ExtraCurricular program with Jacob

Jacob Wigger fell in love with Balboa in 2005. One year later, he took his first Slow Balboa class with Dean Raftery. Through several different interpretations of Dean’s basics and with direct feedback from Dean, Jacob developed a deep and nuanced understanding of the underlying movements.

He loves using the movements and techniques of Dean and, more recently, Ray Cunningham to form the core of his Slow Balboa style. He combines these forms with improvisations and other Balboa and Bal Swing techniques, performed slowly with as much groove as possible.

Jacob has been teaching Slow Balboa taster classes and workshops since 2012 and has enjoyed seeing the dance gain popularity worldwide in recent years.

Cara is an integral part of the Montreal Balboa community. She is an ambidancerous teacher, a Bal program coordinator at Cat's Corner, and one of the organizers of Apéros Balboa Montréal and Montreal Bal Jam. She has been deeply invested in the community for over a decade, serving as a founding member of the Cat's Corner Balboa program and Campus Balboa, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering balboa growth and excellence. Cara's teaching philosophy focuses on comfort, safety, creativity, and empowerment. She loves puns, sound effects, and creating welcoming learning environments. Her ultimate goal is to nurture dancers on their individual paths and enable them to cultivate their love for dancing. In the context of Slow Balboa, Cara's accomplishments speak to her sensibility and commitment. She has been a finalist and winner of competitions in Europe and North America, and she teaches internationally. Cara is always inspired to share her passion for Slow Balboa and is thrilled to be teaching at the Slow Balboa Weekend.

Kim picked up swing dancing in 2014 and quickly became enamored with Balboa and Slow Balboa. In a class setting, she favors experiential and playful learning, while encouraging each dancer to discover aspects of the dance they are passionate about. She feels most at ease on the social dance floor, where she can fully indulge in connecting with others and with the music.