Melanie Stocker
“The swiss knife of human skills”
– Jean-Jacques Merlin
Mario Robau
One would think that after 31 years in the dance industry I’d seen it all. I have to say that this weekend was without a doubt the BEST workshop I’ve ever done. To share the weekend with Guitar Ray and the Gamblers was both an honor and humbling. I’ve always wanted to try to share what I hear in music with my students, and to be able to actually teach musical structure with and AMAZING band was a dream come true. These guys know their stuff and I was blessed to be able to share the stage with such incredible talent. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my sister Melanie Stocker Bucher…in my opinion the most underrated instructor in all of Europe. You see things that others cannot, you sense things that others don’t recognize, and you took a chance with this workshop only to find over 80 of the best dancers/instructors in Europe attending. To the musicians, there are no words to describe your professionalism…to bring to life different accents, different styles, and to explain how music works from the perspective of a musician brought a new lens from which to interpret music in the future. Never did I see you turn away a question or a statement, and always smiling and accommodating everyone in attendance. Thank you so much for what you gave the students, and thank you so much more for the new understanding you gave me…3 an 3 make 5! To mom and the rest of the cooking staff, your tireless work in the kitchen did not go unnoticed…I thank you for your hours of hard work feeding 80 people for two days from scratch. Finally, to those that attended…thank you for taking the leap with Melanie, Guitar Ray and the Gamblers, and me to supporting this workshop. This one will go down in memory for a lifetime…first ever musicality workshop with a live band explaining how music works…best…workshop…ever!
England: Simon Selmon
A truly great teacher and dancer, and a great person. I always enjoy working with Melanie. Her classes are fun, expertly taught and filled with great ideas and choreography. She’s great at bringing the best out of her students.
France, Strasbourg: Uta Bardenhorst
Pour nous, elle fait partie des meilleurs enseignants de West Coast Swing en Europe, elle est une excellente coach et très forte pour débloquer ce qui peut nous freiner (surtout dans la tête ;)) dans l’expression de notre danse.
Amerika (USA): Joanne Harrold
Performance is an art form that you have mastered. You have been a great teacher in helping me and my partners to improve our showmanship.
Your trained critical eye is essential to any competitor who wishes to improve.
Thank you Melanie,
Joanne
Belgien: Fabrice und Nathalie Carnevale
Grazie Melanie!
Frankreich: Guillaume Faure und Sindy Dumont
We can say that we enjoy every training with you. It mix both technical and artistic elements and it is so interesting. Besides it’s so pleasant to work with you. You are a lovely teacher because we can work hard and learn a lot of things but always with fun.
Deutschland: Formation Boogie@Motion
Liebe Melie,
vielen Dank für Deine Unerstützung bei der Konzeption unserer Choreografie „Feel the Rhythm“ und besonders bei der Musikinterpretation.
Du hast uns eine neue, spannende Art des Formationstanzens aufgezeigt und wir werden auch künftig mit Begeisterung Deine innovativen Impulse zur tänzerischen Darbietung einarbeiten.
Boogie@Motion, RRC Golden Fifties Karlsruhe
Frankreich: Formation Swing it! French
Merci pour le dynamisme que tu as apporté au groupe ainsi que la bonne humeur. Merci d’avoir entrainé la formation.
Des moments innoubliables avec Mélanie lors de la préparation de Championnat du Monde, même si nous n’avons pas été 1er, c’est grâce à elle que nous le sommes dans nos coeurs, ces émotions et ce souvenir personne ne pourra nous l’enlever!
Swing it!
Frankreich: Formation Rocking Roses
Merci à toi Mélanie, pour tout ce travail, ce professionalisme et cette gentillesse que tu as offert à notre club de danse.
Nous te devons notre place de 10e au championnat du monde.
Valérie
Deutschland: Karl-Heinz Stahl und Doris Ottenritter
Bei Melanie zu trainieren ist ein Muss für jeden ambitionierten Boogie Tänzer. Sie hat uns über Jahre hinweg aufgezeigt, wie wir unsere Stärken auf- und unsere Schwächen abbauen können und dies nicht nur in der Tanztechnik, sondern auch in der mentalen Einstellung.
Finnland/England: Taina Kortelainen
I have worked together with Melanie on creating jazz routines; defining the basic elements and building blocks in different dances for teaching purposes; and creating a manual for training dance teachers in their teaching methods.
I find that Melanie is absolutely dedicated to finding new ways to inspire dancers regardless of them being beginners, advanced, competitors or teachers. What makes her a teacher above others is her endless motivation to learn more and a need to gain deeper understanding in order to be able to share her knowledge with her students!
Norway: Ingrid Barman and Marie Barman Sveen
Melanie is a great teacher and choreographer who can see the small details and makes highlights out of nothing. She is very dedicated to her work, and gives a lot of herself, both in dance and socially. She is a person you easily like. You feel comfortably aroand her, and she is a very highly qualified professional teacher.
We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her, and can highly recommend this lovely lady to everyone.
Norway: Jörgen B. Sandnes and Aina Nygaard
We are very lucky to have had the chance to work with Mélanie.
She has been very important for us as Boogie Woogie dancers.
Mélanie has detailed knowledge of the dance, and she has excellent skills as a coach and a motivator. Without her help we would not have had the success we are experiencing right now.
Norway: Rolf Aastvedt and Heidi Hartvigsen
Melanie is an instructor whom is very open when it comes to different
dance styles. She gets the best out of every couple she works with, and has
a very clear idea about what is good dancing. She is very inventive and shows herself from the very best always.
She is serious, honest and sincere.
Austria: Markus Kakuska und Jessica Kaiser, Manuel Holzapfel & Katharina Holzer, Maxi Bartos und Chrissi Wogritsch
Wir fühlen uns geehrt, uns zu denjenigen zu zählen, die du intensiv im Privattraining betreust! Wir möchten uns herzlich bei dir bedanken und zwar nicht nur für die tollen Tips und Tricks, die du uns gibst, sondern auch für die Inspiration, die du für uns bist. und das du immer ein Ohr für alles hat wenn man es braucht.
Maxi & Chrissi, Manuel & Kathi, Markus & Jessy
Russia: Max and Katerina Sheremeta
I want to say THANK YOU!!! for everything!!! You are a very good
person, teacher and friend. As I’ve told you – with you I began to
dance. You were very kind and made me believe that I can dance! Your
classes were really useful to me. I can’t wait to see you in Moscow again.
Love,
Katerina
Switzerland: Francesco Secchi and Sonja Emch
Wir sind begeistert von der Art und Weise wie Du Dein tänzerisches Wissen vermitteln kannst. Somit haben wir schon manchen Knopf lösen können.
Dein Unterricht ist super lehrreich und macht uns immer wieder grossen Spass.
Wir können nur sagen, lasst Euch vom MELIE-VIRUS infizieren
Herzlichen Dank Melie!
In dem Sinn: Let’s do Boogie Woogie!
Ukraine: Ivan Katrunov and Zanochkina
Melanie Stocker – the best trainer, dancer, mother of boogie-woogie in the hole World. Thanks God for meeting you in our Life. After this meeting we start new dancing life, which is more interesting and much better. Your lessons are great, your knowledge incredibly high and useful for your students. Thank you dear Melanie.
Ivan and Zhanna
Hungary: Adam Balasy and Rita Jori
Very few teachers know the secret, why a lead, a figure or movement truly works. Melanie not just knows it, but she is also capable to transfer this knowledge in many different ways. We thank her a lot in West Coast Swing! Thank you Melanie!
Hungary: Gabor Buzalka and Dora Landherr
It is thanks to Melanie and Reto that I became fond of Boogie-Woogie and left Rock&Roll in favour of BW. I admired the way how they were entertaining the audience with their easy-flowing, playful dance. I would have never thought that some day our luck would put us in touch with Melanie, and taking a couple of private lessons from her we could learn more than from all our teachers put together during our career of many years.
This lady really knows something…;-)