Teachers
Sona and Tom
Soňa fell in love with swing dances in late 2019, spending every day in the studio, eager to learn. While she enjoyed all swing dances, Blues stood out the most. Dancing to Blues music for the first time brought back memories of childhood, when her father played blues rock on the record player. Even during the pandemic, she stayed connected to the dance, learning from every resource she could find. For her, Blues is more than just movement—it’s emotion, trust, connection, and storytelling. She approaches the dance with deep respect for its rich history and cultural significance, honoring the roots from which it grew. To her, Blues is not just a dance—it’s a language of feeling, a space for meditation, friendship, and community.
Tom started dancing Lindy Hop in 2014, after a decade of training in the Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoeira. Eager to dive into this new passion, he took every class twice in the beginning to speed up his learning. He quickly got into the flow and began attending several dance festivals each year.
But attending the Blues festival in Ghent in 2018 was a game changer. Tom fell in love with Blues music and dance. Soon after, he began building a local Blues community with a few others. His mission is to help people fall in love with Blues music and dance, through which they can then explore its rich cultural context and history.
Vaiva and Tomas
Vaiva has been in love with blues dancing for the past six years. Not only dancing but also singing with VAIVA’s BLUES, makes her an active and vibrant part of the international blues community. In her classes, Vaiva often hums tunes and bringing joy to her students is a number one goal. She has also tasted success in international competitions, but her true focus in dance lies in enjoyment and letting movement flow naturally. To Vaiva, dancing is about freeing the mind and living in the moment, creating harmony between music and movement. For her, the blues is a feeling and an opportunity to merge with the connections it offers — whether with oneself, the music, or a dance partner.
Tomas enjoys improvising and playing in partner dancing. Since 2015, he has had an enduring passion for dance, with the greatest passion being for the blues. He always enjoys competitions and contests and has participated in (and won!) several of them – both in partner and solo dancing. He loves to share his experience and never misses an opportunity to encourage dancers to step out of their comfort zones, participate in competitions, or perform in shows. He puts a lot of effort into each class, conveying his joy of dance and the considerable experience he has gained from participating in international festivals.
With Tomas’s expertise in improvisation and playfulness in partner dancing, and Vaiva’s deep connection to the blues community and her dual talent in both dancing and singing, they bring a unique and vibrant energy to their teaching. Their classes are known for encouraging dancers to step out of their comfort zones and embrace the joy of movement. Vaiva and Tomas create an environment where students can connect with their bodies, music, and partners, can have fun and a good laugh, fostering both technical skill and a profound appreciation for the art of dance.