A smiling bearded man holds his partner close during a blues dance in warm orange light
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Blue Forest 2025

  • 25–27 April 2025
  • Freiburg im Breisgau

A whole weekend of blues: three teacher couples, three levels, live bands at the parties and a Sunday tea dance. This is what Blue Forest 2025 looked like.

Looking for the next edition? Blue Forest 2027 takes place on 16–18 April 2027 in Freiburg.

Go to Blue Forest 2027
Teachers

Three couples, three styles

Follow the video links to see the teachers dance.

Teachers Melanie & Albert swing dancing hand in hand on a sunny plaza
Spain · Barcelona

Melanie & Albert

Melanie and Albert started dancing blues together in Barcelona. Their passion for blues shows in their dancing and in their classes, which are fun and instructive with a clear focus on technique.

They teach, organise their own blues festival, Low & Slow, in the small town of La Garriga near Barcelona, and are growing MOV/MENT, one of the reference schools in the area. Thanks to the local blues dancers (“Garriga Power & Friends”) you will find a blues community there that is as friendly and welcoming as they are.

Watch video (YouTube)
Teachers Alina & Nicolas in a dramatic dip on a riverside path, she in a red dress
France · Rennes

Alina & Nicolas

Having met in Minsk in 2015, they immediately felt that their partnership was harmonious and easy-going. Each brought their own dance background – tango, hip-hop, classical and contemporary dance, and later Lindy Hop and blues – which helps them understand the mechanics and aesthetics of movement across dance traditions. Relying on feeling and self-expression, they build their own universe of blues with every dance.

Based in Rennes, they organise numerous events and teach at “Dance Addict”, the school Nicolas founded in 2014. They have taught together in France, Belarus and beyond, and have won prizes in competitions both individually and as a couple.

Watch video (YouTube)
Teachers Lidia & Fernando posing on Freiburg's Blue Bridge in front of the Herz-Jesu church
Freiburg

Lidia & Fernando

A passionate teaching duo in Freiburg’s dance scene, specialised in Blues, Lindy Hop and Balboa. Fernando brings more than a decade of experience and a repertoire that spans slow, soulful grooves to high-energy fast steps – and dancing with him is full of surprises.

Lidia, a lifelong dancer, started with flamenco and Spanish folk dance and fell in love with Lindy Hop and Blues in 2018. She has sharpened her skills through classes, socials, festivals and specialised teacher training such as Bluesology. Together they are dedicated community builders who keep Freiburg’s blues scene growing.

Live music

Bands

Live blues at the Friday and Saturday parties.

Singer Maria Carbonell performing with her band on a blue-lit stage at the RAM Club
Spain

Maria Carbonell Blues Mood

Playing Friday and Saturday night.

The Rhythm Outlines playing live with double bass and saxophone in front of an audience
France

The Rhythm Outlines

Playing Saturday night.

Black-and-white photo of musician Yassine Karoui singing and playing guitar Black-and-white portrait of harmonica player David Chalumeau holding four harmonicas in front of his face
France

Yassine Karoui & David Chalumeau

Playing Friday night.

The old site had no band bios or links. Short descriptions and links to the bands’ own pages could be added – to be confirmed with the board.

Levels

Find your level

Three levels, from first steps to seasoned festival dancers.

LEVEL 1

Discover Your Mojo

  • You have heard about blues and want to discover how this style is danced?
  • You might have no experience in blues, a few months (~6 months) of blues tasters or regular classes, or some knowledge of other partner dances?

Discover what the blues can give you in a festival atmosphere and go a bit deeper into your basic skills!

Blues dance is about interpreting the nuances of blues music, such as rhythm, melody and emotion. Dancers emphasise syncopation, improvisation and the “call and response” nature of the blues, with a focus on close partner connection. The dance puts communication and feeling before structure and includes regional variations like Delta blues and Chicago blues. Movements can be slow and smooth or sharp and rhythmic, depending on the music.

LEVEL 2

Hoochie Coochie

  • You have taken regular (weekly) classes or workshops for at least 1–3 years and go to socials frequently.
  • You understand the importance of the role of each partner in blues dance.
  • You are able to lead/follow a wide range of vocabulary.
  • You are able to switch between different types of connection (close embrace, open, closed, side by side…) and mix steps and tempos, but very fast (or very slow) songs can still be challenging.
  • You can incorporate different rhythms and blues styles into your dancing.
  • You want to develop your skills and build confidence.
LEVEL 3

Voodoo

  • You have been dancing blues regularly for many years and have attended many festivals.
  • You are able to lead/follow a very wide range of moves and have a solid partnering technique.
  • You are confident dancing to a large variety of blues music styles and a range of tempos (Latin blues, Texas Shuffle, Chicago triple…).
  • You can comfortably and easily incorporate the musicality and aesthetics of blues into your moves.
  • You (might) teach locally.
Schedule

The weekend at a glance

Classes run in three rooms; parties start at 21:00.

Friday, 25 April 2025
TimeRoom 3
17:00–19:00Discover Your MojoLidia + Fernando
21:00Party!Live: Yassine Karoui + David Chalumeau & Maria Carbonell Blues Mood

The original schedule images did not say which building Rooms 1–3 are in – to be confirmed with the board if this page is reused.

Venues

Where it happened

Classes

Class venue

The old site had a “Classes” heading on the locations page, but no venue underneath.

Class venue for 2025 not listed on the old site – to be confirmed with the board.

Blue Forest is organised by Black Forest Hop e.V. · Terms & conditions · All past festivals