From the organizers of Bluesila dance camp, a new festival is about to come to town. Join us for the first edition of Vilnius based blues dance festival Beet’n’Blues on May 23-25, 2025!
What to expect?
* 4 parties with live music (2 main parties, pre-party on Thursday and afterparty on Sunday)
* Classes (partnered and solo tracks)
* Open tasters
* City tours
…and much more!
Come and enjoy Vilnius in the best time of the year when the trees are green and the sun is not too hot. We will make your stay full of Blues, Vilnius and the famous pink soup!
When:
May 23-25th, 2025 (a separate pre-party on Thursday, May 22nd is also in the plans)
Location:
Vilnius city, Lithuania. Venue list available on the website.
Teachers
Roland’n’Bianca
Bianca has more than 15 years of experience in different dance styles, from modern, to contemporary, ballet or hip hop. Somewhat a shy and introverted person in life, she found a way to fully express herself in dancing. It’s in 2016 that she then discovered – and became addicted to – swing and blues dancing, starting to travel to festivals all over Europe and, shortly afterwards, to teach. Meanwhile Roland discovered dancing only as an adult, but once he got a bite he couldn’t stop himself. He has now been an active Swing and Blues dancer for more than 10 years and traveled to festivals all around the world. In his spare time he likes to try other dance styles, such as tap, hip hop, house or salsa.
Roland & Bianca met in 2018 and have been teaching together since, both locally in Switzerland and at international events. Don’t bother to look for them in Zurich on a weekend – they’ll probably be at yet another blues workshop to deepen their knowledge of blues!
In class, Roland (Switzerland) will be bringing his best tunes and serious swissness, complemented with a touch of chocolate and cheese jokes. Bianca (Italy), on the other hand, is all about Italian class and style. Expect many pasta-cooking and coffee metaphors from her.
Together they create a fun learning environment, where you’ll get a chance to both explore the technical and cultural aspects of blues dancing, as well as expressing yourself in your own personal way.
When it comes to technique, they love to work on partner connection and dynamics which will make you go “wiiii”! They also eagerly explore and share their knowledge of idiom dances, to make you feel more comfortable dancing on all blues music styles. Creative exercises to further develop your dancing and anecdotes about the history and context of blues round up their classes for a full learning experience.
Justinas’n’Meda
Justinas friendship with Blues is as old as the blues dance scene in Lithuania itself. Having discovered Lindy Hop back in 2009 a year later he found Blues dancing. Having completely fallen in love with this dance, he started to teach in 2013. Despite for being in the scene for quite some time Justinas is still in love with the dance as he continues to find new things to add to his dance.
Meda has been enamored with blues music since her teenage years but discovered dancing as an adult back in 2014 and started actively dancing in 2015. She adores the vastness of blues, the rhythmic and style variety. Meda quite often travels all around Europe to blues festivals to deepen or refresh her knowledge. Constantly seeking inspiration, on the side she also dabbles in afro dances and swing.
Justinas and Meda started teaching together in 2021. They both are active local scene builders and organizers as they belong to the core Bluesila and Beet’n’Blues organizing team. Being very different (Justinas is also an engineer who loves numbers while Meda works in communication and prefers words to numbers) they share a common goal – they strive to make things very clear for their students. Combining different styles, meticulous and detailed exercises with improvisation while having fun (and an occasional bad joke) – that’s what their classes are all about!
Renske
Renske’s love for dancing started when she was 3 years old. She might have tried almost everything there is, but her love for dancing stuck with Blues.
Having danced solo styles for most of her life, she is a firm believer of discovering who you are as a dancer. In her classes she loves to explore different topics together with you. Diving into body awareness and technique, playing around and improvising and how to become comfortable with expressing yourself. Her classes will be full of energy, but always with an eye for individual needs and personal development.
Live music
Vaiva’s Blues
Vaiva’s Blues Band is a Lithuanian blues band which is an interesting mix: a tremendous multi-decade experience of Ltihuanian blues veterans intertwined with a fresh, young voice of Vaiva (who is a blues dancer herself). The sound of this band fills the stage with energy, emotions and invites you to immerse yourself in memories that you may not have experienced yet. Vaiva’s Blues has become an inseparable part of the Lithuanian blues dance community. The band has already played at four Bluesila festivals, “Gryno oro bliuzas” events in Vilnius as well as other shows in Lithuania. Every concert for them is like a celebration, as they believe that feeling the shared pulse of blues with the audience is the best gift that a blues musician can get.
Vaiva Gudaitytė – voc, ukulele
Aleksandr Belkin – voc, perc, harp
Arvydas Meška – keys
Andrius Afinogenovas – bass
Belin’n’Sochin’ Duo
Belkin-Sochin’ Duo is part of the well-known Lithuanian and foreign blues, country and rock’n’roll group “THE ROAD BAND”. The duo has more than 30 years of blues experience and has participated in many Lithuanian and European blues and country festivals, such as Suwalki Blues Festival (PL), Mragowo Country (PL), Blues Nights (LT), Visagino Country Festival (LT) and many others. The duo plays blues standards and original blues compositions, as both members of this duo are songwriters as well.
Aleksandr Belkin – vocals, guitars, harp, songwriter.
Olegas Sochinas – guitars, songwriter.
Jook House Blues
Jook House Blues is a traveling blues caravan from Lithuania. Born as a one-time thing for a blues party, it is a gathering of blues dancers and musicians that evolved into a long term project. The composition of the group consists of different combinations of acoustic guitar, keys, double bass, percussion, trumpet, trombone, harmonica, cajon and, of course, vocals. That’s why every performance is different. No matter the combination, acoustic guitar, harmonica and blues vocals are always present. JHB’s shows are filled with juke-joint motives and cabaret details, always playful and full of the unexpected.
Special Delivery Duo
Special Delivery Duo is a creative offshoot of the Special Delivery Band, bringing the heart and soul of the blues to the dance floor. With George Trubnikov on trumpet and vocals, and Aidas Tamulevicius on guitar, this duo creates a rich and intimate soundscape designed to inspire every step of your blues dance evening!
Prices
Thursday pre-party at Kitas Krantas and Sunday after-party at ETM Terrace are free of charge.
Money refund:
- Before April 1 : we return all amount except bank transfer charges;
- Before April 30: we return 50% of all amount;
- After May 1: no refunds possible. However we can help you find someone to take your spot in the camp – just consult the organizing team.
Levels
Solo track
Solo track is open level – if you can move using blues basics, know what the pulse is and can find it in your body and want to work more on your solo blues skills, groove and body awareness, this track is for you!
Partnered tracks
Please read the descriptions carefully and be honest with yourself when deciding which level to sign up for. After all, we want to create a nice and balanced learning atmosphere for everyone!
That being said, during the event teachers and organizers may move you to a different level if necessary.
VERY IMPORTANT – since this is our first edition, we still do not have a defined number of groups just yet as it will all depend on the number of people registering for the full partnered track. Therefore, as of now we kindly ask you to choose the description that best matches you and your experience while we will work on composing groups that will have the most optimal learning experience. Because we all want to both learn and have a good time, right?
Level 1 – Proud Beginner (BI)
I am discovering Blues dance. I attend regular weekly classes from few months up to 8 months, and/or I try not to miss any chance to take an open class/ workshop or just social dance. I can lead/follow basic moves (basic steps, travelling, simple turns etc.). I can differentiate between different blues music styles; I have a basic understanding of different blues dance positions (open; close; close embrace), although I might feel more comfortable in some more than the others.
Level 2 – Curious Improver (I)
I have been actively dancing Blues for 8-18 months. I attend regular classes and/or I never miss a blues party/workshop/anything blues related really because I am curious and want to learn more. I am able to comfortably lead/follow basic moves and some more complex ones, I have a few solo moves in my dance vocabulary, I have a basic understanding of different partnered blues dance positions, and all of them, including close embrace usually feel quite good. I am aware of the differences in music styles and try to match it with my dancing.
Level 3 – Determined Intermediate-Advanced (IA)
I caught the blues fever and it has stayed with me – I have been actively dancing for at least 2 years now. During that time, I have also attended both local and international events. I have a solid and varied dance vocabulary, good quality of movement and control of my body. My connection with a partner is good most of a time, and leading/following more complex moves is what I do with ease. I am confident when dancing to most of Blues music styles, I know that my dancing will go along with music and sometimes even with Blues idioms as well since I have taken a few classes about some of them too. Close embrace feels very comfortable almost always as I have quite good technique and can seamlessly change between different partnering positions.
Level 4 – Geeky Advanced (A)
I have been actively dancing Blues for a truly long time and have been to more international events than I can remember. I am an experienced blues dancer – quality of movement, blues aesthetics and combining layers of dancing (rhythms, shapes, isolations, dynamics etc.) are at the core of my movement. 9 times out of 10 I am sure I will connect well enough with a partner no matter their experience and will share an enjoyable dance. I have or I could comfortably teach at least a beginners’ blues class. I know that I would be able to dance to any Blues music style if a song has a good groove – I am certain I would comfortably match my dancing to the music. I enjoy learning new concepts, diving into the teeny tiny details and applying these ideas to my own dancing to find out what works and how it works for me.
Schedule
Taster Classes
Where: Bar Alaus Namai
When: May 23 Friday 21:00-22:00
Together, Vaiva and Collin bring a vibrant mix of musicality, rhythm, and joy to the dancefloor — the perfect duo to guide dancers in bluesifying funk moves. Vaiva’s intuitive and expressive connection to the music, rooted in both her singing and dancing, brings the soul of the blues to every step. Collin, with his percussive precision and deep understanding of rhythmic structure, adds groove and grounded movement into the mix. Their blend of blues and funk creates a space for learning that’s grounded in rhythm, connection, and play — where dancers can explore musicality, try new ideas, and discover how funk moves can carry the feeling of the blues.
Where: SKILLZ street dance studio
When: May 24 Saturday 10:00-11:00
Sandra has been dancing since she was 4 years old. Her mother took her to a ballet school in Cameroon, but Afro dance was always closer to her heart. She is also a curious learner herself, as she believes that when you stop learning, you stop improving.
Afro dance has an incomparable energy, thanks to which you feel the rhythms of music, which is what she wants to convey to everyone who wants to learn Afro dance.
Where: SKILLZ street dance studio
When: May 25 Sunday 10:00-11:00
She is a pioneering burlesque artist from Vilnius, Lithuania and a long time jazz and swing dancer. For the last 13 years she created many dance performances and taught jazz, lindy hop and solo blues dances in Lithuania and Europe. During the last 4 years Bona Dawn focus shifted towards burlesque art and now she is performing in various cabarets in Lithuania and Europe.
In this class you will get a taste of solo blues movements inspired by glamorous burlesque touch. We’ll move our hips, tease and work on our confidence in movement!
Full pass holders in addition to blues classes will be able to join the taster classes.
Open Activity
Where: Bar Alaus Namai
When: May 23 Friday 18:00-20:00
We want this festival to feel cozy and we believe that food and chats connect people. Therefore, on Friday, May 23rd, we will invite you to join us for a dinner right before the festival truly begins!
Where: Vilniaus Rotuse (Vilnius Town Hall)
When: May 24 Saturday 16:30-18:00
Take a Break from the Dance Floor – Let’s Walk Through Vilnius!
We’ll explore must-see spots like Cathedral Square, the stunning Saint Anne’s Church, charming medieval-style streets, and the quirky Republic of Užupis. Along the way, I’ll also show you some hidden gems that most tourists miss. Expect cool stories, local insights, and a few laughs – this tour is all about enjoying the city, not being too formal. Perfect for dancers looking to soak up some culture between sessions -let’s explore Vilnius together!
Where: Gedimino pr. 47a (Video instruction)
When: May 25 Sunday 16:30-18:00
We invite you to experience one of the most unique treasures of Lithuanian culture – sutartinės, a traditional form of meditative, multipart singing. But this isn’t just about listening – it’s about finding your own
voice and singing in harmony with others. No prior experience needed – really!
Sutartinės are beautifully simple in structure and meant to be sung in a group. And yes, everyone can sing. During this hands-on workshop, you will awaken and explore your unique voice, learn the basics of sutartinės singing and feel the joy of connecting through sound in a group.
Let’s come together, breathe, sing, and feel the harmony.
Warning: it might be soul touching Let’s connect – we’d love to sing with you!
Open activity for all Beet’n’blues participants
Venues
Classes
Classes will take place in SKILLZ street dance studio.
Located in: Muliena building
Address: Lukiškių g. 5, Vilnius, 01108 Vilniaus m. sav.
Thursday Pre-party
If the weather allows – Swingoutside social by What a Jazz dance studio that will also pay some blues tunes! Location: Kitas Krantas (Žvejų g. 14, Vilnius).
More on the social event.
If raining, please follow Beet’n’Blues Facebook event for more info.
Friday party
Friday party will take place at ALAUS NAMAI. Cosy, a bit unexpected, and we cannot wait to have some dances there!
Floor: wooden.
Address: Goštauto g.8, Vilnius.
Saturday party at KAS KAS bar
Cosy and has a certain juke joint vibe. Once you enter the bar, go DOWNSTAIRS.
Important: the floor is tile. Not very slippery, so please choose the shoes accordingly.
Bar KAS KAS,
Address: Islandijos g. 4, Vilnius, 01401 Vilniaus m. sav.
Sunday afterparty at ETM roof terrace
An impressive and photogenic panorama of the capital opens up from the roof terrace of the Energy and Technology Museum. great views for great dancing!
Address: Energy and Technology Museum, Rinktinės str. 2, Vilnius
Sunday party: free of charge. Come and enjoy panoramic views, live music and blues dancing!
Registration
Once you register you should get a confirmation email with a copy of your answers. PLEASE SAVE IT – it is a proof that your registration was received. You will receive a payment email shortly after – we manage registrations by hand so it might take a few days. If you have not received a confirmation email and/or payment email – please check your ‘spam’ folder. If not emails are there, please contact us via email.