We typically teach followers Balboa’s rhythmical footwork and arm styling first. Then we add Balboa for the leaders.
We focus on mutual partnership with high technical quality, exploring places where we can play within the music, and express individual creativity and expression.
We work with more abstract subjects and qualities such as hesitations, pivots, syncopations, grapevines, and stop-and-play “pauses” that create contrast to our dynamic Balboa.
Basically, we pass on the Purebal and Balswing Balboa material that we learn from teachers like Lucia/Javi, Valentina/Vasu, Xinrux/Gourlomi, Natalia/Mickey, Etsuko/Yoshi, Anne-Helene/Bernard and Grace/Blake, to name a few — teachers we meet at the advanced international workshops where we participate.
Ariane/Jan
Details
Balboa level: 4
Advanced Musicality and Interpretation
Dive deeper into swing music through phrasing, breaks, tempo changes, rhythmical complexity, and creative interpretation of different musical styles.
High-Level Partner Communication
Refine subtle lead-and-follow techniques, responsiveness, and connection to create highly adaptable and enjoyable dances.
Creative Variations and Improvisation
Explore advanced rhythm variations, improvisation exercises, and creative movement concepts that encourage individuality and spontaneity.
Complex Movement and Flow
Work with intricate transitions, momentum-based movement, advanced turns, and layered combinations while maintaining comfort and clarity in social dancing.
Fast Tempo Comfort and Efficiency
Develop relaxed and efficient movement for very fast music without sacrificing musicality, connection, or enjoyment.
Personal Style Development
Focus on refining your unique voice as a dancer while improving confidence, expression, and adaptability with a variety of partners.
Prerequisites
This class is intended for dancers who have completed Level 3 multiple times or have equivalent experience. Students should be comfortable dancing both Pure Balboa and Bal-Swing at faster tempos and applying musicality and improvisation in social dancing.
What to Bring
Comfortable dance shoes
Water bottle
Motivation to explore, experiment, and grow as a dancer!
Join us as we explore the finer details of Balboa dancing. Level 4 is about refinement, creativity, musical depth, and building the confidence to express yourself freely on the dance floor.
We teach PureBal as “one body, four legs,” where we integrate quality into our body posture, namely: a ‘mindful head,’ an upper-body blues vibe in the chest (eye of the hurricane), and a ‘children’s party’ in the legs.
Let’s try to expand our rhythmic repertoire in PureBal with up- and down-holds, shuffles, ad-libs, tic-tocs, grab-walks, Duffy Ducks, jig-truts, drags, pull-forward and pull-backward, slide-backs, and running man, several of which can be performed in different rhythms, and some of which are inspired by the old-timers like Dean Raftery and Willy Desatoph.
The same applies to Balswing, where we explore slides, advanced spins and turns for both leaders and followers, longer combinations, arm slides, long arm, barrel rolls, reverse turns, launch-toss-outs, and rhythmic footwork inspired by Maxie.
We teach PureBal as “one body, four legs,” where we integrate quality into our body posture, namely: a ‘mindful head,’ an upper-body blues vibe in the chest (eye of the hurricane), and a ‘children’s party’ in the legs.
Let’s try to expand our rhythmic repertoire in PureBal with up- and down-holds, shuffles, ad-libs, tic-tocs, grab-walks, Duffy Ducks, jig-truts, drags, pull-forward and pull-backward, slide-backs, and running man, several of which can be performed in different rhythms, and some of which are inspired by the old-timers like Dean Raftery and Willy Desatoph.
The same applies to Balswing, where we explore slides, advanced spins and turns for both leaders and followers, longer combinations, arm slides, long arm, barrel rolls, reverse turns, launch-toss-outs, and rhythmic footwork inspired by Maxie.
Birk
Line
Allan
Kasia
Brian
Carina