Class Descriptions
Subject to change
Classes at Muse will mainly be leveled one hour long classes with several blocks of all level electives. The leveled classes have been chosen to help you explore musicality and dig into your dance foundations. The electives will allow you to explore broad topics and learn with participants of all levels, a core value of Muse.
Our class descriptions are below. We encourage you to look through them and self-select your desired classes in advance, the class lists will be posted at the front desk and on the classroom doors but we will not be printing copies for attendees to save paper. A reminder that if you wish to take classes at level 4 or 5 you must attend auditions first thing on Saturday morning in order to be placed in those levels and attend those classes. If you self-identify with levels 1 to 3, you do not have to audition to take classes in your level and can always choose to take classes leveled below your chosen level. See our leveling page for more details.
Classes by Schedule
Friday
Ballroom, German Society
Jump Start Your Jukin'
8:00 pm - 8:30 pm
This open-level class will walk you through some of the structures and steps of a jukin blues dance, getting you ready to enjoy our live bands. We’ll play with basic blues step patterns, common jukin variations, and essential aspects of connection in musical partnership.
Access: This class is suitable for complete Blues beginners, but will also work as a refresher and introduction to the community, whatever your level of experience. You can stay with one partner, or rotate to lots of different people, and you are welcome to stay in one role or switch it up as you prefer.
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Fen Kennedy and Mae Moninghoff
All Levels
Saturday
Library, German Society
It's Your Thang
10:45 am - 11:45 am
What does it mean to dance your dance? It’s something we say a lot in partner dancing, but without actually understanding what it means, your voice is likely to be drowned out or not heard. We will explore how to hear yourself (or what you’re trying to convey) and how to maintain your authentic self once you start to connect with a partner.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Auditions
10:45 am - 11:45 am
Auditions for Level 4 and 5
Miscellaneous Teachers
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
Having Lovely Dances
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This class is a grab-bag of different ideas and methods to make every dance the best dance. If you’ve taken our “Love the One You’re With” class (or even if you haven’t) this class is a very similar vibe, but with a new set of exercises and tools.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Blues Muse Line Dance: Voodoo Woman
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This year, instead of battling we’re coming together for a line dance specially created for Muse! We'll bring a short routine with badass energy, you bring your individual personality, and in the middle we'll circle up and show out! Lift your spirits in this community focused dance.
Dan R. and Katrina
All Levels
Library, German Society
Come and Talk to Me
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
It would be extremely boring to have one person take over a conversation and leave little space for their friends to speak or get a word in edgewise. So why do we do that when we’re partner dancing? We’ll break down several conversation styles that get used in blues dancing, how we can recognize which ones we're using, what are the advantages and disadvantages to them, what do we close off when we’re only versed in one, and how can we expand our conversational skills.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 4 + 5
Ballroom, German Society
Setting and Negotiating Space
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
Let’s make a space where two dancers collaborate to create. We’ll explore a range of techniques to set & negotiate dance space with each other, creating more opportunities for expression and collaboration within a loose-but-clear lead-follow dynamic. Learn concrete ways for followers to create room for their own expression while still following, and ways for leaders to facilitate collaborative partnership without ceasing to lead.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 1 + 2
St. Paul's Community Center, Gym
Follow the Follower
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
African-American dances are characterized by many things, but two of the most important are improvisation and cooperation. These come to play in Blues through riffin', the ability to improvise not just on the music but on the steps and movement of your partner, and through inclusion, the ability to adapt your ideas and your movement so they include the ideas and movement of your partner. When executed at the highest level, ideas and moves are shared, suggested, and embraced so seamlessly that where an idea came from is not only not important, but impossible to discern.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 3
The Rathskeller, Basement German Society
Artistic Vision
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
When developing a high level of partnership skill, one of the last pieces to fall into place for leads and follows is balance. Not physical balance, but a balance between the artistic visions of each partner- and the artistic vision that they co-create. This class is all about how to have amazing improvised social dances by nurturing and balancing those three aspects of the artistic vision: yours, mine, and ours.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
Bad Ass Ballroom
3:55 pm - 4:55pm
The Ballroom Blues dances are some of the most popular in our contemporary scenes but few dancers understand how to embrace the essential Black aesthetic of these Blues dances which prevents them from simply being interpretations of white movement and moves. This class will focus on making your Ballroom Blues as Bad Ass as the funkiest Juke Joint dances by focusing on broken lines, ephebism, hotness, coolness, and using multiple rhythms, centers, and pace.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 5
Ballroom, German Society
Are We Still Doing Phrasing?
3:55 pm - 4:55pm
What’s the difference between a bunch of moves strung together and a gorgeous dance? In a word: phrasing. But if you’re not a musician (yet) then “phrasing” might just sound like another bit of jargon - what does it MEAN? Well, we’re going to talk about that. Also, we’re going to talk about how leads and follows have distinct tools available to dance in a more musician-y way. We’ll go through a little knowledge, a lot of movement, and hopefully some good art made along the way.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 4
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
Lag and the Pocket
3:55 pm - 4:55 pm
Lag is many things--an essential ingredient of blues dancing, a way we interact with the beat as dancers, a way we move within our own bodies, and a way followers interact with leaders. In this class, we'll introduce and explore how these different types of lag interact & enhance each other, and how both roles can use these techniques to deepen the connection to the music, self-expression, and partnered connection.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 3
Rathskellar, German Society
Jelly Roll, Jelly Roll
3:55 pm - 4:55 pm
So you want to have a really gooey dance or connection that feels incredibly solid, but so far haven’t been able to execute that consistently? This is the class for you! we’ll work on common spots that interfere with having solid connection mechanics that read and feel amazing along with a variety of techniques to help maintain that feeling from the beginning to the end of a social.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 1 + 2
Sunday
Library, German Society
A Pocket Full of Riffs
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This class will provide a laboratory for creating a collection of solo riffs (footwork, rhythmic ideas, etc) that you can have ready to integrate into your partner dancing when the opportunity arises. It's based on the way that improvisational musicians aren't simply inventing from thin air- they have a back pocket full of riffs and arpeggios to call upon.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 4
Ballroom, German Society
Playing the Hits
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
When blues songs give you a break, the intensity lowers, or there’s an opportunity for call and response with the band, what should you do? Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to dancing through the breaks? We’ll go over several techniques that will help you recognize when these moments are coming in the music and how you can create a space for great moments every time.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 3
St. Paul's Community Center, Gymnasium
Bring the Party
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This class will focus on letting the music move us, stress the importance of being a dancer first, and remind us that at its heart, the Blues dances are dances of celebration and joy.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 1 + 2
The Rathskeller, Basement German Society
The Bigger Picture
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
A dance is more than the moves, it’s a series of motifs that join to create something bigger. Echoing choices in the music, we’ll consider how we’re building our dance and how we engage with our partner’s ideas.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 5
Library, German Society
Expanding the Frame
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
How do we utilize and maintain a frame in our blues dancing? When and where does it make sense to use tone? Stretch? Compression? Engaging our shoulders and various parts of our body parts? We’ll go through various moments in our blues dances where we can provide structure and support within our own body and how that affects the partnership dynamics when we do so.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 4 + 5
Ballroom, German Society
Are We Still Doing Phrasing?
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
What’s the difference between a bunch of moves strung together and a gorgeous dance? In a word: phrasing. But if you’re not a musician (yet) then “phrasing” might just sound like another bit of jargon - what does it MEAN? Well, we’re going to talk about that. Also, we’re going to talk about how leads and follows have distinct tools available to dance in a more musician-y way. We’ll go through a little knowledge, a lot of movement, and hopefully some good art made along the way.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 3
St. Paul's Community Center, Gymnasium
Foundational Blues Rhythms
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
​Come learn about some common rhythms that show up in blues music, and some different ways we can use these rhythms as dancers—connecting to the music and interacting with these rhythms in different ways, to open up our expressive opportunities.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 1 + 2
The Rathskeller, Basement German Society
Black Air Force Energy in Blues
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
​Embracing the ipsative values of a culture not your own can be difficult but the benefits, especially when creating art, can be extraordinary. In this class we’ll focus on how to let go of non-Black interpretations of the values of technique, restraint, quietness, propriety, prettyness, and not taking up space and replace those with Black value interpretations of self-expression, coolness, joy, pride, intensity, and communal celebration.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
Breadth of Blues
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
This class will explore a wide range of blues music subgenres, investigating what makes us want to dance and how we want to dance to it. We’ll feel out how different blues musical elements show up or don’t across different blues subgenres, and in songs that start to go beyond the blues. This class is designed for all dancers, as well as blues DJs and the blues-DJ-curious.
Julie and Dan Repsch
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Black Vernacular/Black Space
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
In this class we’ll teach using two different pedagogical approaches rarely experienced in the international Blues dance scenes. The first, vernacular instruction will teach dance through the informal instruction of familial and peer relationships. The second will be through the lens of contemporary Black formal instruction in an assumed Black communal space. Students will both learn new forms, styles, and techniques as well as an appreciation of Black cultural approaches and values.
Damon and Kelsy
All Levels
St. Paul's Community Center,
Gymnasium
Rhythm Nation
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
There’s so many blues grooves and rhythm variations and not enough time. So we’re going to tackle a few you know really well and address how they change across blues subgenres and then we’ll tackle blues subgenres, like funky, swamp, or latin blues, and discuss what makes them different and how to adjust to them on the social floor.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Library, German Society
Exploring the Continuum of Jazz, Blues, and R&B
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
This will be a class about the evolution of the aesthetic values of African American music and dance over time, using 'Trouble in Mind' as recorded by artists across the 20th century. Come explore different blues music styles, follow musical threads, and adapt movements through time and genre!
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Modern Branches from the Blues Dance Tree
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
We’ll examine how changes in the music affected blues dances and how the tradition lives on in a never-ending continuum. We’ll explore both well-known blues dances done in a modern context and modern Black dances descended from the Blues idiom tradition.
Damon, Kelsy, and Julie
All Levels
St. Paul's Community Center, Gymnasium
The Miseducation of Black Partner Dance
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
Why do black dances get structured the way they do? Why are certain grooves and feelings in close embrace, walking, shaping pretty common across various black partner dances? We will discuss the root threads that connect them together, why these can be instantly recognized when you step onto the floor, and what benefits and information it can provide for your partner dancing.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Classes by Level
Level 1 + 2
The Library, German Society
It's Your Thang
Saturday
10:45 am - 11:45 am
What does it mean to dance your dance? It’s something we say a lot in partner dancing, but without actually understanding what it means, your voice is likely to be drowned out or not heard. We will explore how to hear yourself (or what you’re trying to convey) and how to maintain your authentic self once you start to connect with a partner.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
The Ballroom, German Society
Setting and Negotiating Space
Saturday
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
Let’s make a space where two dancers collaborate to create. We’ll explore a range of techniques to set & negotiate dance space with each other, creating more opportunities for expression and collaboration within a loose-but-clear lead-follow dynamic. Learn concrete ways for followers to create room for their own expression while still following, and ways for leaders to facilitate collaborative partnership without ceasing to lead.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 1 + 2
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
Foundational Blues Rhythms
Sunday
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
Come learn about some common rhythms that show up in blues music, and some different ways we can use these rhythms as dancers—connecting to the music and interacting with these rhythms in different ways, to open up our expressive opportunities.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 1 + 2
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
Rhythm Nation
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
There’s so many blues grooves and rhythm variations and not enough time. So we’re going to tackle a few you know really well and address how they change across blues subgenres and then we’ll tackle blues subgenres, like funky, swamp, or latin blues, and discuss what makes them different and how to adjust to them on the social floor.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
The Miseducation of Black Partner Dance
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
Why do black dances get structured the way they do? Why are certain grooves and feelings in close embrace, walking, shaping pretty common across various black partner dances? We will discuss the root threads that connect them together, why these can be instantly recognized when you step onto the floor, and what benefits and information it can provide for your partner dancing.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
The Library, German Society
Having Lovely Dances
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This class is a grab-bag of different ideas and methods to make every dance the best dance. If you’ve taken our “Love the One You’re With” class (or even if you haven’t) this class is a very similar vibe, but with a new set of exercises and tools.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Rathskellar, German Society
Jelly Roll, Jelly Roll
Saturday
3:55 pm - 4:55 pm
So you want to have a really gooey dance or connection that feels incredibly solid, but so far haven’t been able to execute that consistently? This is the class for you! we’ll work on common spots that interfere with having solid connection mechanics that read and feel amazing along with a variety of techniques to help maintain that feeling from the beginning to the end of a social.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 1 + 2
The Library, German Society
Breadth of Blues, Beyond the Blues
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
This class will explore a wide range of blues music subgenres, investigating what makes us want to dance and how we want to dance to it. We’ll feel out how different blues musical elements show up or don’t across different blues subgenres, and in songs that start to go beyond the blues. This class is designed for all dancers, as well as blues DJs and the blues-DJ-curious.
Julie and Dan Repsch
All Levels
The Library, German Society
Exploring the Continuum of Jazz, Blues and R&B
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
​This will be a class about the evolution of the aesthetic values of African American music and dance over time, using 'Trouble in Mind' as recorded by artists across the 20th century. Come explore different blues music styles, follow musical threads, and adapt movements through time and genre!
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
The Ballroom, German Society
Blues Muse Line Dance: Voodoo Woman
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This year, instead of battling we’re coming together for a line dance specially created for Muse! We'll bring a short routine with badass energy, you bring your individual personality, and in the middle we'll circle up and show out! Lift your spirits in this community focused dance.
Katrina and Dan Repsch
All Levels
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
Bring the Party
Sunday
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This class will focus on letting the music move us, stress the importance of being a dancer first, and remind us that at its heart, the Blues dances are dances of celebration and joy.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 1 + 2
The Ballroom, German Society
Black Vernacular/Black Space
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
In this class we’ll teach using two different pedagogical approaches rarely experienced in the international Blues dance scenes. The first, vernacular instruction will teach dance through the informal instruction of familial and peer relationships. The second will be through the lens of contemporary Black formal instruction in an assumed Black communal space. Students will both learn new forms, styles, and techniques as well as an appreciation of Black cultural approaches and values.
Damon and Kelsy
All Levels
The Ballroom, German Society
Modern Branches from the Blues Dance Tree
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
We’ll examine how changes in the music affected blues dances and how the tradition lives on in a never-ending continuum. We’ll explore both well-known blues dances done in a modern context and modern Black dances descended from the Blues idiom tradition.
Damon, Kelsy, and Julie
All Levels
Level 3
The Library, German Society
It's Your Thang
Saturday
10:45 am - 11:45 am
What does it mean to dance your dance? It’s something we say a lot in partner dancing, but without actually understanding what it means, your voice is likely to be drowned out or not heard. We will explore how to hear yourself (or what you’re trying to convey) and how to maintain your authentic self once you start to connect with a partner.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
Follow the Follower
Saturday
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
African-American dances are characterized by many things, but two of the most important are improvisation and cooperation. These come to play in Blues through riffin', the ability to improvise not just on the music but on the steps and movement of your partner, and through inclusion, the ability to adapt your ideas and your movement so they include the ideas and movement of your partner. When executed at the highest level, ideas and moves are shared, suggested, and embraced so seamlessly that where an idea came from is not only not important, but impossible to discern.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 3
Ballroom, Germany Society
Are We Still Doing Phrasing?
Sunday
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
From playing an instrument in your living room with friends to a large amphitheater - Musicians are living and feeling people. In a small Juke Joint, that fact is even more apparent when you are dancing just a few feet away from them. In this class, we are going to focus on ways to build and explore that relationship and bring your musician into your dance.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 3
St. Paul's Community Center, Gymnasium
Rhythm Nation
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
This class will explore a wide range of blues music subgenres, investigating what makes us want to dance and how we want to dance to it. We’ll feel out how different blues musical elements show up or don’t across different blues subgenres, and in songs that start to go beyond the blues. This class is designed for all dancers, as well as blues DJs and the blues-DJ-curious.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
St. Paul's Community Center, Gymnasium
The Miseducation of Black Partner Dance
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
Why do black dances get structured the way they do? Why are certain grooves and feelings in close embrace, walking, shaping pretty common across various black partner dances? We will discuss the root threads that connect them together, why these can be instantly recognized when you step onto the floor, and what benefits and information it can provide for your partner dancing.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
The Library, German Society
Having Lovely Dances
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This class is a grab-bag of different ideas and methods to make every dance the best dance. If you’ve taken our “Love the One You’re With” class (or even if you haven’t) this class is a very similar vibe, but with a new set of exercises and tools.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
Lag and the Pocket
Saturday
3:55 pm - 4:55 pm
Lag is many things--an essential ingredient of blues dancing, a way we interact with the beat as dancers, a way we move within our own bodies, and a way followers interact with leaders. In this class, we'll introduce and explore how these different types of lag interact & enhance each other, and how both roles can use these techniques to deepen the connection to the music, self-expression, and partnered connection.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 3
The Library, German Society
Breadth of Blues, Beyond the Blues
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
This class will explore a wide range of blues music subgenres, investigating what makes us want to dance and how we want to dance to it. We’ll feel out how different blues musical elements show up or don’t across different blues subgenres, and in songs that start to go beyond the blues. This class is designed for all dancers, as well as blues DJs and the blues-DJ-curious.
Julie and Dan Repsch
All Levels
The Library, German Society
Exploring the Continuum of Jazz, Blues and R&B
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
This will be a class about the evolution of the aesthetic values of African American music and dance over time, using 'Trouble in Mind' as recorded by artists across the 20th century. Come explore different blues music styles, follow musical threads, and adapt movements through time and genre!
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
The Ballroom, German Society
Blues Muse Line Dance Voodoo Woman
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This year, instead of battling we’re coming together for a line dance specially created for Muse! We'll bring a short routine with badass energy, you bring your individual personality, and in the middle we'll circle up and show out! Lift your spirits in this community focused dance.
Katrina and Dan Repsch
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Playing the Hits
Sunday
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
When blues songs give you a break, the intensity lowers, or there’s an opportunity for call and response with the band, what should you do? Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to dancing through the breaks? We’ll go over several techniques that will help you recognize when these moments are coming in the music and how you can create a space for great moments every time.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 3
The Ballroom, German Society
Black Vernacular/Black Space
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
In this class we’ll teach using two different pedagogical approaches rarely experienced in the international Blues dance scenes. The first, vernacular instruction will teach dance through the informal instruction of familial and peer relationships. The second will be through the lens of contemporary Black formal instruction in an assumed Black communal space. Students will both learn new forms, styles, and techniques as well as an appreciation of Black cultural approaches and values.
Damon and Kelsy
All Levels
The Ballroom, German Society
Modern Branches from the Blues Dance Tree
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
We’ll examine how changes in the music affected blues dances and how the tradition lives on in a never-ending continuum. We’ll explore both well-known blues dances done in a modern context and modern Black dances descended from the Blues idiom tradition.
Damon, Kelsy, and Julie
All Levels
Level 4
Ballroom, German Society
Auditions
10:45 am - 11:45 am
Auditions for Level 4 and 5.
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Miscellaneous Instructors
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
Having Lovely Dances
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This class is a grab-bag of different ideas and methods to make every dance the best dance. If you’ve taken our “Love the One You’re With” class (or even if you haven’t) this class is a very similar vibe, but with a new set of exercises and tools.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Are We Still Doing Phrasing?
Saturday
3:55 pm - 4:55 pm
What’s the difference between a bunch of moves strung together and a gorgeous dance? In a word: phrasing. But if you’re not a musician (yet) then “phrasing” might just sound like another bit of jargon - what does it MEAN? Well, we’re going to talk about that. Also, we’re going to talk about how leads and follows have distinct tools available to dance in a more musician-y way. We’ll go through a little knowledge, a lot of movement, and hopefully some good art made along the way.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 4
The Rathskeller, German Society
Black Air Force Energy in Blues
Sunday
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
Embracing the ipsative values of a culture not your own can be difficult but the benefits, especially when creating art, can be extraordinary. In this class we’ll focus on how to let go of non-Black interpretations of the values of technique, restraint, quietness, propriety, prettyness, and not taking up space and replace those with Black value interpretations of self-expression, coolness, joy, pride, intensity, and communal celebration.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 4 + 5
St. Paul's Community Center, Gymnasium
Rhythm Nation
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
There’s so many blues grooves and rhythm variations and not enough time. So we’re going to tackle a few you know really well and address how they change across blues subgenres and then we’ll tackle blues subgenres, like funky, swamp, or latin blues, and discuss what makes them different and how to adjust to them on the social floor.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
The Miseducation of Black Partner Dance
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
Why do black dances get structured the way they do? Why are certain grooves and feelings in close embrace, walking, shaping pretty common across various black partner dances? We will discuss the root threads that connect them together, why these can be instantly recognized when you step onto the floor, and what benefits and information it can provide for your partner dancing.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Library, German Society
It's Your Thang
Saturday
10:45 am - 11:45 am
What does it mean to dance your dance? It’s something we say a lot in partner dancing, but without actually understanding what it means, your voice is likely to be drowned out or not heard. We will explore how to hear yourself (or what you’re trying to convey) and how to maintain your authentic self once you start to connect with a partner.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Library, German Society
Come and Talk to Me
Saturday
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
It would be extremely boring to have one person take over a conversation and leave little space for their friends to speak or get a word in edgewise. So why do we do that when we’re partner dancing? We’ll break down several conversation styles that get used in blues dancing, how we can recognize which ones we're using, what are the advantages and disadvantages to them, what do we close off when we’re only versed in one, and how can we expand our conversational skills.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
A Pocket Full of Riffs
Sunday
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This class will provide a laboratory for creating a collection of solo riffs (footwork, rhythmic ideas, etc) that you can have ready to integrate into your partner dancing when the opportunity arises. It's based on the way that improvisational musicians aren't simply inventing from thin air- they have a back pocket full of riffs and arpeggios to call upon.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 4
The Library, German Society
Breadth of Blues, Beyond the Blues
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
This class will explore a wide range of blues music subgenres, investigating what makes us want to dance and how we want to dance to it. We’ll feel out how different blues musical elements show up or don’t across different blues subgenres, and in songs that start to go beyond the blues. This class is designed for all dancers, as well as blues DJs and the blues-DJ-curious.
Julie and Dan Repsch
All Levels
Library, German Society
Exploring the Continuum of Jazz, Blues and R&B
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
This will be a class about the evolution of the aesthetic values of African American music and dance over time, using 'Trouble in Mind' as recorded by artists across the 20th century. Come explore different blues music styles, follow musical threads, and adapt movements through time and genre!
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Blues Muse Line Dance: Voodoo Woman
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
​This year, instead of battling we’re coming together for a line dance specially created for Muse! We'll bring a short routine with badass energy, you bring your individual personality, and in the middle we'll circle up and show out! Lift your spirits in this community focused dance.
Katrina and Dan Repsch
All Levels
The Rathskeller, German Society
Artistic Vision
Saturday
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
When developing a high level of partnership skill, one of the last pieces to fall into place for leads and follows is balance. Not physical balance, but a balance between the artistic visions of each partner- and the artistic vision that they co-create. This class is all about how to have amazing improvised social dances by nurturing and balancing those three aspects of the artistic vision: yours, mine, and ours.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
Expanding the Frame
Sunday
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
How do we utilize and maintain a frame in our blues dancing? When and where does it make sense to use tone? Stretch? Compression? Engaging our shoulders and various parts of our body parts? We’ll go through various moments in our blues dances where we can provide structure and support within our own body and how that affects the partnership dynamics when we do so.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 4 + 5
The Ballroom, German Society
Black Vernacular/Black Space
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
In this class we’ll teach using two different pedagogical approaches rarely experienced in the international Blues dance scenes. The first, vernacular instruction will teach dance through the informal instruction of familial and peer relationships. The second will be through the lens of contemporary Black formal instruction in an assumed Black communal space. Students will both learn new forms, styles, and techniques as well as an appreciation of Black cultural approaches and values.
Damon and Kelsy
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Modern Branches from the Blues Dance Tree
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
We’ll examine how changes in the music affected blues dances and how the tradition lives on in a never-ending continuum. We’ll explore both well-known blues dances done in a modern context and modern Black dances descended from the Blues idiom tradition.
Damon, Kelsy, and Julie
All Levels
Level 5
Ballroom, German Society
Auditions
10:45 am - 11:45 am
Auditions for Level 4 and 5.
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Miscellaneous Instructors
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
Having Lovely Dances
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
This class is a grab-bag of different ideas and methods to make every dance the best dance. If you’ve taken our “Love the One You’re With” class (or even if you haven’t) this class is a very similar vibe, but with a new set of exercises and tools.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Bad Ass Ballroom
Saturday
3:55 pm - 4:55 pm
The Ballroom Blues dances are some of the most popular in our contemporary scenes but few dancers understand how to embrace the essential Black aesthetic of these Blues dances which prevents them from simply being interpretations of white movement and moves. This class will focus on making your Ballroom Blues as Bad Ass as the funkiest Juke Joint dances by focusing on broken lines, ephebism, hotness, coolness, and using multiple rhythms, centers, and pace.
Damon and Kelsy Stone
Level 5
The Rathskeller, German Society
Black Air Force Energy in Blues
Sunday
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
Embracing the ipsative values of a culture not your own can be difficult but the benefits, especially when creating art, can be extraordinary. In this class we’ll focus on how to let go of non-Black interpretations of the values of technique, restraint, quietness, propriety, prettyness, and not taking up space and replace those with Black value interpretations of self-expression, coolness, joy, pride, intensity, and communal celebration.
Damon and Kelsy
Level 4 + 5
St. Paul's Community Center, Gymnasium
Rhythm Nation
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
There’s so many blues grooves and rhythm variations and not enough time. So we’re going to tackle a few you know really well and address how they change across blues subgenres and then we’ll tackle blues subgenres, like funky, swamp, or latin blues, and discuss what makes them different and how to adjust to them on the social floor.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Gymnasium, St. Paul's Community Center
The Miseducation of Black Partner Dance
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
Why do black dances get structured the way they do? Why are certain grooves and feelings in close embrace, walking, shaping pretty common across various black partner dances? We will discuss the root threads that connect them together, why these can be instantly recognized when you step onto the floor, and what benefits and information it can provide for your partner dancing.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Library, German Society
It's Your Thang
Saturday
10:45 am - 11:45 am
What does it mean to dance your dance? It’s something we say a lot in partner dancing, but without actually understanding what it means, your voice is likely to be drowned out or not heard. We will explore how to hear yourself (or what you’re trying to convey) and how to maintain your authentic self once you start to connect with a partner.
Katrina and Kenneth
All Levels
Library, German Society
Come and Talk to Me
Saturday
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
It would be extremely boring to have one person take over a conversation and leave little space for their friends to speak or get a word in edgewise. So why do we do that when we’re partner dancing? We’ll break down several conversation styles that get used in blues dancing, how we can recognize which ones we're using, what are the advantages and disadvantages to them, what do we close off when we’re only versed in one, and how can we expand our conversational skills.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
The Bigger Picture
Sunday
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
A dance is more than the moves, it’s a series of motifs that join to create something bigger. Echoing choices in the music, we’ll consider how we’re building our dance and how we engage with our partner’s ideas.
Julie and Dan Repsch
Level 5
The Library, German Society
Breadth of Blues, Beyond the Blues
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
This class will explore a wide range of blues music subgenres, investigating what makes us want to dance and how we want to dance to it. We’ll feel out how different blues musical elements show up or don’t across different blues subgenres, and in songs that start to go beyond the blues. This class is designed for all dancers, as well as blues DJs and the blues-DJ-curious.
Julie and Dan Repsch
All Levels
Library, German Society
Exploring the Continuum of Jazz, Blues and R&B
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
This will be a class about the evolution of the aesthetic values of African American music and dance over time, using 'Trouble in Mind' as recorded by artists across the 20th century. Come explore different blues music styles, follow musical threads, and adapt movements through time and genre!
Mike and Dan Legenthal
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Blues Muse Line Dance: Voodoo Woman
Saturday
12:05 pm - 1:05 pm
​This year, instead of battling we’re coming together for a line dance specially created for Muse! We'll bring a short routine with badass energy, you bring your individual personality, and in the middle we'll circle up and show out! Lift your spirits in this community focused dance.
Katrina and Dan Repsch
All Levels
The Rathskeller, German Society
Artistic Vision
Saturday
2:35 pm - 3:35 pm
When developing a high level of partnership skill, one of the last pieces to fall into place for leads and follows is balance. Not physical balance, but a balance between the artistic visions of each partner- and the artistic vision that they co-create. This class is all about how to have amazing improvised social dances by nurturing and balancing those three aspects of the artistic vision: yours, mine, and ours.
Mike and Dan Legenthal
Level 4 + 5
Library, German Society
Expanding the Frame
Sunday
12:20 pm - 1:20 pm
How do we utilize and maintain a frame in our blues dancing? When and where does it make sense to use tone? Stretch? Compression? Engaging our shoulders and various parts of our body parts? We’ll go through various moments in our blues dances where we can provide structure and support within our own body and how that affects the partnership dynamics when we do so.
Katrina and Kenneth
Level 4 + 5
The Ballroom, German Society
Black Vernacular/Black Space
Sunday
2:50 pm - 3:50 pm
In this class we’ll teach using two different pedagogical approaches rarely experienced in the international Blues dance scenes. The first, vernacular instruction will teach dance through the informal instruction of familial and peer relationships. The second will be through the lens of contemporary Black formal instruction in an assumed Black communal space. Students will both learn new forms, styles, and techniques as well as an appreciation of Black cultural approaches and values.
Damon and Kelsy
All Levels
Ballroom, German Society
Modern Branches from the Blues Dance Tree
Sunday
4:10 pm - 5:10 pm
We’ll examine how changes in the music affected blues dances and how the tradition lives on in a never-ending continuum. We’ll explore both well-known blues dances done in a modern context and modern Black dances descended from the Blues idiom tradition.
Damon, Kelsy, and Julie
All Levels