Line Up

Based in Barcelona, Sandy Lewis was born and raised in south Louisiana dancing to Cajun and Zydeco music. After moving to Spain, she began swing dancing and immediately fell in love with Collegiate Shag. Her style is joyful, free-spirited, and a little rascally when the mood strikes. And her teaching style follows suit. You’ll learn while laughing and the lesson always comes with a wink and a smile...and maybe some swear words in between. She believes in empowering dancers to be themselves and encourages people to let their inner dancer shine on the dancefloor. Sandy is one of the founders of the Barcelona Shag Society, which seeks to bring Collegiate Shag dance (swing) and culture to the community through monthly dances and lessons. She’s also the founder of the Shag Train, a weekly online community-based training session that brings people together from all over the world to dance and learn about the history and culture of swing dancing. When she’s not dancing, you can find her emceeing various swing festivals around Spain, and also at home being a kick-ass mom. Her favorite color is red, and according to her son, her hair is fantastic.

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Fancy (a birth name) fell in love with Lindy and Shag in 2008, with Balboa trailing not far behind. She’s been hooked ever since, constantly endeavoring to improve her technique on a never-ending quest for connection, improvisational freedom in social dancing and the true jitterbug spirit. She has performed, competed in and taught Lindy, Balboa and Shag all over the world, was inducted into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2014 and is a five-time winner of the National Jitterbug Championships in the shag division. She loves to dance with new people and beginners, so be sure to ask her to dance! 

Lucía and Javi have been dancing and teaching Balboa

and Slow Bal together since 2014, abroad and mostly

across their motherland Spain.

They are directors of Black Bottom Swing Dance

Studio in Valencia, with more than 400 students, and

they also organize Valencia Balboa Festival.

Their fine technique, musicality and style made them

win competitions in international festivals, such as

European Balboa Anniversary.

In classes, they love to focus on partnership and

creating an harmonious flow while dancing in couple

playing and reacting with each other.

They offer students the tools for both ‘leader’ and

‘follower’ to communicate and create together their

own steps and variations.

For them, dancing Balboa is a continuous game with

music and the fun of jazz dance in its purest form. Be

ready for challenging and fun classes with them!

Larissa and Heiko have been dancing and teaching together for more than a decade. They

love to spread the joy of swing dancing in their local dance school Basel Jitterbugs and all

around Europe. In class they prioritize helping students to find and keep their unique style

and expression, while remaining a connected partnership.

Larissa and Heiko dance many different styles of swing and blend them together, adjusting

to the speed and energy of the music. They are much inspired by old clips and have a

strong desire to stay true to the legacy of the originators while further developing the dance.

They love the raw energy of Shag and the fast shuffling in Balboa as much as groovy Lindy

Hop and chilled Slow Balboa.

Back in Basel they are the host of their own festivals Jitterbugs Delight, Balboa Delight, and

Shag Delight committed to building a vibrant and joyful swing dance community.

Inspired by the wild hot sounds of 1930s/40s Harlem and Chicago, The Big Five have quickly established themselves as Berlin’s most authentic swing-era jazz combo. Combining a driving rhythm section, a fiery horn-led frontline and dynamic song-arrangements, this international band makes a deep-dive into the lesser-known repertoire of the Swing Golden Age, as well as a strong emphasis on original compositions. 

Ranging in size from the core quintet to the full septet lineup, The Big Five are veterans of Berlin’s famed Lindy-hop and Balboa dance-halls and know how to turn a mild-mannered dance party into a raging frenzy of swing-outs. With their sharp attire and an intense passion for authentic swing era jazz, these cats will certainly make you Jump for Joy!

The Big Five will play as quintet on Friday and as a full septet lineup on Saturday.