Conversations in Closed

012 - Gio "Balboa"

Jennifer and Denise sit down with Gio! Listen to them chat about musicality, humor in dance, pets and plants, and Gio's experience as a queer man in the Balboa scene. Gio started dancing at the age of 10, and he never stopped. He traveled from the very beginning for Boogie Woogie competitoins. Later on he discovered Balboa, which is now his great passion. He is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden where he teaches regular classes. He enjoys experimenting with new moves and stretching the borders of the dance; both in his leading and following. Gio is an avid competitor and a few of his notable placements include titles at All Balboa Weekend, Balboa on the Promenade, and The Snowball. In the classroom he is precise and pedagogical. He is more of a coach than a teacher. Ask him for some feedback!

Pulse: Vintage Fashion (with Chloe Hong)

Let's talk vintage fashion. Denise & Jose visit Chloe Hong in Seoul, Korea to talk about vintage attire, how she her partner Rico Lim started their business, and the challenges of producing attire for dancers.

011 - Theresa Manney

Listen to Grace Babbes interview Theresa Manney about her journey as a triple threat dancer! Theresa Manney has been passionate about dance for as long as she can remember — but nothing captures her heart quite like jazz music and swing dancing. With an early background in ballet, she developed a strong appreciation for training, musicality, and thoughtful movement — foundations that have supported her competitive journey, including finalist and top placements at California Balboa Classic, Camp Hollywood, Hot Rhythm Holiday, and The Snowball. While she enjoys the challenge of competition, what matters most to Theresa is social dancing and sharing the joy of jazz-style dances with others. She’s passionate about helping people build confidence, find their own voice in the music, and fall in love with the dance for themselves.

010 - Olga Marina

Denise and Jose hang with Olga Marina. Hear Olga talk about her experience learning Balboa, starting out as a teacher, and her life outside of dancing. Olga was born into a family of teachers, and has been an energetic live wire since childhood, diving into martial arts, gymnastics, and athletics. She found her passion for dance in 2007 through Lindy hop, and soon after began traveling the globe to dance, learn, compete, and eventually teach. Today she is an international Balboa instructor sharing her love for both solo and partnered Balboa worldwide. In her classes, Olga keeps students engaged with fun challenging tasks, that sharpen technique and musicality while deepening their love of dance. She is also the owner and creator of isolobalboa, and continues to encourage her students to tap into their creative spark.

Pulse: Scott Angelius & RP Scoring

Welcome to our first video episode! Jose speaks with Scott Angelius, creator of the widely-used application RP Scoring. Listen to Scott as he talks about competition judging and how to read scoresheets!