Jurassic Bal

09/09/2026

Interrupting our teachers announcement for a very important update from us (yep, another two instructors to go 👀).

As you may know, the team behind Jurassic Bal values showcasing individual skills and shining a light on people who deserve to be in the spotlight.

We have therefore decided that there will not be a strictly Balboa contest in 2027.

Instead, we're switching it up and showcasing a skill that is very dear to us. We're introducing the SWITCH & MATCH competition instead! 🤩🎉

There are so many dancers in our scene who switch and are proficient in both roles, and while it's fun to watch, it's a seriously underrated skill. So let's hear it for those of us who can't pick one role over the other, have spent months (YEARS even!) perfecting their craft, and just want to tell the world that choosing your own adventure is a perfectly valid way to dance.

More info coming soon, but if you want to have a glimpse of what may be happening in 2027, our friends at Balorado showed us how it's done and we adored watching this contest.

2️⃣ Cami Asher & Derek Hong1️⃣ Joy Jing & Jona Venzor3️⃣ Galen Ki...

03/09/2026

Teacher #4 for 2027 is someone we all love so much. Krystel first met him at Bal on the River when he was teaching with Sylvia Sykes and immediately felt a strong connection to his teaching philosophy.

Based in the Pacific Northwest Region of the US, he is a beloved voice in the community, has built his well-respected reputation for decades, despite almost never participating in dance competitions. His insistence on staying true to his passion for the social dancing heart of these dance styles has brought him to communities large and small, and to each he brings his signature grace and approachability.

He started dancing in 1994 and never looked back. Dancer, DJ, music and dance historian, and more, this multi talented world class instructor has it all.
We are delighted to have him join us in 2027, teaching with Jennifer Barnett: it's PETER FLAHIFF!!

Video: Peter dancing with the incredibly talented Theresa Manney at Seabeck Dance Weekend, December 2025

28/08/2026

Time for teacher announcement #3/6!

Our next instructor has been dancing since he was 10 years old, was born and raised in Sardinia, Italy, and (unsurprisingly considering how stylish he is) always travels with a portable iron. He now lives in Stockholm but his sense of style clearly is Italian through and through. 🕺

You can expect his classes and teaching style to be a lot of fun, there will be some serious deep dives into details, ridiculous poses, laughs, but also a lot of encouragement to develop your dance personality and OWN IT!

BALBOA NERDS BEHOLD: IT'S GIO!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

Gio will be teaching with Jenn Lee and we'll leave it up to you to think about what they will bring to the party (the answer is: the party! 🪩)

Picture by the super talented David Poul
Video feat. Mo Sakan

24/08/2026

The second instructor joining us in 2027 is also someone we loved learning from a lot.

She was here in March, and her infectious smile and positive energy truly resonated with us. Her ability to make everyone feel seen and supported in class is unparalleled. Her classes were incredibly popular with y'all, and we heard so many good things, we couldn't pass on the opportunity to bring her back to our shore.
We also love that she's a big fan of slow balboa (watch out for another special Slow Bal class — or two — next year).

We also thought it'd be fun to have more than one instructor named Jen, we won't lie 😆

Good luck to our MCs

Fun fact: Jurassic Bal will be a birthday weekend, so we're throwing her a dino party!

23/08/2026

Next announcement coming today at 1pm AEST 👀

18/08/2026

It's time to announce our first teacher for 2027.

She definitely captured our hearts and we are thrilled she agreed to come back in 2027. Her infectious smile and excellent laugh truly were a perfect match for Jurassic Bal in 2025, and we decided that she needed to come back in 2027!

A renowned swing dance instructor with a passion for fostering an inclusive and collaborative learning environment, she emphasizes the importance of follow voice, ensuring equal attention to both leads and follows. Her strong music background allows her to seamlessly integrate rhythmic concepts and musicality into her classes, helping students express themselves on the dance floor.

It's Jennifer J Lee!!!!

13/08/2026

We are back from 2 to 4 April 2027 with 3 levels, Friday electives and Monday night special class again.

We'll start annoucing teachers next week so stay tuned!

13/08/2026

We are back from an incredible weekend on the Gold Coast, learning from some of the best of the best in the business, Teni and Jeremy. Thank you Sharon and the crew at Gold Coast Lindy (and bal) Fest!

We're now almost ready to start announcements, but are definitely curious to know what you would like to find out about first:

❤️Instructors' names
👍Venues / location
😂Preliminary schedule
😮EOI process / levels info

We have a bit of an idea of course but we'll be guided by you (and the emojis you use to like this post).

If you want to play a guessing game too, feel free to do so in the comments. We are incredibly proud of the line-up of excellent humans we're bringing to Canberra in 2027, but keen to hear who is on your wish list!

04/08/2026

It's almost that time of the year when we start sharing the work that's been happening behind the scenes, frantically planning the next Jurassic Bal.

✅ Teachers are locked in
✅ Venues are locked in
✅ New designs are being debated because Leandre's ideas are excellent (of course) and we now need to pick a couple for 2027
✅ Feedback has been taken into account and we will have THREE levels in 2027, including one which will include an EOI application process

Passes will go on sale after the Brisbane Balboa Weekend and there will be plenty of announcements over the next few weeks so you know everything before committing to attending yet another Dinosaur Party in Canberra.

Stay tuned :D

27/05/2026

Sweet memories of the Rising Stars Mix&Match, this time the Followers Finals!

Thank you Trang Pham for capturing the joy we all felt when watching our friends do their things

Balboa Rising Star Mix and Match Competition - Finals (Follows), at the 2026 Jurassic Bal event, Canberra. Connect with Jurassic Bal:https://www.jurassicbal....