THE VINTAGE BATTLE '23
When we say Savoy Ballroom Battle of the Bands, we either get super excited as WE KNOW what we are talking about OR if we don’t know we are in for a lifetime experience!
The inspiration for this event is the Savoy Ballroom Battle between Chick Webb vs. Benny Goodman. Not familiar with it, check this brief summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbamDNDoJu0
What to expect?
- 4 parties and 3 nights of amazing live music!
- 9 great motivational movers
- 2 days of workshops
- 4 live bands
- Jam sharing culture, energy of burning fire in your souls, a cozy Vintage Venue and a lot more!
Shortcuts
THE LIVE MUSIC BANDS of TVB '23
LAURA & THE FRIED SEVEN
Laura Dooge‘s big passion lies with the Great American Songbook, bringing the timeless songs of George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Duke Ellington to the public. Brought together by the love of Early Jazz, The Fried Seven is a group of joyous musicians playing exciting swing music inspired by bands from New Orleans and the Swing Era.
ROARING CATS
Roaring Cats is a band based in Amsterdam, that took the challenge of giving value and new significance to the roots of jazz. Their repertoire consists of original arrangements of the finest tunes by the top artists of the ’30s and ’40s: from Fats Waller to Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington to Jimmie Lunceford. Swell notes for hyperactive swing dancers and for sedentary drinking listeners.
Nick Rossi & Kamrin Ortiz
Get ready to experience the ultimate musical fusion! Guitarist and band leader Nick Rossi and saxophone player Kamrin Ortiz are joining us from the US for two spectacular nights at our festival. Nick Rossi Quartet will set the stage alight with their soulful sound at Thursday’s pre-party, while Nick Rossi & his European Six will ignite the night with their unique sound on Friday. An unforgettable live music experience is guaranteed! As a musician who believes strongly in actively engaging with the history of music, Nick has been involved in numerous projects over the years which have tapped into his talents as a writer, historian, and researcher. He was written for magazines such as Acoustic Guitar and The Fretboard Journal as well as record labels such as Resonance, Ace, and RPM. More recently, Nick has participated in a comprehensive retrospective of Benny Goodman’s earliest big band legacy, which includes a mini-survey of jazz guitar through the 1930s.
SCHEDULE
LEVELS
JAM STARTER: Your 6 & 8 count basics are stable, Charleston still needs work and faster tempos are challenging for you.
JAM CIRCLE: You are comfortable with Charleston and swingouts, and faster tempos are starting to become exciting.
THROW DOWN: Fast tempo’s are your jam and you want to roll with all of that energy.
THE MOTIVATIONAL MOVERS OF TVB '23
Jill De Muelenaere is inspired by the authentic vernacular dancing that showed in old movies and the African roots of the dance, Jill is in search of a sense of freedom within the dance. In class, her goal is to create a joyful yet challenging and encouraging experience for everyone, allowing each dancer to develop their own
individuality in their dancing.
Alexandre McCormack is Benelux vice champion
in breakdancing and has been
teaching urban dances for over 14 years.
For him, originality and authenticity come
from individual expression while remaining true to the dance and its founders.
Ornella Macchia danced and taught Argentine Tango for 6 years after which she started Lindy Hop. She’s part of Jazz Maniacs crew and part of a chorus line called The Jassettes. Ornella teaches Lindy Hop at Apollo Swing school in Brussels for over 3 years.
Nick Baeten was a scene leader in Brussels until he moved to Stockholm in 2020 where he teaches at Chicago and Stockholm Swing Society. That doesn’t stop him from training in Brussels, and winning the last Savoy Cup City battle. To him, the greatest joy is to inspire people to connect with each other and express themselves.
Their specialty as dancing partners is to share their energy through dizzying acrobatics, humorous and theatrical choreographies.
Viktor Lillard has taught classes and workshops on three continents, and continues to travel to teach.
Viktor loves to spread the joy of dance within a comprehensive experience of jazz music, and is continually studying Jazz’s profound history and cultural roots in a continuum of Black American social dance.
He uses his musical knowledge and his thoughtful creative outlook to help students both become comfortable in their basics and expand their boundaries. Above all, he absolutely loves to share his musical and flowing style of swing on the social floor, and he encourages all dancers to feel the music and have fun!
Katie Cobalt is known for her classroom energy, dancefloor sass and enthusiasm for all things Jazz. She focuses on individually helping her students on their own dance journeys as well as sharing the rich cultural history of dance. Katie holds first-place titles at Savoy Cup, International Lindy Hop Championships, and Balkan Lindy Hop Championships.
Mike Sonder has taught in 21 countries and counting. Winner of many competitions, Mike currently teaches Lindy Hop, solo Jazz, air steps, many different Blues styles, Balboa, teacher training, and more. He loves seeing students’ eyes light up when they understand a concept or feel a movement work naturally in their bodies for the first time.
Sabrine Ewies is a professional and certified teacher, dancer and choreographer, specialising in street Afro dances. She fell in love with street Afro dances whilst in Finland (from all the places!), and became obsessed. She took many classes and workshops to deepen her knowledge, understand the meaning of the dance, the music, and the overall meaning behind each and every step, foundation and technique. “Dance has helped me overcome lots of life challenges and especially build a greater confidence around myself, my values, and most importantly, improve the relationship I have with my body. It’s been the greatest school of life so far.”
Unleash your inner sensuality and discover a new connection with your body through dance! Iris Hagemans is here to guide you in a session filled with sultry moves set to the beat of jazz music. Get ready to learn more about yourself, boost your confidence, and have a great time. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore your own sensuality and grace.
PRICES & SOLIDARITY FUND
FULL PASS: €195
(9.5h of classes, 4 parties on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
PARTY PASS: €75 (4 nights of parties)
SINGLE PARTY: Thursday €15, Friday €25, Saturday €35, Sunday €35
PS: SINGLE PARTY or PARTY PASS does not include any workshops, except the Friday ‘In the jam’ workshop w/ Nick Rossi & Sunday ENERGY BOOST Workshop with Helena & Sabu.
FOOD
Lunch pack : €18 (lunch on Saturday & Sunday)
Single dinner: €15
Full food package: €55 (2 lunches + 3 dinners (Friday, Saturday & Sunday dinner)
Voluntary participation in our SOLIDARITY FUND
Many people around the world can’t attend such events. WE would like to help them out and need your help for that! Please donate the amount that you can miss from your budget. The collected funds will be used for covering full passes for such people. If you are having financial problems and want to participate, please reach out and let’s chat, we are sure together we can figure it out!
ACCOMMODATION
Since we are just a small team organizing this special weekend, we don’t offer hosting. But do feel free to ask and offer hosting on the Facebook event page. And dear Amsterdam dancers, if you have room for some cool & sophisticated dancers please say so too, you can add to all the magic and enjoy some good company and eternal gratitude!
Amsterdam is a very popular city, so reserving a hotel should be done well in advance. Prices are much cheaper outside the city center.
We recommend StayOkay OOST Hostel (20 min walk from our venue, 10 bike ride), and we managed to provide our participants a DISCOUNT on booking that hostel! You can use the KZHOUSING keyword and get 10% off the price! If you already booked the accommodation, you can still re-book and use the code! Also lots of places available through AirBnB.
LOCATION
We are very grateful for the support of the Rock Solid Fund!