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"Beyond the Basic": Daily Pure Balboa class, any time

Max 4 people per class - you choose the agenda, day and time slot

Hey, if you are the only attendee, you might get a very cheap, 1 hour 1:1, as Maria from Sweden discovered to her delight on 30th December: "I can really recommend this!😊💃" . I may however, ask whether you would mind moving your class a few hours so that I can avoid teaching 2 or 3 very small classes on the same day.


Learn how to follow the instruments and not just the beat. Pulse the beat but express the music - that's what the best dancers do to wow us and it is something we can all learn to do when we listen:


  • Call and response,
  • "Apple Jack" the pulse for stability, shuffle and glide,
  • Follow instrumental solos,
  • Breaks,
  • Slowing down and speeding up.


Don't just dance the 8-count basic, dance to all of Count Basie


Here's an interesting idea...
Could form the basis of an online "The Balboa Experiment": For example, how about booking for an entire week as a group of 4, interacting independently over Zoom outside of my classes to play and challenge.

image1865

Click the image to book for just £10 using Paypal or bank transfer

"Nice Job!! Keep it up!" Peter Loggins, international teacher(Sweden/USA)

Facebook profile

I'll demonstrate to you

Mixing it up

Inject some style into your dancing by mixing your dance forms. The "old-timers" didn't just dance Balboa, they constantly adapted their style to the energy in the music.


Here I inject elements of tap and collegiate shag as the moment takes me. None of this is choreographed. 

Follow different instruments

See how I am always following an instrument and never just the rhythm?


I switch between instruments as something in the music grabs my attention and gives me something interesting to play with. Amuse yourself. 

From a recent class

Can you spot each of the "Beyond the Basic" class techniques?


I slow the action in the faster tracks where an instrument suggests it, speeding up at times to match the beat but never getting frantic. It is important to always remain in control and to offer the follow a confident, positive body lead. The upper body maintains a consistent, gentle movement so that the chest lead is easy to stay in sync with, no matter what is going on with the legs.

Getting creative to more complex music

As your musicality develops you will find it easy to adapt your dancing to music that would not typically be associated with Balboa.


The last of the 3 tracks(at 4:40) here demonstrates how, once you have confidence in your Apple Jack "pulse", tackling any music becomes a breeze; you must not be "looking" for a predictable pattern of single or double count steps to follow. You realise that Balboa is best when you don't try to count; the last "move" here is on one leg for 16 counts!


This is where my approach to teaching differs to that of most other teachers - from the start I focus on following the music, instead of teaching a sequence of moves that only work when counting 8s. See what a world champion Balboa dancer said about this video.

Focusing on the Apple Jack

The weighted foot swivels in time with the beat for the entire dance, providing stability and glide. The unweighted leg is free to do whatever the music suggests - really express yourself with it. The follow only follows pulse, weight-shifts and direction changes - not free-leg movements (necessarily). The follow must never have to look down to see what the lead is doing - this breaks the dance.

"you are Amazing, you are much, much better than I'm😁" Albert Ferran Toll, international champion

More about Albert

Recent Testimonials

"I can really recommend this!😊💃" - Maria Bertrand, 30th December 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Facebook

All tracks above feature in this 12 hour public playlist

Maria's comment

Copyright Karim Ahmed 2021

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