The Old Soulz is an international early Jazz dance troupe from Brussels who are characterised by their authentic, diverse and high energy performances to 1920s to 1950s Jazz.
They learn the foundation & history of Black American Jazz dance, encouraging one’s own personality and creativity in the dance and ensuring its legacy and passing on of the knowledge
Jill started dancing when she was a child. She is trained in classical ballet, modern jazz and jazz dance, contemporary dance and yoga. Specifically inspired by the authentic african american vernacular jazz dancing and the african roots of the dance, Jill is ceaselessly in search for a sense of freedom within the dance. She finds her happiness on the dancefloor, in fast athletic lindy hop, a rythmical mambo, or a slow dragging blues, and endeavours to stay true to the legacy of the era and the originators of the dances as best she can. 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.
Alex is Benelux vice champion in breakdancing and has been teaching urban dances for over 14 years. Later, McCormack discovered old clips such as Hellzapoppin and Spirit Moves, and said to himself “that’s how I want to dance this dance”. He decided to ongo the never ending journey of studying “oldschool” style of Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz. For him, originality and authenticity comes from individual expression while remaining true to the dance and its founders. He will jam for hours into the early morning to uptempo Bebop Swing, shaky Mambo and slow Blues. Back in Brussels, he trains with his group, the Old Soulz.
Astrid Akay is a theater director and actress, dancing in Brussels with the Old Soulz. Her central interest in the african american vernacular jazz dance is Lindy hop, its history and legacy today. How do we develop our own personnal dance language while inheriting of the powerful beauty and complexity of the original lindy hop ? How do we keep the freedom of improvising and the joy of surprising ourselves when dancing, and at the same time work very specifically on original video clips ? Those are some of the questions that are driving Astrid to keep learning and exploring the dance.
Sander has had a passion for the swing era, its music and aesthetic, since he was a teenager. He's part of the Brussels swing dance community and, together with the Old Soulz dance crew, he works on breaking down video footages from the great African American masters, drawing inspiration from them to keep their style and spirit alive.
Sandro/Slops has been dancing Lindy hop for 8 years, at first as a random hobby, soon it became some sort of addiction. Teaching and traveling to different events was what got him closer to understanding the history and origins. The energy, the fun and the creativity of the dance was something he thought should reach as many people as possible. Although swing is close to 100 years it makes sense to explore it in our time. With the performance group Old Soulz, he promotes the old style jazz dance.
Visual artist, Ornella Mickie is also dancer, performer and teacher of Lindy Hop, Charleston and Solo Jazz from Brussels. She is inspired by the Authentic Jazz and Swing of the Afro-American community between 1920' and 40 in Harlem, New York. Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, Harvest Moon Ball, Spirits moves, etc. are her sources of inspiration. With a background in gymnastics, classical dance and Tango, she flourished in Lindy Hop in their rhythmic and theatrical aspects. In 2017, she joined the Brussels performance group Jazz Maniacs. Now she's part of the Old-Style Jazz Dance Troup "The Old Soulz". She performs and teaches in Belgium and abroad and won the last Herrang Moon Ball. As a teacher, Ornella wants to share her passion by combining technique, challenge, Old school style and joy !
When Jazz is hitting those high notes, Maxime improvises like a saxophone from the bebop era, using the freedom of spins, slides & splits. He is dancing in Brussels with The Old Soulz and The Jazz Maniacs, two performance groups inspired by Afro-American dances such as Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz. While digging into old clips to find flash moves, he discovered the Hoofers, tap dancers from the jazz era like Jimmy Slyde, the Nicholas Brothers, and more ... He started to learn some rhythmical variations coming from tap dance to spice up his solo jazz. He will share his passion with good vibes in class during the day, or at night in a jam.
Drove by the soul of the swing jazz or the groove of the rythm’ n’ blues music, Camille Truyffaut discovered Lindy hop and solo jazz while digging into some old clips which she didn’t know what it was yet. After few years learning about these african american jazz dances, she decided to share this art form by teaching, performing and social dancing. Her goal is trying to bring the essence of the dance, the spirit of sharing energy, being yourself connected to the moment, to your partner, in order to find a way to translate the music in conversation.
Delphine began her dance journey with Lindy hop many years ago.
Since then, she is on a path to express herself and share this dance from the rhythm through the movement.
She is deeply touched by Jazz cultures and values that she shares with the dance and friend community.
She is inspired by the old timers and by the ones who have shown her that the spirit moves exist.
Since then, she is searching into the move itself, by learning moves, giving them different shapes and discover unique beauty, making them groove, connecting with personal flavours and feelings.
George, immersed in the Brussels jazz dance scene since 2015, found his groove through lindy hop, solo jazz, and now, tap dance. Captivated by the rhythmic heart of jazz dance, he channels its energy into high-octane performances with the Old Soulz and Jazz Maniac dance groups. As an instructor, he fosters the development of personal style while honing students' appreciation of and fidelity to the dance's underlying rhythms.
Louise is training with the Jazz Maniacs and Old Soulz crews with whom she shares the passion of music, dance and acrobatics.
She has been exploring different movement practices since young age : jazz and urban dances, ballet and yoga. On her journey in vernacular Jazz and Lindy hop, she is amazed by the old timers' technical, creative skills and groove.
She continuously seeks to expand her love for rhythms and knowledge of jazz history.
In the rhythmic embrace of jazz partner dance, Bao discovered not just a means of self-expression, but a therapeutic journey that shares boundless energy.
After an extensive exploration into various dance forms and trying to find a continuity across many disciplines, he ultimately found his way in the roots of swing dance, matching his energy to the rhythmic groove of the bebop and hard bop tunes.
Drawing inspiration from all these experiences along the way, he infused the dynamism of diverse styles into their swing dance repertoire by creating a harmonious blend of movement and expression while still staying true to the essence of the authentic jazz dance.
Designer by day, dancer by night, Bao is also part of the Jazz Maniacs and the Old Soulz performance groups. Beyond his own dance research, Bao extends his passion for movement by teaching at a local level, aiming to introduce fresh dancers to the vibrant Brussels dance scene.
His approach focuses on the core of the practice, he believes in the power of dance that goes beyond the empirical learning of steps. It is all about embodying the essence of the dance and allowing the body to speak a language of its own.
You will be taught material inspired by old clips where we explore different modes of expression. Referencing the Spirit Moves Documentary, Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, the Harvest Moonball, Mama Lu Parks and many more, our goal is to inspire you with new perspectives while finding your own voice in the dance.
We will also provide technique, so you can better unlock those means of expression, especially for dancing uptempo, whether it’s for social dancing or performing.
You know a good amount of foundational steps in Lindy Hop but now you want to get the sensation of a “swinging” roller coaster in your dancing as well as some tips on styling. You typically know the following moves : Swing Out, Tuck Turn, Circle, Change of Place, Closed Position...
You are just starting to find your style but struggle with dancing over 200 BPM or taking freedom to create on the spot. We will explore some techniques along with inspiration from old clips so you can continue to improve your dancing months later while exploring your own voice.
Fixed partner track. We will be focusing on oldschool moves, emphasising on expression for both social dancing and more performative components in Jazz & Lindy Hop. There will be airsteps also in this track. This will be fast paced and challenging, but since you are with a fixed partner, you are given the freedom to decide to take on this level.
Fixed partner track. We will be focusing on oldschool moves, emphasising on expression for both social dancing and more performative components in Jazz & Lindy Hop. There will be airsteps also in this track. This level is for those who have competed and performed in the past.