Who is behind Brisbane Balboa Swing? It's Robert and Emma and Friends, oh my!
Robert Edwards is a swing dance teacher and swing DJ with a particular fondness for Balboa. Rob has been sharing his love of swing dancing and swing music with classes of students since 2011.
He took his first swing steps in the corner of a social dance floor on his birthday in 2008. His gratitude towards the friend who took him along that night can not be overstated, because that night changed his life. He was instantly hooked and set about doing every class he possibly could. It wasn’t long before he was attending international swing events and performing with the local demo troupe. There have been a lot of kick-ball-changes and stomp-offs under the bridge since those days!
Emma Hadfield started dancing in 2005, only dancing sporadically until 2009 when she became completely addicted! She then went on to be a member of all of Brisbane’s performance troupes, including teaching and choreographing for Balboa performance troupes, teaching Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Solo Vernacular Jazz in Brisbane,
Together they've travelled around the world attending many dance events, including the Balboa Rendezvous, The Snow Ball, and The Bal Experiment (five times). Closer to home, they competed in a lot of events and stacked up a nice pile of trophies. But these days, they like to focus on hosting events with great live music that celebrate social dancing.
"We believe in creating an environment where people can be themselves and connect with others around the shared love of Swing music, culture and dance. We believe that people have the right to be able to fully participate and feel safe without judgement. Help us build an amazing and creative community full of life, happiness and most importantly, incredible dancing."