Welcome!
Because we are in no way done with the pandemic yet, despite appearances to the contrary, we at Boston Balboa are still taking the dance community’s safety seriously. We’re doing our best staying on top of the latest news, research, and data, and having observed several other events’ successes and failures, we believe that we can reduce the risk sufficiently to resume hosting in-person events. We are traveling for dance ourselves again, masking up to keep ourselves and our family and friends healthy. We hope to see lots and lots of you around town, dancing Bal!
Please note: Boston Balboa events require wearing a suitable mask in the studio. Please see our COVID safety page for more detailed information.
Upcoming Classes
November BoaSA:NTE: Toss-Out Clinic
Join us Sunday November 24 at Salsa y Control for a Toss-Out Clinic and practice! Toss-Out Clinic will refresh your toss-out technique, then we’ll work on a few footwork variations for both followers and leaders. We have so many new Balboa dancers around town, and we hope to see everyone drop by to hang out and work on a little bit of Balboa!
We love it when you preregister! https://bostonbalboa.wufoo.com/forms/202411-nov-boasante/ Cash or Venmo accepted at the door.
December: Level 2 Drop In Sessions at Dance Complex
December gets weird with holiday obligations and travel, so we’ll do a few drop-in sessions. Dance Complex closes over the holiday weeks anyway, so go have fun, and try to get some rest!
December 3: out-and-in variations fest! We’ll revisit out-and-in technique for a hot second but mostly we’ll play with a metric boatload of variations: footwork, shape, connection points – we have lots of nifty toys to share!
December 10: counterbody. Using counterbody movement is a great way to flavor your Pure Balboa, and it can yield some sweet variations and texture to your Bal!
December 17: office hours. Stan will be in LA for the holidays, so no formal class, but July will be around to play music and answer questions and facilitate practice time for whoever wants to drop by!
We love it when you preregister! https://bostonbalboa.wufoo.com/forms/202412-dec-bal-2-variations-styling/. Walk ins welcome – cash or Venmo accepted at the door.
Watch this space for info on more classes coming soon, including REVAMPED Balboa Crash Course sessions!
Keep Dancing Safely & Support Our Community
Please do pay attention to evolving recommendations for best practices, as the situation continues to change quickly and we want all of you safe and healthy. We recommend tracking the science through a trusted source such as Your Local Epidemiologist, as the CDC may not always offer the kind of information you as a dancer need to know.
We still also hope you will direct your dancing energy toward solo movement training and your dollars, if you have any to spare, toward the professional instructors and musicians who need your support to pay their bills.
Most of all, we want you to keep dancing, and we want to help support the instructors and musicians whose livelihoods are most threatened by dance cancellations. Here are some things you can do:
– schedule a private lesson, by video
– pre-purchase a private lesson for use in the future
– buy albums, t-shirts, or other swag from bands
– make a donation outright to a teacher/musician/organization
– work on your solo jazz
– do video analysis of your own dancing (you know, the thing you’ve been putting off for years?)
– really dig into some of those clips of original dancers
– strength train
– Couch to 5K (builds core strength and endurance to support your fast dancing!)
Swing Jazz is an African-American Art Form
Balboa, as a vernacular swing dance, is indebted to the African-American roots and culture of Swing Jazz and Swing dancing. We encourage everyone to explore the history of this dance, the dancers that created it in Southern California, and the music and musicians that made it possible.
Boston Balboa stands in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against police brutality. In support of the movement, members of the Boston Balboa team have independently donated to Black Lives Matter and to community bail bonds, and we encourage you to do the same.
Our lists are by no means exhaustive, but if you need a place to start, here we present some places you can donate, as well as educational anti-racism resources we are using ourselves to learn more about this important civil rights movement.
Donate/Support
- Black Lives Matter
- The Bail Project
- a list of Black-owned restaurants in New England (Boston Balboa loves to eat as much as we love to dance!)
Anti-Racism Resources
Love and Support,
Boston Balboa
