Charlotte Middlemiss - Sewell
Lifelong dancer Charlotte has over a decade of experience in sharing her Swing expertise at festivals, competitions and in her countless media appearances. With professional training in sports therapy and inspired by ‘old timers’ such as Norma Miller, she is especially passionate about lifting up the versatility and creativity of followers. Sugarville is privileged to have her rock our world! Read more about Charlotte here: https://jiveswing.com/joseph-sewell-charlotte-middlemiss/
Joseph Sewell
Having learnt from some of the original 1930’s dancers such as Frankie Manning and the Queen of Swing, Joseph is one of the world’s leading swing dance teachers, choreographers and performers, with numerous appearances on tv, in movies and on stages around the globe. We are ready to embrace his STAR philosophy-- Style, Techniques And Rhythm--, and to listen as he brings Swing history to life at Sugarville! Read more about Joseph here: https://jiveswing.com/team/joseph-sewell/
Chester Whitmore
Barbara Billups
Chester Whitmore is an International Dancer, Musician, Orchestra Leader, Choreographer, Comedian, Historian, a global master of Tap, Jazz and all round entertainer having been taught by the famous Nicholas Brothers (stormy weather) and John Bubbles. He’s choreographed for movies such as “La La Land’, “Boys to Men”, ‘Fame’ and worked with MC Hammer, Michael and Janet Jackson, Jackie Chan, Prince, Usher as well as the great jazz legends such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Miles Davies, Savion Glover and many more greats.
Barbara Billups was a dancer at the famous Savoy Ballroom, NY, home to Frankie and Norma Miller et al, brought into dancing by the Savoy Ballroom Dancer George Sullivan. She is one of the last of the Savoy Ballroom legends. She won the Harvest Moon Ball Competition in the 1950’s with her then swing dance partner Sonny Allen, where she was also a member of the his dance group, ‘Sonny Allen and the Rockets dance troupe’ and travelled all over the USA to perform. She also met Sugar Sullivan, at the Savoy Ballroom in the 1950’s who was to become her life long friend. These days Barbara is so excited to share her knowledge in Lindy Hop and Jazz dance around the world.
John Carlo Sembrano
Solo Charleston
John teaches Solo Jazz in Groningen. He values solid fundamentals and flow above fancy moves, as those are the foundations from which all things are derived. He has some special love for Charleston; the fun, juicy and versatile way of moving - with lots of possibilities! During his class, we will explore ways in how we can shape and create variations, using the basic 30's Charleston as our canvas. Come check out his class on Saturday. Requirements: You have to know the basic 30's Charleston and you are comfortable doing some improvisation.
Amarins Woltring
Swing choir
Amarins has been singing from a very young age. Music and dance have always been important aspects of her life. She has been singing both nationally and internationally on a semi-professional level; from black gospel, South African and West African music to French chanson and classical music. She also fell in love with dancing, from ballroom dancing, to salsa, Lindy Hop and Boogie Woogie. Amarins created the S(w)ing Choir on the idea that singing and creating rhythm makes people smile, feel free, connect with each other, and learn to dance Lindy Hop. S(w)ing Choir goes back to the origins of swinging jazz music: black gospel, spirituals, music from West and South Africa. Amarins uses the call and response method and body percussion to create rhythm. With this method, anyone with or without a musical background can quickly master the songs. Listening to and hearing each other, paying attention to each other and to the music ensures that people sing beautiful swinging harmonies together a cappella, without the use of sheet music and notation. Almost everything is done by ear. This way everyone can participate! A great way to get into a collective vibe for the Saturday party!
Sven Dupuits
Learning & Teaching dance
Sven got hooked on Boogie Woogie in 2011, and a few years later discovered Lindy Hop. As a teacher he focuses heavily on the fundamentals, and has a special interest in bodily awareness. He likes to develop teaching methodology, experimenting with various concepts to get the most out of his classes and his own dancing. To Sven there are no distinct boundaries between dancing genres; the music evokes something and the rest flows from there. Theme: This last class of the weekend will give your body some well deserved rest; this is a seminar style class, focusing on concepts and ways of looking at dancing to help you improve, as a dancer and a teacher. Insights and ideas from teaching Lindy & Boogie woogie for over a decade.
Hop sh Bam Connection
This quintet plays the real swing from the period between the 20’s and 50’s. The biggest inspiration is the repertoire of the marvellous ballrooms of the thirties, as for example the savoy ballroom in New York. Hop – sh- Bam plays tunes on which Lindy Hop dancers could go crazy. The quintet plays the beautiful standards of the swing –era, and also some tunes of the exciting bigband period, or even some tunes of the new Orleans repertoire, more Charleston inspired. As the bandleader, Marie – Anne, is a swing dancer herself, she knows how to put an inspiring and diverse setlist together! She adapts to what’s happening on the dancefloor ... Let’s call it: an excellent band, full of energy, with a big focus on the pure art of swing music. Nice to listen to, nice to dance to, ... and move and groove to!