Sondre and Tanya – you may have heard their names if you enjoy the world of dance (especially on YouTube where it’s currently flourishing!).
These two have done a magnificent job chronicling their performances and victories over the years and have tens of thousands (or more) of fans to show for it – as well as millions of online views.
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The couple
Sondre Olsen-Bye and Tanya Georgiievska began dancing together only about 5 years ago – but the accomplishments they’ve managed to pack into that time show you just how great they truly are at the swing dance style known as “boogie-woogie.”
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Their first performance was at the SwingAout Festival 2015 and they even started their own dance event called Boogie Feet’s Festival in 2016 in Sondre’s hometown of Dombås, Norway.
They’re committed to inspiring and supporting new dancers all over the world – even online through a series of lessons!
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While Tanya was born and grew up in Kiev and currently lives in Warsaw (Poland), she and Sondre dance in international competitions for Norway.
Together they’ve been two-time World Champions (2017, 2019), Vice World Champions (2018), two-time European Champions (2018, 2019), two-time Nordic Champions (2017, 2018), three-time Norwegian Champions (2017, 2018 and 2019), two-time SAP Final World Cup winners in the “Main Category” of dance!
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And according to their website: “Our plan is to keep on competing, performing, teaching and sharing the dance we love in any possible way!”
For her part, Tanya started dancing classically at the age of 4 before switching to the acrobatic Rock-n-Roll style at age 9. She’s won a World Cup in the Rock-n-Roll Formation category before her boogie-woogie titles.
Oh, and she has worked as a cartoonist as well as earning a prestigious LL.M in International and European Public law at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands!
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Sondre started dancing at 5 and took part in his first Swing dance competitions at 8. By the age of 13, he was already teaching!
He appeared on Norway’s Got Talent, earned a European Champion title in the Boogie Woogie Juniors class in 2010 and won 1st place in the European Swing Dance Championship in 2013 as well as the Boogie Woogie Cup in 2014. Before meeting up with Tanya, he also won 7 “fast feet” Jack’n’Jill victories!
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Their latest feat
In their most recent YouTube video, they can be seen dancing in what appears to be a precursor to this year’s World Championships in late November.
And as the music starts and Colin James’ “Jumpin’ From Six to Six” begins to play, we can see just how fast their feet really are!
They begin with a little play-acting – because apparently, somebody’s baby went out and stayed out all night long. Oops! (Hey, girls just wanna have fun, Sondre!)
All of the classic boogie-woogie moves were there, but so was a ton of creativity.
We like the head bop, personally (don’t worry, he leaned in for it!). These two really have some personality.
And, yes, of course, there are the more acrobatic moves. But trust us when we say you hardly need them to enjoy a masterful dance number.
With many of us cooped up inside for the next few months thanks to the cold AND COVID, it might be worth it to pick up a few dance steps of our own to keep the blood flowing.
Dance is a great sport and exercise (for those of us who aren’t qualified to make it a sport). And it just so happens that these two have some great tutorials on their website – so we can learn from the best.
Before you do that, check out this performance, but then head over to sondreandtanya.com for some dance tutorials! (The prices are in Euros, but don’t worry, they’ll take any currency! And the prices start at less than $30 for beginners.)
Be sure to scroll down below for the dance video – you’ll certainly feel inspired to move your feet!
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