Hanoi Blues Experience HBX 2027

Damon has been dancing his entire life, starting with vernacular Jazz/Blues first taught to him at the tender age of six by his grandmother. After nearly a decade of learning at the heels of his elders, he went on and eventually studied numerous dance forms until coming full circle in 1995 to focus primarily on the history and styles of partner dances as his family danced them with a special focus on the Southern Blues styles from the Mississippi Delta region. He has studied the development of vernacular Jazz/Blues dance across the United States learning from a number of the original dancers. He is largely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Blues idiom dance and has been interviewed as a dance historian in documentary, dissertation, podcast, radio, and newspaper. Damon has been a featured instructor at camps, festivals, and workshops around the world.

Kelsy brings her lifetime of dance training, a passion for vernacular dance, and a sharp eye for technique to the Blues dance world. She has brought her joy and knowledge of Blues idiom dances to some of the most important and high-profile events in the USA and across five continents, including but not limited to: bluesSHOUT!, The Experiment, Muse, Hearken the Blues, and Seoul Blues Dance Festival — serving as faculty, mentor, competition coordinator, and judge. Kelsy's critical eye and love of deep technique are tempered by her love of "dad jokes," getting lost in the music, and embracing of the ridiculous. She shows her appreciation of African American culture by speaking of the history of Blues idiom dance and taking her craft seriously, but never herself. She believes every mistake is an opportunity to learn, every class an opportunity to challenge, and every dance an opportunity to pay respect to those who came before.

Dexter Santos discovered Blues dancing in 2005 in San Francisco, California and found himself immediately drawn to the rhythms and sounds of the Blues. With a background in Lindy Hop, Dexter has learned, studied, performed, and collaborated with leading figures in the global Blues dance community, earning a reputation as one of the most respected and engaging instructors in the international scene. Since the very first bluesSHOUT in St. Louis in 2007, Dexter has won first place in numerous Blues dancing competitions. In an unprecedented feat never duplicated, he won all four partnered competitions at bluesSHOUT 2010 in Austin, Texas. A particular class favourite, his Hound Dog routine — a solo Blues choreography danced to Big Mama Thornton's song — has been taught and performed with dancers around the world across four continents. As a teacher, Dexter aims to inspire dancers of all levels while preserving the cultural roots, historic identity, aesthetics, and art form of Blues dance.