On this page we announce the teachers for the Dansstage 2026 edition. More teachers will be announced in the run-up to the Dansstage – so stay tuned!
Level 2a
Louise Marius
Louise has been giving balfolk workshops and lessons for beginners to advanced dancers for eighteen years. She loves to get people moving and connecting with each other and with themselves. For her, the power of balfolk lies in its simple basics, which allow everyone to participate and leave plenty of room for playing, improvising and communicating. That is why she focuses a lot on leading and following in her workshops and lessons.
In level 2a, Louise focuses on the turn of the waltz in three, having more fun in the Scottish and jig, and a more comfortable Mazurka. Whether you are advanced and want to learn complex new variations or have just started dancing, according to Louise, the most important aspect of dancing is being together. That will therefore be her general focus.
Level 2b
Rafael and Nele
Rafael Correa Prieto and Nele de Beck met on the dance floor. There was an instant connection, and since then, they’ve been traveling the dance world together. They dance for the joy it brings, but they also aim to share their vision of dancing with others. Their vision revolves around concepts such as feeling, musicality, body awareness, and playing with your dance partner. They believe that dancing isn’t about practicing pre-determined steps and movements, but about finding the freedom to ride the waves of the music and harmonize with other dancers.
Level 3/4
Koen Dhont
Koen Dhondt started dancing at the age of eleven and discovered folk dancing in 2000 while studying in Portugal. Since 2002, he has been organizing weekly dance classes and workshops in various cities in Belgium, together with a whole team of experienced teachers, most of whom he trains himself. A few years later, Koen also started organizing folk dances. His passion for good dance music comes in handy when booking bands and during his DJ sets at prácticas. All these activities together form Frisse Folk, the organization that Koen leads, which makes an undeniable contribution to the flourishing of the Belgian folk dance community.He also advocates for consent and fair pay in the folk scene, and takes action to optimize the use of the dance floor for maximum dancing pleasure!
Koen has been teaching at various international folk festivals and workshops for 25 years. Since the very first Dance Workshop in the Netherlands, he has been popular among Dutch dancers, and we are very happy that he is a regular guest at the Dance Workshop.
Mikuláš Bryan
Mikuláš Bryan works hard on promoting balfolk on the Czech scene, while also teaching blues dancing and dance technique on a regular basis. He studied for a year in Brittany, dancing and performing with Cercle Celtique des Rennes. His other dancing background consists of tango, swing, salsa and, balboa with jazz and contemporary workshops here and there. Although he approaches every dance with a deep respect for its roots and traditions, he always aspires to broaden its horizons and create a bridge between tradition and modernity. The same approach he applies to music with his band ba.fnu, mixing electronics with traditional dance rhythms. His teaching experience goes from small focused workshops at week long training camps to classes for several hundreds people on festivals as Gennetines or Boombal.