A bunch of excellent artists are joining us at Upside Down Festival

For the Tracks, we invite  swing dance professionals who are capable of guiding your learning process. We try to honor the roots of Swing Dance and Music by inviting African-American artists, and by engaging artists who are respectful guests in the Culture. You can find them below.

For the Pick ‘n’ Mix workshops we invitea diverse group of inspiring facilitators for an equally diverse offer of workshops. Have a sneak peek of their lovely faces below and explore the activities they will facilitate here.

Track inspirers

This edition, it is an honor to have sir David Butts (he/him) at Upside Down Festival!

David Butts began his journey in Harlem, New York, during the 1950s. As a young boy, he was drawn to the rhythms of jazz and swing, often imitating moves he saw on television.

His natural talent caught the attention of Mama Lu Parks, a legendary promoter of Lindy Hop, who invited him into her after-school dance program. David Butts went on to learn from first generation Lindy Hoppers such as George Sullivan. Career highlights include winning the Harvest Moon Ball in 1962 with his partner Betty Silva, touring Africa with the Parkettes and participating in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.

After decades of dedication, David Butts still teaches and performs Lindy Hop and Jazz Dance. We look forward to celebrating him at the Festival!

Deena Stuckey (she/her) is a dance enthusiast from North Carolina with a background in Lindy Hop, Collegiate Shag, Balboa, Salsa, and Samba.

Her love for jazz music came first—then she discovered the joy of the dances that bring it to life. At the festival in Ghent, she serves as caretaker and teaching assistant to David Butts and will present on David’s remarkable career alongside the legacy of Mama Lu Parks and the Parkettes.

Together, David and Deena will be teaching multiple Pick ‘n’ Mix activities, as well as join the Daily Shake. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an Elder from the Culture!

Korantema (she/her) is a dancer from London. After performing in, and co-leading a chorus line troupe for six years, she has been training with Cookie and Her Black Mambas (@blackmambasjazz) a collective led by Lindy Hop legacy holder, Angela Andrew.

Korantema also works as a community dance artist with young people and elders in London.

When she’s not dancing, Korantema is a curator of Anthropology and a zine maker, usually exploring the cultural experiences of Black women.

Stephen Atemie (he/him) has been teaching Lindy Hop for many years in the UK and abroad. He is also engaged in charity projects, such as working with local kids & youth in South Africa, and has performed in multiple films.

Stephen is a board member of Collective Voices For Change, an ngo that advocates for cultural and racial equity within the Lindy Hop and Jazz scene. For CVFC, he organizes talks and webinars, and advocates for cultural appreciation within the Lindy Hop and Jazz Dance communities.

María Ferrer (she/her) & Aurélien Darbellay (he/him): This dynamic duo first crossed paths in the vibrant Lindy Hop scene of Barcelona, where they bonded over their love for swing dancing. Since then, they’ve been dancing and teaching together for over a decade!

With a passion for swing rhythms, deep connection, and the magic of being present in the moment, María and Aurélien are all about exploring the endless possibilities of social dance interactions… and making it swing!

Their approach to teaching is filled with curiosity, dedication, and joy as they share an art form deeply rooted in the African-American community, always mindful of the cultural context and history it represents.

Based in Barcelona, they actively contribute to the local dance community through their school, El Taller, their social and scenic project, Cia Enjazz.

Kelly Isaac (he/him) started tap dancing at the early age of 4 in the metropolitan area of Washington D.C. At just 13 he began to devote himself professionally. His credits include working as a dancer in the Riverdance Tour, a review of Stormy Weather and National Tap Dance Day with Gregory Hines. He has also worked with the cast of Swing with performances at the Waldorf Astoria and Carnegie Hall in New York and the Tribute to Dudley Moore. Its inclusion in the Broadway cast of Bring in ‘ Da Noise, Bring in’ Da Funk gave Kelly the opportunity to work closely with Ted Levy and Savion Glover. He has also had the experience of working with Henry LeTang , Harold Nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers and Diane Walker among many legends of Tap Dance, and has been teaching in 20 countries around the world.

In his classes, Jazz and R&B are the musical selections to help students recognize the importance of the musicality of tap dance. The rhythms of Kelly ignite the spark and creativity to the student’s education. Even if you do not get all the steps, you are guaranteed to leave with the knowledge of something new to work on.

Soraya Bénac (she/her) is an international tap dance performer, teacher and artistic director. She has had a lifelong connection to music and dance, surrounded by renowned jazz musicians like Jo Jones, Oliver Jackson, and Illinois Jacquet. She started tap dancing at age 7 in France, and studied in New York City with Barbara Duffy, Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, and Chuck Green.

Soraya now leads artistic projects through her company TeMpo TiemPo, focusing on transdisciplinary works. Soraya continues to innovate and foster collaborations, blending disciplines to explore cultural, social, and artistic expressions in her work.

Her keen listening skills and sensitivity to individual personalities inform her creative process, emphasizing dance as a vital form of communication and personal expression!

Rein Robberecht (she/her) discovered Lindy hop in Sweden in 2008, only to find that her home city, Ghent had a very lively jazz music scene which sparks dancers to express themselves in a creative way. She got hooked ever since.

Rein has been teaching in her local scene for many years. Since 2022, she has been teaching according to Everybody Leads and Everybody Follows (ELEF) locally and in international workshops.

Switch dancing enriched her own dancing and fun on the dancefloor. She especially appreciates this new realm of dynamics and flow, which she loves to transmit to her students in switch classes for beginner and advanced dancers. In her teaching, she pays attention to communication, equality and community. She aims to integrate the values of this Black American art form in her own dancing, classes and the scene.

Victor Hristoskov (he/him) has been immersed in the magical dance universe for almost 14 years. His journey began as a Ballroom dancer, and he has expanded his expertise by working with one of the top Ballroom teachers and taking classes in classical ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, and broadway jazz. As a multi-style dancer, Victor has a wealth of experience performing on big stages for dance and musical performances.

Blues and Lindy Hop have become his new affair. He fell in love with the freedom of the dance and the jazz music which makes you feel, connect and give you the space to express yourself. Victor has been teaching Lindy Hop for 7 years as part of the instructors’ team at Lindy Hop Bulgaria.

Sep Vermeersch (he/him) is a unique and committed creative. He’s a passionate jazz, blues & swing dancer and aspiring expert in the matter. When teaching he prefers holding space as a facilitator. It’s all about the ‘jazz’ process: historical context, personal development and expressing your own style while trying to appreciate these African American art forms as a guest.

He knows how to handle the DJ Booth mixing for dancing crowds or to hold a microphone when supporting events as a sensuous MC. Sep also shapes and organizes events and festivals such as Upside Down Festival, Big City Blues or Upside Down @ Gentse Feesten.

The combination of his educational background, playful attitude and daily practice make him a unique person to collaborate with. His curiosity for the deep ways of jazz, humanity and his successful performances in the sector make him a welcomed guest in various projects around the globe.

Helena Kanini Kiiru (she/her) is a dancer and teacher from Zagreb, Croatia. Her passion for music and dance goes back to her childhood and Kenyan roots. 

For Kanini, Jazz offers us a space where we can unapologetically be ourselves while transcending body, mind and music. She finds it very important to recognize the historical context behind this dance and is constantly busy finding new approaches to bring the values of African-American culture to her classes.

Kanini’s mission is to spread her aspiration and passion for African-American jazz dance in the hope of contributing to its existence and development. Her great wish is to connect Jazz and Street and bring this dance to street jams and clubs!

Kanini will not be teaching in one of the Tracks, but with 4 workshops in the Pick ‘n’ Mix program she is one of our main inspirers.

Pick ‘n’ Mix inspirers

Join an activity with Korantema, Stephen, Marie-Anne, Briana, Lesta, Bart, Ann-Sofie, Elke, Tomas, David, Deena, Victor, María, Aurélien, Ashkan, Kanini, Soraya, Victor, Rein, Sarah, Brian, Louise, Bao, Soraya, Danys, Andreas, Sep, Monika, Brenda, Kelly, Frederik, Hannah and Bara. More info here.