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Get ready, Copenhagen! This fall we will have swing dance school Swing City visiting us all the way from Buenos Aires, Argentina! October 4th to October 6th, we will have the Swing City House Band as well as the two owners of Swing City; Mariel & Manuel, join us for a weekend of inspiring and passionate swing music and Lindy Hop dancing.
Kickoff Party with Swing City House Band
Friday October 4thDance the night away at our Friday party, featuring the sensational Swing City House Band! Expect an evening filled with vibrant swing tunes, played by musicians who have a passion not only for swing music, but also for swing dancing, and who know how to get the floor bouncing!
Lindy Hop Workshops with Mariel Gastiarena & Manuel Bicain Saturday & SundayDive into two days of immersive Lindy Hop workshops led by the renowned dancers Mariel Gastiarena and Manuel Bicain. They will feature Lindy Hop workshops on many different topics, and for one of the workshops they will even have the Swing City House Band join them for an intense and inspiring Musicality workshop to actual live music!
Mariel & Manuel have been visiting Copenhagen for over a decade and love the scene and the dancers here so much that they always find their way back for another visit and we are thrilled to have them both back for this special weekend.
The weekend in details
SATURDAY
11.00-13.00: M&M Crazy Steps Factory
13.00-14.00: Lunch
14.00-16.00: Connection and Body Movement Technique: Flow and Speed
SUNDAY
10.00-11.30: Solo Dancing (two rooms)
11.30-12.30: Lunch
12.30-14.30: Syncopation
14.30-15.00: Break
15.00-17.00: Learn musicality with Swing City House Band
SATURDAY
M&M Crazy Steps Factory
Description: Join Mariel and Manuel as they share their process for evolving Lindy Hop basic steps into entirely new movements. In this class, you’ll explore a variety of tools to reimagine your most common steps using concepts like direction changes, rotations, and different connection possibilities. We’ll discover that even the most complex steps are built from simple ideas, and by connecting and layering them correctly, we can create surprising effects. Afterwards, you can even add rhythmic changes, dynamics, and footwork to bring even more nuances, colours, and textures!
Level guidance: We recommend that you have danced Lindy Hop at least a year or longer, to join this workshop.
Price: 320kr
Connection and Body Movement Technique: Flow and Speed
Description: Explore how to fully engage with the music in this class, focusing on the flow and transitions between movements. Learn to navigate the space between each step, adapting your dance to different tempos and creating a smoother, more expressive connection. This class emphasises the flow and nuances between each movement, leading to a more seamless and expressive dance.
Level guidance: We recommend that you have danced Lindy Hop at least a year or longer, to join this workshop.
Price: 320kr
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SUNDAY
Solo Dance with Manuel: Authentic Solo Jazz with spicy upgrades
Description: Get ready to push your steps with Manuel! We will take basic and classic steps and add small variations that result in significant changes to the effect of the steps, whether in rhythm, body positioning, footwork and more. The goal is to provide tools and perspectives for introducing variations in both improvisation and choreography.
Level guidance: Intermediate Solo Jazz, meaning you have taken at least some solo jazz classes previously.
Price: 240kr
Solo Dance with Mariel: Solo Jazz meets Tap Dance
Description: Authentic Jazz and Tap are closely linked, with many of the most classic Jazz steps originating in tap dancing. Mariel will bring the two worlds together in a wonderful mix of tricky tap rhythms and exciting jazz steps. It will be soft shoe without tap shoes and you don’t need tap experience to join.
Level guidance: Advanced Solo Jazz, meaning you should have extensive experience with Solo Jazz over several years to join.
Price: 240kr
Syncopation
Description: In this class we’ll work on the fundamental concept of syncopation, a defining characteristic of swing music. We’ll break down what syncopation means, how it works, and why it’s essential to swing. You’ll learn to recognize and apply syncopated rhythms in various patterns, giving you the tools to creatively incorporate them into your dancing whenever you like.
Level guidance: We recommend that you have danced Lindy Hop at least a year or longer, to join this workshop.
Price: 320kr
Learn musicality with Swing City House Band
Description: In this workshop led by Mariel & Manuel, you will have the opportunity to learn directly from professional swing musicians. The musicians will share how they put together a good swing song and how they think about making the music dynamic and groovy, so it makes you want to get out on the floor. Mariel & Manuel will share their view as dancers on how you can let the music inspire your movement, which will both improve your dancing and make it much more fun! And you will of course be dancing to live music all through this workshop!
Level guidance: The ideas and exercises in this workshop will challenge both seasoned Lindy Hoppers as well as newcomers to the dance.
Price: 430kr
Each workshop has a specific price (see the list below).
We offer:
15% discount for students
10% discount on the total amount, when you register for more than one event.
You can receive both discounts on your booking.
SATURDAY
M&M Crazy Steps Factory
Price: 320kr
Connection and Body Movement Technique: Flow and Speed
Price: 320kr
SUNDAY
Solo Dance with Manuel: Authentic Solo Jazz with spicy upgrades
Price: 240kr
Solo Dance with Mariel: Solo Jazz meets Tap Dance
Price: 240kr
Syncopation
Price: 320kr
Learn musicality with Swing City House Band
Price: 430kr
Dance the night away at our Friday party, featuring the sensational Swing City House Band!
Expect an evening filled with vibrant swing tunes, played by musicians who have a passion not only for swing music, but also for swing dancing, and who know how to get the floor bouncing!
Ticket info: tickets can be bought on the day at the door.
Mariel Gastiarena
Mariel started dancing Lindy Hop in 2004 when she was 14 years old. Since then, she has dedicated herself to dancing Lindy Hop, Authentic Jazz, and Tap, while also learning different dance styles and incorporating various elements that defined her personal style.
She also studied music at the Conservatorio Superior Manuel de Falla and later focused her training on swing music, learning piano, clarinet, drums, and singing. Her musical training is reflected in her highly rhythmic dance style, making her an expert in teaching various aspects of musical theory applied to Swing dancing. She has her own project as a singer and dancer with Swing City House Band.
Together with Manuel Bicain, she is the co-founder and co-director of Swing City, the first school of Lindy Hop, Authentic Jazz, and Tap, as well as a Jazz Club in Argentina. She is also the co-producer of CA.PO.S, the Buenos Aires Swing Dance Championship.
Mariel teaches regular classes at Swing City and workshops in different countries around the world, and she is one of the main well known dancers in South America.
She also studied music at the Conservatorio Superior Manuel de Falla and later focused her training on swing music, learning piano, clarinet, drums, and singing. Her musical training is reflected in her highly rhythmic dance style, making her an expert in teaching various aspects of musical theory applied to Swing dancing. She has her own project as a singer and dancer with Swing City House Band.
Together with Manuel Bicain, she is the co-founder and co-director of Swing City, the first school of Lindy Hop, Authentic Jazz, and Tap, as well as a Jazz Club in Argentina. She is also the co-producer of CA.PO.S, the Buenos Aires Swing Dance Championship.
Mariel teaches regular classes at Swing City and workshops in different countries around the world, and she is one of the main well known dancers in South America.
Manuel Bicain
Manuel started dancing Swing in 2003 and has been teaching since 2008. As a dancer, he has focused on social dancing and developing a modern dance style while staying connected to the cultural and historical roots of Lindy Hop. He is a highly technical and precise teacher, which is one of his specialties, along with his technique in aerial tricks. Manuel teaches regularly at Swing City and has been teaching workshops in various countries across Europe since 2010. He has won local and international competitions. He is one of the leading figures in South America and is focused on growing the local scene in Buenos Aires by organizing and promoting swing events. Along with Mariel Gastiarena, he is the co-founder and co-director of Swing City, the first school of Lindy Hop, Authentic Jazz, and Tap in Argentina, as well as Swing City Jazz Club, CA.PO.S (Campeonato Porteño de Swing), and Swing City Challenge.
He is the director and choreographer of the three-time ILHC Team Division winner, Swinglimites Dance Crew. With the team, in addition to winning international competitions, they have also secured first and second places in local competitions.
He is the director and choreographer of the three-time ILHC Team Division winner, Swinglimites Dance Crew. With the team, in addition to winning international competitions, they have also secured first and second places in local competitions.
See Mariel & Manuel in action here:
Swing City House Band is one of the most energetic swing dance bands of South America. It was created in 2022 out of a need to represent Swing City, a very popular Swing Dance School and Jazz Club from Argentina.
With Mariel Gastiarena – one of the most well known dancers in Latinamerica – as the lead singer, and some of the best swing musicians of the local scene, they present a very special show that fully integrates the music and the dance of the Swing Era.
Band line-up at the Kick-off party on October 4th:
Mariel Gastiarena – Vocals
JuanMa Torres – Tenor Sax
Lucas Ferrari – Piano
Lucho Pellegrini – Drums
See Swing City House Band in action here:
Register for workshops here ⬇️
Click on the workshop(s) you want to attend on the list below, and fill out the rest of the form.
Saturday
Savoy Room
- M&M Crazy Steps Factory Teacher: 11:00 – 13:00
- Connection and Body Movement Technique: Flow and Speed Teacher: 14:00 – 16:00
Sunday
Savoy Room
- Solo Jazz meets Tap Dance Advanced Jazz with Mariel Teacher: 10:00 – 11:30
- Syncopation Teacher: 12:30 – 14:30
- Learn musicality with Swing City House Band Teacher: 15:00 – 17:00
Smalls Paradise Room
- Authentic Solo Jazz with spicy upgrades Intermediate Jazz with Manuel Teacher: 10:00 – 11:30
See Mariel & Manuel in action!
4 Videos