*** Pro české znění stránek klikněte zde ***

The Slow Down 2024

7.6 – 9.6.2024

We would like to invite you to our cozy Blues festival in Brno. You will have a chance to dive deeper into the blues, its history and culture, enjoy a ballrooming and juke joint style parties full of great music, and practice and develop your partnered and solo dancing during classes.

Our Teachers

  • Gas Fernández & Alba Mengual
  • Sep Vermeersch
  • Victor Hristoskov
  • Pája Adamčíková

Music

  • Géri & The Lizards
  • Heart of Blues
  • Bobby’s Funeral
  • Vienna Blues Association

The Basics

  • 5 hours of lessons
  • 3 main parties and afterparty
  • Czech and Slovak folklore and traditional Roma dance extensions
  • Additional activities such as wine tasting and city tour
  • Sweet Bar, Coffee and chill in studio during the lunch break
Register

Festival vision

Among others, there are a few things that we consider important when organizing and executing the festival. We hope it might help you decide to attend, and if not, we still want to ensure you are aware of them:

 

    • We love blues music and its diversity (in styles and tempos) which shapes the diversity of the blues dance. We believe that exploring the different styles and tempos of blues music helps develop universal dance skills and allows you to become a better dancer in general. Let’s break together those misconceptions saying “Blues is only slow…”, “Blues is only this substyle…”, “Blues is only body-on-body sexy moves…”
    • Blues has the ability to not only move your body, but also touch your soul. We believe that can only happen knowing its historical and cultural context. That knowledge can even lead us to think about our own values and definitely helps to be a better blues dancer (and hopefully person). We aim to support our lecturers in placing the lesson in a historical and social context and, if the schedule allows, we also organize talks about blues music, dance, and its history and culture.
    • We prefer having a blues party in a bar. It can be packed and vibrant from the beginning; towards the end, you can expect slower tempos and maybe less lights. We will also have a ballroomin’ night in a suitable venue for that, but don’t worry, the after-party is in a bar 😉
    • We want you to enjoy the party for as long as possible, so we’re planning not to start the classes too early. Also, If you’ve attended festivals before, you know that the Sunday party is always the highlight, and we treat it as such! Therefore, we suggest taking the day off on Monday so you can stay until the end! 🙂
    • Sometimes it might be challenging for party pass holders (especially introverts) to meet new people and create new connections with others, especially if they primarily encounter other festival attendees only during the parties.That’s why we’ve arranged some special additional programs/activities included in party pass, providing opportunities to meet, socialize, and connect with other party pass holders.
    • We strive to provide a safe and comfortable experience for all attendees. Please read our code of conduct and help us to create a safe and friendly event. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable or annoying situation, do not hesitate to contact our care team.

Video recap from our first edition

First edition of The Slow Down is a history, but a beautiful one. Let us bring you back with us to that particularly hot summer weekend with a thousand little stories to tell – and some of them, to forever hold a secret.

Classes

Our teachers are:

    • Gas Fernández & Alba Mengual (Madrid, Spain),
    • Sep Vermeersch (Ghent, Belgium),
    • Victor Hristoskov (Sofia, Bulgaria) and
    • Paja Adamčíková (Brno, Czech Republic)

(click on image for more info)

All classes will be in English.
There will be partnered tracks and solo track, five hours of classes.
There will be a partnered track also for complete blues beginners, three hours of classes.

Levels & Classes

The Solo track is open to all levels, also welcoming complete beginners. It includes five hours of solo classes in the pass.

Partnered tracks there are three groups:

  • I want to dance blues! – (I am beginner, maybe 1 or 2 open classes) – two partnered classes, one solo class included in the pass.
  • I dance blues! – (I take classes locally and maybe I have attended an international festival, I know some basic steps, some variations and a few fancy moves), three partnered classes, two solo classes included in the pass
  • I dance blues a lot! – (I attend international festivals on regular basis, I have wide dance vocabulary, have some idea about blues aesthetics and blues idiom dances), three partnered classes, two solo classes included in the pass

I want to dance blues! track includes three hours of classes, rest of the tracks include five hours of classes.

Classes will be held in Swing Wings Studio (Koliště 43, 602 00 Brno). Our studio has shared changing rooms and a bar with unlimited coffee and a limited amount of other snacks.

 

 

Activities during festival

Sometimes it might be challenging for party pass holders, especially introverts, to meet new people and create connections.

For this reason we’ve arranged some special additional activities aimed for party pass holders, providing opportunities to meet, socialize, and connect with others. Those activities occur during class time and include a city tour with wine tasting and a sunday brunch at Cafe JAGA. You will pay what you consume during both on the spot, but we need you to register for it.

Anyone including party pass holders can also register for either the Czech and Slovak folklore dance class or the traditional Roma dance class to get a peek into these cultures

During the lunch break there will be a sweet bar and an infinite amount of great coffee. Everyone is welcome to come and chill in the studio with a cup of coffee or a sweet treat. Or hey, why not both!

Dance extension – Traditional Roma dances

Experience the art of traditional Roma dances with Beňo Mirga, who has been dancing since the age of 6. As a 12-year-old (or should we say young?:)) he already became a dance teacher for the Roma dance ensemble Merci.

Building on this passion, Beňo went on to establish his own ensemble, SALUT ROMA, which has been on the scene for impressive 13 years.

They participated in the 2010 Czecho-Slovak Talent Show, wowing judges and securing a well-deserved spot in the semifinals!

No partner needed for this class.

Dance extension – Czech and Slovak folklore dances

Josefína Trusinová teaches classes at the folk dance school Folkit in Brno. As a child, she practiced modern gymnastics for 12 years. Fifteen years ago, she discovered folklore dances. After five years of dancing, she became a part of the professional folklore group VUS Ondráš, established by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. She was a member of Ondráš for five seasons, and in the final year, she served as an assistant to the dance group leader. As an external collaborator, she was also part of the project Chorea Bohemica and in National Theatre performing in ‘The Bartered Bride’ and ‘Goddess’.

Czech and Slovak folklore are beautiful parts of our national culture. During the class, we will practice basics that we will use in a short choreography created together.

Bands and Parties

Friday party with Géri & The Lizards

ArtBar Druhý Pád, Štefánikova 836/1, Brno

Géri & The Lizards are stewing in the sun. They’re contemplating about the heat. Heat you will feel underneath your grooving feet and on your glistening skin, while you‘ll be immersed into their world of blues. It‘s Beneš, Kraut, Micenko, Hajtmánek & Schnyder on the Shreds-Hammer-Slap-Sticks & Sho-bees!

Door opens at 20:00. Band starts at 22:00.

Photo by Jiří Lubojacký

 

Saturday party with Heart of Blues

Kinokavárna Brno, nám. SNP 33, 613 00 Brno

The core musicians from Brno’s well know band Heart of Dixie, playing at festivals all around Europe created a special project for our event – Heart of Blues. They’re a bunch of energetic guys who deeply love blues music, playing for dancers and guarantee to turn every event into an unforgettable night. You can look for a big dose of Jazzy blues arranged specially for The Slow Down.

Door opens at 20:00. Band starts at 22:00.

 

Saturday afterparty with Bobby’s Funeral

Jazz bar At the Smoking Rabbit

Bobby’s Funeral doesn’t sleep! Bobby, Jay, Adélka, Petr and Filip are regularly practicing new blues material, which will definitely take you out of your miseries, or lethargy. Don’t fall asleep too and come to listen to Bobby’s Funeral at AFTERPARTY at the Smoking Rabbit Bar!

Door opens at 01:00. Band starts at 02:00.

 

Sunday party with Vienna Blues Association

ArtBar Druhý Pád, Štefánikova 836/1, Brno

For almost 20 years now, Jörg Danielsen’s heart has been captured by the blues. His influences reach back to the electric blues of the 1960s & 70s and cover a wide range of styles within that era. The leg shaking and body twisting energy of Danielsen and his 2 other fine young gentlemen Martin Melzer and Christoph Karas on stage won’t leave any dry seats in the house.
 

Door opens at 20:00. Band starts at 22:00.

 

Prices and Registrations

 
 Ticket  Early Bird price  Regular price What’s Included
Full Pass (Partner/Solo) 3 250 CZK
131 EUR		 3 750 CZK
151 EUR		  five hours of lessons, three nights of parties, Saturday afterparty
Newbies Pass 2 150 CZK
87 EUR		  2 450 CZK
99 EUR		 three hours of lessons, three nights of parties, Saturday afterparty
Party Pass 1 450 CZK
58 EUR		 1 750 CZK
71 EUR		 three nights of parties, Saturday afterparty, City tour
Traditional Roma / Czech and Slovak Folklore dances extension n/a 350 CZK
15 EUR		 One hour of dancing of you choice. Not possible to attend both classes.

Terms and conditions

We recommend that you register for partnered classes with a partner. Those who sign up solo are waiting on the waiting list to be paired with a participant of the opposite role. You can use our facebook event to find a partner.

We cannot refund the ticket price. If you cannot attend, please offer your place in the Facebook event or local groups. In the event of a change of participant, please contact us at slowdown@swingwings.cz. At the same address, we will be happy to confirm whether the seller actually owns the given ticket.

If we do not have an available spot, you will be added to the waiting list. This can happen if the pass you have applied for is fully booked or if there is a large imbalance between leaders and followers in the workshop.

The Slow Down is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable event experience for everyone, therefore all attendees, instructors, staff, and volunteers are required to comply with the Code of conduct. Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event. We are expecting cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody. If you behave inappropriately, you may be asked to leave without any refunds given.

Registrace je uzavřena. / Registration is closed.