Arnas Razgūnas

Swing dancer, teacher and jazz enthusiast inspired mostly by African American vernacular jazz art forms and energetic effortless swinging music of 1920-1940s.

In addition to traveling the world dancing and teaching, I'm running What a Jazz dance studio and organising swing dance & music festival Swing Paradise in Vilnius, Lithuania. Most recently I’ve been guiding Lithuanian educational jazz appreciation project Svingelis.

Besides all that jazz, I’m also barista and co-owner of Espresinė, a specialty coffee boutique, roasting and supplying highest-quality artisanal coffee.

Events 2023

January 12-14th
Basel, Switzerland

Jitterbugs Delight

Collegiate Shag & Lindy Hop classes with Eglė Nemickaitė.
More about the event.

February 8-13th
Munich, Germany

Rock That Swing

Collegiate Shag & Lindy Hop classes with Eglė Nemickaitė.
More about the event.

April 5-7th
Krakow, Poland

Krak The Shag ¡Hola Balboa! 2024

Collegiate Shag classes with Eglė Nemickaitė.
More about the event.

May 9-12th
Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw Collegiate Shag Festival

Collegiate Shag classes with Eglė Nemickaitė.
More about the event.

May 17-19th
Vienna, Austria

Lazy River 2024

Lindy Hop classes with Eglė Nemickaitė.
More about the event.

June 6-9th
Vilnius, Lithuania

Swing Paradise

Vilnius Swing Dance & Music Festival.
More about the event.

Vilniaus svingo muzikos festivalis – Svingelis 2024 – vyksta birželio 7-8 d. Vaidilos teatre.

Birželio 7 d. – Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble
Birželio 8 d. – Swing Paradise All Stars Big Band

Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble yra žinomiausias ir kokybiškiausias profesionalių džiazo atlikėjų orkestras, vadovaujamas lietuvių kompozitoriaus Jievaro Jasinskio. Ansamblis pristatys savo autorinę big band big music kūrybą, specialiai pritaikytą Svingelis 2024 festivaliui.

Swing Paradise All Stars Big Band yra unikalus lietuvių ir tarptautinių svečių orkestras, kuris ruošia specialią svingo klasikos programą – Count Basie, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw ir kitų didžiųjų džiazo muzikos legendų orkestrų aranžuotės atgims šokėjams ant Vaidilos teatro parketo. Šis ypatingas dviejų dalių koncertas bus palydėtas šokių šou programa.

Bilietus platina Bilietai.lt – https://bit.ly/Svingelis2024

Plakato autorius: Pijus Burakas

Organizuoja: What a Jazz dance studio

What is Swing Paradise? Have a look through the eyes of our dear friend Nuno Neves / Within the Groove.

We aim to create an ultimate swing experience: dance classes with true to the core swing dancers-teachers, authentic swinging music of 1930s-1940s with original and modern touch, beautiful Vilnius old town venues at your best walking distance, spectacular on-time evening program with plenty of time to social dance.

Vilnius Swing Dance & Music Festival is organised by What a Jazz dance studio and co-funded by the European Union.

Vilniaus svingo muzikos festivalis Svingelis kviečia patirti džiazą tokį, koks jis buvo populiarius po saule 1920-1940-aisiais – džiazas, skirtas šokiams. Trys džiazo koncertai Vaidilos teatre birželio 9-11 d. ir vėlyva šou programa svingo šokiams, tarptautinis Big Band ir Jam Session su festivalio All Stars svečiais: Luca Filastro, Sara Oschlag, David Lukács, Tom Callens, Duncan Hemstock, Steven Coombe, Remiu Rančiu, Jievaru Jasinskiu, Kęstučiu Vaiginiu ir kt.

Bilietai – https://svingelis.lt/

BIRŽELIO 9 D., penktadienis
Sara Oschlag & Luca Filastro: Tea For Two
19:00 / 75min / Vaidilos teatras

BIRŽELIO 10 D., šeštadienis
The Duncan Hemstock Trio: Romance Without Finance
19:00 / 75min / Vaidilos teatras

BIRŽELIO 11 D., sekmadienis
Lester’s Blues: Hommage to Lester Young & the Basie-ites
19:00 / 75min / Vaidilos teatras

Po koncertų prasidės svingo šokių festivalio Swing Paradise 2023 vakarinė dalis.

Svingelis 2023 yra Vilniaus 700 gimtadienio minėjimo programos dalis.
Daugiau informacijos apie Vilniaus 700 jubiliejui skirtus renginius galite rasti puslapyje www.700vilnius.lt

Plakato autorius: Pijus Burakas

Vilniaus svingo šokių ir muzikos festivalis Swing Paradise grįžta į Vaidilos teatrą birželio 9-11 d., 2023

instead of victimizing yourself and posting some diarrhea vague position about how you feel personally, why don’t you share the terror crimes of your country and ways to support Ukraine?

you russians always step out of your responsibility blaming your government, your putler, your sanctions, your hurt feelings – if for 15 years you were educating others in dancing, why can’t you educate us and other russians about the terror of your country? 

you russians don’t understand that we’re not canceling or attacking you, we don’t hate you – we are mad because of fear, we expect you and call you out to take responsibility and action against your government and against your ruzzians who support the genocide, because that is your environment, your friends, your family whose actions and beliefs could bring a change

yes, you can’t choose your country and family you’re born, but you can change your country and your family you’re born at

most of you just decide to step out and deny your russianess when it becomes an issue and take advantage of it when you need it 

that’s not how the world citizens and community benefits work – you can’t just take the benefits of the environment without being political, engaged and empathetic about it. it all comes with a commitment. that’s why if you don’t help us fight your government and educate your friends, you can’t expect to be part of the world which celebrates freedom and responsibility. and yes, that is our choice, and no, it’s not hate towards russians – it’s like sanctions are certain rules of the game when you don’t get what you want without an exchange of what we want too. you russians don’t get that responsible community means making a fair deal with each other, it’s not good vibes only or how good person/dancer you are. I think good person and good dancer can’t be friends with a fascist

I know your country is lacking such virtues because your country never experienced freedom, nor responsibility for any democratic values but this is why we are expecting and calling you out to help us fight your country. it’s not hate, nor defamation towards you. telling us any sort of diarrhea about how you want this to end means only you want to come back to comfort and taking advantage of our free world and responsible community – well, this is your chance to become valued members of it, help us end your country’s terror and show your support to Ukraine

to sum up, we don’t care about your feelings – because we have all these feelings as well. I’m asking to start showing the terror of your country and how to support Ukraine because there are still too many who don’t believe what is happening, and do you?

I always thought of you as my friend, I still do, I can’t deny it, I can’t hate you for such doubtful and vague statements as this one, I understand, but I’m deeply, very deeply sad about it – so sad I lose respect and trust in you. what you gonna say to me when your country will come with tanks and missiles to Lithuania?

I want to help you and support you too, I know it’s tough but you gotta show us what you are stepping out of – show us the russian terror, everyday, show us how to support Ukraine

#SlavaUkraini 

5 easy tips to my intellectual friends decolonizing the world and fighting for social justice – please DON’T:

  • pull out other wars to discussion when the one in Ukraine might get closer to your doorstep if ruzzians don’t stop; it’s like discussing covid restrictions during BLM protests in the midst of pandemic
  • say it’s only putin’s fault – all russians are responsible for this genocide in Ukraine, because every russian is guilty for what is happening and what isn’t happening
  • think it will be over soon – russia’s terror was already before putin and might last after him; your questions and notions of all slavs and balts speaking and sounding like russian and considering all post soviet countries still part of russia is a manifestation alike to Africa being one country
  • bring the argument about the food and fuel prices going high – this is the price of our support to Ukraine; the price of not supporting Ukraine is much higher and will be even higher if ruzzians don’t stop
  • ask for peace – ask for ruzzians to leave every inch of Ukraine and show your support to Ukraine; peace is an active endeavour of empathy and support, not an agreement with the oppression and terror 

Your support to Ukraine is supporting your safety and comfort.

#SlavaUkraini 

Po trejų metų pertraukos J9 Vaidilos teatras vėl visam savaitgaliui priėmė Vilniaus svingo muzikos ir šokių festivalį Swing Paradise, kuris eilinį kartą manifestuoja, kad džiazas skirtas šokiams.

Už pulsuojantį svingelį ir big band griausmą ačiū grupių vadovams Remis Rancys, Tom Callens music ir Steven Coombe.

Už pro garsą ačiū Martynas Kuliavas ir Mantas Sakalauskas.

Už pasakiškas bei kosmines šviesas ačiū Artūras Trofimovas ir Showart komandai.

Už meną akimirkose ačiū Antanas Minkevičius ir Nuno Neves.

Už visą neįtikėtiną programą bei organizaciją ačiū Eglė Nemickaitė ir Elze Visnevskyte iš What a Jazz dance studio bei visiems savanoriams.

2023 metais kartojam birželio 9-11 d.

#swingparadise2022 #swingparadise #svingelis #whatajazz

I don’t want people coming to my events just for fun. I don’t want to sell tickets only for numbers and for “if we can measure it, we can improve it” bs. Dancing is not about just having fun or good vibes only. Not only dancing comes with history, heritage and respect to it, but also it brings a commitment to other people involved in it. Would it be kindly asking someone for a dance, or kindly saying no to it, would it be caring for each other and wearing a mask, or would it be not dancing with fascists and conspiracy theorists who use dancing as a fun justification for their views. You say dancing is for everyone but I dance only with people who come with love for another human being and respect for the dance they do. Leaving this here as reminder for myself.

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