About Baltic Hop
Baltic Hop is a Swing dance camp weekend for our local communities. It takes place September 5-7, 2025 and brings together dancers from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the beautiful Ratnieki venue in the Latvian countryside. It's the perfect chance to learn from each other, share your passion for Swing dancing, and make new friends. Come join the fun during a weekend full of amazing workshops by our local teachers, live music by the Home Jazz Band, and plenty of social dancing.
Teachers & Band
Elze Visnevskyte (Lithuania) & Karri Rasinmäki (Finland)
Elze, a vibrant community leader from Vilnius' What a Jazz studio in Lithuania, brings a unique perspective informed by her diverse dance background and studies in African-American literature and art. Her teaching emphasizes play, improvisation, and individual expression rooted in the history of Swing. Karri, a passionate swing dancer and founding member of Black Pepper Swing in Helsinki, Finland, focuses on natural movement, partnership, and the joy of connecting through dance, particularly Lindy Hop and Slow Swing. Elze and Karri will share their dynamic approach to Lindy Hop teaching together for the first time at Baltic Hop.
Maie Aija (Estonia) & Mindaugas Bikauskas (Lithuania)
Mindaugas from Vilnius, Lithuania, has been deeply involved in jazz dance and music since 2006, with a rich history in DJing, teaching internationally since 2010, and organizing the "Harlem" festival. His passion lies in understanding Jazz music from within, and he enjoys sharing this insight with his students through rhythmically playful teaching. He will be leading Lindy Hop workshops together with Maie, one of the founding members of Tartu Swing with 10 years of teaching experience in her local scene. Maie describes herself as a social dancer and believes that dancing should be free and fun.
Eliisa & Janek Õunamägi (Estonia)
Eliisa and Janek Õunamägi are experienced Swing Dance instructors and the founders of Tallinn Swing Dance Society in Estonia, known for their special passion for Balboa. With a strong foundation in Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz, and Tap Dance, their classes emphasize clear communication, friendly encouragement, and a focus on partner connection for all levels. Known for their smiles and love for Jazz rhythms, Eliisa and Janek firmly believe in the power of a good dance and will be teaching both Balboa and Lindy Hop at Baltic Hop.
Home Jazz Band — Traditional Jazz Hooligans Since 2011
The Traditional Jazz and Swing collective Home Jazz Band will take you on a musical trip back to the speakeasy times. Since 2011, the group has been breaking standards, discovering works hidden in the chests of history, bringing them to new life. The listener not only immerses themselves in the whirlwind of dance, but after the concert also takes away knowledge about New Orleans street marches, vaudeville, sightseeing, big band music, and European Jazz. Home Jazz Band's Jazz is all kinds — authentic and sometimes punk rock, smooth as silk and sometimes rough and dirty. The most important thing is that it is real.
Find more about them on their website: homejazzband.lt/en.
Members:
Parties
Baltic Hop offers three parties! We kick off the weekend with a Welcome BBQ on Friday evening. Meet your fellow dancers from your own and other communities, enjoy some delicious snacks on a hopefully warm September evening, have a few warm up dances, and get ready for a wonderful weekend together.
On Saturday we will dance the night away, as the main party features live music by The Home Jazz Band from Lithuania. The hall of Ratnieki features a great parquet floor, so don't forget to bring your best dance shoes!
We will return to Riga on Sunday afternoon but that won't be all — we will meet up there once more for a little after-party, winding down the weekend and sharing a few more dances with old and new friends before heading home.
Venue & Accommodation
Baltic Hop 2025 takes place at the recreational complex Ratnieki, located 60 km from Riga, within the beautiful Gauja National Park. The venue consists of five historic buildings, one of them featuring a large hall that will become our dance floor. Its vast outdoor territory invites you to play football, volleyball, simply take a stroll in the apple orchard, or a quick dip in the pond.
Upon registration, you will be able to choose your preferred kind of accommodation: a bed in one of the 2-6 person rooms or dormitories, tent, or caravan parking. Also, you can decide whether you would like to take the provided food option or cater for yourself.
There are plenty of parking spaces available at the venue, if you wish to come by car. Of course, you can also travel from Riga to Līgatne by bus or train, as we will arrange a shuttle service between the train station/bus stop and Ratnieki.
Prices
The party pass includes all three parties. The full pass includes the parties, as well as four hours of Lindy Hop classes. Finally, an extra two hours of Balboa classes can be added to either pass.
Early Bird (until June 21)
Regular Prices (after June 21)
Bed & Board
Accommodation prices are per person for two nights (Friday to Saturday, and Saturday to Sunday). Meals include breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, as well as lunch and dinner on Saturday. You can choose between a meat option and a vegetarian option during signup.
Schedule
The following event schedule is preliminary and subject to change.
