Last weekend I went to one of the most popular swing festivals in Spain: “Move your Bottom” in Valencia. Considering I had been travelling quite a lot during the last few weekends, I felt quite lazy about driving to Valencia again, where I was a few weeks ago dancing blues. Apart from that, this time I was going to be the only one from Pamplona. However, I had a nice surprise when sharing my car expenses with  the Blablacar app, as I met for the first time another Pamplona Swing girl, Berta, who had decided to go to her first ever festival. So the rest of the journey, our partners had to listen to our never-ending conversations about dancing… haha. The trip started quite well!

In Valencia I shared an apartment with a few friends from Zaragoza and a friend from Edinburgh (hello Jack!). Sometimes I love to travel “alone”. It is more fun, and you have the choice of getting to know people better, not only as followers or leaders… In my opinion, the best part of swing dancing is the social side, and these kinds of festivals are awesome. A chance to spend time with great people and create new friendships in the classes and at the parties…

Coming back to Move your Bottom for the second edition, the teachers were some of the best in the world: Tatiana & Max, Sarah & Dax, Jessica & Vicenzo, Alice & Felipe, Pamela & Martynas and the always amazing Sonia & Héctor.

Advanced + class

Although I have taken classes with Sonia and Héctor several times during the last year, I had a lot of fun and I find their connection and their mutual understanding really great. In their classes you can really feel their love for each other and their job. Such a  great example! I really liked the class with Pamela and Martynas: pure inspiration… maybe another path to explore in our dancing… so good!! I love when Pamela has enough space to show all her potential as a dancer and as a teacher. She  is a dancing animal!! And another old friend: Vicenzo: a great professional, always trying to give personal feedback to his students, taking care of every small detail. I really like him as a teacher, and his partner this time: Jessica is very good too, apart from really beautiful!, she is charming and makes you feel among friends.The swing dancing world is magical due to people like these. The rest of the teachers were very good too, never disappointing, and taking classes from them is always a great honour.

Main ballroom

Not only did the teachers make this festival one of the best I have ever been too, but also the classes and spectacular party locations; the Centro del Carmen, in the city centre, with its gothic cloisters and huge rooms where we could dance like crazy. Downstairs there was live music with “Le Dancing Pepa Swing Band” and its endless repertoire. They are improving every day. So good!!

Jack´n´Jill

Having a ballroom with high ceilings, live music and lot of space to dance was great. The staff even installed a portable wooden floor for the event… Bravo!!  There was also the possibility of going upstairs to dance a bit more relaxed with DJmusic if the main room started to be too crowded. The second room was no less spectacular: wooden floor, high ceilings too and a lot of space to dance, have a drink and rest…

Often the level of the dancers that you can dance with determines the quality of a festival. In this case, the best of the best of Spain were there. There was not a bad dancing! However, I was not lucky this time at the Jack’n’Jill and I did not make the finals… snif…

These guys from Black Bottom really know how to organize a good international festival. Next year I will be there again for sure!! Many many thanks for all your effort and congratulations!!!