Adrienne Rawlinson
Adrienne became obsessed with dance at a young age and has been seeking to improve quality involvement in the dance community for over 10 years. She has been blues dancing for 9 of those years and loving every moment of it. She has studied with a variety of instructors from around the world and looks forward to passing on what she feels is one of the greatest modes of expression and connection on this earth.
Chris Chapman
Chris Chapman brings extensive training in a variety of social dances, movement analysis, the history of swing dancing, and his training from some of the legends of the dance! His passion, expertise, and strong teaching ability ensure fun and exciting classes for all levels of dancers! Chris is an American Lindy Hop Champion, a Pacific Northwest Lindy Hop Champion, and has won or placed in many contests and divisions. He is recognized as a top instructor and performer having toured all over North America.
Heather Adams
Heather attended her first blues concert while still in the womb, and grew up enjoying (and dancing to) all types of music. Now living in Knoxville, TN, she loves having the opportunity to play some of her favorite songs for her friends and fellow dancers.
Karen R. Smith
Karen has loved dancing Lindy, Swing, and Blues for over six years, refining her technique, connection, and teaching skillZ, and is pleased to bring that enthusiasm to Burn Blue. She has recently moved to the Seattle area from Austin, TX, where she taught as a full-time instructor at Go Dance Studios, developing programs for Lindy, Swing, and Blues, as well as teaching West Coast Swing, Salsa, & Ballroom.
Karen’s teaching style is a step-by-step process that helps her students achieve intellectual understanding, develop their intuitive awareness of their body, and integrate the two to use naturally.
She appreciates the inherent beauty of the interaction of a couple in partnered dance, and enjoys the idea that because our job as a leader or a follower is so entwined with other people, it’s an activity and a culture that promotes cooperative interaction.
You can see her dance at http://youtube.com/watch?v=6PGlbbyGPe0. Ask her about private lessons, for feedback, or to dance!
Karissa Lightsmith
Karissa is known around the country for her energy and creativity in blues dancing. She has been dancing for 6 crazy years, during which, she’s traveled and danced extensively around the world.
She brings vitality, drive, and pure joy to her students.
Solomon Douglas
Solomon is well respected worldwide as a teacher of Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Vernacular Jazz, and has a reputation as a Blues Dancing specialist; he has taught Blues workshops in Australia, Singapore, Korea, Canada as well as many of the 50 states.
Topher Howard
topher began dancing with his grandmother in her kitchen and has been studying and teaching blues dancing since 2000. His passion for moving with spirit has inspired him to study a variety of dances which he incorporates into his personal blues. Every dance is a conversation and in every conversation he hopes to dance to the edge of the possible. He seeks to inspire his partners and his classes to expand boundaries and breathe themselves into the movement and the dance that has never been seen, the dance that draws blood. In the healing of that wound he believes we find all that is unprecedented and inspired in our dancing. He brings clear communication of his movement material and unrivaled enthusiasm to his classes. He lives in Seattle where he makes his living teaching and writing poetry.