Name: A blues weekend in Aarhus with Dongsheng and Elena
Start: 2025-05-16T19:30:00+02:00
End: 2025-05-18T18:00:00+02:00
Location: Frederiksbjerg Skole

A blues weekend in Aarhus with Dongsheng and Elena

Welcome to a weekend of playfulness, jamming, and funk in your blues dancing with the amazing Dongsheng (CHN, DE) and Elena (BE)!! 🔥
There will be classes during the day and evening parties Friday and Saturday! 💙

Saturday will feature an introduction to 𝐉𝐮𝐤𝐢𝐧’ 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 and Sunday will focus on 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 (see detailed class descriptions below).
𝐉𝐮𝐤𝐢𝐧’ 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 refers to the kind of dancing that people danced in the “Juke Joints” (think small, packed bars). This style has a more “get down” (low to the ground) posture and emphasis on the hips - with movements you can do in small spaces.
𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 is a jukin’ dance style rooted in blues dancing but influenced by the upbeat, rhythmic, and syncopated elements of funk music. It combines the grounded, soulful movements of traditional blues dancing with playful, dynamic accents and sharper body isolations that reflect the funk groove.

During this weekend, there are no roles, everyone dances with everyone. We’ll dance both solo and partnered. The jukin’ (or jookin') styles of dancing that we’ll explore during this weekend are mostly danced in open or closed position (no or little close embrace). 💙
𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞: ✨ You can sign up for one class, morning classes both days (open level), afternoon classes both days (some blues experience needed, see below), one day of classes (Saturday or Sunday), or for the full workshop programme. Evening parties are included in all workshop passes. ✨

⏰ 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟏 [𝟏𝟏:𝟎𝟎-𝟏𝟑:𝟑𝟎]: 𝐉𝐮𝐤𝐢𝐧’: 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞.
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛-𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛.
In music, a riff is a short, repeated phrase or pattern. In blues and jazz, riffing isn't just about repetition—it’s about improvisation, call and response, and layered movement. In this class, we'll explore how to riff with each other—playing off our partner’s movement, building connection, and finding inspiration in the dance. We’ll dive into different ways of connecting, from solo movement to partnered dancing, and eventually, maybe even jamming together as a group. By the end of this class, you'll have a deeper understanding of Jukin’ and how to bring its raw, playful, and musical qualities to your dance.

⏰ 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟐 [𝟏𝟓:𝟎𝟎-𝟏𝟕:𝟑𝟎]: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐤𝐢𝐧’ 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬: 𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐦, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 1, 𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐽𝑢𝑘𝑖𝑛’ 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.
In this class, we’ll refine our Chicago Triple, focusing on musicality, variations, and improvisation to make it more expressive and dynamic. Building on what we explored in the previous class, we’ll also experiment with the mix of idiom dance and freestyle, turning it into a party dance—riffing with each other, layering movement, and bringing out the social, interactive energy that makes blues dancing so alive. By the end, you’ll have more tools to make Chicago Triple your own and bring it to the dance floor with confidence and creativity.

⏰ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟏 [𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟎-𝟏𝟑:𝟎𝟎]: 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝟏: 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐲!
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛-𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛.
In this class, we’ll explore how to bring more funk into our blues dancing, with a special focus on Four Corners and other moves that add depth, musicality, and texture to your dance. We’ll play with timing, variations, and ways to connect with the music and our partner, keeping everything funky, fun, and full of energy.

⏰ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟐 [𝟏𝟒:𝟑𝟎-𝟏𝟕:𝟎𝟎]: 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝟐: 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭!
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 1, 𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐽𝑢𝑘𝑖𝑛’ 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.
Funk Blues isn’t just about footwork—it’s about letting the whole body groove, and that includes the hips! Funky Butt is all about getting down, finding rhythm in your hips and pelvis, and using grounded movement to create a funky, dynamic dance. In this class, we’ll explore how to engage the hips with rhythm, weight shifts, and isolations, making your movement more expressive and connected to the music and partners. We’ll also work on ways to incorporate Funky Butt into partnered and solo dancing—playing with levels, energy, and musicality to keep it fun, loose, and full of personality.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞:
There will be evening social blues dances on both Friday evening (DJ) and Saturday evening (with live music). Practise what you have learned in class, or just let the good times roll! 🌟Note: Evening parties are included in the workshop price for people taking classes. 🌟