THE PULSE
Lindy Hop festival with a slice of Balboa
CORK, 11 & 12 APRIL, 2026
Our annual swing dance festival, THE PULSE, returns on 11 & 12 April 2026. While the workshop is predominantly Lindy Hop focused, this year we are delighted to add a slice of Balboa to the menu.
​​Step up your dancing and spend a weekend learning from our talented teachers, Uxue & Gerard, and Brian & Marta. Not only that, you also get to dress up and get down to some crackin' live jazz all in the heart of Cork City!
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YOUR INSTRUCTORS
GERARD NEVOT
&
UXUE MARTINEZ
Jetting in from Barcelona they bring over 10 years of teaching and performance experience, both at their own dance school and at international swing festivals.
We are excited for them to share their knowledge and passion for Lindy Hop with us. They draw on their extensive backgrounds in; Lindy Hop, Tango, Ballroom, Rhythmic Gymnastics, and Contemporary Dance to create a unique and very popular teaching partnership.
BRIAN TROUGHT
&
MARTA KOLASA
For the last decade and a half Brian & Marta have been one of the driving forces of the Irish Balboa scene, teaching locally and nationally, with the aim of sharing their love of Balboa with as many dancers as possible.
Known for their focus on partnered conversation and the importance of both flow and individuality in Balboa, they believe in supporting others on their dance journey so Balboa dancers can have quirky, musical dances that bring out each partner's uniqueness.
WEEKEND OVERVIEW
CLASSES
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Classes will be held on Saturday & Sunday at St Aloysius Secondary School in the city centre during the daytime. Free car parking is available.​
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Your Lindy Hop classes will be taught by our favourite Barcelonés Uxue & Gerard​.
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Your Balboa class will be taught by the wonderful Brian & Martha.​
PARTIES
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The Saturday evening party will at the fabulous "Address Hotel" in St Luke's. Grab your glad rags and swing out to live jazz by the Cormac Hennessy Quintet and enjoy special performances. Show us your skills at the 60 Second Showcase Competition!
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The Farewell Tea Dance on Sunday afternoon will be at the Cricket Club. Swungover or supercharged, you don't want to miss this! Did someone say cake?
VENUES
LEVELS & TICKETS
ADVANCED/
ADVANCED +
Are you ready to be challenged and inspired? Our teachers will push your dancing to new heights with complex material and deeper concepts, while always remaining faithful to underlying fundamentals. At this level, be prepared to dance out of your comfort zone.
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Please note: Due to the number of registrations, this level may be split into two.
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Lindy Hop Experience: As a guideline, you have taken Lindy Hop classes for a minimum of 1.5 years. ​​​​​
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Balboa Experience: None, Some or Lots. Just tick whichever applies to you when booking and we will take care of the rest.
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Hours: 3.5 Lindy Hop, 1.5 hours Balboa plus all parties.
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IMPROVER/
INTERMEDIATE
Let our teachers help you to strengthen your basics and introduce new rhythms and concepts to your dancing. In this level, you are comfortable leading/following core rhythms and shapes of Lindy Hop, such as Frankie 6s, Circles, and Skip Ups, to slow/mid tempos.
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Lindy Hop Experience: This is not a beginner-level track. As a guideline, you have taken Lindy Hop classes for a minimum of 3 months.​​
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Balboa Experience: None, Some or Lots. Just tick whichever applies to you when booking, and we will take care of the
rest.
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Hours: 2 hours Lindy Hop , 1.5 hours Balboa plus all parties.
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PRICE & REGISTRATION
ADVANCED/
ADVANCED PLUS
All ticket prices are in booking order and include access to parties. Book early to get the best price.​
Tkt 11-30
Tkt 1-10
Tkt 31+
€135
€150
€160
IMPROVER/
INTERMEDIATE
Tkt 1-10
Tkt 21+
Tkt 11-20
€90
€115
€100
REGISTRATION
Registration is open! You need a sign-up partner to register. They should be at the same level in Lindy Hop, but in the opposite role.
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Don't worry about your partner's Balboa experience level; we will apply our matching magic in the registration process.
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As usual, at the workshop, we rotate partners like normal.
The best way to find a sign-up partner is to ask in local classes, socials or What's App groups. There is also a "wait list" option on the registration form.
60 SECONDS SHOWCASE COMPETITION
It's your time to shine! Show us what you've got in 60 seconds or less at the Saturday party.
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Solo, duo, or groups welcome!
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You are welcome to utilise your hidden talents and be as creative as you like, as long as there is at least one "swing" element to your showcase, e.g, swing music or swing dance.
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There is no entry fee for the competition, but you do need to sign up in advance.
CONTACT US
Contact
Tom & Rachel
