TEACHERS
Edwige & Karl
Nourished by Afro-descendant dance and music since childhood, Edwige Adjomalé became a swing dancer in 2017 and her passion for Jazz has steadily grown ever since.
Her dance emphasizes groove, improvisation and swing, and she aims to explore different body paths and movement to make the dance as organic as possible.
As a teacher, she aims to pass on the artistic heritage of the musicians and dancers who carry this tradition, emphasizing the cultural context in which it is embedded while encouraging improvisation, individual expression, movement exploration, musicality and sharing.
Since 2021, Edwige has been teaching vernacular jazz at the Shake That Swing school in Paris. In her classes, she encourages her students to express their singularity.
Karl Brochard teaches swing (solo jazz & lindy hop) and afrodance. He shares his passion through classes in the heart of Paris as well as abroad.
He has won several prestigious competitions, including Jazzroots , The Battle in Toulouse, and was a finalist in the ILHC Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria…etc.
His teaching principles include caring for his students and creating an environment conducive to learning.
His relationship to swing goes beyond a simple chance encounter. He’s now embarked on a journey of sharing and passing on this passion, based on mutual respect and shared pleasure.
Jo & Felipe
Felipe is a Brazilian Jazz dancer who grew up in an environment where music, dance, and rhythm are a part of everyday life. He came across Lindy Hop while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was drawn by the rhythms and the beauty of the social dance culture which reminded him of his own. He started frequenting the vibrant porteña swing dance scene of the time which took him to travel the world following his passion. Currently living in Berlin, Felipe travels the world performing and teaching. His classes focus on the social encounter of Jazz dance, allowing for the exchange of rhythm and the shared experience of Swing.
Jo Hoffberg is an illustrious and influential figure in the Lindy Hop scene, with a remarkable list of achievements. Holding first place titles from prestigious competitions such as the American Lindy Hop Championships, Canadian Swing Championships, International Lindy Hop Championships, European Swing Dance Championships, National Jitterbug Championships, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, and U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships, Jo’s prowess as a competitor is undeniable.
Since 2007, she has traversed the globe, spreading the joy of jazz culture through vintage partner dancing, teaching and performing in an impressive 35 countries across 5 continents. Specializing in vernacular jazz, charleston, aerials, and lindy hop, Jo’s expertise knows no bounds. She has hosted captivating intensives in Europe and North America, curated an extensive online learning library (digital downloads and streaming), co-produced Swing Break Mexico, served as the head judge at the esteemed Balkan Lindy Hop Championships, and established personalized Online Training Programs for ambitious competitors worldwide.
Jo’s outstanding contributions to the Lindy Hop community have been recognized with inductions into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in both 2013 and 2022. Beyond her impressive accolades, Jo is beloved for her effervescent personality and unwavering commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive dance community. Through her transformative workshops, mesmerizing performances, and collaborative efforts, Jo Hoffberg continues to inspire and uplift dancers across the globe, leaving an enduring legacy for generations to come.
Ermira & Jean-Ba
Dance has been a part of Ermira’s life since childhood, but she only found her way into Swing dances in 2018. Ever since,
the social dancing has been her primary focus and fascination, valuing the connection work and expression of individuality at the same time. She is an active member of the Dresden Hepcats, both teaching and organizing since 2021. On the dance floor, you will recognize her by her playfulness and musicality and often enough you will hear her big laugh across the room. Ermira is passionate about being a constant student of the dance and the African American roots and values of this artform. In her class, she strives to create a room, where joy, growth and vulnerability have their place.
Jean Ba thinks the best thing about dancing is the dialog between lead and follow… And between the dancers and the music!
Expressing yourself creatively to the music brings a unique connection between everyone involved. Swing is community: talk, laugh, dance!
Ela & Tobi
As a child, Ela started gymnastics, trampoline and, of course, dancing. Even in her youth, she trained the very youngest in those respective sports. It’s probably in her blood to be a teacher. She’s been dancing Lindy Hop since 2009, first starting with solo jazz (fun fact, Tobias was her teacher) followed shortly afterwards by workshops in Lindy Hop couple dancing. Since then, she has been so passionate about Lindy Hop that she’s never let go. In 2012 she founded the company Osnahop. Since then, she has been teaching couple dancing and occasionally solo jazz. With her dance partner Uwe Meyer, Ela also gives aerial classes. Together with Andreas Hoppe, Ela was an integral part of the coaching crew for Moselhop/Sauerlandhop for a few years.
Since 2022, Ela has been teaching together with Tobias as a trainer in Osnabrück and at various workshops throughout Germany.
Tobias and his former dance partner are the founders of the Lindy Hop scene in Münster.
He teaches tap dance, solo jazz, Lindy Hop and Balboa with various dance partners. Tobias is a dancer at an international level and attaches great importance to a clean technique, but also to musicality in the dance and a good connection in couple dancing.
Dancing is simply in Tobias’ blood. He started tap dancing, modern dance and much more at a very early age before Lindy Hop took hold of him. He teaches all levels from beginner to advanced and local dance teachers also like to come to him for private lessons. Since 2022, Tobias has also been teaching together with Ela in Osnabrück and at various workshops throughout Germany.
BANDS
The New Brooklyn Social Club
feat. Julie Silvera
Steve Wiseman represents the third generation of professional trumpet players in his family. He spent most of his career in New York City. Steve played in America’s most famous big bands, such as the ‘Duke Ellington Orchestra’, the ‘Tommy Dorsey Band’, the ‘Glenn Miller Orchestra’, ‘Toshio Akiyoshi’, ‘Chico O’Farrill’s Afro Cuban Orchestra’, ‘Arturo O’Farrill’s Latin Jazz Orchestra’ and many others.
Steve’s father, Larry Wiseman, was one of the most sought after trumpet players in Classic Motown, recorded extensively and was musical director for Marvin Gaye, as well as the Jackson 5. Steve grew up listening to soul music and began his own career as a young trumpet player performing and touring with soul and RnB artists such as Aretha Franklin, the O’Jays, the 4 Tops, the Spinners and the Temptations. In New York City, Steve played regularly in the house bands of the ‘Cafe Wha?’, the ‘Copacabana’ and the ‘Rainbow Room’.
Since moving to Germany, Steve has recorded several gigs with the NDR Bigband, Elbjazz with Nils Landgren, is a member of the Achim Reichel Band and bandleader of his own bands ‘the Rumprollers’, ‘the New Brooklyn Social Club’ and ‘Gumbohead.’ Click here for further information.
Steve Wiseman has gathered ‘The New Brooklyn Social Club’ for Swing Man Tau 2022 and they will be joined by the outstanding jazz vocalist Julie Silvera. Click here for further information on Julie Silvera.
Die Kleine Swingbrause
The “Kleine Swingbrause” (Lil’ Swing Fizz) is a Band from Braunschweig that celebrates the Swing, its spirit and humor in the tradition of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra or Heinz Rühmann.
At concerts, the trio, dances or listens, laughs or looks intimately into each other’s eyes, while Mr. Köninger charmingly sings about love or its loss, Mr. Roemisch taps, strokes and plucks the double bass and Mr. Oswald strokes or pounds the drum skins.
English and German classics as well as original compositions, combined in swing, turbulent, rousing, tender, with a twinkle in the eye and their very own taste – pure swing fizz!
DJ*ane's
Our own fellow dancer and DJane SwingKitsune aka Steff loves a heavy saxophone riff and will make you groove to artists like Jacquet, Butera, McNeely, Hodges, Prysock, Basie, Ellington, Singer but also The Schwings and Hot Swing Sextet among many others.
DJ Eléna will take care of the dance floor on Friday.
Eléna likes groovy, Rhythm & Bluesy Jazz. And that’s what you’ll get. Expect some Lil Hardin Armstrong, Dorothy Donegan and Earl Bostic.
She tries to find a balance between the typical Lindy Hop bangers (yes, Sunny Side of the Street, you will be played) and nerdy niche interpretations that will move your body in crazy ways. The task she has given herself is to showcase as many Black Women artists in her set as possible.
On Sunday there will be a lovely tea dance with “Black, Black coffee”, DJ Helfried and of course “If I knew you were coming I’d bake a cake”.
For some it will be “Won’t you come home Bill Bailey” while others may feel “Kinda Blue and Low” as a, hopefully, beautiful festival comes to an end.
It just doesn’t help*: “Bye bye Bremen, the place for romance-but I found out: first of all, Bremen is a place to dance” (or was it Paris? I’ll listen again…).
*”It doesn’t help”/” es hilft ja nichts” is a german saying that means “there’s nothing we can do about the situation, so let’s just do what we have to do”