Slow Bal & Balboa Workshop
Natalia Rueda & Mickey Fortanasce
London 4 & 5 April 2026
Join champion Balboa dancers Mickey Fortanasce (USA) and Natalia Rueda (NL) for an intimate London workshop. A rare chance to work in a small-group setting with acclaimed international instructors.
The workshops will be held at Jazzbourne, 443 New Cross Road, London SE14 6TA
8 hours of classes over the weekend:
Saturday: Slow-Bal Day
Saturday focuses on Slow-Bal and Laminu and all Swing, Lindy Hop or Balboa dancers of Intermediate level and above are welcome. No Slow-Bal or Laminu experience needed.
Sunday: Bal Day
Sunday focuses on Balboa and Bal-Swing. This day is for you if you have a solid grasp of the Balboa basics: 8-count footwork and ad-libs, throwouts, out and ins, lollies, swivels, and combinations with free spins. You should feel at ease dancing to fast-tempo music (180bpm minimum).
Places are strictly limited, so book now!
Your instructors
Natalia Rueda and Mickey Fortanasce are celebrated Balboa dancers and teachers with decades of experience across North America, Europe, and Asia. Their combined backgrounds—from Natalia’s Colombian folk, ballet, and jazz roots to Mickey’s coast-to-coast Swing influences—create a uniquely dynamic partnership. Their teaching is technically precise, full of energy, and grounded in a true love for all things Balboa.
Workshop Schedule
Saturday 4th April 2026
11:00 – 11:30 Check-in
11:30–13:30 Scaling Up Dean’s Slow Bal and Ray’s Laminu
13:30–14:00 Break (30 minutes)
14:00–16:00 Nata & Mickey’s Slow Bal Dynamics and Footwork Faves
Sunday 5th April 2026
12:00–12:30 Check-in
12:30–14:30 Balboa Footwork Bonanza
14:30–15:00 Break (30 minutes)
15:00–17:00 Badass Locks and Turns
Registration
Full Weekend Pass: All Sessions
£160 + bf *
Saturday Pass: Slow-Bal Day Only
£90 + bf *
Sunday Pass: Bal Day Only
£90 + bf *
* £10pp discount if booking as a lead/follow pair!
Help us keep a good lead/follow balance by booking as a pair (one leader, one follower) and get a discount as a thank you! We will be rotating partners in class, so booking together is only for registration purposes.
If registering as an individual Leader or Follower, there may be a waitlist. This means we are waiting for more dancers of the other role to sign up. So join the waitlist and you will be offered a spot as soon as a matching leader/follower has registered.
