We are excited to bring you the following instructors, who will be teaching, performing, and judging throughout the entirety of Hawkeye Swing Festival in 2013.
Instructors:
Andy Reid-
Andy Reid is one of the most well known and influential Lindy Hop dancers out there. Since he started dancing in the late nineties, Andy has left an indelible mark on the dance scene. Andy's style is a balance of the refined and the eccentric, and his soulful proficiency with rhythm and partnering make his dancing rich and inspiring to watch and experience.
He has performed and taught all over the world including Korea, Australia, Japan and all over Europe. He is a founding member of Silver Shadows, which is undoubtedly one of the most influential dance teams currently. He is also a member of the highly influential troupe Minnie's Moochers. Finally, Andy is also a founding member of Mad Dog!, a Lindy Hop Crew who is infamous within the Lindy community for some reason.Andy also holds a variety of regional, national and international competition titles.
Andy currently resides in New Orleans, LA.
Nina Gilkenson-
Lindy Hopper. Belly dancer. Hair-removal Laser Technician. The mysterious figure that is known only as "Nina" (and sometimes "Naomi") has many titles from prestigious dance competitions. But that's only a small part of her accomplishments. For instance, she can swivel in midair. She can simultaneously create vintage-style dresses and then destroy them while dancing. She can make 12-minute biscuits in 10 minutes. She writes upbeat musical theatre involving funeral homes. And last, but not least, she is a part of the award-winning Lindy Hop team the Silver Shadows, which sounds like it's a group of super heroes. And that's what she is. A Super Hero--one whose main super power is doing swivels in midair. And one day, they might save the world. Until then, she lives in Washington D.C. and falls down a lot.
Nina currently resides in Baltimore, MD.
Nina is also a co-organizer of The International Lindy Hop Championships
Michael Faltesek-
Falty brings to the dance floor an incredibly diverse social and performance dance talent that includes not only Lindy Hop, but also Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Traditional Jazz, Tap, Charleston, Breakaway, Balboa, Big Apple, Blues and many other Authentic Jazz dances. Falty spent two years performing with Sweden's renowned dance performance troupe, The Harlem Hot Shots.
Falty has been dancing for over 14 years, in that time he has traveled to instruct, compete, and perform internationally. Falty is well known for his charismatic personality, approachability and passion for the essence of Authentic Jazz dance and music. He possesses an ability to convey ideas and movements explicitly. He teaches workshops from as local as his neighborhood, Capitol Hill in Seattle all the way to Europe and Korea and everywhere in between. Each time he teaches, he leaves a lasting impression on his students. Above all else, he never fails to inspire.
Casey Schneider-
Casey's love of swing and jazz dance began in 1998. Twelve years later, she regularly teaches at local, regional and national events, where she emphasizes "raising her voice" as a female dancer. Whether social dancing, teaching, or performing, Casey is inspired by the spirit of jazz music.
As a teacher, she focuses on developing solid technique, appreciating classic repertoire, and inspiring students to love dancing as much as she does.
Casey is happiest dancing to a song with a driving rhythm and lead that isn't afraid to be silly. She regularly performs with fellow lindy hoppers and the all-female chorus girl-inspired group, Sister Kate.
Peter Strom- Coming Soon!
Naomi Uyama- Coming Soon!
Karen Turman-
Karen was first seen on stage at age 9 performing a tap dance to Lollipop in a striped leotard and has been dancing ever since. She discovered Lindy Hop during the Swing craze in 1998 and has never looked back. Karen has since been having an amazing time performing and teaching in the US and Europe--she has won some stuff at competitions too, but she is most honored to have received the first ever Spirit of Lindy Hop award at both Camp Jitterbug in Seattle, WA (2005) and the International Lindy Hop Championships in
Washington, DC (2010-with Andrew Thigpen). Karen originally honed her dance skills in Minneapolis, MN and now currently resides in
Santa Barbara, CA (when she's not in her favorite place on earth, Paris).
Carl Nelson- Coming Soon!
Annie Trudeau- Coming Soon!
Jamin Jackson-
Having choreographed, instructed and performed for over 2 decades in the States and abroad, Jamin Jackson continues to be a master student and teacher of dance.
As a teacher Jamin’s skills are widely recognized and praised for his focus on principles, his positive charismatic style, and his ability to helped students develop a positive mental attitude toward their personal development as dancers and as human beings.
He has over 18,000 hours of combined training alone in the styles of Hip Hop, Lindy Hop, Jazz, Musical Theater and Tap. His love and determination for empowering dancers with the gift of LINDY HOP has driven him to train more than 2500 hours in the year of 2011 alone. He believes the world has yet to see the biggest days for Lindy Hop and continues in preparation and education to be a better communicator of the dance to new minds.
His skills have been sought out by some of the music industry’s top names in dance performance, from M.C. Hammer to Omarion and the creators of 2004’s runaway dance film “You Got Served.”
His shared passion for Lindy Hop like many others continues to drive him to expand this dance to those waiting for the joy that it brings.
Kim Clever- Coming Soon!
David Frutos- Coming Soon!
Joe DeMers- Joe DeMers has been spreading the Swing love from Denver to LA to Seoul; always throwing in a few surprises to spice up the night. One of Denver's best instructors, Joe is known for his performance Swing, Lindy Hop, and Blues. He has toured the world teaching and performing Lindy Hop and Blues in countries such as South Korea, Japan, Canada, France, England, and all over the United States. Perhaps his most famous video of him is his Drag Blues performance routine at Blues Shout 2009. He coaches a performance troupe in Denver, called the Woodside Jumpers, that has placed at national events such as the International Lindy Hop Championships and Camp Hollywood. In 2008, he was awarded the Spirit of Lindy Hop award at Camp Jitterbug. In addition to dancing, Joe enjoys sushi, anime and long walks on the beach. Visit www.joeandnelle.com for more information.
Mike Legett- Mike is a passionate aficionado of jazz and blues dances, known all over the world for her friendliness, teaching skills, beautiful following, and expressive dancing. She brings both vibrant energy and technical precision to the classroom, and strives to make every social dance the best experience possible. Mike’s teaching history is extensive; having taught at a range of events from residencies to international workshops to private trainings, she brings preparation and flexibility to every class. A typical class could involve students morphing into robot penguins or seaweed, standing on one foot with their eyes closed, or analyzing chord changes- all in the pursuit of better dancing. Regardless of the material, her classes always include a mix of abstract and concrete topics, plenty of levity, and challenging homework to help students improve long after class has ended.
Bobby Bonsey- Bobby is a dancing dynamo who hails from New Orleans, but travels so much that calls the world his home. Since he was last here in April he has been performing, choreographing, teaching, and photographing in France, England, Germany, Belgium, and Sweden and Argentina among others! He's excited to be back in the US mostly because people speak American so his jokes make sense again. He's known for choreographing epic flash mobs, taking portraits of people being themselves, flipping over people in jazz competitions, and making people smile. He spends his free time practicing Michael Jackson moves, roller skating, and enjoying adventures in New Orleans. His inspirations include Michael Jackson, Bruce Lee, Charlie Chaplin, James Brown, David Bowie, Will Rogers, P Lock, his best friends and his family.
Delilah Williams-
Delilah can be found truckin’ at dance events all over! She was classically trained in ballet since birth and bumped into swing dancing at 15. It was then in 2005 that she got the bug, the lindy bug! Delilah learned how to swing dance at the mercury cafe and started traveling to workshops. Over the years, she has performed and competed individually and with numerous teams including the CU jitterbuffs, Atomic Rhythm, Baltown Grapplers, Woodside Jumpers, and 23skidoo! She is part of Denver's premiere girl troupe, The Diamond Dolls. Her cheerful smile, playful presentation, and creative movements will put a smile on your face.