Past International Workshop Series Events
Here is a list of some of the International Hop to the Beat
Lindy Hop Workshop Series teachers.
Click here for information
on upcoming workshops in the Hop to the Beat International
Workshop Series.
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| Ryan Francois & Jenny Thoma |
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Ryan and Jenny are two of the world's top Lindy Hop dancers today.
They starred in the Broadway Musical Swing! as well as contributed
most of the choreography. They have appeared at the Tony Awards,
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rosie O'Donnell Show
and with Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Ryan is the director, choreographer and founder of the Authentic
Jazz Dance
Company Zoots & Spangles, formed in 1987 and funded
by the
British Arts Council. His extensive list of credits includes
numerous appearances in TV, film and theater,
and tours in several dance
productions in Europe. He danced in Malcolm X and Stomping
at the Savoy. Ryan also choreographed for the movie Swing
Kids and A Man
for All Seasons, a Dudley Moore tribute at Carnegie Hall.
Jenny also has an extensive list of dancing and choreography credits,
including appearances in TV and theater.
She began as a tap dancer at the age of 4 and won the All
England Tap Championships for
3 consecutive years. Stage credits include the London cast
of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song and Dance as well as other
West End musicals.
Early in their collaboration, Ryan and Jenny formed their own act,
Over The Top which included Lindy Hop, Jazz, Tap and song.
In 1997 they won the Lindy Division of the American Swing
Dance Championships and the U.S. Open.
They can be seem as dancing elves
in The Polar Express, were performers on the huge TV hit Dancing
With The Stars, and Ryan was a featured dancer in the recent
motion picture release Idlewild. Click here for information
on future workshops with Ryan & Jenny.
Kevin St. Laurent & Emily Hoffberg |
Kevin is an incredibly creative and versatile
dancer known for his musicality. He has spent much of the last
year teaching around the world and has recently settled into
a new home base in Pittsburgh. He has won many of the
top competitions (some numerous times) and has been a very popular
instructor for many years both nationally and overseas. www.KevinStLaurent.com
Emily, also a veteran of the social, competitive
and international Lindy Hop scenes, is a well-known dancer and
instructor in the LA area. She has taught around the world and has many top competition
credits to her name. Recently she relocated to the east coast
and partnered up with Kevin. www.EmilyHoffberg.com
Together Kevin and Emily bring a fresh edge to
Lindy Hop, with inventive aerials, musical routines and high
speed dancing. They
are top competitors at all of the major events and these 2 are
dynamite together! Click here for information
on future workshops with Kevin & Emily.
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Sylvia Sykes
(dancing with Jason Christodoulou) |
Sylvia is one of the most well-known and respected dancers, instructors
and judges in the U.S. today. She and her longtime partner Jonathan
Bixby have taught for over 20 years to thousands of students
in their hometown of Santa Barbara, throughout the U.S., as well
as Europe and Australia. Their many honors include the 1995 Feather
Award for Best Lindy/Balboa Dancers in the USA, undefeated Southern
California Balboa Champs, and 6 time U.S. Open Finalists.
Individually Sylvia continues to be an active competitor and has
won many more awards. Although she is best known for Dean Collins
style Lindy and Balboa, Sylvia is also a great Shag dancer and
has placed 3rd in the 1999 National Carolina Shag Dance
Championships.
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Nick Williams
(dancing with Ria DeBiase) |
Nick Williams has embodied the traditionalist style
of Swing dancing since 1998. He is known for his fast and fancy footwork.
His understanding of Lindy Hop, Collegiate Shag and Balboa comes
from learning from the original masters. His accomplishments thus
far
include: 2001 Jitterbug Jam, 2002 and 2003 National
Jitterbug Championships, the 2003 American Lindy Hop
Championships, 2002 and 2004 California Balboa/Swing
Championships and 2003 American Classic Balboa Championship.
Added to that, he and his partner Ria DeBiase are the 2005 World
Lindy Hop Champions. Nick's inspiration for the dances comes
from a desire for accurate authentication, and can be seen in his
great lines, general presence and command on the dance floor. Above
all, he exhibits musicality, creativity, and continuity. Nick is
a true leader for the next generation of Swing dancers, as well as
an accomplished choreographer. He has also been recognized by the California
Swing Dance Hall of Fame.
Sylvia and Nick have been in high demand since teaming up at
workshops throughout the U.S. and elsewhere, including Beantown
Camp.
Click here for information
on future workshops with Sylvia & Nick.
Eric Fenn |
Eric has been an internationally known instructor,
choreographer and performer for over 15 years. He was
the founding artistic director of San Francisco Culture
Shock and now co-directs
the San Francisco dance group Loose Change. He has choreographed
for a number of dance groups, performing artists and organizations.We
have been fortunate to have
him teach
for the past 5 years at our annual Beantown
Lindy Hop Camp! Eric grew up in the San Francisco Bay
Area where he continues to teach locally.
In addition to Hip Hop, Eric has had eight years
of martial arts and four years of intensive training as a Jazz
dancer. His other
influences have been Modern Dance, Ballet, Tap, Lindy Hop,
House and Break. Eric's choreography incorporates many of
these influences
into a unique and innovative style of dance called Fusion.
Eric is an outstanding instructor,
great at
breaking things down, wonderfully patient and good for all
levels. His classes are great
for working on your individual dance skills, and his sequences
are always
challenging, very musical and a ton of fun! They are
for all dancers, not just those interested in Hip
Hop, Eric is very familiar with Lindy
Hoppers as his performance troupe in San Francisco, Loose
Change, is primarily made up of Lindy dancers. His
first love is teaching and his goal is to help others find
freedom of expression through dance.
Besides being a phenomenal dancer and instructor, Eric is a
down-to-earth nice guy and a lot of fun. One of Eric's
best qualities as a teacher is that he has a great positive spirit.
The atmosphere in his classes is relaxed and encouraging, never
making you feel out of place.
Click here for
information on future workshops with Eric Fenn.
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| Steven Mitchell & Virginie |
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Steven is well-known for his incredible versatility, creativity,
energy and style. He has been a major influence in the ever-changing
world of Lindy Hop social dancing. Since Steven is in such high
demand by Lindy Hoppers worldwide, he is rarely at his home in
California. Besides his talents as a dancer, teacher and choreographer,
he is also a songwriter and musician. Virginie, dancing
since age 3, trained extensively in ballet, jazz and ballroom.
Originally from France, she now lives in San Francisco. She dances with
an energetic mix of grace, funk, sass and pizzazz! Steven and Virginie
have a special chemistry when they dance which is truly inspiring and
leaves Lindy Hoppers everywhere hungry for more. Click here for
information on future workshops with Steven & Virginie.
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The Legendary King of
Swing...
Frankie Manning |
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Frankie Manning began dancing in the 1920s in the ballrooms of
Harlem. As a lead dancer and choreographer of the legendary Whitey's
Lindy Hoppers, he toured the U.S., Europe, South America and
Australia, and appeared in numerous films. In the early 1980s,
thanks to Steven Mitchell and Erin Stevens, Frankie was coaxed
out of retirement. Since then he has appeared in Malcolm X as
well as many TV productions, and in 1992 received a Tony Award for
choreography in the Broadway hit Black & Blue.
More recently he was featured in the Ken Burns' documentary Jazz.
Today at 90, Frankie travels extensively spreading inspiration
and joy to dancers worldwide.
Click here for information
on future workshops with Frankie Manning.
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| Maria Weber & Mikael Johansson |
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Mikael and Maria have been dancing together since 1986. Their
outstanding competition record includes winning the Swedish
Championship
three times and their aerials are among the best in the world.
They have been performers, choreographers and instructors in various
show groups in Sweden, and have also produced educational material
for the Swedish Dance Sport Federation. Besides being one
of the premier teaching couples in Sweden, Mikael and Maria have
also taught in the U.K., Canada and at our own Beantown
Lindy Hop Camp the last three years.
Click here for information
on future workshops with Mikael & Maria.
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| Eddie Jansson & Eva Lagerqvist |
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Eddie and Eva have been dancing together for many years and are
both original members of The Rhythm Hot Shots formed in 1985.
TRHS is a professional performance troupe from Sweden specializing
in the Afro-American dance tradition and well known for their outstanding
acrobatic Lindy Hop. Their credits include over 1000 performances
worldwide, over 25 TV appearances in Sweden and many international
tours. TRHS are also known for their very popular month-long
dance camp held in Herräng, Sweden and attended by dancers
from around the world.
Click here for information
on future workshops with Eddie & Eva.
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| Ivan & Elisabet Berggren |
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Ivan and Elisabet have been dancing together for over 14 years
and are among the best Lindy Hop couples in Sweden. Their long
and
successful competition career included winning major competitions
in Sweden and the U.K., as well as the Lindy Hop Division
of the 1996 American Swing Dance Championship. Ivan
and Elisabet are known for their fast footwork and superb aerials.
They have taught all over Sweden, in England and the U.S. Along
with their partners Tony and Aurelie, they sponsor the annual Beantown
Lindy Hop Camp held at Wheaton College in Massachusetts.
Click here for information
on future workshops with Ivan & Elisabet.
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| Kenneth & Helena Norbelie |
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Kenneth and Helena are fantastic dancers and immensely popular
instructors. They have been Lindy Hopping together since 1988. As
top competitors, their many wins include the 1994 Swedish Championship
and the 1997 World Lindy Hop Championship. They are founding
members of the Swedish Swing Society and have taught at major
events throughout Sweden, the U.S. and Europe. With their own performance
troupe Shout and Feel It, they have appeared on TV,
throughout Sweden, and the U.S. Kenneth and Helena are known for
integrating classic Lindy Hop into the ever-changing trends in social
dancing. Their classes emphasize connection, technique and musicality.
Besides being great teachers and dancers, they are two of the nicest
people you will ever meet!
Click here for
information on future workshops with Kenneth & Helena.
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| Warren Heyes |
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Warren, one of the world's most experienced Lindy Hop dancers,
is a member of the London based Jiving Lindy Hoppers, which
he co-founded in 1984. In their desire to get the world Lindy Hopping,
the JLH have inspired millions through constant touring in
Europe, four visits to Japan, numerous demonstration/teaching stints
in different continents and periodic visits to the USA. They have
won major awards for both their performances and their pioneering
work in education. In 1999, the JLH were featured in a PBS
special and a one week tour with the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Their 2000 ten week USA coast-to-coast Swingtime! tour with
the 10 piece New York City Jazz All-Star Orchestra led
by Warren Vaché was a great success!
Click here for information
on future workshops with Warren.
From the Washington DC area, Jeff's focus and love is swing era
Lindy Hop. He has learned from studying the history extensively,
spending countless hours watching swing era dance footage, as well
as talking to many of the dancers from that period. He placed in
the 1998 American Lindy Hop Championships and US Open
Lindy divisions. He has taught in many places around the country
such as Detroit (Motor City Jam), Philadelphia, Houston (H-Town,
Great Southwest Lindy Fest), Austin (Swing Riot),
and of course, DC. Marina has studied extensively with Sylvia Sykes
(who learned directly from Dean Collins) and is well versed in Lindy
Hop as well as Balboa.
Click here for information
on future workshops with Jeff & Marina.
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