Elle & Joris
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𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗶 From a young age Elle was exploring dance styles from Modern Jazz to Ukrainian Folk. However, when she stumbled upon Lindy Hop in her hometown of Adelaide, Australia, there was no turning back. Committed to fostering individual expression and improvisation in both Lindy Hop and Solo dance, Elle wants to empower you to embrace your unique qualities through movement. Her greatest source of inspiration is the conversational nature of jazz, and she continuously strives to deepen her connection to- and awareness towards the African American roots of the dance and music. 𝗝𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗲𝗿𝘁 A dynamically versatile artist, Joris is currently based in Berlin. Before that he founded the Crazy Legs dance school in Ghent, Belgium the city where he honed his skills. Today you will find Joris giving individual sessions in Berlin’s dance studios, or visiting dance festivities in Europe. As an instructor, he always gives his best. While oriented on the answers in the roots of Jazz, Joris will make sure his Sugarville sessions are an exchange instead of a one-way stream.
Laura Glaess
Laura has been an influential voice in Lindy Hop competition, performance, and education for the past 20 years. She has won countless awards and acknowledgments at international competitions, and has taught at festivals in 22 countries spanning 5 continents. She has performed at the Joyce, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Guggenheim, as well as at Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz festivals worldwide. She is an instructor at Steps on Broadway. Her Youtube channel dedicated to Lindy Hop history, vocabulary, partnering, and body movement is one of the most popular and influential in the scene. Keep an eye on our socials as we’ll announce the registration date soon. You don’t want to miss this chance to learn from the best!
Tim Christopher
Tim’s journey into the world of jazz began behind the piano, teaching himself the melodies of old records. But his life took a swing for the better when he accidentally stumbled into a dance hall while looking for a jam session. One look at Lindy Hop and he was hooked! Today, Tim is a powerhouse in the international scene, having performed at the iconic Lincoln Center and starred in the prestigious Swing Out Show (NYC). Known for his deep musicality and infectious energy, Tim brings a wealth of knowledge and a big smile to every workshop. We are thrilled to have him on the Sugarville floor!
John & Merel
𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗼 Two weeks after his first dancing class in 2017 - John attended SwingDom, and he has not stopped dancing since. He frequently participates in international events and is currently discovering other Swing dances such as Balboa. With all this newfound knowledge, our resident mad dancing scientist is back with more gruelling lessons. 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗮𝗿 Merel first spotted Lindy Hop at the Breda Jazz Festival, wistfully wishing she could move like that and participate. A genie granted this wish because in Groningen she encountered the same happy faces with that infectious swing music and Merel dove into Lindy Hop like a maniac. She loves switching and both encountering ánd creating surprises on the dancefloor. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀: '𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 - 𝟭 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀' During this taster class Merel & John will start with the basics and apply tools of improvisation to create juicy variations. You'll take moves you already know and give them a playful twist! Open for all levels, so join the fun!
Amarins
Amarins Woltring 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. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦(𝘄)𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗿 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!
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The Roaring Cats
We’re delighted to welcome the Roaring Cats to Sugarville this year! Roaring Cats are one of Europe’s most promising swing and hot jazzbands. The tiny orchestra based in Amsterdam took the challenge of giving value and new significance to the roots of jazz. Their repertoire consists of original arrangements of the finest tunes by the top artists of the 30’s and 40’s: from Fats Waller to Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington to John Kirby. On top of that, they are presenting original compositions in style. Swell notes for hyperactive swing dancers ánd for sedentary drinking listeners – if that’s not the perfect recipe for a night-long sugar rush, we don’t know what is!
Mr. Moan
Mister Moan delivers raw, passionate blues with nothing but a voice and an acoustic guitar. Rooted in the traditions of country and hill country blues, his sound is deeply personal, occasionally weaving in subtle African, Arab, and Celtic influences. He believes the true spirit of the blues lies in its ability to evolve—yet, at its core, it remains unmistakably and passionately blues. A two-time finalist in the Dutch Blues Challenge, he claimed the top prize in 2025.
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DJ Antepode
DJ Antipode (aka Stéphanie) started swing dancing in 2007 and first started listening to swing music in the womb. Her mother's love of Ella Fitzgerald gave this DJ a unique entry to the swing dancing world. With her first step into a class, she discovered that while she'd never heard of swing before, she had most certainly heard swing music. While she has dabbled in most activities of the swing world - troupes, comps, teaching - the one she keeps coming back to is the one where she can focus most wholeheartedly on the music, and on sharing her love of that music. She relishes filtering through swing genre records looking for those golden tracks - the ones that really mean something; the ones that aren't just swing music but that truly swing.
DJ Julien
Julien discovered Lindy Hop in 2008, leaving behind ballroom dancing to dedicate himself fully to the vibrant swing dance style. By 2012, he co-founded SwingCityBreda, a lively community that promotes swing dance in Breda. With extensive experience as a DJ—working alongside his regular job as a disco and ballroom music DJ in a local nightclub—Julien's passion for music deepened when jazz opened up a new world for him, greatly expanding his musical repertoire. He is not only a Lindy Hop and Balboa dancer but also a passionate DJ who continually seeks fresh, danceable music. His goal is to create an energetic atmosphere, bring people together on the dance floor, and inspire everyone to move and enjoy the music.
DJ Sanne
Sanne has loved music and dance from the time she was a little kid, when she wouldn't stop dancing to any draaiorgel she encountered. As a DJ she mixes a big variety of styles, tempo’s and songs from different decades, but she is a sucker for a dirty trumpet/trombone/saxophone solo. She has two goals as a DJ: Making sure the room keeps on grooving and to surprise dancers with interesting musical choices.
DJ Arsalan
Arsalan will close off Sugarville with a DJ set on the Sunday farewell party. It's Sunday, so he míght go easy on you. Get ready for some classics!
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