Joris

How did you start dancing?

I'm a versatile artist currently living in Berlin, Germany. My road to the performing arts began in 2004 at the Commedia School in Copenhagen. Next to physical theater, I was introduced to different dances, music and rhythm. It was in 2006 that I first learned about some of the early African American Jazz dances like the Charleston and the Lindy Hop, and their link with improvisation, expression and performance.

What do you love most about teaching?

The exchange!Since I founded of Crazy Legs Dance School in Ghent (2010, Belgium), the city where I honed most of my early skills, today you can find me giving individual sessions in Berlin’s dance studios (e.g. Jam Haus), or occasionally visiting different dance festivities in Europe. For more than a decade, my humble and respectful approach to these artforms has been sought after by local dance communities in over 17 countries. As a dance instructor, I give my best, always seeking answers in the roots of Jazz, making sure the sessions are an exchange instead of a one-way stream.

What does swing dancing mean to you?

Letting go, feeling lighter, expressing myself and getting inspired.

What’s your favourite jazz song or artist?

Count Basie, Cozy Cole, Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing, George Lewis all give me the goosebumps.

Fun fact or secret talent?

In recent years, I have developed autodidactic multi-instrumental skills; singing and playing the clarinet, trombone & piano. This has accelerated my understanding of Jazz and the Blues connected to dance in a way that is very unique, as playing music on stage instead of dancing in front of it is the same yet very different.I play the trombone in Berlin’s new swing octet 'the Infinite Chocolate Jar' & play the clarinet in 'traditional' jazz sextet 'the Jawzom Six'