Vassia Panagiotou
Vassia Panagiotou is a Jazz Dance performer, educator and choreographer focusing on African American Vernacular Jazz and Lindy Hop.
Her love for the Jazz Dances has led her to an ongoing pursuit of delving into the cultural roots of this art form. With an unwavering dedication to research and understanding, she focuses on the legacy of the dancers in Harlem and the tradition of the female performance troupes in night clubs and theaters such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theatre (Chorus Lines).
To get a deeper understanding of the culture, she is also practicing tap dance focusing on the musical, improvisational aspect of the art form as it was danced by the hoofers in Harlem.
She is based in Athens, but quite often she travels in Europe to teach and perform. She is a co-founder of Rhythm Hoppers, a leader of the Rhythm Hoppers Chorus Line, the Hot Mallets & the Rhythm Hoppers performers and one of the organizers of the Athens Rhythm Hop Jazz Dance festival.
Alexandros Velentzas
Alexandros was introduced to the sounds of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Swing music from a very young age. During his teen years, he started taking Rock n’ Roll lessons, but shortly afterwards he was introduced to and immediately became addicted to Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz.
Alexandros has been teaching Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz since 2016, both locally and internationally. Since 2018, he has been a member of the dance and teaching team at Rhythm Hoppers, one of the top swing dance schools in Athens/dance companies in Athens. He is also the coordinator and choreographer of the authentic jazz team “The Dukes of Rhythm”. His main goal is to inspire students and other dancers to be creative and express themselves through Jazz, while learning more about the culture of this African American art form and respecting the roots of Lindy Hop’s Black American Roots.
He frequently teaches, performs and competes in international festivals. He has received numerous awards and will not hesitate to steal the show, given the option! He never stops training and developing his technique, trying out different genres. He stands out for the rhythmicity and quality of his movement, as well as his vibrant presence at social parties, where you will find him dancing till he drops!