MUSIC
Giselle leads her own swing band, where she plays rhythm guitar and sings. She has an associates degree in “Music Studies” from San Diego Mesa Community College. She is a gigging musician in the New Orleans circuit, with weekly shows - see her calendar for more info.
YOGA
Giselle received her 200 hour teacher training program in 2015 as a Vinyasa Power Flow instructor at Rachel Silverman Yoga School in Orange, CA. Giselle has practiced yoga for almost twenty years now, she decided to become an instructor after a ten year devotion. A severe back injury sparked her interest in self healing. Her classes are designed for students of all levels, depending on the needs of the class - vinyasa, power, gentle flow, and restorative. She currently teaches 10-12 yoga classes a week at the New Orleans Athletic Club, Magnolia Yoga, and Free to be Yoga.
DANCE
Teaching Bio
Giselle (she/her) has been an unmissable voice in the swing dance community for over 20 years, as a successful performer, instructor, competitor, event organizer, judge, and DJ. One of the top proponents of syncopated footwork, personal style, improvisation and communication - she will breathe rhythmic life into any dance, class, or stage appearance. She values individuality, self expression, creativity, and thrives on inspiring others to do the same. Giselle resides in New Orleans, teaching yoga & dance; and leading her own swing band.
Find her music on Spotify.
www.giselleanguizola.com
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Giselle is an international swing dance instructor that has dedicated her life to swing era dances. She began as a social dancer in Southern CA and became an avid student during the swing craze of the late 1990’s, watching experienced dancers and legends who danced during the swing era. Giselle has experience in Lindy Hop, Solo Swing, Balboa, Shag, Blues; she has learned a wide variety of American Vernacular Jazz dances.
One of her first dances was the balboa; watching original balboa dancers Marge and Hal Takier, Lila and Willie Desatoff, and Maxi Dorf at dance halls such as; Bobby McGee's, Satin Ballroom and Memories Swing Club in Los Angeles. She was a participant in the first Balboa Championships, and has been a finalist at the Rhythmic Arts Festival, Balboa Rendezvous, and Camp Hollywood. Giselle commonly mixes swing in her balboa but loves to dabble in "pure bal" where rhythm and style become her favorite playground. She is influenced by vintage clips but likes to add her own personal style to this footwork and connection based dance.
Giselle has taught swing with Peter Loggins, Chester Whitmore, Chazz Young, Skye Humphries, to name a few. She has had innumerable partnerships throughout the decades but has predominately worked with Chance Bushman, Nathan Bugh, and now Adam Brozowski. Giselle has traveled all over the world to teach swing dance, some of her destinations include Korea, Australia, Mexico, Italy, and Sweden.
Check out the link to her long list of achievements. She has taught vintage dance at the University of CA Irvine, for a former student (Bob Boross) of Pepsi Bethel - legend of the Savoy Swing era. Find her all level dance lessons online, follow her on social media, or simply do a google search to see her achievements.
Giselle moved to New Orleans in 2010 to devote herself as an artist. She worked primarily as a swing dancer with the band The Smoking Time Jazz Club and later as a singer/dancer with the The New Orleans Swinging Gypsies. Both bands have had international recognition and millions of hits on YouTube. The Swinging Gypsies had a video go viral, 4 million hits with Giselle dancing in the forefront. The Gypsies were also nominated for “Best Traditional Jazz Album” and made the first round of cuts for the Music Grammy’s.
EXPERIENCE
NATURAL HEALTH
Giselle has a certificate as a natural health practitioner under “Trinity School of Natural Health”.
GIRL JAM EVENTS
Giselle has always advocated for women’s rights. She is founder of Girl Jam (2005), an organization honoring women in swing music and dance. There have been over twenty Girl Jams in nearly all regions of the United States and abroad, including Australia, England, and Argentina. Girl Jams have inspired dozens of other female-focused swing events too, such as Followlogie; Girl Jams continue to host weekend festivals around the globe, inspiring women of all generations.
SOCIOLOGY
Giselle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology from the University of California Irvine (ranked 6th in the U.S.). This field studies relationships between people and their environment, and often the interdependence of people, collectives and institutions. Classes in her major included social justice, pyschology, and urban development.
Social Justice Work
Along with Claudia Gomez, Giselle co-produced, choreographed, and performed in “Olio The Show”, a modern day, vaudeville production based out of San Diego that showcases the evolution of jazz from African dance to hip hop. Claudia brought the tap dance world to Giselle, introducing her to professionals and legends alike: Michela Lerman (student of Gregory Hines), Jason Samuels Smith, Joseph & Josette Wiggan (cirque de solei performers). Immediately, Giselle saw the relationship with tap and swing, both American Jazz Dances that started in black communities. Giselle has also worked at Keiller Leadership Academy (charter) and El Centro Cultural de la Raza (latino community center) in San Diego, teaching traditional jazz movement & swing to kids and young adults. Giselle has also taught vintage tap and swing to a black New Orleans based dance and performing arts group, The Chosen Vessels, ages 5-18. This highly recognized group has performed all over the U.S. along with a few international festivals.
Giselle continued her work in sociology as an educator and performer at “Queen Bee’s Cultural Center”, which strives to educate and maintain black and latino culture in San Diego. She worked at the “San Diego Community College District” as an English tutor and mentor. She is fluent in Spanish, growing up in a Mexican/Panamanian family; as a strong and educated Latina, she loves to empower others. She is a motivational speaker, inspiring those who think they don’t have a voice or purpose. Giselle loves bringing equality and self value to others and she is available for panel discussions, lectures, and coaching.
SCIENCE
Giselle comes from a family of physicians and loves the historic notion of being a “Renaissance Woman”. In fact, one of her ancestors “Sofonisba Anguissola” was a student of Michelangelo’s during the Renaissance, she lead the way for female painters and also served under King Phillip II in Spain. Giselle decided to pursue the sciences and studied pre-medicine.
ASTROLOGY
Astrology has always been a passion for Giselle, she has been an avid learner for almost ten years. She sees astrology as a form of psychology, a way to better understand individuals and help guide people and situations for the greater cosmic good or natural law.
PHILOSOPHY
Giselle roots for the underdog, she enjoys uplifting lower income communities and validating the beauty they bring to society. Most of her inspiration comes from music from the past. She believes music and video recordings live on as our own societal historic archive; we use storytelling through music & dance, the story of displaced people, human beings that were more connected to nature than we are now. An easy way to connect with our ancestors and nature, and the essence of humanity is to listen, watch and absorb information from the past. If you want to contribute to the timeline, it’s important not to mimick, but be an individual, and if possible document and/or share with others. It’s easy to forget what matters most in this world with this fast paced life, we need to use these tools to keep the legacy for future generations. Many of Giselle’s artistic projects have been prayers for musicians from previous decades. She has dedicated routines and creative projects as a way of honoring people that have left legacies, she loves using astrology as a form of ritual in her art.
ETHICS
Giselle Anguizola LLC believes in building community and running her business ethically, with mindfulness as a priority. Refraining from actions that would bring suffering to others, the goal is to nourish life in a non-pressured peaceful way, bringing natural flow and inner peace. Giselle does not support the systematic corporate ideas of exhausting workers to maximize profits. She believes in equal pay and always makes sure to value those that work with her, Giselle will never make someone work for free; she values everyone’s energy and time. She accepts all people and will never discriminate against anyone for being themselves. Giselle defines good work as a wheel, always spinning; it doesn’t matter where we are on the wheel, whether we’re working slow or fast, as long as it keeps moving forward with loving intention, we are in unison with the great divine, and that’s what matters to her.
Giselle hopes to bring her tools and experience in community wellness and entertainment to help others realize their own self healing power and happiness within.