eWa Burak

Orlean

Lindy Hop, Authentic Jazz

eWa came into lindy hoppin' in the fall of 1986 after doing an audition for The Rhythm Hot Shots (now Harlem Hot Shots). At the time, she did not have any experience with African-American dancing, but her background as a gymnast helped her to very fast become a most skilful acrobatic lindy hop performer. Her repertoire gradually grew during the later part of the 80s and early 90s also to include lots of authentic jazz, charleston and some tap. In 1989 she teamed up with Lennart Westerlund and they continued to perform the lindy hop together until eWa reduced her dancing in the mid 90s.

eWa worked with The Rhythm Hot Shots for about 10 exciting years (1986 - 1996) and during this periode she was one of the leading dancers of the troupe. When international workshops started to appear in the early 90s, eWa was one of the most in demand teachers/performers and she travelled all over the world both giving lessons and performing on stage. Her strong and honest stage personality combined with her robust and athletic dance style positioned her at the time as one of the leading lindy dancers in the scene.

eWa is nowadays living in Virginia (USA) and Knivsta (Sweden) with her husband and two kids. She has left the performance side of the lindy hop but is still from time to time active as a teacher. She is still to be found on the social dance floor and enjoys that part of the lindy more and more. For many years eWa was one of the organizers of the Herräng Dance Camp and she has always been closely connected to the camp and has been teaching at this event every year (excluding 2008) since 1989.

Frankie and "W"