We are excited to invite you to the 2nd edition of our

Bluesin’ Prague Festival

September 26–29 2024, Prague, Czech Republic

classes teachers

Mike Sonder & Jamica Zion

Mike: One of the star teachers on the international blues dance scene. Mike strives to create a learning environment that is fun, challenging, and inclusive. The goal is for each individual student to find their next step forward and enjoy that process of growth. Mike loves seeing students’ eyes light up when they understand a concept or feel a movement work naturally in their body for the first time. Mike has taught dance in 21 countries and counting. He currently teaches Lindy Hop, Air Steps, Solo Jazz, and many different Blues styles.

Jamica: Currently living the nomadic life, Jamica Zion takes pride in being a groovy solo dancer, a dynamic follow, and growing lead. Jamica aims for range, not just in connection and style, but across genres too! Since starting Jazz and Blues dances 15 years ago, she’s collected multiple titles from contests across top US events including Lindy Focus, Camp Jitterbug, Beantown, and Camp Hollywood. As a solo artist, Jamica has prioritized performance over contests so instead of a collection of solo wins, she has a diverse and abundant performance portfolio (check some out on YouTube)! Jamica’s approach towards sharing dance with others includes a critical understanding and appreciation of its history and culture, while simultaneously ushering students to build their own styles and meaningful connections to it. Jamica’s unique blend of experiences, teacher training, and knowledge allows Jamica to deliver inclusive and culturally responsible classes that are creative, thought provoking, and original!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIscVcn93YY

taster teachers

 Isabelle & Ewan

Isabelle: Isabelle discovered Blues dancing in late 2012. She loves the various styles, tempos and rhythms Blues music has to offer, as well as the variety of connections you can find in the dance. Isabelle loves those moments on the dance floor when you can really sink your teeth (or feet?!) into a song and let all else go, just be in the moment and enjoy this ultimate form of self-expression because the music moves you. She has travelled to countless Blues events around the world for the last 12 years and taught regularly in Oxford pre-pandemic. If not dancing, she will be found learning more about Blues and Black American history and organising dance events in her local Oxford scene.

Ewan: Ewan is a blues music and dance nerd from Edinburgh, Scotland! After checking out a blues dance class in 2014, he very quickly became obsessed. As a teacher, Ewan aims to meet his students at their current needs. When he first started dancing, he was no natural. Lacking body awareness and any musical understanding. This experience allows him to easily empathise with newer dancers and their individual difficulties. As a White European from Scotland, practicing a Black American art form, he recognises the need to be respectful to the history and culture behind these dances and their music. Ewan does as much research on blues music and its dances as he can and always tries to ground his classes in a context that is appreciative of the roots of blues dancing whilst also acknowledging to his students the limits of his understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-3NQKnOo9Q

Jakub Zomer Blues Trio

Thursday September 26
Jazz&Cocktail Club U Staré paní

Jakub Zomer is the only exception to the festival music bands theme „The Female Voice Power“. We just couldn’t resist, Jakub is the Ray Charles of Prague! Jakub is a great keyboard player and one of the best jazz musicians in the Czech Republic. Among other things, he is a key player in Miss Mikey May’s Organ Grinders project and (not only) with this project you could see him on the stages of international blues and swing dance festivals. On Thursday, he will open the Bluesin‘ Prague festival with his own Jakub Zomer Blues Trio. For that, Jakub will swap hammonds for smooth piano keys and his velvety voice, which will be accompanied by a virtuoso but precise rhythm section. This trio will create a super tasty blend of jazzy and energetic, as well as emotive and soulful songs for your feet and heart. You really can’t miss the pre-party this time!!!!

https://youtu.be/M9qO-563SNs?si=YsS6zqsKbSID-knx
https://youtu.be/iu563pAmhgg?si=rvv12EfgGCtaWD3o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3UNXiqz1Zg

Géri & The Lizards

Friday September 27
Cargo Gallery Boat

Géri & The Lizards are stewing in the sun. They’re contemplating about the heat. Heat you will feel underneath your grooving feet and on your glistening skin, while you‘ll be immersed into their world of blues. It‘s Beneš, Micenko, Hajtmánek & Schnyder on the Shreds-Slap-Sticks & Sho-bees!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owpntOVPZPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYNyGALH2AI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anOfRTtLmaI

Miss Mikey May and the Organ Grinders

Saturday September 28
Kongresové centrum Vavruška

Miss Mikey May is a powerful, soulful vocalist with a background in theatre, cabaret, burlesque, and social dancing. The Organ Grinders is her Hammond-organ focused Swing and Blues project, featuring some of Czech Republic’s top Jazz and Blues musicians. Their music explores (and sometimes crosses!) the outer limits of Swing and Blues music in a dancer-friendly package, and if you’ve seen them perform at dance events throughout Europe then you’ll know you’ll have a groovy great time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4E2Rqhh3MY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGayeY3Lim8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8lNTvw0Nko

Fehero Rocher

Sunday September 29
Komunitní prostor Smíchov

For this concert, a quartet of great blues-based Prague musicians will return to their roots and play a set of unadulterated blues and jazz ballads from the 30s/40s in their own captivating version, where intimacy and rawness are in blissful harmony.
Sisa Fehér – vocals, Antonín Dlapa – guitar, Miloš Klápště – double bass, Jan Chalupa – drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26NxqjcM7d0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BNDdJJt1qg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbCaofwUvHI

DJ Ewan

In 2017, after 3 years of regularly dancing a mix of fusion, swing and blues, Ewan started to truly fall in love with blues music. He proceeded to watch every documentary on the topic he could find and consume hundreds of albums from the most famous blues legends of the past to the lesser known names keeping the traditions of the music alive today.
He adores all the various styles and rhythms of the music; from early jazz and acoustic country to electric swingy shuffle and funky soul. When DJing he loves picking 1 or 2 specific blues styles/subgenres and then catering to what the crowd is feeling within that vibe.

DJ Isabelle

Isabelle started DJing because she was fed up with hearing the same songs over and over again in her local scene. She fell in love with Blues dancing because of the amazing variety in the music and grooves, but often this variety was lacking in the music played at socials. In the true style of “if you want something done right, do it yourself”, Isabelle started DJing locally in 2016. Isabelle loves playing Black female artists, especially in Blues genres that are commonly dominated by men. But overall, as long as it’s groovy, it will be played. Variety is key and the spice of life – the same is true for the dance floor.

DJ Filip

Filip fell in love with blues music already in high school, when he watched the movie Cadillac records. Here he met one of the main protagonists of the blues scene, Muddy Waters. Since then, he has been expanding his music library, not knowing that he will regularly deliver a load of his favorite music to the dancers‘ feet. He has been working as a DJ at swing and blues parties in Brno for several years.

DJ Flo

Don’t let the picture fool you. Flo can’t actually do any card tricks but he has another kind of magic up his sleeves. The kind that’ll make you want to not leave the dance floor all night!
With a fondness of music and especially the Blues in all it’s styles he always has the right song to follow up and keep you dancing. He’ll probably do the same at the DJ booth if he’s not busy sharing his enthusiasm about the music. No need to Shazam; just come by and ask!

DJ Greta

Although from the Czech Republic, Greta’s home scene for more than fourteen years has been Barcelona, where she started dancing lindy hop, blues and regularly DJing at local parties and festivals. This was followed by fusion dance and DJing at parties and festivals all over Europe. Greta K. is in her element when she can dance, listen and play music. One of the things she enjoys most is discovering new musical gems to share with her dancers. She likes to combine an energetic style of music with a slower and more sensual style, depending on how she feels about the atmosphere at the dance floor. So friends, don’t wait and get dancing!

DJ Jen

Jen (or Evgeniya) is a blues DJ with a knack for creating a seamless musical journey. Dabbling in social dances since 2008—from Latin to ballroom to tango—she found her true love in blues. Her sets flow from slow, sensual blues to meditative fusion and roofless funk. When no one’s watching, she loves getting crazy to old-school disco vinyls. Off the dance floor, Evgeniya is an illustrator and art educator, blending art and rhythm in everything she does. Get ready to groove to her beats!

DJ Michaela

Blues was the first dance that Misa tried as an adult. Although she webu on to discover many other dances, nothing could ever beat the blues! Misa has been on the local scene since 2018 as a member of Bluesin` Prague and gradually became an enthusiastic student, dancer, event organiser, DJ and lecturer, currently at Blues Dose. What she loves about the blues is the colourful, playful yet deep and intimate connection to music. Misa enjoys the full range from the deep roots of blues, heavy funk, electrifying Chicago, to heavenly gospel and otherworldly fusion. Get your shoes ready to dance on all of it!

DJ Pawel

Paweł has been dancing since 2017 and started as a swing dancer in Gdańsk, Poland. Along the way, he also discovered his love for blues – not only for dancing but for music too. Since then he’s been dancing and DJing non-stop. He loves Delta and Chicago classics, from Harper and Waters to BB. King. He gives great attention to quality and smooth mood transitions, focusing mostly on older songs and artists.

DJ Tom

Tom started dancing Lindy Hop in 2014. However, attending the Blues festival in Ghent in 2018 was a game changer for him. Tom fell in love with Blues music and dance. He immediately began building a local Blues community in Brno with a few others. Since then, he has also started DJing at local events and camps, and later on at smaller festivals like Blues Melange in Vienna, Little Blues Sister in Prague, as well as bigger festivals like Big City Blues in Ghent, Sofia Blues Festival, and Boulevard Blues in Hasselt. He also organizes festivals The Slow Down and Sem Tam Blues in Brno, where he participates as a DJ as well. His mission is to help people fall in love with Blues music and dance, through which they can explore its history and cultural context.

Registration opened on Tuesday April 9, 2024 at 8 PM

Short registration manual:

1. Choose first module you want to register
2. You can switch between CZK and EUR by clicking the arrows next to the base price. Choose the currency at the beginning, after you finish your order you can not change it any more!!!
   
3. Fill in your email plus name & surname and other info
4. If you want, click “I want to register with my partner” to make a registration for both of you at once. (If you don’t pay for both of you, your partner need to check his/her email and click there on „Complete order and pay“!)
   
5. Submit your reservation
6. If you want to add another module(s) than click “continue shopping” otherwise click “submit reservation” / „complete order“
   
7. Don’t get distracted by percentage discounts in your order = the final sum is correct  – exactly according the rules we stated above 🙂 (if not, let us know)
   
8. Finally click „order and pay“. Please double check, that you finish the order, otherwise you don’t get payment info.
9. If you get on the waiting list at Partnered class, it could mean there is unbalanced amount of registrations in lead and follow roles. Don’t worry, as soon as enough people in oposite role register, your reservation will be approved.
10. For international payments in EUR: IBAN is CZ20 2010 0000 0026 0276 2511, name of the owner of the bank account is Martin Sandera, the address is Baarova 37, Praha 4, Česká republika, ZIP Code 140 00
11. For domestic payments in CZK: account number is 33334090/2010
12. If the party pass discount doesn’t work as you expected / we promised, please let us know before you pay! Thanks… If you have any problems please don’t hesitate to contact us (better before you pay), thanks.
    

When registering to a partnered class, you can see if there is somebody on the waiting list. If you choose the dance role with a shorter (or none) waiting list, you increase your chance to get the desired partnered module. The system we are using unfortunately can not register to switch / ambidancetrous role yet.

Prague public transport: For travelling on Prague public transportation you can buy short-term tickets for 30 minutes (30 CZK) or 90 minutes (40 CZK) or whole-day tickets for 24 hours (120 CZK) or 72 hours (330 CZK). Further details here.

Contacts:
e-mail BluesDose@gmail.com
phone: +420 777 575 407 (Martin), +420 774 970 587 (Pavla)

If you are travelling to Prague and wondering about possibility of accommodation in private with local dancers try to join our facebook group Bluesin‘ Prague Festival Accommodation and let there locals know about you…