Your teacher: Brenda Russell (USA)
Brenda comes from a family of social dancers and musicians. As dance became her profession, she began specialising in African American cultural jazz, blues, and latin dances. For the last 24 years, Brenda has travelled the world teaching movement and dance, including balboa, blues, swing, tango, west coast swing and fusion.
Brenda is known as a technician, historian, and sometimes drill sergeant. She is most known as a dancer and teacher for her feel, and that of her students. Brenda promotes the philosophies of proprioceptive partnering, neutral frame, spinal alignment and pulse-based dancing, helping her students experience an organic connection often found in native social dancers.
When describing her vision, she states:Movement | Sensuality | Community
Brenda is a movement and dance educator by nature and by training. She holds many certifications in movement education modalities, and she continues to deepen her understanding of body movement, along with integration of mind, body and spirit.
Brenda believes that the best way to learn a dance is the same way the original dancers did: by listening to the music, moving in response, picking up movements from family and friends, through observation and then by joining in the dance.
Brenda believes that when a dancer connects fully with their own body and with the music, and can understand, observe, and embody dance movement in general, then they can dance their own authentic dance, within any form they choose, including the Blues and Jazz Dance.
Venue (classes and party)
Ella’s Fellas Dancestudio
(we are in the big room)
Hohlstr.192
8004 Zürich
Googlemaps
Schedule
Class schedule Saturday
10:45: Check-in
11:00 – 17:00: Warmup & Classes (incl. breaks)
Class schedule Sunday (STARTS LATER!)
12:00 – 17:00 Warmup & Classes (incl. breaks)
Party with live music from E.Castle
Blues dance party in the evening with incredible live music from “E.Castle”. Party starts at 20:45.
E. Castle has specialized in early blues guitar, harp, and vocals since 2010, playing in blues and jazz and dance festivals like the Upside Down Festival in Belgium to the New Orleans Jazz Festival in New Orleans, the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival in Aruba to the Rapperswil Blues & Jazz festival in Switzerland. A typical concert travels through Piedmont Blues to Delta, Shuffle, Country Blues, into early Jazz, prewar popular music and even includes some original music in these styles.
Links to one of his other projects, the band Frog&Henry: frogandhenry.com or Instagram.com/frogandhenry
And check out Zürich’s own local blues and jazz duo, ‘Franz Hatts & Castle’ for more blues dancing this summer. More info coming soon.
Price
Two days Blüesli: 220 CHF regular / 180 CHF reduced
One day Blüesli (if available, you’ll be waitlisted when you register): 130 CHF regular / 110 CHF reduced
Saturday Party with live music: 15 CHF (included in the workshop passes)
Not enough blues?
Join our regular weekly classes!
You just want to party? All Swiss blues events can be found in the shared google Calendar or on LindyHop.ch (use filter Zürich & Blues)