A swing dance & movement festival in the vibrant city of Thessaloniki.
A swing dance & movement festival in the vibrant city of Thessaloniki.
Join us for 4 days of dance & movement sessions, captivating performances, social dance nights, talks, and engaging workshops designed to inspire and invigorate!
Get ready to move, groove, and connect!
Movement Culture
Embrace Physical Movement and Bodily Awareness
meets
Swing Dance
African-American vernacular & social jazz dances
The Days
A perfect fusion of rhythm, music, motion and movement!
Dive into two exciting tracks filled with diverse theme classes, dance & movement sessions led by top notch international instructors & insightful talks.
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Movers Circle Track
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Swing Along Track
The Nights
The Concept
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Open level Classes
All our classes & tracks are open level, welcoming dancers of every background.
Open-level classes make dance accessible and promote inclusivity, collaboration, growth & enjoyment.
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Theme Classes
Where movers & swing dancers meet. With plenty of theme classes, participants can create their personalized festival experience.
Whether you want to deepen your knowledge in familiar areas or explore something new, theme classes offer the perfect opportunity.
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Open Stage + Discussion
A festival side event for performers with stage experience to elevate their improvisational skills and collaborate in creating a spontaneous group performance with live music, guided by our facilitators, Maria Psiou and Alexandros El Greco. You can select to participate as a performer or as audience member when you select your festival pass. You can also buy individual tickets here to attend as a spectator.
An open discussion with the theme “The Art of Connection: How Individual Expression Fuels Collective Creativity” will take place before the performances.
Open Stage & Discussion will take place on Sunday 19:30-21:30 at Studio 29a.
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Free Events & Classes
At Movin’ & Groovin’, we believe financial barriers shouldn’t stop anyone from joining in. That’s why we’re working to make the festival more accessible through the Groovin’ Pass Project and offering free events.
Join us for a free swing dance class with live music on Thursday, followed by an open jam session, and our Sunday party—both open to everyone!
Groovin’ Pass Project
We believe in the power of music & dance to unite. Each year we offer a full festival pass for each track, to two individuals who want to attend the festival but face financial constraints.
The application process includes writing a short email sharing what attending the festival means to you and for which track you are interested in.
The Artists
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Angela AndrewSpecial Guest & TeacherUKAngela Andrew is a performer, educator and producer. Her work is informed by layers of theory and practice: street dance, partner-dancing, youth and community education and music.
She was born and raised in Hackney, which is core to her identity and has informed her practice over the years. The combination of her musical family background, classical music training, love for jazz and her passion for dance made for a natural progression to search for the roots of street-dance, the Lindy Hop.
Angela ‘discovered’ Lindy Hop in 1991, she soon after began travelling the international Lindy Hop scene. She is renowned for her contribution to the development of the community – including mentoring new teachers and pioneering out-of-the box events – and her unique yet grounded teaching style. Her passion drives her to continue to spread and develop the Lindy Hop; her emphasis on the soul and roots of the dance. Her aim is for the Lindy Hop to be recognised for its duality: as a contemporary dance art form and as a popular Street / Club dance
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MadaTeacherArgentinaFor the last 10 years, Mada has dedicated himself to the practice of movement, studying strength and conditioning, acrobatics, and dance. Coming from the world of calisthenics, he has been teaching since the age of 15 and has participated in international seminars such as Fighting Monkeys. His research focuses on observing human relationships and creating contexts for sincere communication. Mada has developed models and methodologies to teach various acrobatic and movement skills. Currently, he studies physiological and biological aspects to create gentler, care-promoting spaces, blending scientific study with practical application.
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JoYsSTeacherFranceJean-Charles aka JoYsS is an actor, who shares a huge love story with dance. He is well
known for his multi-artistic experience. He originally comes from the Hip-hop Culture, where the mission of every dancer is to raise your own style and respect all inspirations without taking off any nature of it. His purpose is not to dance swing with "modern moves"... He just comes with his own experience, challenges himself and try to level up exactly like the old school dancers did by the time, like if they never stopped dancing until now.Through his numerous teaching and training courses all over the world, his famous
performances like the "Drunk dance on Take Five", his winning of the 1rst place solo
Charleston at ILHC 2015 in Washington DC(...) He is today one of the most accomplished
French figures on the international swing scene. Beside all of this, he has his own signature move in the video game Fortnite by Epic Game, he worked for artists like Rita Mitsuko, Mika, La Femme, or even prestigious brands like Hermès or Tommy Hilfiger. He worked also for Caravane Palace concerts and Movie clips, and was part of the cast of the Fashion Freak Show by Jean-Paul Gauthier. -
Alexandros El GrecoTeacher & PerformerGreece & BelgiumDance artist based in Brussels. Alexandros is interested in the body as the focal point of communication, where, playfully, we can renew social relations. He is engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations, blending methods and tools in between art forms as well as challenging the classical stage format to establish direct contact between performers and audience.
He is the founder of the group Dans Kapot, whose work in the making is being supported by the Kunstencentrum Kaap and by Jazzlab. His current solo work “the fall in between” is supported by RADAR Mechelen, CC De Faktorij and CC De Spil. He has worked as a performer in five productions of the company Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus and has also worked for Alexander Vantournhout and Julyen Hamilton. He teaches dance internationally for professionals and dance enthusiasts. -
Rodula GkouliampereTeacher & PerformerGreeceStudied at the English Dance Academy Modern Theater Dance Branch Postgraduate Diploma in Physical Education Pedagogy Danis Bois (Universidad Moderna de Lisboa curso universitario livere de especializacuo em somato-psichopedagogia).
Μember of the dance groups: "Ilira" by A. Christodoulou, "Active Mass" by A. Progidis, "Vis motrix" by K. Gerardos, "Alma kalma" by I. Mitros. Since 2000 she has been studying and practicing the "Daniel Bois" method by applying it to dance groups, while giving seminars in research laboratories and dance schools. In 2008 created the group "Fascia" for which she dances and choreographs.
Τaught sensory movement and its application in contemporary dance at the DIKE "IRIS" vocational school of Thessaloniki and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
In recent years she has collaborated with independent artists: "Mitos", "Anemycinema", "Ch papakyriakou", "D. Sotiriou", "G. Tselepi" and participated in dance festivals.
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Davide BonettiTeacherItalyDavide Bonetti is a professional acrodancer. At the age of 18 he got into the contemporary circus school FLIC in Turin, as an acrobat where he specialized in handstands. Later he continued his training at CNAC (Centre National des Arts du Cirque) in France, getting interested in a more fluid and organic approach to acrobatics: acrodance.
Between 2019 and 2021 he performed in France and Belgium & from 2019 he is been giving workshops in Italy and Europe. Amongst others he taught in B12 research or die (Berlin), Henny Juriens Studio (Amsterdam) & Frei Art Festival (Freiburg).
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Martha Liveri-DalaveriTeacherGreeceAfter extensive studies in NTUA and earning a Civil Engineering diploma, showcasing profound knowledge in mechanical body engineering, Martha pivoted towards a profound passion for dance. Embracing dance styles from diverse origins and eras, she delved into the Asian Silk Road dances and vernacular jazz, deeply rooted in the 1920s and '30s African-American culture. Over the past few years, she's built upon these, incorporating elements into ballet, evolving contemporary dance—her initial dance adventure a decade ago—infused with expressive movement and improvisation.
Martha travels abroad, seeking training at major international festivals. Her participation in Sweden's Herräng Dance Camp inspired her to launch the "Jazz Reactor" project, a workshop focusing on vernacular jazz dance and emphasizing musicality, born in 2016. Her personal quest for a space dedicated to systematic study, composition, and deconstruction of dance led to its inception.
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Stefanos ZymvragoudakisTeacherGreeceStefanos, based in Athens, teaches weekly Lindy Hop classes and works as a facilitator with youth groups, exploring rhythm and movement through play. He began his journey with Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz in 2014 in Thessaloniki, captivated by the rhythmic patterns, upbeat feeling, and social aspects of swing dances. Together with his dance partner Martha, they offer workshops in Greece & abroad.
Stefanos believes Lindy Hop offers a vast space for everyone, emphasizing satisfaction through body expression and partner communication. He focuses on individualized improvement for his students. Passionate about sharing his love for dance, Stefanos also enjoys learning and facing new challenges. This inspiration leads him to explore contemporary dance and ballet
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Lucia LonegroTeacher & PerformerGreece & ArgentinaLucia is an Argentinian mover, acrobat & dancer.
She studied gymnastics from the age of 7 and various dances, including dancehall, swing, reggaeton, hip hop, classical and contemporary dance, in different countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Budapest and Spain.
Throughout the years she worked in theatre plays and performances in Latin America & Greece. She has also been teaching floor acrobatics and Acro-Dance for more than 10 years and has given workshops in Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Thessaloniki and Spain.
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One Night BandMusiciansGreeceLocal jazz virtuosos come together as One Night Band for an unforgettable evening at Movin' & Groovin'. Their dynamic energy will light up the stage on Saturday night and keep you dancing all night long.
Drums - Alexis Makatselos
Double Bass - Ntinos Manos
Saxophone - Charis Kapetanakis
Guitar - Thodoris Kotsifas -
The Groove JumpersMusiciansGreeceFor the Swing Dance class & the Open Jam session on Thursday, we welcome at Kunia Cultural Hub, The Groove Jumpers. This talented group of local musicians come together for an evening filled with infectious grooves, vibrant rhythms, and high-energy tunes that are sure to light up the dance floor.
Drums - Vaggelis Domanos
Bass - Giannis Papagavriil
Guitar - Alexis Karnoutsos -
Penelope SyllignakiDjGreecePenelope Syllignaki is one of the few music producers in Greece specialising in Swing jazz music, particularly the sound of the first half of the past century.
Growing up, jazz music was always present in her home, and in 2007, sparked by Lindy Hop dancing, she delved deeper into traditional jazz, enthusiastically exploring the history of black music and the sound of the gramophone.
She has been a music producer at major international events across Greece and abroad. It's no surprise that she has a personal collection of vinyl records and gramophone discs. For 6 years, she even hosted her own live radio show ("Take the A train") on a local station (Republic 100.3), where she presented the history, evolution, and influence of jazz music on contemporary sound, emphasizing Blues, Hot Jazz, and Swing.
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Aaron K. ZamanDjGermanyAaron's DJ motto is simple: make it easier for the dancers to have fun and keep them dancing! After rediscovering in 2019, his passion and appreciation for the history of swing, jazz and blues has led him to collect new tunes, dance Lindy Hop and blues and DJ across Europe over the years.
Although the swing classics of 30s and 40s are the core of his sets, he also mixes them up with newer swing tunes to keep things fresh and appeal to a wider audience. Expect a stylistic variety of tunes in his set on a typical night, ranging from early vocal jazz to big bands to New Orleans and R&B, providing the most fun possible for a dancer's feet and soul!"
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Jo ManavopoulouTeacherGreeceJo started dancing at the age of 3 and trained in ballet, contemporary, and modern jazz. She got the swing dance bug in 2012 and since then she has attended many festivals around the world. She trained for years with Angela Andrew and started teaching regularly in London in 2014. She is now based in Thessaloniki, and is a founding member of Kunia Cultural Hub cooperative where she teaches Swing & Blues.
What she loves more about swing dancing is the freedom of expression and the connection with other dancers and with the music. Although she is fascinated by technically demanding moves, she believes the magic occurs when people forget about doing the "right" steps, connect with each other, with the music and just "feel the beat".