levels
You have been dancing Balboa for more than a year and are taking classes and going social dancing regularly. You are comfortable with the basic steps and rhythms and know a few variations. You would like to expand your vocabulary, improve transitions between pure balboa and bal-swing, and work on musical flow.
You are an experienced Balboa dancer who regularly takes classes, attends international workshops, and dances socially with confidence. You are refining your leading/following skills and beginning to develop personal styling.
Typical skills include: multiple shuffle styles, drags, contrabody movement, Maxie’s swivels, Texas Tommey/Apache, smooth spin/turn technique, phrasing at varied tempos (150–190bpm), and clean posture/connection.
You are a confident Balboa dancer who frequently attends international festivals and can comfortably handle faster tempos and complex rhythms. You focus on musicality, improvisation, and subtle variations while maintaining a strong partnership.
Typical skills include: multiple turns with styling, syncopations without breaking flow, pivot steps, Laminu/slow Balboa, leading/following hesitations and speed-ups, and creating texture within both pure Balboa and Bal-swing.
This group is for highly skilled dancers who may assist or demo locally and are pushing toward artistry in their dancing. You are starting to teach, perform, or prepare for competition. You have polished technique, creativity, and adaptability across partners and tempos.
Typical skills include: Maxie’s triples, Flying Hal, Hal’s Roll, improvising stylings on demand, initiating/recognizing musical breaks, dynamic changes in Out-and-Ins and Throw-outs, compensating smoothly for different partners, and phrasing comfortably at 200+bpm.
This level is for you if you are a local teacher or you are going to start teaching soon. You often visit festivals, like competing, and you are not afraid of faster (or slower) tempos. Our goal with this group is to create a meeting point for adept Balboa dancers.