Instructors
We are so excited to bring you a stellar lineup of amazing instructors this year! They can't wait to help bring your dancing to the next level.
Laura Glaess has been an influential voice in Lindy Hop competition, performance, and education for the past 20 years. She has won countless awards and acknowledgments at international competitions, and has taught at festivals in 19 countries spanning 5 continents. She is an original cast member in Caleb Teicher’s groundbreaking show Sw!ng Out, which has performed at the Joyce, Jacob’s Pillow, and has toured around the United States. Her Youtube channel dedicated to Lindy Hop history, vocabulary, partnering, and body movement is one of the most popular and influential in the scene.
Tyedric Hill is a traveling artist deeply rooted in Black cultural and social dance traditions. He explores their evolution and interconnections.
Inspired by his ancestors, who found solace in rhythm and movement, Tyedric carries their legacy through dance, honoring the cornerstones of Black art: personal authenticity, community, hope, and dignity. Having trained under Sugar Sullivan, Ryan Francois, Chester Whitmore, and Latasha Barnes, he consistently draws back to authentic jazz as the foundation of modern Black social dance. He is proficient in various styles, from authentic jazz and Lindy Hop to hip-hop and house, with a focus on preserving cultural lineage and personal style.
Tyedric's dedication to embodying the soulfulness of Black history is evident in his commitment to passing on the legacy of his mentors and ancestors to future generations. He is a powerful voice in the world, using his platform to honor the past while shaping the future of the global community.
Jenn Lee (She/Her) is a respected swing dance instructor with an approachable nature and dynamic style that have made her a popular presence at dance events and workshops. Jenn's passion for swing dancing is evident in her performances and classes.
While acknowledging the deep roots of swing dancing in Black culture, she strives to create a collaborative and supportive learning environment that encourages students of all levels to develop their unique style. With a strong music background, Jenn focuses on integrating rhythmic concepts and musicality into her classes, helping dancers connect with the music and express themselves through dance. As a professional follow without a dedicated partner, Jenn has developed a versatile dance style that adapts to various partners and teaching collaborations. Her commitment to providing equal attention to leads and follows contributes to an inclusive atmosphere that sets her apart as an instructor.
Dancing in all forms has been a lifelong passion for Irina (she/her). In 2009, at the age of 15, she stumbled upon Swing dancing and it took only one night of social dancing for her to fall head over heels in love with it. Though Lindy Hop was her gateway into the world of Swing, Irina's passion quickly expanded to include Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and solo jazz. She is proud to have spent her formative years of dancing in Southern California, home to some of the best Swing dancers, teachers, and music in the world.
Irina has since received numerous accolades from events such as Camp Hollywood, The International Lindy Hop Championships, and Lindy Focus and has taught these dances all across the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Australia. Additionally, she is honored to have been inducted into the Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame in 2019 and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2022.
Irina's teaching style can best be described as patient and encouraging. Her goal is to guide her students through building solid foundations while inspiring individuality in personal movement, as well as helping build confidence through dance.
Anthony's first ingress into the performing arts was at age 8 when his parents
convinced him to learn and perform Chinese lion dances. Naturally, he then
stumbled upon breakdancing during a national speech and debate tournament in
middle school, and he had his first foray into swing dancing at age 16 alongside
other young interns from a research laboratory. Since then, he has trained in
other dance styles including West Coast Swing and various modern street
dances, but most of all he enjoys using this background to expand upon his
technique and creativity in Lindy Hop. On the social dance floor he is known to
be playful, musical, creative, and clear.
He holds first place titles from events such as International Lindy Hop
Championships, Montreal Swing Riot, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Lindy
Focus, and Lindyfest and Lone Star Championships. His love of both leading and
following, combined with his professional background in education, make the
classes that he teaches both clear and intuitive. He is an active scene builder in
his community and founded Salt City Swing, a non-profit in Utah where he
teaches locally.
Rafal Pustelny is a vibrant dancer and instructor who is passionate about traditional dances from all around the world! Rafal moved to NYC in 2010 and there studied American Jazz dance forms, including Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Balboa. He quickly established himself as one of the top dancers in NYC, and has since earned acclaim in the international swing dance community.
His wide knowledge and skill in various styles has helped him win top placements in international competitions and has created opportunities for him to teach around the world. Rafal’s expertise and passion for dance shine in the classroom; he uses his technical prowess, upbeat sense of humor, and innate ability to connect with people to distill high-level content into accessible pieces that elevate multiple aspects of his students’ dancing.
Rafal continues his own dance education by studying Tap, Clogging, Hungarian folk dances, and Polish folk dances. As a performer, he works with several regional groups, including “Gatsby Entertainment,” “The Vanaver Caravan,” “Project Connect”, and “Harvest Moon Hoppers”, as well as community events and corporate parties. A Frankie Manning Foundation Ambassador, he teaches and performs locally with “You Should Be Dancing” studios. You can also find him at international events where he works with dance communities across the globe.
Dan is immersed in the music and the movement. As a teacher, his enthusiastic approach brings a focus on innovation, connection, and attention to your partner. As a veteran DJ, he's played for events across 4 continents, DJing everything from international events to local dances. He’s also organized both locally and for international events, including a Head DJ role in BluesSHOUT! and The Balboa/Blues Experiment. In the end, Dan is most excited to work hard at improving the dance and to see people break through their boundaries.
Ana Lisa Sutherland is a powerhouse of energy packed into a petite frame, and she brings it all to the dance floor! She began her dance journey early in life in California, where she competed in Ballroom and Hip Hop before (accidentally) falling in love with Lindy Hop.
Since 2008, she has traveled across the country to compete and learn swing dancing from original legends and current-day champions. Ana Lisa holds multiple titles from prestigious weekend events like Northwest Balboa Fest, Lindy Bout, Camp Jitterbug, Lindy Focus, and Lindy On The Rocks. Some of her favorite performance highlights include Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing and local cabaret shows in her current city of Seattle.
Ana Lisa believes that swing dancing is a cultural experience that allows participants to connect with the roots of this African American historical dance, contribute to its legacy, and shine. There truly is a place for everyone within it. Consequently, she loves drawing inspiration from historical sources and the legends that have paved the way, while also incorporating newer dance forms from her ongoing explorations in the world of dance.
In the classroom, she strives to inspire other dancers to authentically express themselves on the floor and encourages everyone to embrace their uniqueness. Ana Lisa helps her students approach each dance and class with the mindset that anything could happen, unlocking the unique conversation they can have with their partner and the music.
Erin Morris has been teaching, performing, and competing in jazz and swing dancing for over 20 years. She has enjoyed international artist residencies in Vienna, Berlin, and Krakow but above all loves contributing regularly to her local communities and students. Erin paused her professional lindy hop career in 2020 in order to explore modern dance and broader dance academia, and will be receiving her MFA in Dance in 2023 from Washington University in St Louis. Her art-making focus has been on blending her background in Black social jazz dance with personal explorations in postmodernism, and she finds that all paths return her to the importance of improvisation and collaboration with musicians. Her thesis, "Bodies in Jazz" (premiere 2023) is about the performative spectrum of socially-formed dance, from the intimate to the virtuosic. Whether in the studio, the classroom, the forest, or the jazz club, Erin is committed to laying bare cultural roots and discovering a present that is individual, informed, aesthetic, and connective.
Dominic loves to wiggle. The only thing he loves more than wiggling is wiggling with other people. He lives for exploring, is feverishly curious, and thinks playfulness is next to godliness. He's been dancing since his Mom put a Salt-n-Pepa record on when he was two years old, and the bug hasn't left him. A storyteller, a historian, and a clown at heart, he can't wait to shimmy with you!
Khiem is a community builder and Lindy Hop and Blues scene leader based out of Lakeland, FL. Drawing dancers from all around the state of Florida (and beyond), Khiem has helped grow, teach, and inspire dancers with his playfulness and focus laden in every lesson he teaches, every event he hosts, and every cypher he jumps into. While Lindy is his main dance style, Khiem has branched out into Freestyle, Salsa, Bachata, and Blues to grow as a dancer. This has led him on a mission to find the through line in dance and bring other dancers (hip-hop, Latin, etc) into the Swing community!
Hey, I’m Kalz. I’ve been dancing for 8 years here in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida. For me, Lindy Hop is all about creativity, authenticity, and bringing it back to what it was meant to be….a party dance. My goal is simple: get people laughing, moving, and having a good damn time on the floor.