Teachers

Alba Steinlen

Alba is from Donosti. She was already a dancer of other styles when she discovered Lindy Hop more than 10 years ago. She teaches at Spirit Valencia, contributing her ideas and energy to this project. Alba is also a historian, so she really enjoys researching books, records and videos. She admires and respects Swing Era dancers such as Marie Byant and Mable Lee, and loves Cab Calloway both as a musician and as a dancer.

Javi Molina

Javi founded the Spirit Valencia Project nearly 20 years ago and is one of the people who introduced Swing dancing to Spain. Since then, he has been devoted to learning about and communicating the roots and values of this culture. He began dancing Acrobatic Rock and performing in national tours, so he loves aerials. Watching Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in Hellzapoppin excites and inspires him!

Frida Häggström Gerdt

Frida is a passionate swing dancer from Stockholm. She fell in love with jazz music in her early teens and was thrilled to discover Lindy Hop in 2009 — a dance that matched the music she loved. Since 2015, she’s been part of The Hot Shots, with whom she has performed and taught across the world. Frida is deeply committed to sharing her love of swing dancing and music. In both her dancing and teaching, she values rhythm, simplicity and personal expression.

Fredrik Dahlberg

Fredrik is from Stockholm. He grew up listening to hip-hop and playing basketball — dancing wasn’t even on his radar until a friend dragged him to a Lindy Hop class. At first, he struggled just telling left from right, but a few years later he was performing with The Hot Shots. With his personal style, creative ideas and love for jazz-era dances like Lindy Hop, Charleston and vernacular jazz, he’s made his mark on stages and festivals around the world. Fredrik is also a poet, trumpet player, occasional DJ, and eternal optimist.

Elice Fällström

Elice is from Stockholm and discovered Lindy Hop at 24, after years of training as a gymnast and modern dancer. She was instantly drawn to its acrobatic side, its rich history, and its focus on self-expression. What inspires her most is the artistic connection between dancers — and with the music — that happens moment by moment. Every dance is unique. Elice is also a performer with The Hot Shots, bringing her energy and elegance to stages around the world.

Sakarias Larsson

Sakarias is from Frufällan, Sweden. As a kid, he was fascinated by jitterbug contests and the music that came with them. At just sixteen, he began training with The Rhythm Hot Shots — now The Hot Shots — and never looked back. Since then, he's travelled the world dancing, teaching and performing at events like Frankie 100, Basie Centennial and Sweden’s Got Talent. He was close friends with legend Frankie Manning, and draws inspiration from both Harlem’s original Lindy Hoppers and today’s dancers. He also plays drums with the Hornsgatan Ramblers. 

Lizette Rönnqvist

Lizette is a dedicated swing dancer and teacher from Borås, Sweden. She began dancing at age nine and later joined The Hot Shots in 2017, becoming a core member of the renowned Swedish company. Today based in Stockholm, she travels internationally performing and teaching Lindy Hop and other swing-era dances. Lizette places strong emphasis on personal style and solid rhythm — principles she cherishes in both her dancing and teaching.

Patrik Pettersson

Patrik is from Stockholm and has been a core member of The Hot Shots since 2016. He dances Lindy Hop, Charleston and other vernacular jazz styles, performing faithful reproductions of the Swing Era alongside the company. With The Hot Shots, he tours internationally, teaching and competing, and shares the collective’s mission of preserving historic African‑American dance forms.

Rikard Ekstrand

Rikard is from Sweden and began dancing at age 7—today swing is his life. He joined the Harlem Hot Shots in 2008 after collaborating with them since 2006. Known for his focus on rhythm, music and partner connection, Rikard is also an accomplished street dancer in Sweden. As a lifelong student of dance, he travels worldwide teaching solo jazz and Lindy Hop, appearing at events like Herräng, Dragon Swing and Swim Out Costa Brava.

Bea Barrientos

Bea has been dancing Lindy Hop for over ten years, at which point she fell in love with the dance and saw in it a possibility to apply all her training in theater and body expression. As a teacher and director of The Dawn Beat School in the province of Girona, she is known for her passion for music and high creativity. Listening to the dance partner and knowing how to communicate is one of her priorities.

Montse Carmona

Montse has a versatile background that ranges from figure skating, competitive aerobics, hip hop, to theater. But once she started dancing Lindy Hop, she never stopped. In the classes at The Dawn Beat School, which she co-directs with Bea, it's known that with her, the enjoyment of movement, the dialogue with the partner, and fun with the music are what's important.

Gina Portillo

Gina is Catalan and founder of Little Harlem, swing dance school in Bilbao. She started dancing in her post‑adolescence, drawn to live jazz and social dancing, and soon immersed herself in Lindy Hop and Shag. Since launching Little Harlem in 2017 with Iker Domínguez, she’s been instrumental in bringing swing training to Bilbao — teaching Lindy Hop, Collegiate Shag and Solo Jazz, and organizing Down By The Riverside festival.

Iván Nieto

Iván is a Collegiate Shag and Lindy Hop teacher at Little Harlem in Bilbao. A jazz aficionado and amateur musician, he first tried Lindy Hop in 2014 and quickly committed to recovering “lost time” on the dance floor. Since then, he’s trained in Lindy, Shag, Charleston, Balboa—and even a bit of blues—to stay fluent at any tempo. Iván is known for his steady rhythm and curiosity, bringing a playful yet precise approach to every class.

Amets Albisu

Amets Albisu is a tap dance teacher from Donostia. She teaches both at her own studio in the Egia neighbourhood and at Dirdira Teatro Musical. In her classes she is known for sweetness and patience, but also for rigour: she works on the foundations of tap so that students acquire solid technique. Amets is valued for creating a close and motivating atmosphere, where beginners feel comfortable to progress step by step without pressure.

Kelly Isaak

Kelly Isaac is an American tap dancer who started performing professionally as a teenager and went on to tour the world with shows such as Riverdance and Broadway’s Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in’ Da Funk, sharing the stage with legends like Savion Glover. Today he is based in Valencia, where he teaches tap and continues to pass on his passion and international experience.

Naiara Otaegi

Naiara is a Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz teacher in Bilbao. Her passion for jazz grew even more when, in 2017, she came across a social dance in a bar in Brussels. Classes, socials and non-stop travels; swing became an essential part of her time in the Belgian city. Back “home,” she continues to find in dance a language to fulfill two great desires: to connect/share with others, and to have a space for her own creativity/expression.

Julen Beltrán

Julen started dancing in Gasteiz in 2014. Lindy Hop sparked a deep interest in jazz, leading him to further his learning on the tenor saxophone and to rediscover dance as a natural response to music. This connection is reflected in his classes at The Bounce Swing, where he integrates musicality games and dynamics with a solid and accessible approach for beginners. His aim is not only to spark interest in dance, but also in the music and culture of swing, always in a fun, progressive way and with respect for its roots.

Arantza Taixé

Arantza discovered Lindy Hop thanks to her aunt, who had been dancing and talking about it for years. When she got the chance to give it a try, she didn’t let it slip away, and she’s now been dancing for seven years and is an active member of the association.

A few years ago, she discovered yoga, which she liked almost as much as Lindy. To deepen her understanding of this discipline, she took a yoga teacher training course at the centre where she practises.Since then, she has found some interesting similarities between these two hobbies, both of which she enjoys every day.

Sophie Astola

She trained in ballet at the Thalía Academy and in hip hop and urban styles at Slowww Dance Center. During her time in Madrid, she became interested in Afro-descendant dances and, from 2020 onwards, attended masterclasses in cities such as Bilbao, Paris and Madrid, exploring different styles from the African diaspora. She eventually gravitated towards Afrohouse, a style originating in Angola, known for its fast rhythm and emphasis on footwork.

Maria Peña

María is passionate about music. Before Lindy Hop, she danced the style called Northern soul at Soul and R&B festivals. In 2010 she discovered Lindy Hop and began exploring its roots and related dance styles: jazz steps, tap, blues, balboa and even a bit of hip hop and ballet. Since about 2017, Maria has been teaching at different schools, where she enjoys spreading her knowledge and passion for dance. At the same time, she continues to learn and search for new ways to grow as a dancer.     

Amaia Martinez

Amaia has been involved in movement and education for many years. She started with other dance styles, but in 2005 she tried Lindy hop and was quickly captivated by its rhythm and energy. Since then, she has not stopped training in classes and at international festivals. During her long journey, Amaia's Lindy Hop has evolved, blending with elements from other dances, and giving her her own unique dance style. She has been involved in the organization of past editions of Donosti Belle Swing and is eager to spread all her energy and enthusiasm at this year's festival.