Debbie Gitt
Born and bred in Southern California, Debbie has fast become one of Los Angeles' favorite followers, known for her unique and innovative styling, creative musicality, and high energy on the social and competitive dance floor. She began dancing the lindy hop in 1997, and has had the privilege of training, competing, and performing different styles and techniques of lindy hop with dancers all over the United States and Europe. Continuing to add to her repertoire of crazy yet musical styling variations, Debbie has also trained under many of the top Westcoast Swing Dance and Carolina Shag Dance Champions.
Here in LA, Debbie is one of the key players in maintaining the world renown dance venue, LindyGroove. She can be found there every Thursday night teaching the beginning lindy hop lesson with JC at 7:30pm. Once a month Debbie also teaches a Follower's Workshop (follower's only!) for follower's that want to pursue becoming an 'active follower'.
Debbie is the 2002 American Lindy Hop Championship's 'Classic Division' Champion, and was the 1st place champion in the Strictly Lindy Division at Boogie By the Bay 2002 and 2003. In 2003 she was runner up in Strictly Lindy at the US Open Swing Dance Championships, and most recently at the 2004 National Jitterbug Championships she received 2nd place in the Pro Lindy Division and 3rd place in the Pro Jack and Jill division. You can reach her by email at kickindeb@yahoo.com

Dave Graybill has been lindy hopping since 1994, and teaching since 1998. He has become an American Lindy Hop, U.S. Open, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Virginia State Open, Georgia State Open, and Swingin' New England Champion over the past 10 years and still tries to push the envelope of Lindy Hop in competition every chance he gets. He has taught in Asia, Europe, and all over the United States... and now calls Los Angeles his home, where he teaches, DJ's, and dances at Lindygroove and several other locations around Southern California. He's a nice guy, ask him to dance...

Tunde Hrotko began her dancing career at a young age as a Hungarian folk dancer. Later on, her talent for the dance of her people helped her transition smoothly into swing dancing. Tunde has placed in many local and national competitions, and was a member of the swing dance teams “Keep ‘Em Flying” and “The Hollywood Hornets”, a three time National Jitterbug Championship team.

Ben Morris maintaining an uncommon dualism with West Coast Swing and Lindy, Ben is a champion West Coast dancer and received  the Spirit of Lindy Hop award at the 2004 National Jitterbug Championships.  He moved from Colorado to Westwood in the fall of 2004 to attend UCLA. www.benandmelina.com



Dax Hock delivers a unique method of instruction that revolves around authentic swing music, natural body movement, and variations that work with minimal effort, and fun over frustration. Emphasis is heavily placed on Rhythm–not steps; Body-Movement–not footwork; Singing–not counting, and dancing as one versus isolating and holding hands with you partner. During lessons you will discover that just footwork is more like Foot-’Dont’-Work and that Body-Movement is the key to great dancing. Students will be taught movements versus single variations and string them together to make killer social dancing combinations.

Dax urge’s students to discover creativity, rhythm, great concepts such as; “Rhythmical Body-Movement”,”Anything you do once you can do twice”, “Connecting to your body to itself”, “Body-Matching”, “Body Tension Styles”, “How do you lead it?–DO IT!” and much more. Enjoy a fun and educational learning environment with customized material to meet the students needs.

Whether is it Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa or Vernacular Jazz, students will benefit from the unique learning environment and each take their own individual step forward! Visit www.daxhock.com or www.daxandsarah.com for more information!


Sean and Tonya Morris Each became interested in Lindy Hop when they each started dancing in 1997. They have taught workshops across the country, some of which include Seattle, Boston, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Houston, Nashville, Reno and Albuquerque. They have also taught internationally throughout Canada and were featured instructors in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 and 2004. Sean & Tonya got married in August 2004 and currently reside in Los Angeles, CA. Sean & Tonya run a Monday night lindy hop & charleston venue in LA called Sugarfoot Stomp where Tonya is a house dj.
Sean and Tonya are recognized for their creativity and tight technique while blending the elements of musicality and maintaining the roots of early Lindy Hop and Charleston. Their energetic and often comical teaching style makes their classes unique and enjoyable while effectively breaking down the material.
www.jitterbugclub.com

Tim O'Neill started dancing in 1997 and couldn’t stop. An active Lindy Hopper, he was a regular at the old Memories and Satin Ballroom before joining the Hollywood Hornets for three years. In Los Angeles he runs the Blues Kitchen teaching weekly Blues classes and spends most of his weekends traveling the country teaching and loving Blues. Since 2009 he has trained or taught at over forty events and has ten Blues competition titles to his name. Tim believes the best way to dance is to have fun, and learning dance enhances that ability. When taking Tim’s classes expect to laugh, have fun, be entertained, and learn a lot. And be sure to ask him to dance!

Mikey Pedroza has been dancing and performing for 7 years. He is dedicated to the understanding and preservation of the classic American dances Charleston, Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag, and Traditional Blues.   In addition to teaching at many national, swing dance, instructional weekends Mike has won many national level competitions in such places as: Los Angeles, Cleveland, Nashville, Seattle, Denver, Hawaii, Minneapolis, New York, Stamford, and Phoenix. His teaching focuses on lead and follow techniques with a focus on connection, body leading and movement and frame.

Roy Samson is a local Los Angeles dancer who induces smiles from people he dances with or those who are simply watching him dance. He started dancing Filipino cultural dances with Sining Ginto (Golden Theater) and learned other ballroom dances from all the "Aunties" and "Uncles" at family parties. After learning his first swingout in 2001, he caught the jitterbug and never recovered. He continues to perform and compete with Ben and Sheri's "One 2 Swing Jitterbugs" earning both 1st and 2nd place at the National Jitterbug Championships 2008 team division. He also performs with the Hollywood Hotshots and has shared the stage with bands such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Mora's Modern Rhythmists, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums and others.

Kristin Sorci (Bio and photo coming soon)


Doug Silton began dancing in 1992 and since 1999, he has been teaching, competing, and performing internationally. Doug is a three-time American Lindy Hop Champion (2001 Strictly Division, 2002 Classic Division, 2006 Blues Division), a 2-Time World Swing Dance Champion, and is a top competitor on the Lindy Hop circuit, NASDE West Coast Swing tour, and in CSA Carolina Shag competitions. Doug is the only competitor to ever be a finalist in Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and Carolina Shag in the same year at the US Open Swing Dance Championships (2002).

Doug is the co-founder of LindyGroove in Pasadena, CA, currently the nation's largest weekly Swing/Lindy Hop dance venue, teaching his popular (and free) Connection & Musicality class most Thursdays. Doug also teaches 8-week sessions at Caltech in Pasadena, Group Lessons at his Studio On Cliff Dr., and private lessons daily.

In his teaching, Doug focuses on connection, centering, and musicality, footwork, and lead/follow techniques, incorporating various aspects of his favorite dances: Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, Salsa, Hip-Hop, Blues, Bachata, Breakdancing, and Balboa. For his Los Angeles schedule or his national travel/tour schedule and to purchase videos, see  www.dougsilton.com


Peter Loggins Born and raised in Los Angeles California, Peter is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable people on the history of authentic Jazz dance. He has traveled all over world doing workshops, lectures, film presentations and judging major competitions. As a historian his focus has been on the origins of American dance and their evolution through time, the music that feeds them and the cultures that caused them. As a dancer he has learned from the originators of these dances "I was fortunate to learn from some the greatest that ever lived, the fact they created it and shared what it meant to them, I will always be in debt and will continue to spread what they generously gave me". During the swing movement of the 1990's Peter helped put the Los Angeles scene on the map by bringing back onto the social dance floors, dances such as the Balboa, Collegiate shag and Charleston. During these years he is also credited as reintroducing the Dean Collins Shim sham as well as earlier styles of Lindy Hop which has since become a international


 Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas Legendary Dance partners for 8 years, they most recently starred in the Broadway Musical "Swing". The Musical was nominated for 6 Tony awards including Best Musical and Best Choreography. Ryan as Associate choreographer and Jenny as assistant contributed most of the choreography to the show, earning them lasting respect from the cast and the Broadway community. They have appeared at the Tony Awards, Macy's Thanks Giving Day Parade and the Rosie O' Donnell Show performing Ryan's popular finale number 'Sing Sing Sing'. They have also appeared as special guest artists with Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Known as one of the top Lindy Hop couples in the world, they have taught master classes Worldwide. They were American Swing Dance and U.S. Open Swing Dance Champions (Lindy Division) in 1997 though they are not ready to give up their competition shoes just yet. So watch out all you Lindy competitors out there!
Jenny has been dancing since the age of 4. In her teens she was All England Tap Champion for 3 consecutive years. She then went onto performing arts school and soon after graduating joined the London cast of Andrew Lloyd Webbers "Song and Dance". After appearances in West End Musicals, television and theatre, she joined Ryan's Dance Company "Zoots and Spangles", which Ryan founded in 1987.
Ryan started dancing at 18. A self taught dancer he honed his skills watching old film footage of his dance hero's such as Whitey's Lindy hoppers, Fred Astaire and The Nicholas Bros. He danced in the Spike Lee Movie 'Malcolm X' and was a choreographer of the cult movie classic 'Swing Kids'. His Dance Company has appeared in TV specials, commercials, Music Videos and countless theatre productions.
www.ryanandjenny.com

Jason Vaughan is a local Los Angeles dancer who inspires people with his high flying aerials and his passionate movement on blues tunes. Along with competing and placing in many local and national competitions, Jason performed with the highly acclaimed team, SuperCaliLindyLicious, winning 2nd place at the National Jitterbug Championships, 1st place at the American Lindy Hop Championships, and 1st place at the U.S. Open in 2007. On the weekends he enjoys tasting cheese, singing Disney or Sound of Music duets, quoting popular TV shows, making tasty treats, and attempting to be the funniest person you know. Feel free to let him know how he's doing.


Minn and Corina are without a doubt one of the fastest couples dancing in the scene today. They are 1st place winners of the 2003 American Lindy Hop Championships, and winners of the California Balboa Swing Championships, dancing their way to 1st place three years in a row. They are two-time award winners of the U.S. Open Lindy Hop Championships, and just recently took home the title of undefeated champion for the second time in a row at the 2004 Hellzapoppin' U.S. Nationals.

Lisa Wade has been dancing lindy hop since 1998. She learned how to dance in San Francisco and soon moved to Madison, Wisconsin where she taught for six years. Lisa has placed in competitions at the MidAmerican Dance Championships, the North Atlantic Dance Championships, and the American Lindy Hop Championships; she has been an instructor at Midwest Lindyfest and Cowtown Jamborama; and she judged the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown for three years. She moved to LA in 2006. Her classes at Lindy Groove focus on the way in which strong lead-follow technique facilitates natural movement, interesting footwork, creative teamwork, and (good) surprises on the dance floor. Lisa also enjoys teaching private lessons. Her privates emphasize problem-solving, the fundamentals of lead/follow technique, and physics-based connection. To inquire, she can be contacted at lwade@oxy.edu.

Courtney Widger is a local Los Angeles/Orange County dancer whose groovy style, crazy hips and high flying aerials make Courtney one of the best amateur follows this side of the Mississippi. Courtney has been competing since 2006 and placing in many local and national competitions. She was also a member of the highly acclaimed team, SuperCaliLindyLicious, winning 2nd place at the National Jitterbug Championships, 1st place at the American Lindy Hop Championships, and 1st place at the U.S. Open in 2007.  In addition to being one of LA's finest follows, she is also in the process of getting her doctorate in Clinical Psychology. So, in a few years, when you see her on the dance floor it will be: "Dr. Widger, may I have this dance"?


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 come from learning from the original masters. His accomplishments thus far include: 2001 Jitterbug Jam, 2002 and 2003 National Jitterbug Championships, and the 2003 American Lindy Hop Championships.

Todd Yanacone is one of Lindy Hop's fastest rising stars. He is a well known social and competitive dancer on the national swing circuit. Todd is known for his smooth style and musical creativity. He has consistently placed amongst the top competitors at
numerous events across the United States. To highlight some of his more distinguished awards, Todd is a champion at three of Lindy Hop's most prestigious competitions: the American Lindy Hop Championships, the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, and the National Jitterbug Championships.

Ben and Sheri Yau  have long been known for their footwork, creativity, and unique blend of Lindy Hop styles. (Is it Savoy? Hollywood? Hip-Hop? Ben and Sheri say "Yes!"). They first came into the spotlight in 2000 in competition placing 3rd at the 2000 American Lindy Hop Championships and 4th at the World Lindy Hop Championships. Since then, they have enjoyed teaching and dancing in and out of Southern California. As teachers, Ben and Sheri enjoy making their classes both fun and entertaining (and of course educational!).  http://www.one2swing.com

Daniel Young is an internationally recognized Swing dancer and dance instructor. Since 2003, he has performed, trained, and competed with top Swing dancers in Asia, North America, and Europe. He has taught numerous workshops in Melbourne, Tokyo, Seoul, and Los Angeles (where he now calls home). Currently he is a member of team One2Swing Jitterbugs, winning 1st place at the National Jitterbug Championships, 2nd place at the American Lindy Hop Championships, and 2nd place at the U.S. Open in 2008. Daniel likes to make sure that his students always feel challenged (but never overwhelmed). He believes that a good dance is a metaphor for a good life -- simple and effortless.


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