Sia Dancing
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© Anastasia Angeli
Description
My name is Sia and I dance.
"Sia Dancing" is a podcast about social dancing and dancers. With a little fraction of lighting.
I am mostly involved in Swing dances so expect me visiting lindy hop, blue and balboa festivals and events to record my episodes.
My goal is to make this community more inclusive. What makes an impact on how we feel when dancing with others?
Join me for conversations with dancers, teachers, and festival organizers to discover the magical world of social dancing.
See ya dancing 🕺
(Previously called "A City for You". Times are changing, so does this podcast 💃)
"Sia Dancing" is a podcast about social dancing and dancers. With a little fraction of lighting.
I am mostly involved in Swing dances so expect me visiting lindy hop, blue and balboa festivals and events to record my episodes.
My goal is to make this community more inclusive. What makes an impact on how we feel when dancing with others?
Join me for conversations with dancers, teachers, and festival organizers to discover the magical world of social dancing.
See ya dancing 🕺
(Previously called "A City for You". Times are changing, so does this podcast 💃)
153 Episodes
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In this cosy and sleepy‑morning conversation, we meet a dancer and biologist from Bergen who loves nature, rhythm, and the quiet joy of moving with another person.We talk about:• why dance brings joy• how different styles share the same roots• what low light does to our attention• how breath can change a whole danceThere is a lovely moment about strobe lights at an electronic concert, and how lighting can lift us into a dreamy, hypnotic state.Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is the craziest move you have seen on tha dancefloor?✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #LazyRiver #SocialDancing
In this gentle and honest conversation, Jenna shares what dancing has meant in her life. She talks about growing up in the U.S., dancing for the first time when someone accidentally has invited her to dance at prom when “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” song came up, and how it slowly shaped everything from her friendships to the place she now calls home.We explore what it’s like to dance with poor low‑light vision, how lighting can change safety and comfort on the floor, and why inclusive environments matter more than most people realize.Jenna also opens up about:• why she dances• how she builds connection when leading and following• the influence of other dance styles• the beauty of bringing your whole self into the dance• what she wishes more dancers understoodThis episode is soft, thoughtful, and full of insight for anyone who cares about community and connection on the dance floor.Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is a dream that you would like to see come true? ✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #LazyRiver #SocialDancing
Here we are in Stockholm talking with Raya, who is based in Tallinn. We have shared a warm, honest conversation with Raya Bouslah: born in Tunisia, now building a dancing life in Estonia, and finding her way across lindy hop and blues.Raya started right before Covid and never stopped (well, apart from when the Covid was in its bloom). She talks about how dancing helps her stay sane and how social dance became a special way to meet people and bond. She gives a shout‑out to Rostom, who first nudged her into the scene. We also talk openly about social anxiety: the first class felt great until the moment everyone was asked to grab a partner, then everything tightened. She stayed anyway. Which she reflects on as being a great way of moving through ansxiety. Classes being in Estonian sometimes felt alienating, yet social dancing opened a different part of her brain, almost like a contract of safe space.We look at human connection on the dance floor and how often it gets sexualised, then turn toward the kind of connection that feels respectful, joyful, and clear. Raya shares memories from Bluesila and leaves thoughtful advice about finding your own language of dancing.Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is a dream that you would like to see come true? ✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #Herräng #SocialDancing
Here we are at Snowball in Stockholm, sitting with Lindsey Ngo and Krystel Chevallier for an opposite of a small-talk. We had an open-hearted conversation about how swing dancing can become a place of belonging.Krystel shares how she began dancing balboa ten years ago in Australia and how the dance community stepped into her life at a moment when she felt alone after her divorce. Dancing became the thing that stopped her mind from overthinking, the thing that made her feel alone. She talks about the partnership side of swing dancing, the joy of building Jurassic Bal event, and the sweet story of her future life partner taking a photo of her at her first dance event, in a moment of pure joy and that he later printed for her.Lindsey came to Australia from the USA ten years ago and found her way into dancing six years back. She now helps run a small but warm local scene of about fifty dancers. For her, dancing began with loving the music as a kid, and it is the moment when she feels fully present. She shares a beautiful memory from a no shoe event, dancing softly to the music of Jessie Gordon and Mark Turner, in a room so quiet it felt almost magical.They both share inspiring tips & stories, and answer Kristyna’s question from the previous episode about their very first memories of dancing swing.Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is a dream that you would like to see come true? ✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #Herräng #SocialDancing
Here we are at Snowball in Stockholm, finally sitting down to record this long-awaited episode with Kristýna Krejzlová.Kristýna is a swing and blues dancer from Brno in the Czech Republic, a growing teacher, and a fresh trombone player who is falling even deeper in love with the music and community around these dances.She shares how discovering Lindy Hop just weeks after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis gave her one hour every week where she felt “normal” and fully alive again - and how dance still helps her stay active, present, and connected. We talk about feeling most yourself on the dance floor, blues rooms, secret Herräng parties with dim lights and colorful dots on the ceiling, and why “never stop dancing” might be the best advice of all.Kristýna also reflects on sensitivity and that “sixth sense” dancers develop, plus how the Brno scene works to honor the roots of the dance through culture-focused teaching, talks, and even a little dance library. And, of course, she passes on a beautiful chain question for the next guest: what is your very first memory of dancing Lindy Hop, blues, or another swing dance? What's yours?Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is a dream that you would like to see come true? ✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #Herräng #SocialDancing
Here we are having a relaxed chat with Mattias Dahl & Jessica Malmberg — a warm, funny, and honest conversation about how dancing can change a life.Mattias shares how he’d been convinced his whole life that he couldn’t dance (because he was a drummer… apparently the Swedish dansband culture has "rules" on that), and Jessica opens up about being very shy — until August 16th, 2009, when they walked into their first dance class and everything shifted.We talk about dance as therapy: joy, community, and something that’s good for both body and brain — and for Jessica, a way to be closer to the music she loves. We also explore dancing as a practice in taking up space, and what it’s like to step out of an immersive place where you truly feel you belong (Herräng comes up as an example).Plus: their grounded advice — listen to your own limits, and don’t chase levels and titles.Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is a dream that you would like to see come true? ✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #Herräng #SocialDancing
Here we are sitting at The Snowball festival in Stockholm, and having a relaxed chat with Jennifer Thompson (from Texas) - a warm and thoughtful chat about why we dance.Jenn shares how she started Lindy Hop in 2014, how dancing became a way to connect with people and cultures without words, and why dancing feels like a universal language even when you don’t share the same mother tongue.We also explore “light” as more than just a spotlight: as a metaphor for what dance illuminates in us, and how it can “light up your life.”Plus: Jenn’s advice to fellow dancers: take the chances (classes, auditions, competitions, grants).Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is a dream that you would like to see come true? ✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #Herräng #SocialDancing
Celeste’s story is an international one, allowing us to meet at Herräng Dance Camp. In this conversation, she opens up about how dance became her therapy, the patterns she notices in different dance communities, and why lighting can completely change the way we move. From belly dance to tango to Lindy Hop, her journey is full of rhythm, resilience, and unexpected turns.Subscribe & ReviewFollow the podcast and leave a review to help me grow 🌟Share Your ThoughtsTag me on Instagram @SiaDancing and tell me your favorite moment from this episode 💃Join the ConversationWhat is a dream that you would like to see come true? ✨#SiaDancing #DanceStories #SocialDanceCulture #Herräng #SocialDancing
Darold Alexander is from New Orleans, Louisiana, and we have met at Herräng.He is a MC and a frontman for a few bands & a very prominent person of Herräng 2024, as you might recall.We talked about dance as escape (from responsibilities, work, dealing with people), about ageism on the dance floor and about drinking a lot on the dancefloor.Enjoy and keep the city dancing!
The first episode of the new season of acityforyou. For the upcoming episodes we will be talking about dance in the city!In this episode #138 we will be exploring BLUES and how this dance is experienced in different cities, partilucarly in Helsinki, where the episode was recorded.Enjoy and keep your city dancing.
We have met with Anastasia Karachristou at Herräng, where we were both volunteering and, of course, dancing. So this episode is with a very sleep deprived version of Anastasia. She is a music teacher and she plays in the children's theatre in Athens. She has been dancing lindy hop and solo jazz for the past 8 years.We talked about:💡 Athens being alive until very late💡 Herräng as a camp that people from the city made💡 Porto being very atmospherical, like the Gotham city💡 Light changing the theatrical experience🌏 Thanks for your attention❶ Help my project grow - give me a review on Apple podcasts / rate the show on Spotify❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook - search @aCityForYou
Lizaveta was born and raised in Belarus, and lived in different European cities in the past years. She is a mathematician and a blues dancer. We have met at the Stockholm Blues Festival and recorded the episode right there.We talked about:💡 The difference in feeling when going home from a late dance class💡 Recognising people's faces adding to a feeling of safety💡 Different aspects of Berlin💡Zürich making use of the surroundings when choosing artificial lighting& much more🌏 Thanks for your attention❶ Help my project grow - give me a review on Apple podcasts / rate the show on Spotify❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook - search @ACityForYou
Angela is originally from Peru, and she moved to Sweden 2 years ago. A criminal lawyer by profession, working currently as a team leader. She considers herself a traveller, she has visited more than 20 countries and islands, the longest trip being 6 months in India.
As well as other things, we have talked about:
💡 Utter Pradesh in India as a lovely place to photograph
💡 Differences within Peru - from jungle to Miraflores
💡 Connection to Cusco and the “Sacred Valley”
💡 Lighting of the Pyramids in Mexico
💡 One month festival in the middle of the dessert, Kumbha Mela
🌏 Did you enjoy the episode?
❶ Help my project grow - give me a review on Apple podcasts / rate the show on Spotify
❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook - search @ACityForYou
❸ Keep the discussion going
Yusuf Hussein is 21 years old, born and raised in Järva, Rinkeby. He is a person of many interest - a filmmaker, a director, a poet, an engineer student, and an executive director of a creative platform “Rise and Shoot”.
We met at an event in Kista, organised by The Kloud and light artist Jonas Johansson half a year ago - and here we go, talking about cities!
We touched upon:
💡 Competing in a poetry slam
💡 Creative platform Rise and Shoot
💡 Light as a source of creativity and inspiration
💡 View from the Fotografiska museum
Links to the projects we have mentioned:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rise-and-shoot/
https://www.fotografiska.com/sto/
http://thekloud.se
Poppy works as a lighting designer in London. She grew up in a small village near Wales, Ewyas Harold. We met while studying at UWE Bristol and we were even sharing a flat for one year. So imagine how happy we were to meet one another again after those years!
We talked about:
💡Coming together in a village pub after a working day
💡Bristol as a sociable city, easy to integrate into
💡Bustling and lonely London
💡Feeling taken in by a local in Italian cities, accepted and embraced
& more
🌏 Did you enjoy the episode?
❶ Help my project grow - give me a review on Apple podcasts / rate the show on Spotify
❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook - search @ACityForYou
❸ Keep the discussion going
The episode was recorded in Tel Aviv, during my short stay there.
Jane was born in a small Russian town, then has been studying in Ufa, after which she moved to Shenzhen, China. During the pandemic she moved to Pardesiya, Israel. She likes to catch the moments and notice details, which became a big part of our discussion.
We talked about:
💡 Falling in love with Shenzhen, “city of the future”
💡 Different architecture within Tel Aviv
💡 Details in the city of Jerusalem, keeping the story within
🌏 Did you enjoy the episode?
❶ Help my project grow - give me a review on Apple podcasts / rate the show on Spotify
❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook - search @ACityForYou
❸ Keep the discussion going
We know each other with Katerina since early childhood and until we both moved to study in the UK, we had only been meeting in Cyprus, once a year. And now, during my short visit to Cyprus, we meet again!
Katerina was born and raised in Cyprus, while her mom is Russian. For the past 6 years she has been living abroad - studying and working in the UK. Now she is living in Dublin, Ireland. She is fascinated by Russian literature. In her free time she loves walking around galleries and museums, observing people.
Some of the points we have touched upon:
💡 City as a network, an atmosphere
💡 Walking around cities as a process to pay attention to
💡 Moving through the city at day and night as two different experiences
🌏 Did you enjoy the episode?
❶ Help my project grow - give me a review on Apple podcasts / rate the show on Spotify
❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook - search @ACityForYou
❸ Keep the discussion going
Sezel is currently working at Alva Labs as a customer success manager. She is originally from Bangalore, in South India - the “Silicon Valley” of India and is currently living in Kista - which is also sometimes called the Swedish “Silicon Valley”.
Some of the topics that we have discussed with Sezel:
💡 Good mix of convenience and culture
💡 The “real” Bangalore
💡 Why does the sun setting affect how do safe we feel? Does it?
💡 Himalayan track experience - looking up at the night sky
💡 Bat-friendly lights in Järfalla
💡 Story of meeting her husband on a nighttime street in Cambodia
🌏 Now it's your turn!
❶ To help my project grow give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on a platform you listen to it
❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook by searching @ACityForYou there
❸ ENJOY A City for You
Johanna and Tobias are landscape architects at Nyréns Arkitektkontor in Stockholm. They were both working on the Yoga Paviljong project in Vasaparken, where we have done the recording this episode.
Some of the points we have touched upon:
💡 Yoga Pavilion in Vasaparken, soft light being a supporter
💡 Feeling safe in the darkness
💡 People cooking dinner on the streets of Guinea, outside their houses at night
💡 Grand Hotel in Stockholm being the most horrible light
💡 Private villas at light phenomena
🌏 Now it's your turn!
❶ To help my project grow give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on a platform you listen to it
❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook by searching @ACityForYou
❸ ENJOY a city for you
Ursula has always been dancing and cycling (she made it through 31 countries on a bike so far...). She has been working as a teacher, as a manager and now for 28 past years she has been a speech and language therapist in Germany.
We were recording this episode at Herräng Dance Camp.
Some of the points we have touched upon:
💡 The fountain in Freiburg as a place for dancing
💡 Hamburg having more water streets than Venice & most amount of kilometers of indoor shopping
💡 Cycling through the Altai Mountains in the Gobi Desert - passing by a village where there was no word for “belonging”
💡 A story of Salome from Namibia who is taking care of 50 orphans [https://radreisenfueraidswaisen.de]
💡 Cities in Germany have started turning off lights in the city at 10-11pm, including traffic lights.
🌏 Now it's your turn!
❶ To help my project grow give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on a platform you listen to it
❷ Follow on Instagram and Facebook by searching @ACityForYou there
❸ ENJOY A City for You
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