About the Teachers
Helena
Helena Kanini Kiiru is a young dancer and teacher from Zagreb, Croatia, currently based in Amsterdam. Her enthusiasm for music and dancing has been evident since her childhood when she started playing piano at the age of 7. Having Kenyan roots in her family, Helena has always been exposed to African music, which stimulated her sensibility for the rhythm. Very soon she started developing interest towards dances like Hip Hop and Dancehall. After 8 years of exploring various Street dance styles, she saw African American Jazz dancing and immediately felt that it speaks to her on a very deep level.
Helena feels that Jazz created an opportunity for her to meet and express all the deep parts of herself that made her expand and grow. She believes that Jazz gives us a space where we can unapologetically be ourselves while transcending the body, spirit and music. Helena finds it very important to acknowledge the historical context behind this dance and she’s constantly busy finding new approaches to bring values of African American culture to her classes.
She has competed often and some of her bigger competition achievements were accomplished at ILHC 2020, where she won a 1st place at Invitational Solo Jazz.
Currently based in Amsterdam, she continues to teach locally, internationally and online. She endlessly continues to fuel her inspiration with various other dance styles.
Helena is currently on a mission to spread her aspiration and passion for African American Jazz dancing in hopes of contributing to its existence and development. Her huge wish is to connect Jazz and Street dance communities and bring this dance to street jams and clubs!
Helena on YouTube
Joyss
Jean-Charles Zambo (France)
Joyss is a professional dancer, actor, director and music composer.
As a swing/jazz dancer, he won 1st place in the Solo Charleston competition at ILHC 2015 in Washington DC, which made him over night one of the most surprising dancer in the worldwide swing community.
Joyss sees the body like a stringed instrument. Each of these strings are feelings (sadness, happiness, melancholy…) And we have to learn to not be afraid of all of these feelings to be able to play the best melody… to be an “HEARTist”.
In his classes he emphasizes improving his students movements by teaching them how to better understand their own bodies. To work with your own body movements will help you grow as a dancer, because it boosts your coordination, balance and expression which helps you to improve your musicality and capacity for improvisation, to never lose the pleasure of learning – skills absolutely crucial for solo and partner dancing.
His purpose is not to dance swing with “modern moves”… He just brings his own experience, challenges himself and tries to level up exactly like the old school dancers did in the golden age.
Joyss on YouTube