Conversations in Closed

Bienvenidos a Conversations in Closed! Jose y Estela charlan con Neus Castells...Neus descubrió el swing por casualidad en 2007 en el Parque de la Ciutadella de Barcelona. Comenzó formándose en Lindy Hop y Solo Jazz, y hacia 2009 se sumergió en el Balboa. Desde entonces ha vivido la escena al máximo: practicando, enseñando, compitiendo, haciendo de DJ y actuando.Desde 2015 entrena e imparte clases regulares e internacionales de Balboa junto a Albert Ferran, con quien comparte el proyecto Balanced Dancing. Este proyecto busca profundizar en los diferentes aspectos del baile en pareja que permitan potenciar una comunicación más fluida y dinámica y la expresividad de ambos bailarines, respetando siempre los fundamentos del Balboa original. Todo ello con un enfoque centrado en el baile social, la improvisación y los aspectos filosóficos y humanos, que nos invitan a cuestionarnos constantemente.

Denise chats with Miyabi Hong from Taiwan! Listen to them talk about the crossover between Taiwan's street dance scene, follower's voice, and of course we couldn't have Miyabi on without asking her about all her different hair colors. If you have ever watched Miyabi on the dance floor, she is incredibly playful, and she has a unique way of approaching the dance. Miyabi's passion for street dance began during her school days. Her background in street dance and understanding of body movement helped her blend seamlessly into Swing dancing. In 2016, she founded Balboa Taipei and has been an active presence in the local dance scene.

Larissa & Heiko Heckendorn hang out with Jose. Join us as we talk about dance/romantic partnerships, ELEF, the life of traveling dance teachers, and more.Larissa and Heiko's story began 22 years ago at a high school ball, when a friend gave Heiko a well-timed shove in Larissa's direction. They've been dancing through life together ever since. It was Larissa who pulled Heiko onto the dance floor, from ballroom and Latin all the way to Lindy Hop, Shag and Balboa. He swears he loved it from the very first moment, and since he never left, we're inclined to believe him.Before swing took over their lives, Larissa taught high school math and physics, so no classroom in the world fazes her. Heiko spent years travelling the globe, making complicated technical products sound simple. As it turns out, those are precisely the skills teaching dance and running a dance school require: clear explanations, endless patience, and a talent for keeping a room full of people happily engaged.Today they run their school, Basel Jitterbugs, where every class teaches both roles: everyone leads, everyone follows. Inspired by the original dancers and by eye-opening trips to Los Angeles and Orange County, they live by the spirit of all swing dances sharing one floor, and they host three international festivals in Basel: Jitterbugs Delight, Balboa Delight and Shag Delight. 

Jenn & Jose catch up with Jennifer Barnett. Known for bringing a little math and science into the ballroom, Jen began tap dancing in pre-school and continued learning and teaching tap through high school. After putting aside dance to focus on chemistry in college, she was happy to return to dancing after graduation. This time to the partnered danced of Balboa and Slow Balboa. Now residing in New York City, Jen has spent over two decades teaching swing dance across five continents. She has placed in Strictly and Mix & Match divisions at prestigious events such as, The California Balboa Classic, Camp Hollywood, Stardust, and has performed at New York City's Lincoln Center and The Museum of Natural History. As a teacher, Jen blends a straightforward, technical presentation for both leads and follows, with plenty of humor and support, creating a multilevel classroom environment where everyone is challenged to push their creative boundaries.

Jose interviews two talented Seattle dancers: Etsuko & Yoshi Uemura! We talk about Pure Balboa, how their partnership came to be, hopes for the Balboa community, and more.Etsuko and Yoshi are Seattle-based Balboa dancers and instructors originally from Japan. Dancing together since 2015, they are best known for their Pure Balboa. Through teaching, competing, and social dancing, they love to share the joy of Pure Balboa with dancers around the world.