Blues dance is a modern term used to group dances that are danced to Blues music. These dance were created in Black American communities across the USA since the early 20th century. These dances share many similar values and can be grouped under two umbrella terms; Jukin' and Ballroomin'.
Jukin' blues includes dances that you would have found at house parties and small juke joints. As a result of limited space for dancing, these dances are typically danced on the spot. They use rhythmic footwork and body movements which connect to the music.
Jukin' dances we teach at Dance the Blues include:
Ballroomin' blues dances refer to the dances that were created in various ballrooms throughout America, like the Savoy Ballroom, New York City. These dances generally travel around the room in the flow of the dance. On the spectrum of blues this style is danced to the more jazzier music.
Ballroomin' dances we teach at Dance the Blues include:
Dance the Blues is committed to growing the blues community in Brisbane by sharing our passion for blues dancing.
Dance the Blues was started in 2016 by Brian Stewart, Sheryl Tobin, Therese Lefebure and Marcel Giermanski to help grow the blues dancing community in Brisbane, Australia. At the time of formation it was the only dance school in Brisbane catering exclusively to blues dancing. We are committed to raising the public's awareness of blues dancing and getting people dancing blues whenever, and wherever they might be.
Marcel first stepped into a dance class in 2008, when he decided he needed some extracurricular activity
to distract him from his engineering degree. As luck would have it, he happened to step into an Argentine tango
class, and he was nigh on instantly hooked. His love of tango has lead him to travel as far as Buenos Aires, Argentina,
where he learned from some of the best tango dancers in the world. In 2011 Marcel started Swing dancing, and this
eventually lead him to find Blues dancing.
Marcel's love of Blues dancing was born one rainy night in 2012 when, in a small church hall filled with the music of BB King,
he learned of the dance of the juke joints, where groggy rural workers danced away their troubles after a long week of back-breaking labour.
He loved how similar, yet different, this slow dance was to his beloved tango, and how it allowed him to easily express what he
heard in the gorgeous music. Since then Marcel has travelled to many Blues exchanges, learning from some amazing blues teachers, and
(quietly) revelling in the awesome dancing to be had on packed dance floors, he has even been invited to teach tango-blues fusion
interstate.
Spreading this love of Blues dancing, and growing the scene in Brisbane, has always been close to Marcel's heart,
leading him organize the first regular "rent parties" of Brisbane, which were instrumental in growing the number of
blues dancers in the community.
Marcel loves to dance, so please don't hesitate to ask him for a spin around the dancefloor.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, you can also email Marcel
via marcel@dancetheblues.com.au. Marcel also does privates, if you are
interested shoot through an email. To stay up to date about where Marcel
is teaching like us on Facebook. See you on the dancefloor!
Therese has been dancing and performing since 1998, being a big part of
her life. Throughout the years she has learnt 10 different dance styles including
traditional Mauritian dancing, Latin styles, vernacular jazz and swing dances.
Her background of dancing influences her style and approach to dancing. It
wasn't until her dance partner, Marcel, introduced her to Blues in 2014
that she fell in love with Blues dancing. Therese is passionate about music,
dancing and the rich history of Blues.
Throughout her dancing career, Therese has had many opportunities to travel
across Australia performing and teaching dance, she has also had the chance
to travel overseas for her dancing, and learn from internationally renowned
dancers.
Therese is passionate about music and dancing and enjoys the freedom and
rich history of Blues. She is currently studying music and has had the chance
to research the origins of Blues music and is fascinated by the progression
of the style and its related genre; jazz.
Therese is always up for a chat about dancing, music, anything really.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, you can also email her
via therese@dancetheblues.com.au. Therese also does privates, if you are
interested shoot through an email. To stay up to date about where Therese
is teaching like us on Facebook. Looking forward to seeing you at classes.
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Natalie started dancing in 2012 after a friend invited her to Lindy Hop class as
something fun and social to do. She loved the playfulness and energy of the dance
and slowly but surely dance took over her life with constant classes, social dancing,
travelling for workshops and the amazing community. A year later she decided to find
out more about this blues dance that kept coming up in conversation and went to check
out a local social. Simply put it was love at first sight. At a time when regular Blues
classes were not available in Brisbane, she threw herself into travelling for Blues
exchanges to be able to experience as much of the dance as she could. To experience
even more Blues, she joined forces with friends to help Borderline Blues establish
their first Blues exchange in 2015 and again in 2019. In her classes Natalie loves the
opportunity to encourage creativity, connection and playfulness. Her passion in Blues
dancing lies in the moment where the world falls away, so that all that is left is your
partner and the music.
Natalie is always excited to talk about anything dance related so if you see her
around don't hesitate to introduce yourself and have a chat.
