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.

Hornsgatan Ramblers is a jazz octet from Stockholm, Sweden. Their emphasis is on swing music of the 1930-40s, striving after their own sound inspired by the small and big bands of giants such as Duke Ellington, Teddy Wilson, Count Basie, Benny Goodman just to name a few.

By now their music has brought them to countries such as South Korea, China, Greece, Italy, Germany, Finland, Turkey, Denmark, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands and of course all over Sweden.

The Band started in the autumn of 2009 when a few swing dancers in Stockholm decided to form a band to start playing the music that they loved dancing to. The name comes from a street in the neighborhood in Stockholm where the world famous Chicago Swing Dance Studio is located – where their very first rehearsals took place.

Several of the band members are also active in the renowned swing dance company The Hot Shots.

Fredrik Dahlberg – Trumpet

Gustav Lindström – Trombone

Wilhelm Novák – Clarinet/Soprano Saxophone

Patrik Pettersson – Tenor Saxophone

Rikard Ekstrand – Piano

Christopher Mair – Guitar

Johan Tengholm – Double Bass

Sakarias Larsson – Drums

(The final band line up may vary)

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 2025, bringing a unique blend of energetic rhythms and sophisticated melodies to the dancefloor!

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.

Natasha Martin uses dance to approach music as groove, rhythms and pulse. She performs and teaches body music and tap dance and has done many collaborations with groups of musicians, theater plays and many other forms of art performances.

Bianca and Nils started dancing when they were kids. They have performed and competed with other partners in their home countries (Italy and Sweden) in different dances like ballet, lindy hop swing, latin dances, hip hop, ballroom and the Swedish bugg. Both Bianca and Nils got stuck in swing dancing and music, their biggest passion at a very young age. Their paths crossed when Bianca moved to Sweden at the age of sixteen and that’s when they started performing and competing together.

Their teaching career started short after that. Nowadays they travel globally for teaching workshops at festivals, performing and competing. They love to teach what they believe in all around the world. It gives them inspiration, happiness and satisfaction. Bianca and Nils like to bring their love for the dance through energy and enthusiasm on stage. Bianca and Nils are members of the Swedish national team in Boogie Woogie and Lindy Hop and together they won several Swedish competitions including the Swedish championships. Even abroad they hold titles at the International Lindy Hop Championship (ILHC), Camp Hollywood, European Swing Dance championship, several Boogie Woogie international competitions.

They love swing dancing because it brings people together and spreads joy between them, but also because it has a technical and “nerdy” side. The dance challenges them in keeping practicing, creating and expressing. Bianca and Nils’ goal is to help you become the best dancer you can be if you are a student and to be entertained if you are a spectator at one of their shows.

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.

The Jeepers Creepers band is a group of musicians from Athens(Greece) that specialises in playing the really beautiful popular or more rare tunes of the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1940’s and also original melodies inspired mostly by the jazz idiom. The band was named after the popular Harry Warren’s tune that became widely known by Louis Armstrong. Their dedication to the swing-jazz idiom leaves the listeners with no choice but to dance and party all night long! They won the Swinging Europe Contest for 2021. They have given a lot of concerts in Athens and other cities of Greece, in New York and in Holland and they have participated in many festivals like the Swing n’ Sail festival,Kardamili International jazz festival, Carnival of Swing,Festival International de Hot Jazz Mexico, the Petit Paris d’ Athenes etc.

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.

Sammy Gian is a Kenyan dance instructor and choreographer with a strong background and experience in teaching and in facilitating performances. His formal education started in one of the biggest institutes of performing arts training in South Africa the MID (Moving into Dance Mophatong), but his professional experience as an artistic director and choreographer, performer, and teacher runs over 10 years in various African and European countries. In 2012 he was one of the main choreographers and instructors in an academic program at the University of Maputo, in Mozambique. Since then, he has participated in various festivals around the world and he creates his own productions. His dance identity has different dynamics based on the contemporary dance techniques of Martha Graham and Lester Horton mixed with African and acrobatic elements. Nevertheless, his dance styles continue to a big variety of hip hop, house, modern, urban jazz, and afro-fusion. Since 2016, he has lived in Athens, Greece, where he teaches afro-fusion on a weekly basis at the Professional Dance School, Aktina, as well as in dance studios such as DANCCE and Dancevacuum. He also coordinates seminars with different themes in different dance schools. Since July 2017, he has formed the Twende Dance Project, a modern dance center and meeting point for professional and amateur dancers, and a roof for his dance company. in 2018 and 2019 participates in the Thessaloniki Swing Festival as an African Dance teacher and as a performer and co-organizes the African-American Jazz Dance Project, where he studies African roots in jazz dances. To this day he continues to teach children and adults.