Jose and Estela (guest interviewer) chat with Albert Ferran about how he first found Balboa, his thoughts on a healthy partnership, and his love for philosophy.

Albert has been Swing dancing since 2001 and has taught Balboa in Barcelona, Spain since 2005. In 2011, he began teaching internationally. Despite achieving numerous competition wins and top placements in Balboa contests and championships, he continues to believe that social dancing is at the heart of it all; that “nothing makes sense unless you feel passion for what you do.” Passing on his knowledge in the classroom and dancing on the social floor are what bring him joy.

Jennifer and Denise sit down with Gio! Listen to them chat about musicality, humor in dance, pets and plants, and Gio's experience as a queer man in the Balboa scene.

Gio started dancing at the age of 10, and he never stopped. He traveled from the very beginning for Boogie Woogie competitoins. Later on he discovered Balboa, which is now his great passion. He is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden where he teaches regular classes.

He enjoys experimenting with new moves and stretching the borders of the dance; both in his leading and following. Gio is an avid competitor and a few of his notable placements include titles at All Balboa Weekend, Balboa on the Promenade, and The Snowball. In the classroom he is precise and pedagogical. He is more of a coach than a teacher. Ask him for some feedback!

Let's talk vintage fashion. Denise & Jose visit Chloe Hong in Seoul, Korea to talk about vintage attire, how she her partner Rico Lim started their business, and the challenges of producing attire for dancers.

Listen to Grace Babbes interview Theresa Manney about her journey as a triple threat dancer!

Theresa Manney has been passionate about dance for as long as she can remember — but nothing captures her heart quite like jazz music and swing dancing. With an early background in ballet, she developed a strong appreciation for training, musicality, and thoughtful movement — foundations that have supported her competitive journey, including finalist and top placements at California Balboa Classic, Camp Hollywood, Hot Rhythm Holiday, and The Snowball.

While she enjoys the challenge of competition, what matters most to Theresa is social dancing and sharing the joy of jazz-style dances with others. She’s passionate about helping people build confidence, find their own voice in the music, and fall in love with the dance for themselves.

Denise and Jose hang with Olga Marina. Hear Olga talk about her experience learning Balboa, starting out as a teacher, and her life outside of dancing.

Olga was born into a family of teachers, and has been an energetic live wire since childhood, diving into martial arts, gymnastics, and athletics. She found her passion for dance in 2007 through Lindy hop, and soon after began traveling the globe to dance, learn, compete, and eventually teach. Today she is an international Balboa instructor sharing her love for both solo and partnered Balboa worldwide. In her classes, Olga keeps students engaged with fun challenging tasks, that sharpen technique and musicality while deepening their love of dance.

She is also the owner and creator of isolobalboa, and continues to encourage her students to tap into their creative spark.

Welcome to our first video episode! Jose speaks with Scott Angelius, creator of the widely-used application RP Scoring. Listen to Scott as he talks about competition judging and how to read scoresheets!

Join Jose & our guest interviewer, Jennifer, as they talk to Fancy Dougherty! Hear Fancy talk to us about her experience dancing in SoCal, what she looks for in a dance partner, and her thoughts on pedagogy.

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Fancy fell in love Lindy and shag in 2008, with Balboa trailing not far behind. She’s been hooked ever since, constantly endeavoring to improve her technique on a never-ending quest for connection, improvisational freedom in social dancing, and the true jitterbug spirit. 

She has performed, competed in, and taught Lindy, Balboa, and shag all over the world, and is a five time winner of the national jitterbug championships in the shag division. She loves to dance with new people and beginners, so be sure to ask her to dance!

In this episode, we interview a *very* special guest. Ray Huffman was born in the 1930s and grew up dancing Balboa in Southern California, where he got to listen and dance to bands such as Tommy Dorsey, Nat King Cole, and Count Basie!

Featuring Guest Interviewer: Cory Von Korff

Links:

• Ray's favorite modern balboa video

Jose & Denise spend time with Natasha Shevchenko & Michael Tan! One of Balboa's power couples and innovators in the scene.

Natasha's accomplishments in the swing dance world include prestigious wins at the California Balboa Classic, Camp Hollywood, BalLove, The Snowball, Valencia Balboa Festival and BalWeek NYC, along with notable placements at the International Lindy Hop Championships and Hot Rhythm Holiday. She has also appeared on prominent television platforms such as Dancing with the Stars and PBS’s America’s Ballroom Challenge. Additionally, Natasha has performed on stage with SW!NG OUT on tour and in A Very SW!NG OUT Holiday during its 2024 and 2025 showings at the Joyce Theater.

Michael fell in love with swing dancing in 2016, captivated by the magic of two strangers seamlessly connecting through movement. Specializing in balboa, Michael shares his passion for partner dancing, focusing on the art of melding two individuals and the interplay of lead-and-follow.

Michael has won major titles at The Snowball, Bal Love, BalWeek NYC, Valencia Balboa Festival, and the California Balboa Classic, with notable appearances at ILHC, Camp Hollywood, and more. Beyond dance, his third-degree black belt in Taekwondo informs his unique teaching approach, blending principles across different movement backgrounds.

Links:

• World Famous Swing Dancer Goes Undercover
• Balboa: The Movie
• Essay: The Out and In Experiment

In this Bite Size episode, we listen in on Denise's chat with Bobby White at Bal-Love 2025. Bobby talks practice tips, and Balboa history & resources.