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.
Chisomo Selemani is a dance and teaching enthusiast. She loves movement, learning, collaboration, and cultural exchange. Her artistic endeavors in the Swing dances are inspired from her Zambian tradition and Afrobeats. Her teaching methodologies invite you to explore your own style and artistry. When she’s not dancing, she is co-hosting the podcast Integrated Rhythm and is highly involved in global issues and practices in communication sciences and disorders.
Sylwia Bielec is a curriculum designer, dancer and swing dance teacher from Montreal. Above all, Sylwia values collaboration, authenticity and community on and off the dance floor. She is a long-time teacher and community builder at Cats Corner in Montreal, teaching classes at all levels, working with teachers and facilitating choreography projects like the Lindy Project and the Cool Cats Coleslaw Collective. Sylwia has taught regionally with multiple partners including Alain Fragman, Aleix Prats-Ferrer and Meghan Gilmore and has led teacher development workshops with teams of teachers in cities across the United States and annually at Swing Out New Hampshire.
Alain Fragman hails from Montreal and is one of the top Lindy Hop dancers and instructors in Canada. He has taught in countries as far away as Australia and can be seen regularly teaching workshops and competing in North America. In 2013, he won the coveted ULHS Showdown battle and placed 2nd in the ILHC Showcase division. Alain is a founding member of the Northern Lights Team and had the privilege of performing with them at Frankie95 and the Jump Session show.
A talented and musical dancer, Alain teaches dancers to connect to the music and to their partner through active listening and response. When he dances, teaches, performs, or competes, Alain’s purpose is to spread the joy of dance and inspire others.
Annabel is known far and wide for her huge grins and prodigious laughter on the dance floor. A student of music all her life, Annabel caught the Lindy Hop bug in 2003 while a student at Colgate University. Addicted to the communication and spontaneity of social dancing, she continued to delve into swing dances while completing her Masters in Music History and Theory at Penn State where she was introduced to Balboa, Blues dancing, and Collegiate Shag. For the past decade, she has traveled near and far to teach and to compete, taking home top prizes in such events as the International Lindy Hop Championships, All Balboa Weekend, the California Balboa Classic, and Camp Hollywood to name a few. Annabel is passionate about fostering a fun and inspiring class environment that honors the history and legacy of the various swing dances while spurring her students to explore their potential and embrace their individuality. Currently, she resides in Washington, DC and is a founding board member and Director of Education at New Columbia Swing, DC’s premier swing dance organization.
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.
Peter Strom is one of the most dedicated and well traveled instructors on the lindy hop scene today. His humor in classes is only matched by the clarity and care he takes with his students. Since his start in 1998 he has taught at international dance camps from Australia to South Korea to Herrang, Sweden. In addition to teaching he brings with him his skills as a sought after DJ and experienced Master of Ceremonies. He is currently a member of the renowned team the Silver Shadows and the founder of Uptown Swing in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Naomi Uyama discovered lindy hop in her hometown of Washington DC during the late nineties. Over the past decade she has taught workshops all around the world and performed for dance and music legends alike. She has won the champion title at such prestigious competitions as the American Lindy Hop Championships, the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, and the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships. She founded the internationally renowned dance team The Silver Shadows, and was an original organizer of "The Jam Cellar"- one of DC's best dance venues. When she's not traveling in the name of triple steps Naomi currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Bobby teaches traditional swing dances around the world, and holds championship titles and placements in Balboa, Lindy Hop, and Solo Jazz. With each, Bobby strives to innovate and create a new voice, while still capturing the spirit of the original dancers. He is the co-director of the Lindy Hop performance group the Harvest Moon Hoppers, which specialize in dancing in the performance style of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. He is the author of the popular swing dance blog Swungover*, and the book "Practice Swing." As a dancer, he is widely recognized for his floppy hair, and as a teacher, by his sound effects.
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.