Areski Stichweh
(They/them/their)
Areski discovered Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz and Tap in 2014 and dropped everything else they were doing: they never felt as free as when dancing jazz. Areski quickly became a full-time instructor and DAncer.
In their DAncing, Areski is looking for rhythm, stability, and focusing on the silence between the notes. Having a solid base allows them to underline the floating movement and play with contrasts, giving a way to express themself freely through movement.
Areski’s aim is to honour the culture of jazz DAncing and music in each and every class. Taking inspiration from the different elements of their learning, they try to bring a rich experience based on historical, cultural and musical elements, having social DAnce and play as a focus for the students’ DAncing.
Photo Credit: Katie Cobalt
Thanh Thanh Nguyen
(She/Her)
Stumbling upon Lindy Hop in 2016, Thanh Thanh has since embarked on an incredible journey brewing her passion for the dance into her life compass. Her love for body movements and funky grooves has grown and rooted deeper with the rich sound and stories of jazz shared in Saigon Swing Cats, her home scene in Vietnam.
Since relocating to Europe 2021, Thanh Thanh has continued to hone her dance craft and broadened her perspective on the dance contemporary culture. After a successful stint burning the floors in Lindylicious 2022, Jazz Roots 2022 and ILHC Europe 2022, Thanh Thanh is now happily based in Paris, ready to share her dance wherever the sound of hot rhythms takes her.
In her classes, she often encourages everyone to explore their own movements through self-awareness and improvisation while honoring the root of authentic African American Jazz dance.
Westafrican Dance & Talk
Jennifer Owusu (she/her)
... a super dedicated local dancer, teacher & choreographer will give a culture talk & dance taster about westafrican dance. She's doing an incredible job with this program which contains of one hour of dancing and one hour of talking about the background of the steps, the region it originates from and other interesting facts connected. I want to support her work, especially as she's coming from an Ghanaian household pouring a lot of energy into preserving and researching westafrican dance & culture. She's the co-founder of Kalo Yelen e.V. and the local dance troupe Afrotude Dancer's and always on fire.
Soft Shoe & Talk
Kris Blindert (she/her)
Kris has been a Lindy Hop teacher for over a decade; she teaches local classes in Heidelberg as well as international workshops from Israel to Ireland and many places in between. She's known for her ability to break down complex ideas to make them easy to learn and execute. Kris balances her precise and methodical nature with her care for the culture of jazz DAnces, to avoid watering down the DAnce and to make sure that her students are getting what they really need to achieve their DAnce goals.
Solo jazz has been near and dear to Kris’ heart for years, and she loves to share it with students. She's been falling-off-the-log and camel-walking for a very long time now, but she's still new to tap DAnce. And though she's not an expert, she definitely is an enthusiast and wants to share her love of tap with you. Her wish is for everyone who loves jazz to appreciate tapDAnce as part of jazz history and culture, and get inspired to integrate tap rhythms and ideas into their own DAncing.
DA Bands
Jake Walker Orchestra
Jake Walker from Belgium will be playing for us on Saturday the 14th of October. About Jake Walker:
" This Swing-Band really has it: when you hear that swinging sound you won't be able to keep from dancing.
First a brief history lesson: "Jamaican ginger" abbreviated "Jake" was a medication that was used earlier in the USA. During the prohibition era this medication gained notoriety because it contained alcohol. After learning about its misuse, the government then banned use of this medication. Underground sources of the medication started popping up offering alternate versions of "Jake" however these versions often had a numbing side effect in the hands and feet of the user. These people lost the ability to walk properly. These users with their strange looking walk ended up being described as a "Jake Walker."
Now 100 years later, Jake is back again. However not as an illegal drink but rather as the swing band "Jake Walker," inducing addictive cravings for its listeners. "Jake Walker" fills bars and clubs every week producing a mix sound attracting swing dancers from all over.
Join the craze on Saturday the 14th of October..."
You can now buy your ticket via the Centralstation DArmstadt. Just klick on the button below.
En Haufe Leit
Our Friday Party Band
En Haufe Leit since 45 (!) years a local active swing troupe will bring you a variety of tunes from soft and slow to fast and energetic. Save your ticket and klick on the button below.
DJ
Kris Blindert
Kris has been a music lover for as long as she can remember. Her father introduced her to just a few of the jazz greats when she was a little girl, and she belted Ella and Billie Holiday tunes in the shower long before she'd ever heard of swing dancing. So when she started lindy hopping in 2008, she fell in love with the music all over again.
In addition to playing jazz greats from the swing era and beyond, Kris loves to include lots of other Black American music styles in her sets - from Blues to R&B, from Funk to Hip Hop, Kris plays anything she can think of to keep your body grooving and the party hopping.
