Heels in Basel

|What do we work on?

Our Heels classes at Golem Academy take place every Wednesday at 6:30 PM. No previous experience or heels are required. We start in sneakers and move on to heels once your ankles are ready.

You will have fun, but you will also work hard. This is a technique and choreography class.

What will you learn?

How to support yourself in heels

Dancing in heels changes where your weight falls, shifting it towards the ball of the foot, while your ankle has less room for error.

That's why every class starts with conditioning, balance, and alignment of the ankle, knee, and hip. This isn't just a warm-up before the fun begins — it's what allows you to dance safely and avoid injuries.

Walking sounds simple — and it's one of the hardest things

A clean movement in heels, weight forward, hips controlled, and the foot landing exactly where it should.

Commercial choreography

Each block is built around a song and worked on until you can dance it from beginning to end.

This is where you'll develop the vocabulary of the style, level changes, floorwork, turns, and the finishing movements that complete the musical phrase.

Presence

It's half of this discipline — and something that doesn't simply come naturally.

Where do you look? What do you do between movements? How do you occupy the space?

We work on these elements explicitly through exercises rather than simply waiting for them to appear on their own.

Where does Heels come from?

Heels comes from commercial dance, the style seen in music videos and on tour, influenced by the combination of jazz funk, voguing, and cabaret.

One of its best-known names is French choreographer Yanis Marshall, who brought the style to a wider audience and also challenged the idea that dancing in heels was exclusively for women. His classes and choreography are for everyone.

What will you take away?

Stronger ankles and legs

Working in heels requires a level of foot and ankle control that few other dance styles demand.

You'll walk differently

This is one of the things people mention most after a few months. The posture and way you carry yourself naturally carry over into everyday life.

A finished choreography every few weeks

Unlike partner dances, here you have a finished result that you can see, record, and share.

Time for yourself

It's a demanding class with loud music. There's no room to think about anything else.

What level can I start from?

From zero.

You don't need any dance background or previous experience. You don't even need to know how to walk in heels.

That's precisely part of what we teach — from the very beginning.

What do I need for my first class?

Comfortable clothing that allows you to see the lines of your body, leggings or fitted trousers, knee pads if you have them, and sneakers or heels.