MEET YOUR TEACHERS
Adamo Ciarallo
Adamo is dedicated to nurturing, developing, and promoting the blues scene in Europe. Thanks to his impressive linguistic abilities he can offer classes in English, Spanish, Italian and (passable) French!
Adamo has a professional qualification in teaching adults and he sees his role as teacher to facilitate the classroom in response to learner’s needs, enabling all students to achieve their potential. His classes focus on highlighting the relationship between the dancers and the music and the importance of personal expression and creativity.
He loves social dancing, teaching, competing, and listening to music, and spends his ‘spare’ time reading and learning about the history of the dance forms he loves so much. What makes Adamo’s dancing life worthwhile is the commitment, enthusiasm, and energy of his students and everybody else in what he describes as “this beautiful community of dancers”.
Adamo is the founder of the Good Time Blues Fest and cannot wait to welcome you all in his hometown Guglionesi!
Vicci Moore
Vicci is a professional dancer, specialising in blues dance.
There is nothing Vicci loves more in the world than dancing! She trained in a number of solo dances before discovering partner dancing in her twenties, has a diploma in Anatomy and Physiology, a first class honours degree in Dance and Choreography, has accredited training in teaching adults.
A trained teacher, Vicci places a great deal of importance in high quality pedagogy and is currently studying for a Masters degree in Education. Her studies are focused primarily on the impact of cultural appropriation in dance teaching, and the importance of the inclusion of dance in the national curriculum for young peoples’ development and self esteem.
She puts the music at the core of her teaching and dancing and tries to honour the cultural roots of the dance in all her classes. She believes in giving people the tools to become their own dancer and encourages all her students to find their own voice.
Jamica Zion
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Jamica Zion takes pride in being a groovy solo dancer, a dynamic
follow, and rising lead. Jamica aims for range, not just in connection and style, but across
genres too! They hold multiple titles in Blues and Lindy Hop contests from top US events
including Lindy Focus, Camp Jitterbug, Beantown, and Camp Hollywood.
Jamica's approach towards sharing dance with others includes a critical understanding and
appreciation of its history and culture, while simultaneously ushering students to build their own
styles and meaningful connections to it. Jamica draws on their professional training from
working with organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, and a long educational background
which includes nearly three degrees in Sociology. This unique blend of experiences, pedagogy,
and knowledge allows Jamica to deliver inclusive and culturally responsible classes that are
creative, thought provoking, and original!
Mike Sonder
Mike strives to create a learning environment that is fun, challenging, and inclusive. The goal is for each individual student to find their next step forward and enjoy that process of growth. Mike loves seeing students’ eyes light up when they understand a concept or feel a movement work naturally in their body for the first time.
Mike has taught dance in 21 countries and counting. He currently teaches Lindy Hop, Air Steps, Solo Jazz, and many different Blues styles.
Mike lives and breathes dance. He is constantly honing his skills and developing new ideas. If you run into him at a grocery store, on public transit, in a museum, or on a mountain top, you’ll probably catch him dancing.
Kevin Leo
Meet Kevin Leo, a versatile artist trained at the prestigious London Studio Centre. Kevin, a singer with a deep passion for dance, particularly salsa and blues, seamlessly incorporates his dance background into his artistic endeavours. While Kevin is primarily recognised for his vocal talents, he has actively engaged in the dance world since his time at dance college, once establishing himself as a dynamic choreographer for popular singers.
After years of teaching at London's Dance Attic Fulham, Kevin is now introducing a unique, bespoke approach for the Good Time Blues Festival. A new three-class structure includes Theory, Practical, and a captivating Presentation. The final Show call provides participants with the opportunity to showcase their learning alongside Kevin Leo and his supporting team, Vicci and Daniele, performing alongside a live band. This promises a memorable fusion of music and dance.
Gastón Fernandez
Gas is a passionate dancer, a Swing and Blues lover.
He discovered Lindy Hop in 2001 in Buenos Aires (Argentina). Since then his compromise with the dance and the music has been increasing, leading him to leave his continent to keep learning and improving as a dancer.
He has been teaching classes since 2008 in Buenos Aires, and internationally since 2009. He has traveled from Rio de Janerio (Brasil), to Melbourne (Australia), passing through New York, London, Stockholm, Berlin, etc.
His background as a gymnast gives his style power, dynamism and explosive aerials. His tango technique background provided his blues and “slow dance” with a profound conexion and sensitivity.
Gas´s heart is thirsty to keep improving, learning, developing and fulfilling himself as a swing artist. His compromise is to transmit his passion, knowledge and inspire all those who are interested in this incredible world of Swing and Blues dance.
Alba Mengual
Alba met swing and blues dances in 2007, and started to teach them for fun. She has been fully dedicated professionally to them since 2013. She brought her analytic foundation from her old career (pharmacy, medical information) and found in teaching a new way to apply her love for communication and teaching. Seven years ago she opened a school alongside Gastón Fernández, in her hometown, Madrid.
Her passion made her want to cover everything: from the local organization to organize international workshops, local and international teaching, and little by little developing experience in choreographing and shows. Her true passion is teaching and dance socially, letting go and allowing the communication magic to spark. If she can teach both things, connecting the students with their self expression and how to express it through the jazz and blues language, she knows she has succeeded.
Everything framed by jazz culture, that she learned to love and study with devotion from his dance partner Gastón Fernández. One day they were walking through Harlem and he said to her “After this walk, your dance will never be the same”. And it was true.
Edmilson Bothelo
Edmilson da Cruz Botelho was born and grew up in São Tome and Principe, an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. Since was young he always lived in a dance environment and danced some African and traditional dances of his country including usôa, puíta, funaná, kadance (kizomba) and semba in a group of his uncle, the Musicdance group.
At age 12, Michael Jackson "King of POP" became his idol and he liked imitating him for his classmates! Other dancers such as Usher, Ne Yo, Omarion, Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake awakened his great interest in POP style.
He was introduced to Lindy Hop when living in Portugal in 2012. He quickly became part of the performance and teaching team for Swing Station School in Porto and over the years has won numerous competitions in Lindy Hop and solo Jazz. He now teaches for Hop Dance Studio in Porto, teaching Lindy Hop, aerials, and partnered and solo Blues dance. He has been invited to participate in various Blues Dance events over the years, including Bluesology teacher training in Valencia, and we are delighted to be welcoming him to the team.
Dan caught the dance bug back in 2007, and since then, he's been on a wild ride through the Swing and Blues scenes. From jet-setting to learning, performing, and even throwing down in competitions, he's soaked up all the good vibes and is stoked to share the dance floor magic.
Nowadays, Dan's all about spreading the dance love as a teacher. Nothing lights him up more than seeing folks groove to new ideas and blossom into awesome dancers.
But that's not all – as a DJ heavyweight, he's spun tracks on four continents, turning everything from global events to local shindigs into dance parties to remember. Plus, he's got some serious event-planning skills, with gigs like Head DJ at BluesSHOUT! and The Balboa/Blues Experiment under his belt.
For Dan, it's all about working hard to amp up the dance scene and watching people crush it as they break through their dance limits. Get ready to move and groove with Dan – it's gonna be a blast!
Dan repsch
Bibi Elespini
Bibi has been dancing for 25 years (and teaching for over 18!), but it is only when she discovered the blues that she found her true “perfect match”. The overwhelming passion for blues music and dance quickly became a one-way ticket to the world. She is a well-known face on the international scene, having travelled all around Europe, USA and Asia to deepen her knowledge, teach, share and spread all of her love and appreciation for the blues. She has given birth also to several communities of blues dancers in Italy, teaching weekly courses and workshops since 2014.
Bibi holds a strong sense of respect for the values of African American culture, and for the importance of researching and respecting the cultural roots and history of blues. What she loves about blues are the breadth of blues music as well as the creativity, the freedom of expression and the deep connection and communication with the music and the partner in the dance.
Aside from dancing, she is a nerd of body mechanics, is a certified yoga instructor and is just about to graduate in Kinesiology and Movement Sciences.
Jessie Gordon
In Perth's lively music scene, Jessie, a jazz singer, discovered her rhythm with the soulful tunes of Otis Redding. Beyond her enchanting voice, her passion for dance transformed her kitchen into a rhythmic sanctuary.
Recognizing the marriage of music and movement, Jessie extended her talents to teach dance classes. Her unique perspective as a musician brought a rich musicality to the classes, turning each step into a harmonious expression of jazz and blues beats.
Jessie's exceptional communication skills, honed by her singing journey, make her dance classes a captivating experience. She seamlessly translates the language of music into movements, creating a connection that resonates with her students. Shaded venues become lively dance floors, where Jessie's ability to convey the essence of jazz enriches the experience for everyone.