Ursula

Ursula Hicks began her dance training over 20 years ago in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and later Modern and Contemporary dance. Ursula graduated with B.A. in Dance Studies from Texas Woman’s University in the summer 2013, where she studied with Marry Williford-Shade, Sarah Gamblin, Jordan Fuchs, and Gladys Keeton.

Ursula brings such musicality and enthusiasm to the dance floor, it’s no wonder that she has placed in multiple lindy hop competitions including the International Lindy Hop Championships in Washington, D.C., LindyFest in Houston, TX., and a number of other competitions. Ursula has also been on the board of directors for The Fort Worth Swing Dance Syndicate, and served as president of The Dallas Swing Dance Society.

Ursula takes pleasure in collaborating with fellow artists and social dancing in the DFW area and enjoys teaching dance to students of all ages. She is an absolute joy to watch and learn from.

In addition to her dancing and teaching skills, Ursula has already stood out for her talent and experience as an MC at many International Jazz events. This year, we will have the privilege of having her as the MC of Athens Rhythm Hop 2024.

Erol hails from Turkey and is driven by jazz music, specifically by the bop era. Coming from a musical background at a young age, he has been in constant search and sharing of rare jazz recordings for the past few years. Known by his selection of groovy songs, he will be in ARH to make you dance to your heart’s content.

After starting her Lindy Hop journey in 2015 and loving to train and perform, Foteini – aka Dj Boogie Fo – started Djing as another outlet to express her love for Jazz. For the past two years she has been one of the main Djs of the Athens Authentic Jazz Dance project and she is now emerging into the local scene. From her you can expect a versatile set combining the works of great saxophonists with early Boogie and early Rhythm and Blues tunes.

LaTasha “Tasha” Barnes is an internationally recognized and awarded dancer, educator, coach, Tradition-bearer and cultural ambassador. Based in New York, Barnes is globally celebrated for her musicality, athleticism, and joyful presence throughout the cultural traditions she bears: House, Hip-Hop, Waacking, Vernacular Jazz, and Lindy Hop.

Her expansive artistic, competitive and performative skills have made her a frequent collaborator to Dorrance Dance, Singapore based Timbre Arts Group, Ephrat Asherie Dance as well as many international Jazz/Lindy Hop and Urban Arts festivals like the International Lindy Hop Championships (ILHC), Summer Dance Forever, and Ladies of Hip-Hop Festival.

Expanding the scope of impact for her communities, Barnes recently earned her self-designed Master’s in Ethnochoreology, Black Studies and Performance Studies thru New York University Gallatin School (2019). Her thesis and continuing research are working to bridge the gap between communities of practice and academic cultural dance research, performance, preservation and pedagogy.

In concert with these efforts she is honored to be a part of the creative team developing the ground-breaking stage production Swing Out, bringing the passion and power of Lindy Hop and it’s community to the concert stage. Accolades and goals aside, Barnes’ forever purpose is to inspire fellow artists and arts enthusiasts to cultivate an authentic sense of self in their creative expressions and daily lives.

helena

Helena Kanini Kiiru is a young dancer and teacher based in Zagreb, Croatia. She started off as a hip hop dancer at the age of 10, and after 8 years of practicing various street styles, she fell in love with lindy hop.

Very quickly she found passion for solo jazz, especially the raw style of authentic jazz pioneers. Her talent was recognized at JazzRoots 2018 where she won both solo and showcase competitions. She stood out due to her unique style, charisma and authenticity. She was teaching at some of the biggest festivals such as Jazz Roots, The Snowball and Herrang dance camp. Now she continues to travel internationally and enjoys spreading her love for solo jazz with her students.

Spanish National Television has referred to this Boston born Jazz Show woman as “One of the most versatile artists on the Spanish scene.”  T.J. Jazz has worked as a vocalist, dancer and instructor with a broad range of artists, delighting audiences of Jazz clubs, festivals and events throughout Spain, Europe and the U.S.
T.J. Jazz  is also the founding director of the MAD TAP FEST: The Tap dance festival of Madrid & the MAD TAP JAMS, events that laid the early groundwork for Madrid’s tap dance community. It is through these events that she has had the privilege of presenting many talented artists and performances to audiences. She is excited to bring that experience to Athens Rhythm Hop this weekend and hopefully bring just a little more joy to the happiest people in the world.