Teachers - Bands - DJs
Jo Hoffberg
Jo Hoffberg is a force of nature. She is an international choreographer, a highly decorated competitor, a thoughtful mentor, a wearer of high-waist pants, and is best known for her teaching. She has taught Lindy Hop, Charleston, Vernacular Jazz, Aerials, Competition Prep, and Weekend Intensives both nationally and abroad since 2007. Her love and appreciation for various Black American art forms allows her to bring innovative versatility to the dance floor while simultaneously respecting the roots.
Jo's outstanding contributions to the Lindy Hop community have been recognized with inductions into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in both 2013 and 2022. Beyond her impressive accolades, Jo is beloved for her effervescent personality and unwavering commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive dance community. Through her transformative workshops, mesmerizing performances, and collaborative efforts, Jo Hoffberg continues to inspire and uplift dancers across the globe, leaving an enduring legacy for generations to come.
Her motto: possibilities over perfection.
Felipe Braga
Felipe grew up in an environment where music, dance, and rhythms are a part of everyday life.
Spending most of his youth in music studios, theatre productions and performing absurd
theatre sketches in a local theater in his hometown in Brazil, Felipe only encountered Swing Dancing when he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to study film making.
Feeling drawn to Jazz Music and the beauty of the social dance culture, Felipe's pursuit in the Jazz Dances took him to the biggest dance camps and competitions around the world.
There he would learn more about the origins and history of this culture that had captivated him.
In the next few years, Felipe would establish himself as an avid performer and instructor, sharing his passion and love for Jazz history, music and dance.
Yana Sanamyantz
Yana Sanamyantz is an active swing dancer, performer, teacher and DJ. She was surrounded by jazz since childhood, while dancing came much later. After the first lindy hop lesson, she fell in love with the swing scene and started devoting all her time to music and dancing. Raised with love in Moscow Swing Dance Society she shortly became a teacher there and in a few years started to travel for sharing and finding knowledge. In class, Yana is conveying joy, respect and love for the dance with her students.
Joris Focquaert
Joris Focquaert comes from Ghent, Belgium. He discovered the Lindy Hop in Copenhagen when he was studying at the Commedia School for mime & physical theatre. A background in the art of clowning, he takes his unique expressivity to his social dances & performances, forming his attidute towards the dance.
In class, Joris tries to sharehis best of ideas. He is one of teh starting gures of swing dance school 'Crazy Legs' (Ghent) & vernacular Jazz dance troupe 'the Dipsy Doodles'.
Today he is a busy working dancer in Belgium & abroad, next to studying the Jazz trombone.
AppenDixie
AppenDixie is a band that driven by the local swing dance scene combine the elements of the early swing and traditional jazz with a slight touch of craziness.
The band has been given a great oppurtunity to play at big dance events and are a regular part of the Prague Swing festivals (PSSF and PSX). Along with the Prague’s festivals the AppenDixie has played for the lindy hop scene of Brno, Dresden, Pilsen and by the end of 2017 they’ll have played for VIenna aswell. (We all do like it hot!)
The band regularly organises dance parties themselves and raid the existing ones with their powerful live music.
Besides the swing festivals and local lindy parties they don’t hesitate to throw a corporate party, a wedding or another event where live old-style-jazz music would fit.
Fächerswing
Fächerswing, that stands for a wide repertoire of always danceable, swinging songs. From the 20s to today, from blues to Lindy Hop to Shag: what more could a swing dancer ask for?
The musicians from Karlsruhe have set themselves the goal of making music that is specifically tailored to the needs of the Lindy Hop scene.
They present groovy classics of swing music and will thus provide us with the perfect opening of our festival!
DJ Oskay
Oskay is an avid DJ, who has been listening to the music for far longer than he has been dancing to it. He loves to spend his evenings and weekends digging through his library, on the search for fresh songs to keep everyone entertained. While he has a soft spot for playful, slower songs (so long as they groove!), he can just as often be heard saying, "204 BPM isn't all that much".
DJ Enzo
Enzo started dancing in 2016. He was directly into it and danced on almost every social dance In 2019 he started DJing and in 2022 teaching Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz. In his local scene he is famous for his very groovy and rhythmical DJ Sets that will burn everyone's feet. He likes to party and be sure that there will be some surprises for a really great party! For Enzo there is a big interest to really understand the culture. He researches a lot in the history, music and tries to integrate this in his classes and communicate the values to build a respectful and open-minded community.
What's up?
To stay informed, please check this website regularly, check out the Augsburg Jazz Rhythms Facebook page, follow us on the event Instagram, our Hep Cat Club Instagram or sign up for our newsletter.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Hep Cat Club Team at info@hepcatclub.com
See you soon
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Augsburg!