Blues is not danced by counting eights: the two partners negotiate inside the music itself, and the same tune lands in the body differently every time. This winter the Hanoi blues scene gets a weekend of its own — teaching classes, and a competition side to them, where dancers step onto the floor for an audience rather than for themselves.

The event is run by the Hanoi community Blues Dance Hanoi, and the format itself is called HBX — Hanoi Blues Experience. The organisers have described the programme through two core parts, and so far that is the whole frame.

The short version
Blues Dance Workshop Weekend — hands-on classes in blues dancing
four competitions announced as a separate strand of the programme
the event is announced as public and open to everyone

If you have never watched blues dancing live, it is an improvised partner dance that grew out of the African American blues tradition. There is no compulsory sequence of figures: there is the music, body weight, breathing and the ability to listen to a partner. That is exactly why this dance is taught in weekends rather than from video — lead and follow are built only in a pair and only in the room.

Who it is for. Dancers who already do blues, swing or lindy hop and want a floor beyond their usual circle. People who go to social dances and would like to try a different movement language. And anyone looking into the dance life of Hanoi who would rather see it in a hall than on a screen. The organisers have not stated any level requirement.

What has not been announced yet. The listing gives the format, the city and the dates, but there is still no venue, no day-by-day schedule, no teacher line-up, no competition rules and no participation fee. For now the organisers ask for one thing only — put the weekend in your calendar and pass it on to the people you dance with.

If blues is not only music to you but also a way of moving, keep those days clear: there is time before January to sharpen your technique and decide whether you enter a competition.

Festivals

Blues dance weekend «HBX — Hanoi Blues Experience»

Festivals events in Hanoi