🎶 Groove & Roots – Solo Jazz Weekend with Vassia Panagiotou (Athens)
📅 Dates: Friday–Sunday, 5 – 7 December 2025
📍 Location: Bonnevoie Gym Hall, Luxembourg (description at the bottom of the page)
Organized by: Swing Dance Luxembourg ASBL
🌟 Event Overview
Join us for an inspiring weekend of Solo Jazz, rhythm, and groove with Vassia Panagiotou from Athens!
This workshop series is all about rhythm, movement, groove, and personal expression.
Vassia will guide you through rhythmical explorations, improvisation, and the cultural context that shaped jazz dance. Expect an enriching experience where you’ll deepen your musical understanding and move with greater confidence and freedom.
We’re also thrilled to welcome Ben from Saarbrücken, who will bring his energy and insight for a special Blues Solo class.
Expect an enriching experience that will deepen your musicality, confidence, and connection to the music.
No partner needed — just your curiosity, rhythm, and passion for dance.
✨Levels
Open Track
You’ve been taking Solo Jazz or other swing dance classes for at least one term. The classes are designed so that everyone can work at their own pace and within their personal learning zone — from building confidence to exploring creativity.
Please note: these classes are not designed for absolute beginners.
Confident Movers
You’ve been dancing Solo Jazz or other swing styles for at least a year. You already have a solid vocabulary of basic Solo Jazz steps and are eager to challenge yourself, refine your movement, and expand your rhythmic expression.
Teacher Training
You’re an active swing dance teacher in your local scene and wish to deepen specific aspects of your teaching and dancing. This sessions focus on growth as an educator and dancer.
Please note: registration for these classes is subject to manual approval by the Swing Dance Luxembourg board.
👤 About Vassia
Vassia Panagiotou is a Jazz Dance performer, educator and choreographer specialising in African American Vernacular Jazz and Lindy Hop.
Her love for the Jazz Dances has led her to an ongoing pursuit of delving into the history of Jazz culture. She studies original video clips, focusing on the legacy of the dancers in Harlem and the tradition of the female performance troupes in night clubs and theaters such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theatre (Chorus Lines).
To get a deeper understanding of the culture, she is also studying jazz music. She is taking tap dance classes with Thanos Daskalopoulos focusing on the musical, improvisational aspect of the art form as it was danced by the hoofers in Harlem. She regularly participates in Athens Tap Jams and studies Jazz improvisation with the guidance of Andreas Papagiannakopoulos.
She travels across Europe to teach, perform and compete. She has worked with many well established dancers in the community, including Marie N’Diaye who introduced her to the tradition of the chorus lines and encouraged her to have her own performance troupe in her hometown.
Vassia lives in Athens, is a co-founder of Rhythm Hoppers (an authentic swing dances school aiming to educate students about the swing music and dance culture), a leader of Rhythm Hoppers Chorus Line & Rhythm Hoppers performers and an organiser of the Athens Rhythm Hop Swing Dance festival.
Listen to her in the interview from “What a jazz podcast” with Elze Visnevskyte
👤 About Ben 
“When a swing song starts, something crazy happens inside me: my whole body feels every single beat of the music and just wants to move. I can express myself completely freely within the music. It’s athletic, full of energy, relaxed, exciting… in short: for me, it’s a feeling of pure joy in life the moment I bounce through the intro of a song with a partner!
Through dancing, I’ve met so many different people and discovered beautiful places around the world. It’s an indescribable enrichment to my life! Being able to share my passion for dance in Saarbrücken and all around the world is a true honor for me!”
🗓️ Schedule & Classes
*** Please note that you can pre-order your lunch for both days. Glow will provide a healthy vegan lunch and a fresh juice for 20€. Registrations for this will close 2 days prior of event***
| Date | Time | Class Title | Levels | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 Dec | 20:00-22:00 | Teacher Training: Teaching Jazz Dance with Cultural Integrity | 2h | Teacher Training | For swing dance teachers.
Jazz dance is a story of resilience, rhythm, and cultural identity. In this workshop, we’ll explore how teachers—especially those who are guests in this culture—can approach jazz dance with respect and integrity toward its roots and the Black American artists who created it. Together, we’ll discuss the core values of jazz, such as teamwork, individuality, and expression, and explore practical ways to help students embody these values through the dance. |
| Sat, 6 Dec |
10:30–12:00 | Groove & Feel: Moving with the Music | 1.5h | Open Track | Deepen your sense of rhythm through grounded movement and pulse. Build body awareness and a stronger musical connection. |
| 12:00–13:00 |
Lunch Break |
||||
| 13:00-14:30 | Blues with Ben | 1.5h | Open Track | Slow it down, feel the groove, and let the music move you. In this class, we’ll explore rhythm, flow, and expression through solo blues — finding that sweet spot between relaxation and intensity. | |
| 14:45–16:15 | Freedom Within the Form: Exploring Improvisation in Jazz | 1.5h | Confident Movers | Improvisation is at the heart of jazz dance. In this class, we’ll explore structure and freedom through exercises designed to help you discover your own voice and expression. | |
| 16:30–18:30 | Teacher Training: Guiding Improvisation | 2h | Teacher Training | In this workshop, teachers will explore exercises to guide students in discovering their own voice and sense of freedom in jazz dance. | |
| 20:30 – 00:00 | Saturday Night Party | ||||
| Sun, 7 Dec | 10:30–12:00 | Iconic steps | 1.5h | Open Track | Learn iconic Jazz steps from great dancers of the Swing era |
| 12:00–13:30 |
Lunch Break |
||||
| 13:30–15:00 | Express Your Story |
1.5h |
Confident Movers |
Combine everything from the weekend — rhythm, groove, and emotion — into your own short solo piece. Build stage confidence and share your dance voice. | |
🪩 Pricing & Registration
Registrations open on Friday 7th of November at 19h00
| Option | Duration | Price |
| Single 1.5h classes | 1.5h | €30 |
| 2h Teacher Training | 2h | €35 |
| Saturday Day Pass (teacher class excluded) | 3 classes (4.5h) | €81 |
| Sunday Day Pass | 2 classes (3h) | €57 |
| Full Weekend Pass
(teacher classes excluded) |
5 classes (7.5h) | €130 |
| Full Weekend + Teacher Training | 11h total | €170 |
| Lunch from Glow | price per day | €20 |
***Kulturpass holders get 40% off***
Registration form
Location
Our practice sessions will take place in Gym Hall Bonnevoie in the primary school building.
👟👟 Indoor shoes are required in this hall. Please wear indoor shoes that do not leave any marks on the floor. No other shoes will be accepted. 👟👟
Access the building from 26, rue Pierre Krier, through the entrance gate by the music school.
Please use the side entrance door with a sign ‘Lasep’.
