We are very excited to be bringing the wonderful David Rehm and Kate Hedin to Galway on October 14th-16th for a weekend of Balboa and Lindy Hop!
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
What to Expect
- 8 hours of instruction with two of the top swing dance instructors in the world
- 2 nights of evening parties (no contests, no interruptions ... just non-stop social dancing!)
- Small class sizes - maximum 20 couples to ensure that all participants get the most out of the workshops
- Convenient city-centre locations
- Workshops in Balboa and - for the first time ever in Ireland - classes in Dean & Jewel style Lindy Hop.
Dean Collins was a lindy hopper who brought the dance from New York to Southern California, and Jewel McGowan was a swing dancer (what we now call bal-swing) in California. Together, their dancing became iconic and the duo appeared in dozens of Hollywood films. To learn more and to watch some videos of them in action, see this excellent article written by Nick Williams: Dean and Jewel: The Legacy. - Community Spirit - the focus of this year's Swing Jamboree is on the social side of swing dancing. That's why we're keeping the numbers small so that everyone will get to know each other very well over the weekend. We are also planning a special group dinner on the Saturday evening (after the classes and before the social dancing) so that we have time to really talk with one another as well as dance with one another. Note: the dinner is optional and is not included in your event pass. More details coming soon.
- No level test - in step (pardon the pun!) with our focus on community, we will be spending the weekend working as one cohesive group with our instructors, David & Kate. However, as always, we also place a high value on creating a positive learning environment for all attendees. Therefore, to participate in the workshops you MUST be at least an Intermediate level dancer in both Lindy Hop AND Balboa. This means that you will have taken formal classes in both Balboa and Lindy Hop, understand all of the basic movements and figures in each dance, and be comfortable social dancing either dance to an entire song. If the organisers are not already familiar with your dancing, you may be asked to provide evidence of your experience. Please contact us if you have any questions about this (contact window will open in a new tab when you click the link).
- A full event pass will cost €120. You must register with a partner. Social dance passes will cost €10 per night and will be available on the door.
Introducing our Instructors
David Rehm
David Rehm is a geek-turned-professional-dancer specializing exclusively in the partnered swing dances, Lindy and Balboa, and widely considered one of the top Balboa dancers and instructors in the world. He is regularly featured teaching and judging at events dedicated to those dances throughout North America, Europe and Asia. In addition to numerous awards, in 2006 David captured both the American and European Balboa titles (with different partners) by winning the American Classic Balboa Championship and the Euro Bal Cup. He is also the Founder and Director of The Experiment, "the world's most personal and personally challenging Balboa and Blues dance workshops." David is best known for his ability to capture both broad thematic abstractions and technical details all in the form of conceptual principles.
Kate Hedin
Following in the path of her great ancestor, Swedish explorer Sven Hedin, Kate has traveled to the greatest unknown regions of following and footwork. Aside from a love of classically inspired Lindy Hop, she is most known for her unique and elegant style of Balboa.The result is an impressive resume. Kate holds championship titles in almost every major competition, including the American Classic Balboa Championships, the International Lindy Hop Championships, the Euro Balboa Cup, and more. She is also a highly sought-after competition judge. In 2012, she released two highly praised DVDs specifically for Balboa followers on technique and aesthetics. As a teacher, Kate is known and loved for her logic-based language, her unique methods of teaching technique, and, overall, never leaving student followers disappointed.She is proud to have held, along with her friends at Get Hep Swing in Cleveland, the Guinness World Record for longest dance party ever (52 hours, 3 minutes). Her fashion is admired by many, her lines desired as far as the Orient. She also does trapeze.
Practical Information
Venues
Friday night social dancing: Galway Rowing Club, Waterside, Woodquay.
Saturday night social dancing and all classes: Commercial Boat Club, Waterside, Woodquay.
Schedule
FRIDAY at the Rowing Club, Woodquay:
Social Dancing: 9:30pm-1:30am.
SATURDAY at the Commercial Boat Club, Waterside, Woodquay:
Classes: 11am-1pm; 3pm-5pm
(Optional dinner for workshop participants at 6pm)
Social Dancing: 10pm-1:30am.
SUNDAY at the Commercial Boat Club, Waterside, Woodquay:
Classes: 11am-1pm; 3pm-5pm.
Social Dancing
All are welcome to attend the social dancing and no registration is required. €10 on the door each night.
Travel & Accommodation
For information about travelling to Galway as well as finding accommodation in the city, please see our page on Galway: Practical Info for Visitors
TERMS & CONDITIONS
We will process registrations as we receive them - if spaces are available, you will then receive an acceptance email and payment information. Otherwise, you will be placed on a waiting list and we will advise you if/when a place becomes available. Your registration is not confirmed until payment is received. Payment should be made within 2 weeks of acceptance; otherwise the offer of a place may be withdrawn. All passes are non-refundable after a place has been confirmed and reserved. Passes are non-transferable without the prior agreement of the event organisers. If your place on the workshops was contingent on your registering with a partner, and your partner subsequently cancels for any reason, you will need to find a replacement in order to hold your place in the workshops. Please note that your participation in the event may be captured in videos and photographs and that, by registering for this event, you agree to the publication of your image and/or its use for promotional purposes. The organisers reserve the right to refuse admittance to any person or persons. Your statutory rights are not affected.
We are honoured to have so many overseas visitors join us for our swing dance events in Galway. Some also like to combine this with a mini-break and take advantage of the opportunity to see a little more of our city and the picturesque western seafront. For practical information like how to get here and where to stay etc., please see our page about Visiting Galway. Here you will find some suggestions for what to do when you're here, and to inspire a longer stay in Galway and around the west of Ireland.
If you have just one day:
Galway is a small medieval city, so the best way to see it is on foot.
- A stroll around Galway will reward you with a host of unique little shops, cafes, museums, street entertainment, and galleries. To see the best of what Galway has to offer, walk from Eyre Square along Shop St and Quay St to the Spanish Arch and the Claddagh. Then turn back to go by St. Nicholas' Church (which has a great food and craft market on Saturdays) and along Abbeygate St, then over the River Corrib to the Cathedral before returning to the city centre via Eglington Street. Be sure to stop at Neactain’s traditional pub on Quay St, where you can partake in some pleasant people-watching with your favourite tipple
- Enjoy the fresh Atlantic air with a walk along the prom in Salthill, Ireland's longest seaside promenade. And don’t forget to kick the wall at Blackrock! It’s a weird local tradition. Bus Éireann number 401 departs for Salthill from Eyre Square at 20 minute intervals throughout the day (see the schedule for details). Alternatively, you can walk there in about 45mins using this handy guide to The Kick The Wall Trail.
- In the evening, listen in on a traditional Irish music session at Tigh Cóilí or Taafes (both at the intersection of High St and Mainguard St). Or check out Swing Forum Galway on Facebook to see where you can catch one of the many free live swing and jazz music gigs in town.
A free app called Galway Map and Walks is downloadable from the iTunes and Play stores if you want some guidance along the way. Another free app, called Experience Galway, includes less sites, but has more information on each, and it is also available for both iPhone and Android.
If you have more time:
Some of Ireland’s biggest tourist attractions are just a short journey from our city, including:
- The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher
- The Aran Islands
The Galway Tour Company offers bus day-tours of each of these locations, starting from €20. It is also possible to combine some of these sites on selected tours.
Burren Wild Tours offer alternatives to the bus, including walking tours as well as food-themed trips.
The Experience Galway app mentioned above also features self-drive tours if you prefer to see things at your own pace. Several car rental companies have depots in Galway, including Enterprise, Europcar, and Budget. I would recommend booking in advance to ensure that the class of car you favour is available. If you prefer to drive an automatic, then pre-booking is essential, as these are less common in Ireland. And remember – we drive on the left side, always travel counter-clockwise around a roundabout/traffic circle, and are not permitted to turn left at a red traffic light! The Road Safety Authority website has more information about driving in Ireland for tourists.
Want to see even more?
If you plan on seeing more of Ireland, we highly recommend following the Wild Atlantic Way, which wends its way around the rugged coastline and colourful villages of our island.
Inland Ireland also has lots to offer, including the Rock of Cashel and historic Kilkenny city.
If you have any particular interests you wish to pursue, feel free to ask and we'll do our best to tailor our suggestions for your trip.
We look forward to meeting you soon!
Located in a wide bay on Ireland’s western coastline, Galway is a thriving cosmopolitan city that has retained its medieval charm and is renowned for its laid-back, bohemian atmosphere. Galway is large enough to provide every metropolitan convenience, yet small enough that it can be easily traversed on foot with relatively short walking distances.
Most of our events take place in the vicinity of the city's historic neighbourhoods, The Claddagh and the Latin Quarter. Here, amidst the quaint cobbled streets and brightly-coloured buildings, you can find a rich variety of restaurants, traditional pubs, unique stores, and street markets.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TO GALWAY
Galway can be reached by air, ferry, train, bus, or car, or a combination of these. As a major tourist attraction, there are many well-developed transport options available. Irish airlines include Aer Lingus and Ryanair. There are two airports in the western region and several other airports that are easily accessible by public transport. Understandably, there are more services to Dublin - the capital city - than any other, but it is worthwhile also checking the regional airports for good deals and often shorter transfer times.
Dublin Airport (approx 2.5 hours drive to Galway)
Shannon Airport (approx 1 hour drive to Galway)
Knock Airport (approx 1.5 hours drive to Galway)
For sea routes to Ireland, see ferries.ie
If you would like some suggestions about the easiest way to get to Ireland from your home country, please contact us and we will be happy to provide extra assistance where possible.
TRAVEL WITHIN IRELAND
Generally buses are the preferred mode of public transport in Ireland, due to their lower cost and overall better services, often including free wifi. Unless you want to see the smaller towns and villages along the way, opt for the express or non-stop services.
Buses: Citylink, GoBus, Bus Éireann
Train: Irish Rail
ACCOMMODATION
Below is a list of accommodation options suggested based on their proximity to our event venues. As everyone has different requirements and priorities when it comes to choosing accommodation - from budget to comfort to luxury - we recommend that you research the options independently.
Barnacles Hostel
Nimmos Hostel
Spanish Arch Hotel
The House Hotel
The Galway Arms Inn
Jury's Inn
The Heron's Rest B&B
Niland House Self-Catering Apartments
EATING OUT
A stroll along Quay Street in Galway's Latin Quarter will offer a wealth of culinary options. Vegetarian and gluten-free food is readily available, and most establishments are happy to work with other special dietary requirements on request.
Cupán Tae - traditional Irish tea rooms with great gluten-free and dairy-free options
McDonaghs - traditional fish & chips; also a seafood restaurant
Upstairs at McCambridges - a little further walk towards the city centre, this cafe on Shop Street offers light snacks and sweet treats, including gluten-free
Boojum - Mexican-style fast food made to order (on Spanish Parade)
Rouge - affordable and very popular French restaurant on Dominick Street (advance booking recommended)
Aniar - Galway's first Michelen-starred restaurant, located on Dominick Street. Or try Eat, their sister gastro-pub, at Massimos on William St. West
The g Hotel - for a special treat, walk along the banks of Lough Atalia (literally "Salty Lake") and find yourself at this sumptuous hotel, unremarkable from the roadside, but with a sumptuous interior designed by Galway native, Philip Treacy, miliner to royalty and countless international celebrities. There you can enjoy the superior cuisine in the restaurant or a delightful afternoon tea in one of their colourful and distinctive lounges.
MORE ABOUT GALWAY
If you are planning on a longer stay, here are some ideas for other fun stuff to do in the west of Ireland ...
Galway for Visitors
See also:
Dozens of dancers from all over the world have taken to the streets of Galway in celebration of an almost century-old dance craze: the Charleston.
'I Charleston’ is a swing dancing phenomenon that has spread around the globe in recent years, from Japan to San Francisco, from Stockholm to Australia. Now the spectacle has come to Ireland with the production of I Charleston Galway!
The 'I Charleston The World' project sees dancers perform traditional jazz steps at famous landmarks of a particular city or country. The performances are recorded and compiled into a mini-film format to be published online through video-sharing websites.
The soundtrack for the I Charleston Galway film is ‘Django’s Tiger’, a manouche jazz composition by Django Reinhardt performed by local band, I Saw Stars. The track is from the band’s debut album entitled ‘Django Abú’.
I Charleston Galway is the latest initiative by Swing Jam, an organisation dedicated to fostering swing-era culture in Galway and around Ireland, working in conjunction with SwingStep (Germany), Holy Lindy Land (Israel), as well as the Galway-based Vaudeville Vamps and the McDonagh-Byrne School of Irish Dancing. In total, over sixty dancers were involved, coming not only from Galway and all over Ireland to take part, but also the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Israel, Australia, and Tasmania. Every person gave their time and expertise voluntarily, driven by sheer love for the dance and their desire to share the spirit of the swing dancing community with the wider world.
"Galway gets in on the I Charleston action. I like the effort they put into to not only making it city specific, but also culturally specific to Ireland. Great job. Bonus Pro Tip: It's a great idea to work with local musicians and get them involved in projects like this." Jerry Almonte, Wandering & Pondering.
"I wanted to say thank you again for contributing "I Charleston Galway" to the contest! We had more than 100 people at the screening to watch the films! The audience was very appreciative of the beauty of the city as captured in the film, and there was much amusement at the calling of "Shark!" at the end! I also heard people mention that they liked the music that you used, and that you were able to include the tap/step dancers into the film!" Alex Yan, 2013 Jazz Dance Film Festival.
