Everything on the background of the festival: who, why, what? If you have questions, send us an email to info@seasonoftheswitch.com.
ABOUT US
We are a group of passionate swing dancers with different backgrounds, active in the non-profit organization Boogie-Bären München e.V. We are excited to contribute a new festival to the international lindy hop scene that is community-oriented, gender non-conforming, rooted in Black American culture and history. The main organizers of the festival are:
Micha
Cloaked Coordinator
You might have heard of him, but you might not have seen him. Micha is doing his magic in making sure that basic needs like location are fulfilled and that everyone knows what to do. Try to spot him on the dance floor - it might help if you search for his broad smile! Micha is also part of the Safer Space team.
Natalie
Wizard of Vibes
Natalie takes care of us and our expenses, making sure that budget and expectations are aligned. She’s a teacher, performer and choreographer who surprises with her knowledge about the history of vernacular Black American dance culture and her magical choreos. Natalie is also part of the Safer Space team.
Dunja
Druidic Delegator
Dunja makes sure two main necessities are fulfilled: that we stay in touch with reality and that the music never stops.
She has years of experience in the swing dance scene as a teacher, DJ and lecturer.
Dominik
Program Prophet
Dominik will be spreading his endless creativity as he orchestrates the festival program with activities, classes, live music and more.
You might also encounter him as a teacher, performer and as one of the masterminds behind countless choreographies.
Simone
Arcane Arranger
On the border between reality and the magic realm, Simone makes sure that background processes run smoothly, namely taking care of the registration process and the hosting. If she’s not social dancing, you will find her playing carefully selected DJ sets.
Susanne
Selective Sorcerer
Susanne lends her magic wand to topics of marketing and volunteer coordination, supporting internal and external communication. You can usually find her dancing, taking part in shenanigans, or putting on the same song twice.
Alice
Mystic Metronomist
Alice is the one who keeps us grounded on time, managing the calendar and making sure everyone is in the loop. A devoted lover of partnered, social dancing, you'll find her gliding through blues, soaring in lindy hop, floating in balboa, or bouncing joyfully in shag, always with a grin of pure delight.
ABOUT SWITCHING
Changing roles in dancing? Yes please!
Taking classes, or dancing a song in your secondary role, switching back and forth within a song, getting asked which role you want to dance instead of everyone assuming, exploring the blurry lines between leading and following … sound good to you? We love it too and strongly believe that switch dancing, as well as the related terms of bi-role dancing or ELEF (everybody leads everybody follows) as a pedagogical concept, improve our understanding of the dance and foster an inclusive environment for all dancers. With classes focusing on switch moves, as well as training the skills of the “other role”, we aim to raise awareness of this aspect of the dance and consolidate it in today's Lindy Hop scene. Even if you are a seasoned switcher, or new to the idea — we invite you to join and discover the creative potential of changing roles in dancing.
“But dancing both roles isn’t true to the roots of lindy hop, is it?” Actually it is!
Dancing with changing roles has a long history in Swing Dancing; in old video recordings dancers can be seen changing roles. Al Minns and Leon James, two legendary vernacular jazz dancers and lindy hoppers (members of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers), are often seen in clips dancing together (example clip 1 (partner dancing at 2:05), example clip 2 (partner dancing at 2:33)). Here is another amazing vintage clip of dancers dancing “non gender-conforming roles” where many women dance with each other at the New York World's Fair.
What if I’d prefer to only dance one role?
In classes, we would like to ask you to stay open-minded and follow the instructions of the teachers and how they choose to orchestrate the switching in class. On the social dance floor, we welcome everyone to dance the role that they want to! There will be lots of people who prefer a role and a lot that prefer to dance a role that you might not expect based on how they look. Communication is our friend here, so try something like “I would like to [lead/follow/switch], do you want to dance?”
Is follower initiation related to switch dancing?
It doesn’t have to be, but we love follower initiation too! We think of leading and following as a form of communication where both partners take equal responsibility in the dance. This means that both partners share ideas, listen, and express how they feel to the music.
ABOUT SAFER SPACES
The hosting non-profit organization of season of the switch, Boogie-Bären München e.V., has a Safer Space team that will also be active during the festival.
Our goal is to make sure everyone feels and truly is as safe as possible at this festival. Experiences from other dance communities have shown that the approach of forming a Safer Space team is highly effective in identifying potential issues and addressing or preventing problems.
We are a team of volunteer Boogie Bären dancers. Some of us have been part of Boogie Bären for a long time, others only joined recently. Some of us are trainers, DJs, and/or organizers of Boogie Bären events or initiatives. We come from various countries and continents, representing a range of ages and genders. None of us are mental health or conflict resolution professionals. The Safer Space team members who are also active in this festival are: Natalie, Micha, Denise, and Gülistan. The former three are also organizers.
You will recognize the team members who are on duty at any given day by these super cute buttons on our clothes:
To learn more about our work and see our faces, please visit:
ABOUT MUNICH
Munich is magical, too! Here are some tips for your needs other than switch dancing: food, sleep & culture.
How to get around
To reach our main venue, Kulturhaus Milbertshofen, just use the subway, which is the most reliable means of public transport in Munich. Buses will also save you some walking.
The U2, which you’ll most likely be using, runs through the night in 30 minute intervals. It gets you from the venue right into the city center: to the main station, Sendlinger Tor and Odeonsplatz.
Where to eat (or drink)
There are several highly rated casual food spots around the Kulturhaus.
In the city center, there are a couple of favorite spots the season of the switch team recommends:
Denise favorite: MaLaTang (Poccistraße 2): MaLaTang (“numb spicy soup”) is a type of Chinese hot pot where you select your ingredients and broth separately, which is then cooked and brought to your table (very quickly!!) in a big bowl. There is a large selection of veggie ingredients, especially greens and mushrooms. And don’t worry: there are non-spicy broth options, too.
Susanne’s favorite: Bab Al Yemen (Landwehrstraße 8): in this restaurant in the “Sonnenallee area of Munich” you will find typical yemeni dishes - select a plate of starters, or dive into the main dishes that often involve a stew of some sort directly out of the oven. Yemeni cuisine is not necessarily vegetarian friendly, but I always find something that makes me happy. Don’t forget to try the delicious yemeni round bread and the tea with milk and cardamom.
Micha's favorites: Beirut Beirut (especially on hot summer evenings), Tepsija (best börek in town), VANA (Asian Goods & Café, great deserts, nice people), Bodhi (vegan bavarian cuisine)
We also urge you to visit a Biergarten (“beer gardens”), if you haven’t yet. Did you know that in Bavaria, an establishment can only call itself Biergarten if it lets you bring your own food? Go ahead and try it out with your favorite homemade dish - or order some classical Bavarian dishes!
Kongress Bar: Next to Deutsches Museum, Bavaria Park (and yet another Biergarten), Kongress Bar serves as a time machine, where it is a constant half past 9pm. Order cocktails at the bar and enjoy the chill atmosphere. Maybe you’re lucky and it’s a Thursday of Bluesverschwörung. Beware to be surprised when stepping out of the place: time only stops inside.
Le Hygge: located in Dreimühlenviertel, a diverse and lively neighborhood, le Hygge offers vegetarian and vegan dishes - sometimes accompanied by live music.
Diba Cafébar: a small, welcoming space located next to Pocci-Straße serving cakes, food and drings. Diba invites jam sessions and dancers alike. Come on in (if you fit!)
Where to sleep
There aren’t too many serviced apartments or hotels around our main venue. We’d recommend looking for an AirBnb with a couple of your friends.
We also host! During the sign-up process, you will be able to let us know if you would like to be hosted by someone in the Munich swing dance community. We also offer spots in our clubhouse: inside camping vibes, getting to know fellow dancers, no time-loss on transportation before classes and after after-parties. Our hosting coordinator Simone will do their best to get a spot to sleep for everyone.
What to visit
In September, just after season of the switch, the city’s second-best event of the year is about to start—the original Oktoberfest. And if you’re not into beer and rollercoasters, not to worry: like any large and old city, Munich has a lot to offer in terms of tourism if you’re staying in the city before or after the festival. Our favorites:
Nymphenburg Castle
It’s a castle and it’s really pretty!
Deutsches Museum:
It’s one of the world's largest science and technology museums and really worth a visit!
Pinakotheken and ägyptisches Museum
Oh, the classics! Dive into some modern, old, or even older art
Lenbachhaus
Did you know that the short-lived, yet influential art group of der Blaue Reiter (the blue rider) was based in Munich? You can see many of the art works in Lenbachhaus—or plan a daytrip to Murnau, close to Munich, where many of the paintings were realized!
Munich Art to go
You want to explore art and history on the go? With the app of Munich Art to go you can find a spot next to your current location and read about its history and impact or go on a tour like “Jugendstil in Munich” where you learn about buildings and places that turned Munich into one of the centers for the German and Austrian counterpart of Art Nouveau. Unfortunately the content of the app is mainly in German.
Neues Rathaus
You say Hogwarts? We say Neues Rathaus Munich—roam around the endless corridors and get lost around the staircases. The Rathaus is generally open during working hours, the juristische Bibliothek inside the Rathaus can be visited for studying or in a guided tour.
Alter Peter
St Peter is one of the oldest churches in Munich. You can visit the church, and to warm up for the dancing, you can also climb the 300 steps of the tower to have a view over the city—with good weather conditions you can even see the Alps—magical!
Olympic Village and Olympiapark
Built for the Summer Olympics of 1972, the area with the eventful past today is a neighborhood with a high density of students and an architecture worth a visit. Olympiapark is one of the biggest parks in Munich where many cultural activities take place.