Virtually All Slow Bal

a veritable Smorgasbord of Slow Bal!

Community

We felt people might like to see where some of those attending are growing their own Slow Bal scene. Some are creating an awareness and providing an introduction to this style, while others go much further with weekly Slow Bal classes and teaching Slow Bal beyond their local areas.

This is not intended to be a complete list of all the Slow Bal activity popping up in various places, so to avoid any confusion only the names of those paying to attend (or simply support) the Virtually All Slow Bal weekend are given. We are extremely grateful to you, as well as for your additional donations. All your money will go to our wonderful teachers to help them at this difficult time.

More to be added, awaiting descriptions...

Slow Bal in Manchester

Teachers/organisers attending: Jo Barnes

Since Dec 2018, we had been running a monthly Balboa workshop and social. Slow Bal I first learnt from our neighbouring teachers and enthusiasts Harry and Svetlana (both also attending this weekender) at Balboanorth in 2019.

I then picked up what I could through travelling to festivals, with the hope of introducing it to Manchester Balboa.
During lockdown I've managed to grow a little interest in Slow Bal from facilitating a mix of recorded virtual classes fortnightly. I've coaxed a few dancers along to this weekender, and hope they'll join me in building its popularity when we can all meet up again.

Slow Bal in Airedale, UK

Teachers/organisers attending: Mark Lunn, Tracey Campbell

I am beginning to introduce Slow Bal in our area. I teach Lindy Hop classes twice a week at Airedale Swing Dance Community based in Silsden, West Yorkshire.

For the last couple of years I’ve invited local Balboa dancer Tracey Campbell to teach beginner level Bal once a month in place of my regular Wednesday Lindy class (until all our activities were suspended in March). These sessions have included an introduction to Slow Bal taster & a follow up Slow Bal class, so our access to Slow Bal has been very limited to date.

Slow Bal in Fleet, Hampshire, UK

Teachers/organisers attending: Brian and Sue Anthony

We teach Slow Bal, as part of the regular weekly classes, (pre-covid) also dedicated Slow Bal workshops once or twice per year. Our organisation name is Village Hop - Balboa.

We are currently running online classes for our local community. Find us on Facebook under Village Hop - Balboa.

Slow Bal in Oxford, UK

Teachers/organisers attending: Jacqui Horn

I teach Slow Balboa classes at Oxford Swing Dance regularly.

Slow Bal in Reading, UK

Teachers/organisers attending: Lynn Maslen

Lynn teaches Slow Bal locally and nationally. She runs a weekly balboa class (Balboa Mondays) in the Reading (Berkshire) area as well as running monthly practice sessions.

As part of the weekly Balboa Mondays classes there's at least one short course (3 weeks) focusing on Slow Balboa each year as well as ad hoc days and weekend courses and Lynn is also available for private classes. Lynn has taught Slow Balboa nationally including most recently a Slow Balboa dedicated weekend run by Edinbop. No current teaching due to COVID closures, but classes will start up as soon as it is safe to do so.

Slow Bal in Gloucester/Worcester, UK

Teachers/organisers attending: Phil Morris

We (Sue and I) have been teaching Slow Bal, with a sprinkling of Laminu, in the Worcester and Gloucester area for the past five years.

For the last two years (pre-Covid) we have been running regular monthly Slow Bal Sunday classes followed by a tea dance.

Slow Bal in Leeds, UK

Teachers/organisers attending: Harry Parker and Svetlana Ikponmwosa

We started teaching Slow bal along with regular Balboa in 2018 and did a beginner workshop were we found overwhelming interest in this beautiful dance.

Laminu in Edinburgh

Teachers/organisers attending: Jamie Davies, Katie Brooks

In non-lockdown years, we have taught at Edinburgh University Swing Dance Society, weekly for 20 years; the winter season is Lindy and Balboa, the summer season Shag and Laminu (a slow swing dance with some similar aspects to Slow Bal).

We have classes of about 150 people in Lindy and Shag, and around 18 in Balboa and Laminu. This year, classes continue but online, and focused on Shag in its solo form, preparing for partnership when this is possible again.

Slow Bal in Copenhagen, Denmark

Teachers/organisers attending: Jon Bendtsen, Zhan Li

Jon manages the “Slow Balboa Dancing” Facebook page which promotes international Slow Bal events, dances and international classes. He teaches (under the Hepcats Copenhagen organization, hepcats.dk):

Currently: Weekly class 1¼ hours of only Slow Balboa in Copenhagen with 8 student couples
Upcoming: Beginner workshop Oct. 18th, then more weekly classes.
Goal: Grow the slow balboa scene in Copenhagen and later in Malmö as well.
Future dreams: weekly classes in more than 1 level, a second lead teacher in Slow Balboa in Copenhagen, start a slow balboa scene in Malmö, Sweden (just across the bridge from Copenhagen), do some workshops in other parts of Denmark, non intro crash course in Slow Balboa in Herrang, Scandinavian Slow - a traveling workshop or exchange only for Slow Balboa dancing (in Scandinavia).

Slow Bal in Rotterdam with Slowfeet Studio

Teachers/organisers attending: Deirdre Schoemaker

Slowfeet Studio is a swing dance school focussed on Slow Bal. Before Covid-19 we taught weekly Slow Bal classes and regularly organised Slow Bal events in Rotterdam.

We were also working on the first international multi level all Slow Bal weekend in The Netherlands (and Europe?), which would have happened in June 2020. We love spreading the love for this beautiful dance, which is why we travelled to all corners ofThe Netherlands, but also to Belgium and Scotland, to teach Slow Bal classes. In September we have resumed weekly classes. We hope to be able to keep doing this. Slow Bal is in our heart!

Slow Bal in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Teachers/organisers attending: Michel Hendriksen and Irene Kosten

Our weekly classes were mostly balboa but we taught a few blocks of slowbal in our regular schedule, but mainly occasional workshops. We have been practising a lot to build up more slowbal repertoire to teach.

We haven’t taught any online classes. We hope we will be able to develop some of our ideas in the near future though. And we are looking at the possibilities for when we can meet up again and slowbal will be part of that.
Website is www.bal-swing.nl.

Slow Bal in Valencia, Spain

Teachers/organisers attending: Javi Izquierdo

I am one of the directors of Black Bottom swing Studio in Valencia. I teach balboa with my Partner Lucia from many years ago and we started to teach slow bal this June.

I organize the Valencia Balboa Festival and many others local and internationals events.

Slow Bal in Zaragoza, Spain

Teachers/organisers attending: Jon Kay

Jon and Cris teach Slow Balboa (and Balboa, Lindy Hop, Blues, Rock & Roll and more in English and Spanish!) at their school Swing & Co. in Zaragoza, Spain and all over Europe.

During Covid times we are offering online group and private classes while the school has the shutters down. You can find us on Facebook or at swingandco.es.

Slow Bal in Brno, Czech Republic

Teachers/organisers attending: Jaroslav Müller

We have a nice swing community called Swing Wings in Brno. We run weekly Balboa classes and socials and occasional Slow Bal workshops. Recently we started our premiere Slow Bal weekly class.

We also organize Little Balboa Weekend festival.

Slow Bal in Melbourne, Australia

Teachers/organisers attending: Ian Caughley, Nicki Jackson and Melinda Smith

Swing Patrol Melbourne started teaching Slow Bal fortnightly back in 2017. It was quite popular in our Bal community, and we always included a Slow Bal section in our routines for the annual performance ball.

We've enjoyed teaching a number of different paradigms from both old timers and modern heroes, and the community has grown to the point of exhibiting individual styles.
Unfortunately we had to suspend classes when we combined our venue with Collegiate Shag in October last year, and it just didn't fit into the night any more. But we always hoped to bring it back. The organisers of the All The Cats Join In event in Melbourne always ensure there are a number of Slow Balboa classes included each year, and they get a massive turnout.

Slow Bal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Teachers/organisers attending: Tania Penido and Maria Accioly

We teach slow bal even more frequently than balboa, but we are on hold. The plan is to resume activities after the pandemic.

We were running a weekly 3h workshop, usually balboa or slow balboa, occasionally lindy, blues or solo jazz. Once a month it was bal and once a month slow bal. When the pandemic hit, we had a slow bal routine with 8 couples ready to showcase at our 3-year anniversary... There is a draft at our Facebook page, Balboa Rio.
And we had a weekly swing dancing social at a bar with a drop in lesson, also rotating dances. Slow bal was at least once or twice a month, because we believe it makes balboa more approachable for beginners later.