Kind-hearted, enthusiastic and humorous. All-round lovely couple of people you must meet !
Well known for their gravity defying aerials and their clear and detailed teaching methods, Patrick and Natasha has contributed enormously to the Swing Dance community around the world.

Patrick and Natasha founded their dynamic partnership in 2007, while training with the distinguished team, the Swinging Air Force and working at Studio 88-SWING in Montreal. They have since acquired extensive performance, competition, teaching and coaching experience and now live in Paris, France.

While in Montreal, they coached many of the Swinging Air Force teams and had the chance to work for the Cirque du Soleil training dancers from their show “Banana Shpeel” in the art of Swing aerials.

They have appeared in several Canadian television shows; La Vie est un Cirque, La Culture pour ou Contre, Ben et Jarrod, Relève en Folie, L’heure de Gloire and have also been featured in the Sam Roberts video clip ”Them kids” and very recently in ”Dramophone” from Caravan Palace.

The challenge of competition is something they have always enjoyed and they are proud of their numerous podium titles from such events as ILHC, ALHC, Camp Hollyhood, CSC and ESDC.

They have traveled all around the Americas, Europe and Asia to teach this wonderful dance and have taught at world renowned events such as Camp Hollywood, ESDC, ILHC, Lindy Shock and Camp Jitterbug.

Helping to build the Swing Dance community is very important to Patrick and Natasha. They like to contribute with their free online instructional videos and their event coverage.
Get to know them more at www.PatrickAndNatasha.com

Raquel is just so much fun – to dance with, to talk to and she just has so much heart in all she does!

Raquel lives in Barcelona and started dancing Lindy Hop 5 years ago. She was quickly swept off her feet by the energy of the swing world and since then she’s attended regular Lindy Hop and Jazz classes, festivals and other dancing events.

Her dancing has been enriched and enhanced with the help of many teachers, especially Gustav and Laia, recognized international professors who are great sources of inspiration.

She also discovered within swing another exciting way of living and sharing the dance: vernacular jazz. She is part of the group Solology Barcelona, ​​a project created by Claudia Fonte, in which they play, experiment and develop ideas with a single purpose: to create energy and fun.

Raquel’s classes are focused on the rhythm and fluidity of movement, on developing an active follower role and on experimenting and creating energy, both as part of a couple or solo.

She likes to perform, compete, play, mix styles and add a little craziness to everything she does.

BONUS : Raquel’s residency in Réunion Island!

Raquel will be staying in Réunion Island as a resident instructor until the end of the year (at least!). She will be helping Shehan and Karin with the growing local Swing dance scene in the island.
We are thrilled to have Raquel with us! Her energy and passion is sure to inspire.

Shehan established the current Lindy Hop scene in Réunion Island (La Panthère Rose) and founded Swingin’ Réunion, together with his partner Karin.

In 2017, Shehan was recognised for bringing the Lindy Hop scene to Réunion Island and was named an Ambassador of Lindy Hop by the Frankie Manning Foundation in the USA. He was also invited to attend the Herräng Dance Camp – one of the world’s most recognised Swing dance camps.

It was ‘love at first dance’ for Shehan; he was immediately drawn to Lindy Hop’s rhythmical, improvised social dance aspects and the freedom of expression.

In fact, Shehan’s introduction to Lindy Hop in New Zealand during 2003 was momentous for him he said to Karin, ‘I will never be unhappy again.’ Swing dancing instantly clicked with his high energy, free flowing creative personality as well as his ‘heart first’ life philosophy. You can experience this whether he is on the dance floor, leading you through a class or simply having a chat with him.

His classes focus on rhythm and musicality – guiding you through concepts and tools, helping you find your organic connection to the music and encouraging you to find your own style while staying true to the roots and the rhythm of the dance.

Shehan has Lindy Hopped and danced across the world – including Australia, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Cuba, Switzerland, Sweden and France – before finally settling in Réunion Island in 2012.

Inspired by Frankie Manning as well as The Rhythm Hot Shots (now called The Harlem Hot Shots), Shehan has a vision to continue dancing, sharing and expanding Lindy Hop across the Indian (Lindian!) Ocean with the same joy and humbleness Frankie did.

Meet Shehan in his happy place, the little piece of paradise he calls home: Swingin’ Réunion.
His passion is sure to make you fall in love with the dance all over again.

Announcing eWa’s arrival in Swingin’ Réunion 2018.
Recognised in the Lindy Hop world as an authentic dancer rooted in the history of the dance form, eWa represents a precious part of our event.

eWa started dancing the Lindy hop in the fall of 1986, after successfully auditioning for the Swedish dance company The Rhythm Hot Shots (now Harlem Hot Shots). At the time, she did not have any experience with African-American dancing, but her background as a gymnast helped her quickly to become a most skillful acrobatic Lindy hop performer. Her repertoire gradually grew during the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s, to include vernacular jazz, Charleston, tap and other elements of the Harlem jazz dance tradition. In 1989, she teamed up with Lennart Westerlund and they soon positioned themselves as one of the top performance couples, specializing in fast acrobatic Lindy hop. When eWa decided to step back from performing professionally in the late 1990s, she continued to teach, passing on the Lindy hop and other traditional jazz dances to a new generation.

During the 1990s, eWa was one of the most recognized and celebrated Lindy hoppers out there. She was a key member of The Rhythm Hot Shots, she frequently partnered Frankie Manning, and she was often on the road teaching and performing in the constantly growing Lindy hop community. Her style of Lindy hopping and vernacular jazz dancing is characterized by a pure and powerful quality based on Harlem traditions and extensive experience. Modern influences have never been a part of her dancing, and today she belongs to an exclusive minority of Lindy dancers who are clearly rooted in the history of the dance form.

eWa splits her time between Virginia (USA) and Knivsta (Sweden). She teaches Lindy hop locally as well as internationally, performs occasionally and gives demos. Her background and knowhow position her as an important link between the traditions of the dance form and the contemporary dance communities.

Come, dance with eWa and appreciate the raw joy of Lindy Hop!

We are SO thrilled to announce Lennart in the teaching line up for our 2nd edition of Swingin’ Réunion.
We believe his vast knowledge of the roots of Lindy Hop will set the tone for our entire event.
With his generosity and kind spirit, Lennart’s influence to the Lindy Hop community is immense.
Attending his classes and lectures will give you true context to the Lindy Hop you love.

Lennart started out dancing a Swedish form of American Jitterbug in the very early 1980s. In 1983 he came across the Lindy Hop through books and old film clips, and in May the following year he travelled to New York on the look-out for the roots of the dance form. He soon met, studied and started to spend time with old-timers including Al Minns, Frankie Manning and Norma Miller. In 1985 he co-formed the semi-professional and later on highly recognized Swedish dance company The Rhythm Hot Shots (now Harlem Hot Shots), and started to seriously study also tap and vernacular jazz dancing in general. A few years, later the company was in the forefront of the first steps of the revival of the Lindy Hop, and in 1989 they took over the complete administration of the Herräng Dance Camp, and invited legendary swing dancer Frankie Manning to visit his first major international swing dance camp.

When The Rhythm Hot Shots started to receive some serious international recognition during the early 90s, Lennart was one of the key dancers. The company travelled extensively throughout the decade, and was among a handful of other dancers seriously leading the way to put the Lindy Hop back on the map again. At the time, Lennart also established himself as an international instructor, as well as an administrator and background worker at especially the Herräng Dance Camp. In 2004 he opened Chicago swing dance studio in Stockholm, and in 2010, after 25 years, he left the professional performance aspect of the dance, now focusing more on teaching, giving lectures and perform dance demonstrations.

Lennart is today still a most active dancer, instructor, lecturer, judge and administrator. He divides his time between the Herräng Dance Camp, the Chicago swing dance studio, and traveling around teaching and giving lectures. After some 35 revival and renaissance years of the Lindy Hop, Lennart is one of very few of the pioneers that are still active in the scene. His background and dedicated interest in the Harlem roots of vernacular jazz dancing has positioned him as an important link between the past and the present.

Meet Lennart and tune yourself to the authenticity of Lindy Hop.