Two of the hippest cats in the world swing dance scene light the stage on fire at the 2020 Rock That Swing Festival. Crowd favorites Nils and Bianca have been performing for years and it really shows as they fire up the crowd.
These two superstars of swing dance are like two cats on a hot tin roof as they boogie Woogie and swing in front of a thrilled audience.
Nils Andrén and Bianca Locatelli have reached heroic stature in the world of competitive swing dance. The dancing duo tour the globe, teaching, inspiring, and taking home trophies. They began dancing together when Bianca moved to Sweden at the age of sixteen and they’ve been burning up juke joints across the globe ever since.
Nils and Bianca have a passion for nostalgia and a dance that was made popular in the 1920s and ’30s. These two bunny hoppers show you that Swing Dancing lives on.
Swing Dancing sprang from the Lindy Hop, an American dance born out of Harlem in the 1920s. The Lindy Hop became a huge hit across the country and has found a new resurgence around the globe.
The dance gained new popularity in the 1980s and continues today with championships, social gatherings, and performances held in places throughout the world.
You may ask how did a popular dance from the 1920s Harlem gain such a huge following in Sweden and other European countries. Nils and Bianca began to swing dancing when they met in Sweden. Is there really a swing dance community in Sweden?
Yes, there is. In fact, the unofficial worldwide capital for Lindy Hop is in Sweden. Europe has a strong nostalgia for American dance from the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
In Herrang Sweden, the Herräng Dance Camp is held annually for five weeks in late summer with attendees from over 40 countries.
The popular dance camp says that anyone can attend.
”The event is a melting-pot for beginners with two left feet as well as for professionals decorated with medals and applauds.”
Located in the seaside village, the Herrang Dance Camp has so much to offer dance enthusiasts.
“Classes are held on all levels, and the entire event is rooted in a social context covering more or less 24 hours a day, holding all kind of swing dance parties as well as illustrious theme parties, but also debates, interviews, lectures, film presentations and all that jazz from dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn.”
In this video, Nils and Bianca dance at the world-renowned Rock That Swing Festival located yearly in Munich, Germany. This year’s festival launched in early 2020 before the pandemic made such gatherings difficult.
It’s wonderful events like these that keep the dance alive and well.
Rock That Swing has so many chances to learn all kinds of swing dance styles. You’ll be hitting those super-fast steps, just like Nils and Bianca, in no time.
“It is one of the largest gatherings of the best instructors for Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag, etc. Exchange, learn and get inspired. Choose from more than 200 classes for all levels.”
And beginners don’t fret. They have classes for newbs, too.
“We offer special classes for beginners, competitors, and instructors. Dance classes are in proper studios with wooden floors.“
By the way, if you can’t get to these destinations, you’re in luck. Nils and Bianca have a website where they offer lessons.
That’s right, these two superstars can join you in your living room dance studio. Just move the couch out of the way and get to cutting that rug. Find them at www.nilsandbianca.com
If you like nostalgia and energetic dancing, this video is a showcase. Pass it along to that special someone you are wanting to lock in as your new dance partner.
Watch their fancy footwork below!
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