Teachers

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.

Amanda started dancing Lindy hop and Blues in 2004, becoming so wildly in love with both dances she took as many workshops and went to as many exchanges as she possibly could growing proficient in the dances quickly. All while juggling being a full time music student, working full time, coaching a high school colorguard, and taking solo classes in Jazz and Hip hop. In 2007 Amanda moved to Vancouver BC to attend the Vancouver Film School for Makeup Design. There she started teaching Blues regularly, and started learning West coast swing from the Canadian West Coast Champions Myles Munroe and Tessa Cunningham. Amanda has an eclectic style of Blues dancing fusing it with Hip hop, Funk and West Coast Swing as well she is a master of Micro Blues and beautiful subtle movements. She loves sharing her knowledge of dance and is honored that she has the ability to be apart of the Seattle Blues community.

Anna loves the Blues, Jazz, and other music that gets her to express herself and helps her explore the richness of her cultural roots. Her greatest passion is dancing and inspiring others to learn, experience, and gather together to celebrate this art form! She is a teacher, promoter, performer and organizer. Anna’s dance addiction began in 2000 and has not stopped. She has taught dance since 2003, she has toured throughout Europe and the US dancing, teaching, and performing, spreading her love of Vintage Blues and Jazz dance. In Seattle, she works as an instructor for Hep Cat Productions. Anna brings with her an excitement and energy that is contagious to her students. She is known for her expressive style, attention to detail within technique and kinesthetic awareness that leaves her students with a well rounded comprehension and desire to get out on the floor and dance!

Ari has been partnering, teaching, and performing dance in the Greater Seattle area, nationally, and internationally for over 25 years. His breadth of styles include Salsa, Tango, Latin, Lindy Hop, Swing, Balboa, Blues, and Ballroom. He is the co-creator of two innovative new dance styles called “Fusion Waltz” & “Fusion Swing” which he has been busy introducing in workshops throughout the country. Ari is well known for his world-class instruction with a focus on solid lead/follow connection technique, and for his high energy and fun teaching style.

Born in the year of the monkey, Calico is innovative and playful on the dance floor. She has been accused of being ‘creative’ and ‘fly’. The improvisational qualities of lindy hop and blues dancing suit her monkey nature down to the ground. In spite of her intractable bias towards these dances, she loves all dances, with an especial fondness for balboa.

Her teaching style includes words, counting, making
rhythmic noises, constructing evocative metaphors, analyzing movement, recognizing body intelligence and and putting tape on the floor in different geometrical patterns.

Calico Goodrich has been lindy hopping since 2003 and blues dancing since 2006.

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.

Daniel Newsome has been a professional dancer, dj and historian for the last 10 years. In addition to teaching tens of thousands of students at Denver’s Mercury Cafe Daniel has also travelled to learn, teach, compete and has won at major national competitions such as the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Midwest Lindy Fest, Reno Dance Sensation, National Jitterbug Championships and the Rhythmic Arts Festival. He also co-founded, choreographed and coached 23 Skidoo, Denver’s nationally recognized swing team, which placed 1st at every competition they went to in 2006 and 2007. Daniel’s lifelong pursuit is touching as many lives as possible with the beauty and artisty of Lindy Hop, Shag, Balboa, Solo Jazz Dance and Tap. His goal is to bring music and dance to people in a way that inspires them and develops talent in anyone, regardless of background, age or ability.

Gin has been lindyhopping since 1998. You may remember her from her 7 years with Emerald City Swing or SWING! The Musical as produced by the Civic Light Opera. You can now find her as the Gold Show Director and troupe member at large at Little Red Studio. Gin is well known for her cuddly and playful style of blues dancing. She is full of surprises!

Heather has been dancing for 21 years and discovered blues dancing in Portland, Oregon in 2005. She is inspired by the historical importance and emotional rawness that is unique to blues music and movement. Heather has organized events and taught in Calgary, Vancouver, Providence, Portland, and Seattle.

Since 2004, Jared has been bringing his love of dance to hardwood across the world. From his Mom’s kitchen, to Buenos Aires, Argentina – from London, England to Seattle, Washington, Jared is known for his solid lead and his complete disregard for looking silly. He has been teaching since 2006, and emphasizes posture, core control and connection.

Dance is life for Jeremy.

It is in dance that Jeremy becomes truly present and truly alive. His dance is passion, intensity and vulnerability. He constantly searches for that four-minute moment of creation that can only come by completely merging with another and the music. This search means he’s always up for a blues party, and usually the last to leave. When it comes to dance, Jeremy is also a true polyglot: equally at home on a blues, contact improv, swing or tango floor.

Jeremy teaches dance nationally and locally at workshops, venues, and retreats such as Blues Rising, the Portland Fusion Exchange, and Burn Blue. His classes usually focus on things like pause, intensity, momentum, balance and dynamicism. A professional consultant and facilitator, Jeremy often explores these ideas with fresh and unconventional techniques, like improv games or cooperative groups.

Joe is unmissable, unmistakeable, and unforgettable. He also dances.

With nearly 12 years of teaching under his belt, John has inspired generations of new dancers. Coming originally from Detroit, and then by way of Cleveland and San Francisco, John has taught his unique style all over the US and even into parts of Canada. To learn more about him check out his new site www.FluidandFormless.com

Karen has been dancing since 2001, with her main emphasis in Swing and Blues. With her background in juggling instruction and massage therapy, she brings a high degree of body awareness, playfulness, and over ten years experience in teaching movement to her dance instruction. Karen has taught as a full-time instructor for the notable Go Dance Studios in Austin, TX, and now regularly hosts, moderates, and teaches at Seattle’s own Burn Blue and Blues Progressions. She loves the partnership dynamic inherint in the dance, and 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 is known around the country for her energy and creativity in blues dancing. She has been dancing for 10 crazy years, during which, she’s traveled and danced extensively around the world.

She brings vitality, drive, and pure joy to her students.

Kelly is a decade-long student of American vernacular dance who is passionate about bringing the rich social history of these dances to her students. As a performer, she has graced stages across North America to acclaim. As a teacher she is known as much for her sense of humor as for her ability to articulate difficult concepts and nuances. Her classes stress the joy of improvisation, dancing with guts (metaphorically speaking), and the humanity of a long and soulful dance tradition. She has a special affinity for historical dance crazes and spends a lot of her spare time hoarding black and white dance clips, collecting lo-fi recordings and mastering obscure dances like the ‘snake hips’ and the burlesque fan dances of Sally Rand. Kelly is also an avid collector of early jazz and blues, and is generally recognized as one of the US’s exceptional lindy hop DJ’s, playing for the most demanding dance audiences throughout North America including those at Showdown, The Rhythmic Arts Festival and on radio. During daylight hours Kelly is a graduate student of museology and works in the anthropology division of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle. She also plays a pretty killing spoons and kazoo solo.

Known for his unique Charleston technique, and eclectic style, Kevin has been teaching and dancing for 12 years. He has taught swing dancing all over the world, in places such as Switzerland and Sweden. Currently he is teaching in Western WA with his partner Lizzy Boyer. He is also staying very busy DJing and playing his saxophone at venues all over the South Sound. You will learn things you didn’t know were possible in his classes. Kevin placed 1st in the 2005 Camp Jitterbug Charleston Competition, 3rd in the 2004 Fast Feet Competition at Herräng Dance Camp, and 4th in the 2005 Fast Feet Competition in Herräng.

Lizzy teaches in Western WA with Kevin Buster, Mark Kihara, and a few other random people. A passionate instructor and tremendous dancer, she is also an accomplished vocalist and musician. She has been blues dancing and lindy hopping since 2005. She also has 15 years experience in musical theater and a conglomeration of authentic middle eastern dances. When teaching, dancing or DJing, she says it is her goal for everyone to have the time of their lives. Lizzy has won and placed in numerous international and non-international competitions around the South Sound.

Lizzy has also been hosting at Burn Blue almost since it’s conception. She enjoys keeping an eye on the night, and gained experience from running a swing dance in Tacoma. You will usually find her keeping an eagle eye out with a big smile on her face behind the bar, or in the DJ booth.

Maggie has been dancing since 2002. She started in East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop, later picking up West Coast Swing and Blues. After moving to Seattle in 2006 Blues became her primary dance focus. Maggie is attracted to Blues for the depth of emotion in the music and the room for expression in the dance. Her teaching is often complimented for her clarity in conveying dance concepts and for her warm presence.

Originally hailing from SLO, California, Mark has been traveling all over the country and is currently taking a few months to live in and explore Seattle. He has been dancing (lindy and blues) since 2005 and has has since explored various other dances from hip-hop/break to contact improv. Coming from a non-dance background spanning theatre, music, computers and ‘art’ Mark has a unique approach to dance, movement and the teaching of both. His constant goal is to make the impossible easy and the easy look impossible.

Miles discovered partner dancing in 2002, the same year he moved to the Seattle. Immediately he was taken by it. Abandoning a normal sleeping schedule, other hobbies and the bulk of his vacation time, he has since immersed himself in a life of late nights and achy feet. With the remainder of his energy Miles works full-time as a developer at Microsoft.

Miles began teaching in 2007, getting his start as a tango instructor for the8thstyle.com. In 2008 he created the entity now known as BluesProgressions, where at first he taught Blues to couples living in the Redmond area. In 2009, he moved his classes to Seattle and focused his teaching on social Blues dancing, hoping to give something back to the community that has helped feed his dance appetite for so long.

Ryan was born and raised in Marin county, CA, where he studied theaterand dance throughout high school. Since discovering swing dance duringhis role of Baby John in the Mountain Play’s 1999 production of “WestSide Story”, he has practiced and taught dance to countlessindividuals. He transplanted to Seattle in 2002 and attended theUniversity of Washington for a year, at which point he decided to bedone with school. Subsequently, he attended the Actors Theater ofLouisville apprentice program appearing on stage in “Amadeus,” “Balmin Gilead,” and an original work for the 2004 Humana Festival, “Fastand Loose”. His travels then took him through western Europe, New Yorkcity and the east coast, and finally back to Washington to finish hisBA degree in Drama and Dance. Since 2005 in Seattle, Ryan hasproduced, written, directed, choreographed and performed in fulllength and short films, works of theater and dance, fundraisingevents, public performance art and circus. He has been invited todance with the Oregon Country Fair, NW Folklife, Dream Science Circus,The Moisture Festival, ACT Theater and Lucia Neare’s TheatricalWonders. He is a proud co-founder of the Harlequin Source School inGreenwood, Seattle. Ryan doesn’t know what he believes, but he has apretty good idea that dance is absolutely a fundamental necessity formaintaining one’s sanity, and should be indulged in whenever possible.

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’s passion for dancing is contagious. He believes that freedom of expression in dance comes from balancing technique with spirit. His passion for freedom and movement inspires him to study a variety of dances, and in 2000 he started a blues and swing club at his college and has been teaching ever since. -topher’s unrivaled enthusiasm for learning enlivens all his classes. He lives in Seattle where he makes his living teaching and writing poetry.