Sakarias & Elice

Sakarias "The Champ" Larsson was born and raised in Frufällan, on the west side of Sweden. He watched jitterbug contests as a kid and there were some things with the music and the aesthetics of the dance that spoke to him and he decided to learn. One thing led to another and already at sixteen he started practice with The Rhythm Hot Shots (now called The Hot Shots). That was 25 years ago and he's been with the group ever since.

Sakarias is on a never ending world tour in the name of lindy hop with probably 1000s of shows, teaching gigs and competitions. Apollo Theatre, Frankie 95 and 100, Basie Centennial, Last Bounce, Jazz Jam, ULHC, The Jam, several tours in USA, Asia, Australia and Europe (only to name a few). He made it to the finals in Sweden's Got Talent and out of 100s of dancers he was casted among the top 20 to enter the reality tv dance show Floor Filler. He's also one of the founders of Chicago swing dance studio, one of the more famous lindy hop and jazz venues in Stockholm today.

He actually met and knew some of the original swing dancers of Harlem and he was good friends with Frankie Manning. The dancers from the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers are his true idols. But he also finds a lot of inspiration in modern day dancers such as Peter Loggins, Minn Vo, Jeremy Otth and of course Vincenzo Fesi. A few years back he decided to try something else and wanted to be a rock 'n' roller. He started learning the drums and soon joined and started touring with the well recognised band The Vanjas. He's also the drummer of the travelling jazz band Hornsgatan Ramblers. He's a man of contradictions: a performer with stage fright, a teacher with social anxiety.

Elice from Stockholm, Sweden has a background as an elite gymnast and modern dancer. She discovered lindy hop at the age of 24 and, of course, she instantly fell in love with the acrobatic influences and the role of self-expression. What she appreciates most while dancing is the artistic exchange that happens between two individuals — as well as between the dancers and the music — in each millisecond of a dance. As a member of the swing dance company The Hot Shots, Elice travels around the globe to perform and teach — always inspired by the greats from back in the days. You might also find her on stage singing at times...