Our 2024 Camp Hollywood staff

Instructors:

LaTasha Barnes

LaTasha Barnes photographed in Opya Studios, Pittsburgh. Taken on 9/12/2022.

LaTasha Barnes, multi-Bessie-award winner, is an internationally awarded and celebrated dance artist, educator (Asst. Prof of Dance, Arizona State Univ.), decorated U.S. Army Veteran (SFC/ SATCOM Engineer), and Tradition-Bearer of Black American Social Dance. Her love of dance and music exceeds her known life, as Barnes’ parents lovingly joke she was dancing even before she was breathing, recalling memories of LaTasha grooving in her mother’s womb while she sat next to speakers at parties LaTasha’s father DJ’d. From this early love/education her expansive artistic, competitive, and performative skills flourished and have made her a frequent collaborator to prominent artists and arts organizations around the world. She is deeply honored to be in service to her culture across social, academic, and performative spaces as shared in her March Today Show feature with Hoda & Jenna as well as her July 2022 Dance Magazine profile. Barnes deeply cherishes the guidance, support, and empowerment bestowed by her family/framily, elders, mentors, and ancestors. Their love gives her the strength to strive for authentic expression, excellence, and fulfillment in every endeavor – for them and this work LaTasha is eternally grateful. Visit www.latashabarnes.com to learn more about her journey, achievements, and ways to support her cultural efforts.

 

 

Felix Berghall

Felix Berghäll is a choreographer, performer and educator as well as a music researcher and DJ in Lindy Hop and African American Vernacular Jazz. He has studied Sport Coaching and Sport Science at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Science in Stockholm. He has been part of the national team as an athlete in Boogie Woogie and Lindy Hop and is now Co-Head Coach with his partner Mikaela Hellsten for the national team of Lindy Hop in Sweden.  He has also been working the last 5 years co-organising one of the biggest events in the world with focus on Lindy Hop and African American Vernacular Jazz, Herräng Dance Camp. He just resigned from his position at Herräng Dance Camp in November 2021. 

Felix has been dancing since he was 8 years old, starting with training and competing in the Swedish dance style Bugg as well as Lindy Hop, Boogie Woogie and Double Bugg. All dances derived from Lindy Hop and African American Vernacular Jazz. He was in love from the beginning and was really, and still is taken by the music. Currently, he is also part of leading a new NGO as board member and treasurer, Collective Voices for Change, along with other dancers and scholars in order to create a platform to address social issues in the Jazz dance community. The current focus of the initiative is to discuss the issues of cultural appropriation and racial injustice. 

 

Jamica Zion

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Jamica Zion takes pride in being a groovy solo dancer, a dynamic follow, and rising lead. Jamica aims for range, not just in connection and style, but across genres too! They hold multiple titles in Blues and Lindy Hop contests from top US events including Lindy Focus, Camp Jitterbug, Beantown, and Camp Hollywood. As a solo artist, Jamica has prioritized performance over contests so instead of lots of shiny titles, she has a diverse and abundant performance portfolio (check some out on YouTube)! When Jamica is not social dancing, teaching, or working on choreography, she is likely spending time with her dog, reading, playing video games, napping, or relaxing with loved ones. Jamica’s approach towards sharing dance with others includes a critical understanding and appreciation of its history and culture, while simultaneously ushering students to build their own styles and meaningful connections to it. Jamica draws on their professional training from working with organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, and a long educational background which includes nearly three degrees in Sociology. This unique blend of experiences, pedagogy, and knowledge allows Jamica to deliver inclusive and culturally responsible classes that are creative, thought provoking, and original!

 
Rafal Pustelny
 
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. 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.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ana Lisa Sutherland
 
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.

 

Adam Brozowski (He/Him)

Adam has been Lindy Hopping since he was 10 years old and grew up dancing in both Seattle and the vibrant Southern California swing dance scene of the late 90’s. A chance encounter with the Queen of Swing Norma Miller at 12 would shape his dance life for good. Adam went on to assist Ms. Miller in her masterclasses around the world and orchestrated the Global Trickeration Project in her honor. A strong advocate for the LGBQAI+ community in partner dance, Adam has worked for years to de-gender Lindy Hop by empowering diverse dancers and dance roles on the floor and in his classes. Because Lindy Hop is a Black American Art form, Adam believes strongly that we must respect and honor the people and culture who have shared it with us all. Adam’s classes are often game based, music focused, and ask students to think outside the box to embrace their own unique creativity and individual voice regardless of their dance role. Adam is extremely honored to teach his own signature classes at Camp Hollywood for the first time! 

 

 

 

Bianca Locatelli

Bianca Locatelli started dancing at the age of six and tried a lot of dance styles from ballet to street dancing. Though, she got stuck in swing dancing, her biggest passion. She has been competing and performing several years first in Italy and then internationally. Nowadays she’s social dancing, competing and teaching Boogie Woogie and Lindy Hop in Sweden and all around the world.

Bianca received the EuroStar Award which was given to her for showing talent and potential and for having exemplified the spirit of the dance during the European Swing Dance Championships. Bianca thinks that music is the most inspiring factor for her dancing, she enjoys social dancing and watch people dancing and having fun. She went to Herräng for the first time at the age of 14 and since then swing dancing has become an essential part of her days.

 

 

 

 

 

Nils Andren

Nils has now been dancing for 11 years. He has throughout his career been constantly competing in various dances such as Boogie Woogie, Salsa, Lindy Hop and the Swedish bugg. During several years of dancing he has acquired numerous of podium placements on competitions all around the world in Lindy Hop and Boogie Woogie. Nils is nowadays traveling around teaching, competing, DJing and social dancing. Music is his main source of inspiration and by dancing and teaching Nils tries to transmit to the audience and his students.

 

 

 

Matt Richey

Matt Richey has been dancing Lindy Hop since the tender age of 11. His dance career started with a performance team, including dancing on cruise ships and at Disneyland. In 2004 Matt attended Camp Hollywood for the first time (he hasn’t missed a year since) and he quickly fell in love with what swing dancing can offer; not just Lindy Hop but all swing. He won his first local competition at age 14 hosted by Nevada County Swing Society and was asked to dance for the local TV station to promote NCSS. Since then he traveled all over the world learning from some of the world’s best dancers such as Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Jean Veloz, Sugar Sullivan and Chazz Young, and many others. One of Matt’s accomplishments he is most proud of is the Juniors program he started in Nevada County, CA. Matt has gone around to teach at countless schools to spread the love of dance. Over the 7 years he ran the program he brought juniors to competitions and events in California and also brought teens to compete at the International Lindy Hop Championships 3 years in a row. His students brought home the 1st place award in the Junior Jitterbug Showcase at ILHC in 2018. Over the years, Matt has won hundreds of titles in multiple styles of swing, including West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and Balboa. He is becoming the most recognized crossover dancer in the circuit as well as being a familiar face on the social dance floor everywhere! In 2018 Matt was inducted to the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. As much as Matt loves swing dancing, he loves teaching and sharing his love for dancing and music just as much! He currently teaches adults and kids in several local schools and studios in Orange County. He is known for fun loving energy, musicality, showmanship and performance.

 

Andrea Gordon

Andrea Gordon is a social dancer’s dancer. Lover of music, rhythm, connection, and the ability to express your individual style, Andrea started dancing in 2006 to supplement her need – not desire – for human connection. From that time until 2013, she traveled to dance and occasionally compete, placing at a number of Lindy Hop events across the country including first place in the 2013 ILHC Pro-Am with Mikey Pedroza, first place in the ILHC Strictly Open of the same year with Jack Chen, and first place in the 2014 Inspiration Weekend Lindy Hop Tournament with Matt Richey, where she exclaimed victoriously “…damn, this is about to get real hard…” and left on a pretty high note if you ask her. Now, she’s returned to the community to teach Lindy Hop at Atomic Ballroom with her award-winning partner Matt and will join us hot off the heels of teaching with the incomparable and world-renowned Chester Whitmore at Camp Jitterbug. Best known as your favorite friendly registration lady and “that one girl from the video”, let Andrea regale you with stories about how she almost took a class with Frankie Manning, what she almost learned, and how she almost placed at Camp Hollywood, a story better than the one about actually placing at Camp Hollywood.

 

Sylvia Sykes

Sylvia Sykes began dancing in 1966, competing in 1970, and teaching in 1979. She has studied with many of the dance greats, including Frankie Manning, Dean Collins, Maxie Dorf, and Willie Desatoff. Her extensive studies and travels have made her an expert on regional dance styles and she is known for her expertise in, and the preservation of the older forms of Swing dance. In addition, she is credited with helping to preserve the Balboa by introducing the dance World Wide.

In 1985 Sylvia and Jonathan Bixby co-founded the Santa Barbara Swing Dance Club, a twice-monthly live-music dance club that they continue to run. She is still teaching her weekly classes that she started teaching in 1979, plus she teaches out of town over forty weekends per year. Her dance troupe ran for fifteen years, performed with some of the great Swing bands, and nurtured other International teachers. She has been a member of the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance since its inception, has taught at the University of California, and has appeared in many TV shows and in several documentaries on Swing dancing over the years.

Sylvia is actively judging and teaching various forms of Shag, Balboa, Lindy Hop, and West Coast Swing throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Asia. She is still an active competitor and she has won or placed in virtually every Swing event she has entered, in a multitude of Swing forums.

Laura Keat

 

 

 

Jeron Tuell

Jeron has loved dancing since he was a kid, from dancing hip hop or just dancing around the house he could not stop dancing. Since starting swing dancing in college in 2017, he has always wanted to spread his love for dance by teaching and attending social dances. He loves to teach Collegiate Shag, Balboa, and Lindy hop and he wants to give people the room to explore their creativity and make dancing more welcoming for everyone in and outside of the classroom. Outside of dancing, he loves playing video games, reading manga, and learning about cybersecurity and is always open to discussing them.

 

 

 

Mikey Pedroza

Since 1998, Mikey Pedroza has been dedicated to the understanding and preservation of classical American Jazz dances such as, Charleston, Lindy Hop, Balboa, Slow Dancing (Blues) and Solo Jazz. Hailing from Orange County, California, he passionately developed his own perfect blend of powerful movement and classic grace with a hard edged and playful style which is evident each time he steps onto the floor. Such dedication and originality has earned him numerous awards at national dance competitions as well as opened avenues for teaching and performing. The same passion and energy Mikey exudes on the floor, he brings to students around the world. And as an instructor, he encourages his students to be self-expressive and creative while establishing a strong understanding of connection, lead/follow technique, frame, body awareness and mechanics. By building a good technical base, students are then free to develop their own personalized style with confidence. Mikey hopes that by sharing his love and knowledge of these dances with others, that they too will find joy in this classical American art form.

Nikki Klaus

Nikki is one of the most recognizable follows in the scene today adapting her unique style to each of her unique dance partners. Nikki grew up with a passion for early Jazz and Swing music; learning to dance was a natural progression. A 1st place win at the 2004 National Jitterbug Championships jump started her competition, performance and teaching career and since she has gone on to win and place in many top level Lindy Hop Competitions including the International Lindy Hop Championships and the National Jitterbug Championships. Today Nikki travels the world sharing her love of the dance with her students.  Her style focuses on the things she loves the most about Lindy Hop: lead and follow, style, rhythm, and musicality.  She feels that we should look to other dance styles and dancers for inspiration and guidance, but form our own ideas about the dance. Nikki has been a featured performer on Dancing with the Stars, has worked on multiple occasions for choreographer from SYTYCD Mandy Moore, and has appeared in a long list of tv shows, movies, and music videos including the “Happy” video by Farrell Williams. Nikki owns the famous ATOMIC Ballroom in Irvine, CA, is a producer of Inspiration Weekend in Fullerton, CA, is the director of the award winning Atomic Cherry Bomb Chorus Girl company, and moonlights as Moxie Gold a burlesque producer and performer in the Orange County and Hollywood Burlesque scenes.

 

 

Kim Clever & David Frutos

David and Kim met in a dark, smokey Swing dance class at a bar in 1994. By 1996 they were teaching Swing dance together at the world famous Brown Derby.  It was there that they first learned to teach a class that was both informative and entertaining. Over the years they have honed their skills as teachers in small and large class rooms around the world. As competitors David and Kim have numerous titles together from The National Jitterbug , International Lindy hop, and US Open Championships,  just to name a few. They have also been inducted into the California Swing Dance hall of Fame, both individually and as a couple. David and Kim have been honored to have worked  in Hollywood as choreographers, consultants and performers. With many credits to their name. But with all these accomplishments, David and Kim’s real passion is teaching and sharing their love of all things Swing. They are known for their humorous and comprehensive teaching style that draws inspiration from Southern California Swing history and has kept them in demand these many years. They look forward to seeing all of you on a dance floor soon!

Nick Williams

Nick Williams has embodied the passion and spirit of swing dancing ever since his first lesson in 1998. The depth of his understanding of Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag stems from studying with the original dancers. Nick’s desire for authenticity, combined with his passion for dance evolution, leads to a style known for precision, lightness, musicality and dynamic energy.  His successes include World Lindy Hop Champion, US Open Swing Dance Champion, American Lindy Hop Champion, National Jitterbug Champion, International Lindy Hop Champion, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown Champion, American Classic Balboa Champion and California Balboa/Swing Champion. He is also an accomplished choreographer and has been featured on the hit television show So You Think You Can Dance. As an instructor, he is known for his ability to break down movements and technique to create a fun and light-hearted learning environment. His true love of music and dancing will forever inspire him to learn, teach, and grow. In 2004 and 2010, Nick was honored to be recognized by the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. Nick is also a member of the performance dance troupe Hot Club Stomp.

 

 

Soochan Lee & Young Kang

Soochan’s dancing career began with street dance in 1991 before transitioning to swing dance in 2002. He began his career as an instructor in 2004, and is well-known in Korea’s many dance communities as one of the forerunners of the swing dance scene. In 2005, he became a professional swing dancer, devoting all of his time and energy to honing his skills and promoting dance in Korea and abroad. Since becoming a professional dancer, he has given countless lessons and made substantial contributions to the growth and development of swing dance. Since 2008 he has been invited to dance and teach around the world, in many different cities and countries across 5 continents. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he has also competed in and won many different national and internationally recognized competitions starting in 2009 with the Korea Swing Festival. He went on to win first place in the Korean Lindy Hop Championships during that same year. In 2014, he blew crowds away by winning the Hellzapoppin Competition organized to celebrate Frankie Manning’s centennial. In 2014 he added another first to his list by being the first Korean dance teacher at Herrang Dance Camp. In 2017, he established the Triple Crown Swing Dance Academy to bring swing dance to a wider audience. The academy is located in Seoul, Korea. At present, he is actively engaged as a dancer, instructor, and judge, both nationally and internationally, and working to promote swing dance both domestically and internationally. He has led ‘Happy Feet’, a swing dance performing team, since 2020. In addition to hosting a variety of performances and events, ‘Happy Feet’ has won several dance competitions both at home and abroad.

Young started dancing with jazz dance in 2000 and began swing dancing through “Crazy Swing” in 2005. Since then, she has studied various fields to improve her skills as a swing dancer, and has been active as a swing dancer and instructor since 2007, performing and teaching at various events in Korea’s representative swing dance community. She teaches Lindy Hop as well as Charleston, Balboa, Blues, Solo Jazz, and Shag, hoping to provide more swing dancers with the opportunity to experience different styles and grow. After seeing the performance of the Swedish group “The Harlem Hot Shots” in Korea in 2006, Young has participated in various events and competitions, both big and small. Since 2008, she has gained various experiences at international events such as Herrang Dance Camp, ULHS, Camp Hollywood, ESDC, Lindy Focus, Camp Jitterbug, Frankie 100, GWSO, Sea Jam, and California Balboa Classic. Based on these experiences, she has planned many swing dance events and performances. Since the PSSF competition in 2009, she has won various awards in several categories at domestic and international competitions such as KLHC, ILHC, and NJC. Since 2015, she has been active as a professional swing dancer both domestically and internationally. Since 2006, Young has gained experience as a dancer in various performance teams. Since 2011, she has participated in the choreography and planning of all performances of “night and day” and presented an independent theatrical swing dance performance in 2014. In 2020, she founded a new performance team called “Happy Feet” and has been focusing on online content planning and production to expand the reach of swing dance and present performances that reflect the times. Moreover, since 2023, “Feels So Good” has been a solo jazz performance team, aiming to show a dance that combines authentic jazz dance with a modern and popular feeling. Young is striving to deeply understand the history, culture, and fashion of swing dance to share the joy of swing dance with more people. Currently, she is actively engaged as a dancer, instructor, judge, choreographer, director, and planner in various domestic and international communities, events, broadcasts, and other projects.

 

Chandrae Roettig Gomez & Stephen Sayer

Steve Sayer is an award-winning swing dancer, instructor, and choreographer based in Los Angeles, California. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Steve began dancing in 1998 at the age of 16. Falling in love with Lindy Hop and other dances of the swing era, he traveled all across the U.S. to dance and to learn the different styles of swing dancing. Steve is a 6-time Collegiate Shag champion and 4-time Lindy Hop champion at the National Jitterbug Championships, where he has also choreographed and coached multiple teams to 1st place victories. He is a 2-time inductee in the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame and has also been inducted into the Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame. Steve has traveled the world teaching and performing at dance festivals, with symphony orchestras, and even with Aretha Franklin! He has been featured in movies such as Babylon and Gangster Squad, in TV shows such as A League of Their Own and Dancing with the Stars, and in music videos for Adele and LeAnn Rimes. Since 2006, Steve has taught weekly classes at Madilyn Clark Studios in North Hollywood.

Chandrae began her early career as a gymnast, after which she was introduced to contemporary dance at Dance Vision, in Portland Oregon. She received a scholarship to The Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, where she graduated from their professional program in 2006. Specializing in Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Contemporary and Theater Dance Styles, her early training and success as a graduate from The Edge has allowed Ms. Gomez to work with some of LA’s top choreographers in film, television, music and stage. Often she serves in dual roles of dancer/performer and co-choreographer. Some of her recent credits have been and are, traveling orchestra show, “Swing is the Thing”, the recently released movie, “Babylon” and music videos of Adele, “Oh My God” and Jason Mraz , “I Feel Like Dancing”. Chanzie, alongside her dance partner Stephen Sayer, has been teaching, performing, competing and holding titles on an international scale in Lindy Hop and Collegiate Shag for over a decade. They currently teach local classes in North Hollywood.

Tise Chao (Head Judge)

Tise started swing dancing in Southern California in 1997, learning first hand from local original swing dance legends, and is one of the “Old School” kids during the swing revival era. Her dance education began in her early years, studying lyrical jazz and flamenco, as she continued to expand her dance knowledge throughout her dance career. Tise has performed and taught around the world with top Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and Lindy Hop instructors, as well as consistently winning top placements in international level dance competitions. Tise works as the head judge and competition coordinator at numerous international dance competitions and events, and continues to mentor and support the next generation of dancers. Tise is dedicated to preserving yet innovating the dances, and with her smooth fast feet and energy it’s difficult to keep up with Tise on the social dance floor! Tise hopes to inspire other dancers to find their own sense of style and spirit by sharing her vast knowledge, passion, and energy with the people who appreciate the art of swing dance.

 

Michael Gamble (band leader)

Michael Gamble has been at work within the swing dance community for over 15 years. Along with his wife and partner Jaya Dorf, he runs Lindy Focus in Asheville, NC, one of the largest events on the world scene. His band Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders is one of the most active and dedicated dance bands working today. He is a lifelong devotee to swing music, and in 2016 led a worldwide crowdfunding campaign to make the lost work of Savoy Ballroom bandleader Chick Webb once again accessible to contemporary swing orchestras. He received a bachelor’s degree in music in 2006, and also during that time traveled the country teaching Lindy Hop in over 35 US cities, a set of circumstances that has recently led to him teaching the appreciation and practice of swing music within the dance community. Michael currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina, with Jaya, his partner in all things, their two dogs and four goats, continuing his lifelong study of the art forms he loves.

 

Jonathan Stout (musical director, band leader and instructor)

Jonathan Stout is a bandleader, guitarist, lindyhopper, and balboa dancer. For the last 16 years his bands have played all over the world to deliver Swing music with the specific purpose of serving the Swing dance community. His four albums with the Campus Five are fixtures in swing dance classes and DJ sets around the globe. Jonathan’s background as a dancer allows him to provide the very best contest music, and his background in 20th century American History allows him to provide the stories, context and meaning behind the music. As a guitar player, he specializes in the varied styles of pre-bebop jazz guitar, most notably the electric single note style of Charlie Christian, and the rhythm and chord melody style of Allan Reuss. His album of solo guitar in the Reuss-style, “Pick It and Play It”, was released in 2018. As a dancer, Jonathan is proud to have learned from such original masters as Ann Mills, Hal Takier, Freda Angela, and Bart Bartolo, and to have danced on the first place team at the 2002 National Jitterbug Championships. He was inducted into the Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame in 2009.

 

 

Laura Windley (band leader)

Laura came to jazz music from the dance floor, picking up swing dancing in 1998.  A few years later she became a DJ for those same dances, broadening her knowledge and love of jazz and swing with non-stop listening and music collecting. From there it was only natural that she try singing the songs that she had grown to love and, because a swing singer needs a swinging band, Laura went on to co-found the Mint Julep Jazz Band with her husband, trombone player Lucian Cobb, in 2012.  Laura has become a staple of swing dance events throughout the U.S. and overseas, performing with her own band as well as bands led by Jonathan Stout, Michael Gamble, Paul Cosentino, Craig Gildner, and  Glenn Crytzer, performing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, as well as performing at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing with her own band and with Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders.

Singing in a sweet style with a serious rhythmic underpinning and drawing comparisons to a young Ella Fitzgerald, Ivie Anderson, and Helen Forrest, Laura is known for her authenticity of sound – as you enter the dance hall, you may think you are hearing a vintage recording. She can’t help but swing, no matter what the tempo, and she has a splendid conversational approach to the lyrics.   Michael Steinman has called her “the Joan Blondell of swing singing: sweet, tender, and lemony all at once. And once you’ve heard her, you won’t mistake her for anyone else.”

Ryan Calloway (Music Track Instructor)

An ardent lover of early jazz, ragtime, and blues, Ryan works as a clarinetist and multi-instrumentalist for many bands of the genres. In the traditional jazz festival circuit, his playing has decorated the likes of Hal Smith’s New Orleans Night Owls, Clint Baker’s New Orleans Jazz Band, and Michael Gamble’s Rhythm Serenaders. While living in St Louis, Ryan worked as a full-time member of both The Gaslight Squares and Miss Jubilee and the Yas Yas Boys. While on the vibrant Bay Area scene he leads both the Silver Bell Jazz Band and The Hot Baked Goods.

His belief that music is a universal language has been affirmed many times through his travel and performance in Europe, Mexico, South Africa, and across the United States. He’s also an internationally acclaimed Lindy Hop instructor.

Whether he’s teaching music, dance, or art, Ryan aims to inspire students to develop their own creativity. His skill, communication style, and diplomacy have successfully brought together people of all demographics and cultures—he has been an informal arts ambassador for more than a decade. Ryan believes in the power of the arts as a way to bring people closer, and he continues to find deep meaning in his efforts to do so.

Scott Angelius (Contest Tabulator)

Brittney Caraway (Nighttime Master of Ceremonies)

Wolfman (Daytime Master of Ceremonies)

Shana Worel (Head DJ)

Our DJ Team:

Nick Davis

Nathan Sartain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laura Windley

Felix Berghall

Peter Flahiff

James Bennett (Volunteer Coordinator)

Mary Pittman (Vendor Coordinator)

Traci LaDue (Safe Spaces Coordinator)