a City for You

What if you don't need to be the most energetic person in the room to bring something special to the dance community? In the episode 176, I sit down with Karoline Nylander, a lindy hop and solo jazz dancer and one of the organizers of Winter Jump in Oslo. Our chat happened during Oslo Swing Jazz Festival, in a quiet moment between the live band and the DJ, after a busy weekend of dancing. Karo...

Have you ever felt music before you even had time to think about it? In this episode, I am talking with David Skinner , jazz pianist, educator, festival organizer, and a musician who has been playing for dancers in Oslo for more than a decade. We recorded this conversation during the Oslo Swing Jazz Festival , surrounded by live music, social dancing, and the feeling that something special happens...

Have you ever closed your eyes and imagined you were somewhere else? In this episode, I talk to Johan Ohlanders , also known as Simple Johnny from Simple Johnny's Jazz Band . We recorded this conversation during the Oslo Swing Jazz Festival, shortly after his band had played for a room full of dancers and listeners. With a beer in hand and plenty of stories to share, Johan takes us through a l...

What if dancing is really a way of getting to know yourself? In this episode, I talk to Jo Hoffberg , an international Lindy Hop teacher, coach, and community member whose voice has shaped the swing dance world for many years. We recorded this conversation during Oslo Swing Jazz Festival , right after one of Jo's energetic and inspiring workshops. We talk about: ​Why Jo dances today, and how danci...

What changes when jazz musicians play for dancers for the very first time? In this episode, I have talked with Åsmund Waage (vibraphone) and Henrik Haugen (guitar) during the Oslo Swing Jazz Festival . Both musicians have played together for years, but the concert the night before was their first experience playing swing jazz for a dancing audience. We talk about: ​ Playing for dancers for the fir...

Have you ever felt like dancing helps you find yourself and lose yourself at the same time? In this episode, I sit down with Ceren , a Lindy Hop teacher, community builder, and the person behind Lindy Hop Company and So We Danced . Also, it is Ceren who is behind Herräng's Instagram page ;) We recorded this conversation during Herräng Dance Camp after a relaxed volunteer gathering. Surrounded...

What happens when one dance trip changes the direction of your life? In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Copard in his giant hammock during Herräng Dance Camp in Sweden. Jonathan grew up in New Zealand and discovered social dancing through a cèilidh, a Scottish social dance event, right at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Not long after, he found swing dancing, and what started as curios...

How do you know when a room is truly swinging? In this episode, I sit down with jazz guitarist Alexander Brott , a Stockholm-based musician whose journey has taken him from Sweden to New York and back again. He started playing at Chicago Swing Dance Studio at 19 y.o. - and that was just the beginning. We talk about: • Why Alexander started playing music and why he still wakes up wanting to play ev...

What makes a dance feel good when we willingly let go of control? In this episode, I sit down with David Kaminsky , dancer, musician, researcher, and professor, based in California. We talk about: ​How David first entered dance through Swedish folk music and Polska ​The connection between Aikido and leading in a partner dance ​Playing live music for dancers and the unique conversations that happen...

What keeps you coming back to dance, year after year? Recorded in the quiet late evening magic of Herräng Dance Camp, this conversation is with Alexej Schmidt , a social dancer whose journey has taken him from Russia to the Dominican Republic, Sweden, Germany and France. We sit outside a red Swedish cottage, surrounded by trees, summer light, and the calm atmosphere that makes Herräng feel so spec...

What keeps someone coming back to the dance floor for more than two decades? In this episode, I sit down with Sean Cedric Bischofberger lig during Herräng Dance Camp in Sweden. We talk in a quiet moment between classes, social dancing, and waving at Sean's friends passing by. Sean grew up around dancers, spent every summer at Herräng, and eventually found his own way into dancing thanks to a v...

Have you ever wondered if where you stand on the dance floor changes how you experience the music? In this episode, I sit down with Maka , a Lindy Hop teacher, musician, DJ, bandleader, and jam facilitator from Toulouse, France. We recorded this conversation during Herräng Dance Camp , in the middle of a busy week filled with dancing, music, and late nights. We talk about: • Why dance offers a uni...

Do you leave a little part of yourself in Herräng, and take a little piece of it home with you? In this episode, I sit down with Marie Sörqvist , Camp Director of Herräng Dance Camp and a member of the Herräng community since the mid-1990s. We recorded this conversation during the first weekend of Herräng Dance Camp 2026, surrounded by the everyday work, conversations, and small moments that make...

What if dance is the language that helps us find home anywhere in the world? In this episode, I sit down with Shehan - a dancer, community builder, and dance facilitator who was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in New Zealand, and eventually built a thriving swing dance scene on Reunion Island. We recorded this conversation during his short visit to Stockholm, as part of his european tour - back in May....

What if the best part of dancing is not the moves, but the connection? In this episode, I sit down with Spela Sedej , a long-time member of the Herräng community, originally from Slovenia and deeply passionate about swing dancing and the people who make it meaningful. We recorded this conversation during a quiet spring visit to Herräng, while we were both volunteering there for a weekend, far away...

Have you ever had something go wrong and just had to begin again? ...I did, with this very episode. The recording randomly stopped without making it visible, meaning that we had to re-record. It was unexpected. A bit messy. But also honest. In fact, the first 4 minutes of the recording are pretty badquality due to background noises so you might enjoy our quite conversation recorded several weeeeek...

Hadeel grew up in Libya, in North Africa, where people dance whenever there is music, whenever there is a celebration. However, the dance there is often gender-separated. Even if you dance together, you do not touch each other. How does coming from this culture affect Hadeel in her partner dancing? Well, listen in to find out ;) In this episode, I talk with Hadeel during Minor Swing , in the middl...

What if dancing is not about impressing, but about listening? In this episode, I chat with Giovanni Ligorio and Shieva Norusian during Minor Swing. They are dancers and teachers who care deeply about connection and how we show up with each other. We talk about: ​Why teaching brings them more joy than performing ​Dancing as a way to communicate and listen ​Being introverted in a very social dance w...

When was the last time you let yourself be bad at something… and enjoy it? Jenn Lee is a swing dancer and teacher based in the US, and we recorded this episode together during Minor Swing Festival in Sweden. This conversation is about learning, letting go, and remembering why we dance in the first place. We talk about: ​Starting dance later in life and being a student for a long‑time (not giving u...

What makes you stay in one dance style or move to another? In this episode, I talk with Oscar during Minor Swing in Gothenburg. We record in the middle of the festival, between classes, music, and small moments of rest. We talk about: - why he started dancing - how he moved from competitions to social dancing- how different dance styles connect and influence each other - a dance memory shaped by c...

What makes a dance event feel safe, warm, and easy to enter? In this episode, I talk with Stina and Karin from Minor Swing in Gothenburg. We speak right in the middle of the festival, while music is playing, classes are happening, and everyone is running on very little sleep and a lot of heart. This conversation is about more than organising an event. It is about building a space where people can...

Some people spend their whole life wondering what they are here to do. Nicolle knew when she was five. In this episode, Nicolle shares what it feels like to live with a clear calling. Not as pressure. But as freedom. We talk about singing as a way to move emotion through the body. Why having many voices can be a strength, not a flaw. And how singing for dancers creates a different kind of safety a...

What happens when music stops being a performance and becomes a conversation? In this episode, Sia sits down with a Swedish alto saxophone player and composer who has spent years playing both for concert audiences and for swing dancers. We talk about what changes when musicians really listen to the dance floor. Amanda reflects on how learning to dance Lindy Hop changed the way she would play for t...

In this episode, I am talking with Daniel Larsson , swing and modern jazz dancer, tap dancer, teacher, and all-in-all jazz lover based in Stockholm. Daniel shares how he started dancing as a child, discovered Lindy Hop and jazz, and grew up learning directly from the roots of the dance, taking his classes from Frankie Manning at Herräng. He reflects on rhythm, presence, and what happens when we st...

Tobias started dancing at six, guided by parents who also danced. Dance became his way to connect with music and express himself. In this episode, he shares how he moves between two sides. Dancing with a partner and dancing alone. Growing up, he was bullied for dancing, yet dance gave him strength and confidence that supported him in other sports. Tobias also talks about how dimmed lighting helps...