“From our passion for social dancing and vintage Afro-American dances, Bota Gatherings was born as a new branch of our dance project, Bota Swing. Through this brand, we organize Swing & Blues encounters, giving us the opportunity to host incredible musicians and celebrate this culture together. It’s our way of connecting our Porto community to the spirit of group dancing with live music.

Did we also want more parties? Ofc! ^^

But our goal is to help grow the local dance community, bring more joy to our lovely dancers, and give our neighbors plenty of reasons to visit us! For now, we host our gatherings in an amazing wooden-floored vintage venue right in the city center — we feel blessed!

Sometimes we welcome up to 160 people; other times, we keep it smaller with our “Pocket Editions”. But our focus is always the same: building connections, live music, and the magical experience we create together as dancers and musicians. We also design and share themed classes that help us grow as dancers, from Lindy Hop to Blues!

Along the way, we hope to make new friends, new connections and keep exploring what future gatherings can be!

What will they be? When will they be? One thing’s for sure: it won’t be just once a year!

We’re grateful for all the amazing editions we’ve already had and can’t wait for more

May the Bota Gatherings be with us all!”

Gil & Andy