites below, and will cover stylings in both Lead and Follow roles. Students will take a deep dive into stylings options throughout Pure Balboa and Bal Swing movements, that add musicality to every dance and make it incredibly fun to dance.

We’re going to cover as many stylings as we can fit into three hours!

Schedule:

12-1pm Stylings in Lollies and Toss Outs

1-2pm Stylings in Out and Ins

2-3pm Stylings in Pure Balboa

Register here:

https://cloudlanddance.square.site/s/order

Prerequisites - Participants should have a firm grasp of:

Uphold and downhold basics, come arounds, adlibs, lollies, toss outs, and Out-and-Ins. The workshop will build on these foundational moves.

Meet Your Instructor:

Lauren Smith is a lifelong dancer in many styles, and started swing dancing in 2007 when a friend brought her to LA’s Lindy Groove. After that, she could be found dancing almost every night of the week, competing regularly, and teaching locally and around the world.

Lauren has headlined events across the globe, teaching at: Balboa on the River (Australia,) Minor Swing (Sweden,) Camp Jitterbug (USA,) Edinburgh Balboa & Shag Festival (Scotland,) Northwest Balboa Festival (USA), Cologne Balboa Festival (Germany,) and Swinging’ by the Sound (USA,) to name a few. She specializes in jazz era dances, including Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, Charleston, and Slow Jazz. Her degree in vocal music education allows her to bring a unique approach to classes, incorporating natural musicality, body efficiency, and Alexander method techniques.

Lauren regularly competes as both a lead and a follow, winning and placing in a number of international dance competitions: Great Lakes Balboa Escape, Balorado, Hot Rhythm Holiday, Camp Hollywood, and All Balboa Weekend, among others. She is a sought after competition judge and DJ at major events, including California Balboa Classic, Snowball, Camp Hollywood, Camp Jitterbug, Hot Rhythm Holiday, The Balboa Experiment, and Balorado.

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

“Give a Little Love” Fundraiser Dance for Minnesota - Let's Melt the Ice

Join us Friday, February 13 for our “Give a Little Love” fundraiser dance, raising funds for Stand With Minnesota to come together as a dance community supporting the victims of ICE in Minneapolis and providing rent support and resources. Across Minnesota, ICE continues to stop, harass, and detain people regardless of their citizenship status. Normal life in Minnesota has been interrupted, as schools have been forced to close or go virtual, as people live in fear of leaving their homes or going to work. Minnesotans are organized and activated to respond to this violence. But they need our help.

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Join Peter and Lauren for their Slow Balboa workshop June 21, where they'll take students on a deep dive into the essential techniques and styles of vintage Slow Balboa.

This workshop will focus on aesthetics, techniques, and flow in Slow Balboa at the Intermediate and up level. Students will explore rhythmic variations and different styles of Slow Balboa, and learn to add playfulness and musicality to well known moves.

Prerequisites - Participants should have a firm grasp of:

Uphold and downhold basics, come arounds, and out and ins, at minimum. The workshop will build on these foundational moves, creating exciting combos and an easier use of momentum throughout the dance.

Schedule:

-Brush Up Your Basics-

Building more comfortable and efficient basics, and adding some sparkly styling to help your pure bal basic stand out.

-Momentum and Flow-

Exploring rhythmic variations throughout Slow Balboa.

-Dean Rafftery’s Slow Balboa-

Learn this classic variation of Slow Balboa made famous by Balboa dance legend Dean Rafftery.

Peter & Lauren are two dynamic instructors with over forty years of teaching experience between them. Their elegant style and smooth dancing stands out wherever they go, and their enthusiasm for teaching has made them crowd favorites around the world. Based in Seattle, they are highly in-demand, sharing their passion for the great classic dances of the Swing Era. Their classes and workshops are acclaimed for their clarity, humor and high spirits!

CLASSES ARE HELD AT GOTTA DANCE
17945 NE 65TH ST #100, REDMOND, WA 98052

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm

Swing outs, sugar pushes, quick stops, oh my! Join us every Friday night for our swing dance where top flight djs will bring you the hard swinging music and soulful tunes adored by swing dancers around the world. New to swing dancing? No problem! Take the Intro Lesson from 8:30-9:00pm, then dance the night away from 9:00-11:30pm