Meet Iona:
Iona McNeil is the leader, dance activator and hostess with the most-est for weekly PopUp Boogie parties. Iona is on a passionate mission to get everyone dancing, as a way for people to connect and express themselves, and most importantly, to have FUN.
PopUp Boogie was founded in 2021 by US-based, arts entrepreneurs Laruen Bromley Hodge who teamed up with Iona to co-create the PopUp Boogie experience.
Iona's dancing journey includes performing in salsa shows whilst at Oxford University, competing in Argentine Tango events, as well as dancing in Ballroom and Latin competitions.
An enthusiastic party goer, you can't keep her away from the disco beats, whether it is at a festival or a morning sober rave. Since lockdown, she has hosted online parties such as BOOM! disco and Morning Gloryville, providing vibes to get the party started, with her biggest highlight being an epic dance party for online Burning Man. Her online Madonna party was featured on the BBC News and her antics have recently been in the Financial Times (12/20).
A huge fan of Ecstatic Dance, she sees free-form dance as a path to freedom and joy, as well as feeling alive and whole. She completed her DJ training with Ecstatic Dance International along with a foundation in Dance Movement Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths University in London. She is also a trained aerobics instructor.