The Slow Down 2025
13–15 June 2025
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
- Vicci Moore & Adamo Ciarallo
- Els Houttequiet
- Lotte Dijkstra & Wouter Vervloet
MUSIC
- Vienna Blues Association
- Organic Dudes
- Bobby’s Funeral
- Géri & The Lizards
THE BASICS
- Five hours of classes (four for newbies)
- Three main parties & one afterparty
- Mix of juke-joint and ballroomin’ parties
- Additional activities such as beer tasting
- Coffee & chill in our cozy studio during lunch breaks
Festival vision
There are a few things we consider important as organizers of a blues festival. We hope they will help you decide to attend, and even if they won’t, we still would like you to be aware of them.
We love blues music and its diversity, which shapes the diversity of blues dance.
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…”
We believe that understanding the historical and cultural context of blues can make you a better blues dancer.
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 cozy 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 love partying until very late, with the Sunday party being the highlight of the entire event!
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! 🙂
We offer opportunities for party pass holders to meet people through activities tailored especially (but not only) for them.
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 ensure 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 previous year
The Slow Down 2024 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:
-
- Adamo & Vicci (Italy & England)
- Els (Ghent, Belgium),
- Lotte & Wouter (Netherlands).
All classes will be held 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.
Click on image for more info.
Levels
Solo track
Open to dancers of all levels, including complete beginners. This track consists of four 75-minute solo classes.
Partnered Tracks
I want to dance blues!
- I am a beginner; maybe I’ve only taken one or two open classes.
- Includes two partnered classes, one solo class, 75-minute each.
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.
- Includes three partnered classes, one solo class, 75-minute each.
I dance blues a lot!
- I attend international festivals regularly; I have a wide dance vocabulary and some understanding of blues aesthetics and blues idiom dances.
- Includes three partnered classes, one solo class, 75-minute each.
I dance blues a lot!+
- If you are willing to participate in auditions, you may be invited to join this level for additional challenges.
- Register as I dance blues a lot!
- Includes three partnered classes, one solo class, 75-minute each.
Bands and parties
Thursday pre-party with a DJ
Smoking Rabbit bar, juke-joint party
(Please note that the entrance fee is not included in any of the passes and must be paid in cash at the door.)
Friday party with Vienna Blues Association
Location TBA, juke-joint party
Saturday party with Organic Dudes
Location TBA, Ballroomin’ party
Organic Dudes is the long-awaited collaboration between The Dudes of Ellington and the one and only Jan Kořínek and his fellas! Instead of the traditional double bass and piano, Jan will take over the legendary B3 Hammond. The ever-kind Oliver Lipenský will be on drums, Osian Roberts, the tenor sax madman, Lukáš Hasa on trombone, Michal Cálik on trumpet, Vít Beneš on guitar, and to complete the lineup, wholesome, stylish and demure Géraldine Schnyder will join the band as lead vocalist.
Saturday afterparty with Bobby’s Funeral
Location TBA, juke-joint party
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 the afterparty.
Sunday party with Géri & The Lizards
Location TBA, juke-joint party
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!
Photo by Jiří Lubojacký
Prices and Registrations
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.
Registration will be open on February 18, 2025. More info soon.
Els
Els is a dancer based in Ghent, Belgium, with a background in modern dance that shaped her focus on body awareness and technique. She later discovered swing dancing and began teaching Lindy Hop, solo jazz, and blues. Inspired by dances with African roots like ragga, afro house, and dancehall, Els brings an energetic, raw, and playful style to her dancing.
As a teacher, she shares her enthusiasm while helping students feel free and develop their own style. She teaches for Crazy Legs and performs as her alter ego Sweet Elle. She has collaborated with groups like Hodi Maputo Mozambican Dance Company and the Steam Heat Cats.
Photo by: Milan Swolfs, Jiří Lubojacký
Adamo & Vicci
Adamo & Vicci believe that if everyone danced, the world would be a better place. Blues is their passion. They teach, perform, and dance at events worldwide, sharing the joy of connection and improvisation with as many people as possible.
They understand that blues is an African American dance. As teachers outside the culture, they continuously educate themselves on the history, cultural values, and social context of blues to honour the art form and the people who created it. They strive to pass on this knowledge to students, connecting the dance to its origins and cultural significance, and inspiring others to discover the joy of blues.
Photo by: Franca Centaro, Anuki Bilbo & José Asensio
Lotte & Wouter
Lotte & Wouter have been teaching blues dance together for over six years, sharing their passion and building a vibrant local community. For them, blues dancing is a way to connect with emotions, music, and fellow dancers.
As teachers, they focus on what makes blues dancing “blues,” creating a space for students to explore and grow. They emphasize helping dancers find their voice while staying true to core elements like lag, flow, and connection. Drawing inspiration from styles like Lindy Hop and Balboa, Lotte and Wouter bring a fresh yet authentic approach to blues instruction.
Photo by: Lotte & Wouter