Maria and Aurelien
Maria Ferrer & Aurélien Darbellay (Spain/Switzerland), who recently secured 1st place at ILHC in the All Star Classic routine division, will be teaching at Swing Blender Weekend 2025! Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from these world-class dancers & teachers! Their playful & creative dancing style is unique!
Short Bio
This dynamic duo first crossed paths in the vibrant Lindy Hop scene of Barcelona, where they bonded over their love for swing dancing. Since then, they’ve been dancing and teaching together for over a decade!
With a passion for swing rhythms, deep connection, and the magic of being present in the moment, Maria and Aurélien are all about exploring the endless possibilities of social dance interactions... and making it swing!
Their approach to teaching is filled with curiosity, dedication, and joy as they share an art form deeply rooted in the African-American community, always mindful of the cultural context and history it represents.
Based in Barcelona, they actively contribute to the local dance community through their school, El Taller, their social and scenic project, Cia Enjazz.
Vassiliki and Viktor
This dynamic & ethereal duo has been making some noise lately and we’re sure they’ll continue to surprise us with their presence around the world! They have been sweeping the prizes, plus they are really cool & positive people! Please let’s welcome once more Vasiliki Papadopoulou from Greece and Viktor Lillard from the US!
Short Bio of Vasiliki
Hailing from Athens, Greece, Vassiliki Papadopoulou has been dancing since she was 8 years old, and since 2016 has been teaching Lindy Hop and Authentic jazz dance professionally in several international swing dance festivals and workshops. Her biggest inspiration is the music that era. The elements of rhythm, personal expression, and freedom embedded in that music draws out her creativity and inspires her to develop a deeper understanding of the values within this African American art form. She loves social dancing and she deeply encourages all the dancers to feel the music and express themselves.
Short Bio of Viktor
Hailing originally from Ithaca, NY, Viktor Lillard is a passionate and multi-talented creative force, with a specialty in Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz dance. Included in his frequent activities are teaching, DJing Swing and Soul music, playing the bass and guitar, researching music and history, performing, producing video, and, of course, social dancing. He has become a valued dance instructor in the international Lindy Hop scene. Viktor endeavors to share his understanding of the movement fundamentals at the core of the jazz dance tradition, inspire curiosity and instill cultural awareness, and facilitate students finding their own dance identity and authentic self-expression.
Quinndy
We couldn’t be happier to welcome Quinndy to Greece for the first time! She will be joining Swing Blender Weekend! She will be teaching some Theme classes:
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Afrobeat (African Continental “Jazz”, from Nigeria) &
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Afrofusion (A mix of different Afro dances)
An enriching experience as Quinndy shares her passion, expertise, and commitment to cultural awareness! Don’t miss this!
*Her classes will be open to all dancers and not only those from the Swing community.
Short Bio
Quinndy Akeju (she/her), born in Spain with roots tracing back to Nigeria, embodies a diverse identity as a nurse, Afroactivist, and a dedicated dancer.
As an Afroactivist, Quinndy passionately advocates for anti-racism, Afrofeminism, and pan-Africanism. Her dedication extends beyond the dance floor, actively participating in initiatives aimed at eliminating racism, fostering recognition, seeking justice, and advocating for historical reparations for Africans and Afro-descendants in the country.
Beyond her advocacy, Quinndy is a skilled dancer and choreographer in Afrodance. She is the visionary founder of “Afrosesión,” an entrepreneurial project dedicated to promoting awareness of African cultures, histories of African dances, and the African continent. Through Afrosesión, she strives to encourage physical activity while fostering a deeper understanding of African heritage in Spain.
Vassia
There is no doubt that Vassia Panagiotou is one of the reasons why the Greek swing scene started to bloom many years ago! Her love and devotion for African American culture together with her visionary sight are remarkable! For this year’s edition she is working on a very special performance track for those interested in working more intensively and of course expect fun surprises too!
Short Bio
Vassia Panagiotou is a Jazz Dance performer, educator and choreographer focusing on African American Vernacular Jazz and Lindy Hop.
Her love for the Jazz Dances has led her to an ongoing pursuit of delving into the cultural roots of this art form. With an unwavering dedication to research and understanding, she focuses on the legacy of the dancers in Harlem and the tradition of the female performance troupes in night clubs and theaters such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theatre (Chorus Lines).
To get a deeper understanding of the culture, she is also practicing tap dance focusing on the musical, improvisational aspect of the art form as it was danced by the hoofers in Harlem.
She is based in Athens, but quite often she travels in Europe to teach and perform. She is a co-founder of Rhythm Hoppers, a leader of the Rhythm Hoppers Chorus Line, the Hot Mallets & the Rhythm Hoppers performers and one of the organizers of the Athens Rhythm Hop Jazz Dance festival.
Alex & Ioanna
Please welcome Alex & Ioanna, two passionate Blues dancers from Greece! Blues dance teachers, organisers of the @blues.after.hours festival and beloved figures in the Greek dance scene Set yourself free, experiment, and move to the sounds of Blues during Blender Swing Dance Weekend 2025! They are preparing an extra spicy, bluesy, and challenging Solo Blues performance track!
Short Bio
Alex and Ioanna are an enthusiastic blues dance couple! They love to share their personal style of Blues dancing through teaching, adore choreographing captivating performances and cherish loooong nights of social dancing! They are both highly trained dancers; Ioanna has been dancing since she was a child and Alex has been doing Swing dances since 2008! Since 2017 they have been focusing on Blues, traveling around Europe deepening their understanding of the Blues dance, history and culture as well as continuously developing their dancing and teaching skills! Thanks to their love & dedication and building on the excitement of the local dancers they have managed to build an explosive Blues dance community in Athens! In just a few years (even through the covid years) it has steadily grown to become an energetic, loving and high leveled community - many members of which you’ll also find travelling around European festivals!