Frankie Manning
 No
one has contributed more to the Lindy Hop than Frankie
Manning.
Frankie was one of the star dancers at
the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the 1930's and 40's
and is credited with creating the first air-step (aerial).
He was part of the exciting performance troupe, Whitey's
Lindy Hoppers from 1936 to 1941.
Today, still dancing in his 90's, Frankie
is the unofficial Ambassador of Lindy Hop to the world,
spreading its popularity to the far corners of our planet
while traveling and teaching the dance that he helped
to pioneer.
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Megan and Trevor
Trevor Gattis began Ballroom and Salsa dancing in 1995 and took up Lindy Hop in 1998. In 2001 he began teaching for Rob & Diane at Swing Central and in 2003 he took over the operations of the venue until 2005. Trevor currently choreographs new routines and performs around the Bay Area with his dance troupe, The Swing Cats Rhythm Revue. Trevor deejays at various Lindy camps, events and regularly at local swing dance venues. In addition, he teaches Lindy Hop Lessons at Wednesday Night Hop in Sunnyvale.
Megan Hornbecker started Lindy Hopping 1996. In 2000, she was a member of Paul and Sharon's 20 couple Grease Monkeys performance at Swing Camp Catalina. From 2000 - 2006 Megan performed around the Bay Area with her dance troupe The Swing Cats Rhythm Revue. Megan has traveled the country and globe dancing, teaching and performing and has organized numerous lindy exchanges and events to promote Lindy Hop, including SFLX 2001 and 2003.
Trevor and Megan have been dancing together since 2001. In 2005 they founded Sunnyvale Swing (now WednesdayNightHop.com). They both have run and directed one of the Bay Area's longest running performance troupes The Swing Cats Rhythm Revue. Combining their love of classic lindy and modern influences, Trevor brings his ballroom and Salsa background together with Megan's blues and Tango background to create fun, exciting and inspiring Lindy Hop classes.
Megan and Trevor will be teaching the following classes:
Swing Rueda - Swing Rueda is an exciting, very social, group lindy swing dance! Adapted from Salsa Rueda by Jeff Miller and Elaine Hewlett, Swing Rueda is danced in a circle with two or more couples. A dancer calls which the entire circle executes in unison, as the follows travel around the circle dancing one or more moves with each lead. Get ready for a lot of moves and a lot of fun.
Extreme Charleston - Taking your Charleston to new levels - Extreme Charleston explores the endless variations of Charleston. This workshop is filled with completely leadable patterns that will challenge your lead and follow skills while impressing your partner and onlookers. Get ready to even amaze yourself with variations of Charleston you never thought possible and find out how easily they flow into your Lindy.
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Nicole and Marty
 Marty Klempner is one of the world’s busiest Lindy and Balboa instructors having taught all over the world, Marty has a reputation for clear and concise explanations in the classroom. He stresses connection through a baseline of relaxation regardless of the style of dance. Marty began teaching and competing full time in the fall of 2002, and has since taken home the following National Championship titles:
- National Jitterbug Championships - 2003 & 2006 NJC Grand Slam Champion (Pro Lindy, Balboa & Shag); 2004 & 2006 NJC Balboa Champion; 2006 Pro Lindy Champion
- American Lindy Hop Championships - 2007 ALHC Champions Strictly Champion; 2004 ALHC American Showcase Champion
- Rhythmic Arts Festival - 2007-2008 Lindy Hop Division Champion
- Swingin’ New England – 2006, 2007, 2008 Bookends Champion & 2007 Invitational Strictly Champion
And he has placed in the top five in various other competitions like: The US Open, Boogie by the Bay, Boston Tea Party, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, and Grand Nationals just to cite a few.
Marty is enthusiastic about passing on his love and passion for dance and bringing a fresh, interesting, and lighthearted attitude to both the dance floor and the classroom.
 Nicole Frydman has been singing and dancing since age 3 and has performed all over the country in national tours, regional theaters, summer stock, repertory, and even some major motion pictures. For example, you can catch her head fly by Julia Roberts in the dance scene of "Mona Lisa Smile".
In 1997 she discovered swing dancing to go along with the jazz she already loved so much. Since then she has become a professional dancer placing in over 40 local, regional, and national swing dance competitions including the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Grand Nationals, The US Open, and NADC, to name a few. Now she spends most of her time on the other side of the competitive floor as a judge at most of the top events in the country.
She previously taught various styles of swing at Dance Manhattan Studios in New York and is now a teacher and the Education Coordinator at 920 Special in San Francisco. She considers her emphasis and style in teaching and dancing to be about connection with her partner and the music, using technique as a way to find a dancer’s clearest voice.
She has also spent time behind the scenes creating events, shows, workshops, galas, concerts, dances, etc., and continues that work today with the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Some of her past favorites include Frankie Manning's 88th Birthday weekend, the Harlem Jazz Dance Festival 2001-2003, co-founding Jelly Roll Productions, and helping to create several entertaining 920 Special Open House Shows.
Nicole's favorite memory of Frankie is planning his 88th birthday weekend - it was a true honor, Nicole says.
Nicole and Marty will be teaching the following classes:
Let's Talk About Tone! - Exploring how varying levels of tone effect body movement (for example swivels).
Eliminating Assumptions - Leading and following without any assumptions.
Beginner Balboa - Making Balboa easy!!! Learn or refine your Balboa basic.
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Ria and Damon
Ria DeBiase, hailing from Sacramento, has been dancing and teaching Lindy Hop for over ten years, both in the USA and worldwide. She has also studied Historical Jazz, Ballet, Gymnastics, and Hip Hop. Her dancing style is energetic and musical, passionate and playful.
Ria has been competing and performing since 1998. In Spring/Summer of 2003, Ria toured Canada and the USA with the Harlem Hot Shots. Over the last couple years alone, she has won competitions at the US Open, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, National Jitterbug Championships, and the World Lindy Hop Championships.
Despite a healthy competitive attitude, Ria loves lindy hop in its natural habitat, the social dance floor.
Damon Stone has been dancing his entire life. Starting with vernacular Jazz/Blues he went on to Hip-Hop, and eventually studied well over a dozen different dance forms until coming full circle in 1995 to focus primarily on the history and styles of Swing and Blues. He has taught dance extensively on both coasts, and studied the development of vernacular Jazz/Blues dance regionally and nationally, traveling to New York, Chicago, Memphis, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, St. Louis, and New Orleans.
He has been interviewed as a Black dance historian in documentary and for radio. Damon has been a featured instructor at numerous swing camps and jazz festivals and workshops and camps across the U.S. and Canada. He is a member of the California Historical Jazz Dance Foundation, and a Director of the Northern California Lindy Society.
Ria and Damon will be teaching the following classes:
A Taste of Blues - Damon and Ria will cover the basics of a number of different Blues dances giving you a broad vocabulary of moves and styles. No matter what style of Blues music is played you will be on the floor living it up.
Flash and Class - This class for Lindy Hoppers and Blues dancers alike, is all about how to impress your partner and anyone else who may be watching. Breathtaking dips, daring lunges, and fun lifts, burn up the floor.
Jen and Ken
"Hep" Jen Holland started teaching Lindy Hop in Seattle in 1997, and it has been her full-time passion ever since. Upon moving to San Francisco in 2004, she started teaching the weekly free swing dance lesson at Lindy in the Park, which she continues to this day. Hep Jen currently teaches weekly classes in San Francisco at UCSF and at Lindy in the Park. Besides teaching, Jen's other projects have included organizing Lindy Hop events behind the scenes, DJing, performing, choreographing, traveling, and always social dancing. Above all, Jen seeks to support a friendly, vibrant, and welcoming dance scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. Check out Hep Jen's website at http://www.hepjen.com.
Ken Watanabe is the co-founder and head organizer of Lindy in the Park, the original free outdoor swing dance on Sundays at Golden Gate Park. Ken started Lindy in the Park as an avid social dancer in 1996, and Lindy in the Park has been going strong ever since, drawing over 150 people every Sunday. Ken has spent many years teaching Lindy Hop at the Doghouse, the Allegro Ballroom, Page Street Studio, and Lindy in the Park. Ken is particularly known for breaking down Lindy Hop steps in a clear, understandable way. Ken is also known for his crazy Suzy-Q variations and he's got a mean Camel Walk.
Jen's favorite memory of Frankie: "About 10 years ago, I was camping at Herrang Dance Camp in Sweden. It rained that summer...so it was a very soggy experience. I pitched my tent on the grass nearby one of the big teaching tents. It happened that Frankie was teaching in that tent every day. Every morning for a week, I woke up to the sound of Frankie's voice, his laugh, and his joyful spirit coming through the pouring rain. It brought a smile to my face every day!"
Ken's favorite memory of Frankie: "My favorite memory--or rather, memories--of Frankie are every time he tells the story of how he invented the first air step (aerial). The first time I heard it was at his first Bay Area workshop in 1995, and I've probably heard it 20 times since. But Frankie is a wonderful storyteller, and every time he tells it, I can imagine myself being at the Savoy ballroom in the 1930's and feeling the joy, excitement, and energy Frankie must have felt. Very inspirational. So I've never missed a Frankie workshop since, and I always make sure to attend his talks."
Jen and Ken will be teaching the following:
Lindy Hop Basics - Do you want a crash course in your 8-count Lindy Hop moves before you take class with Frankie Manning? Has it been awhile since you actually did a swingout? Want to get warmed up with the basics before you learn all kinds of variations? Then this class is for you! Ken Watanabe and Hep Jen will teach you the basics of 8-count Lindy Hop: the Swingout, the Lindy Circle, the Charleston, styling and turns. This class is offered first thing on Saturday morning for those of you that want to refresh your Lindy Hop skills. Ken and Jen will start you off right!
Jen will also be teaching:
Taste of the Big Apple - Take a bite of the Big Apple, the high energy jazz dance craze from the 1930s! The Big Apple originated in South Carolina and later took New York City by storm. Whitey's Lindy Hoppers choreographed a performance Big Apple, which was performed in several films in the 1930s and 1940s. Learn part of the original choreography as danced by Frankie Manning himself. Hep Jen will lead you through a fun routine full of classic steps like Spank the Baby, Truckin', Flying Charleston, and more!
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Jean and Bromley
Jean Ma and Bromley Palamountain first teamed up in August of 2004. Jean taught performance swing dancing to UC Berkeley students as part of "The [M]ovement". She is also well-versed in hip hop, having danced in the professional hip hop troupe Culture Shock.
Bromley's expertise lies in his gymnastics foundation. He trained under Olympic Gold medalist Tim Daggett and was able to pave his way through college as a competitive gymnast for UC Berkeley's men's gymnastics team.
Together they are known for their explosive aerials, high energy, and passion for the dance. Jean and Bromley love to showcase their talents in competitions, jam circles, and on the social dance floor. They would even practice their technique within the corridors of the B.A.R.T. stations if the security guards would let them. Jean and Bromley ardently spread the coolness of Lindy Hop wherever they go, enjoying teaching and the many friends they have met within the dance community.
Jean and Bromley will be teaching the following classes:
Tight Like That Charleston - We'll be teaching the Charleston patterns, transitions and syncopations that really excite us. This will be a fast paced class designed to push everyone to the limit. (Not for the faint of heart).
Stylish Lindy - While the song goes, "It taint what you do but how you do it," we believe it's actually a little of both. In this class we will be looking at not only lines but some fun moves to accentuate those lines. Be ready for a challenge.
Mad Rhythms for Beginners - Syncopation and improvisation are key ingredients in jazz music. This class will teach you how to interpret the jazz music by adding syncopations to your own dancing with the added bonus of adding sophistication to basic skills the students already possess.
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Laura and Owen
Owen started dancing lindy hop in San Francisco in 1998. In 1999 he was a founding member of Loose Change (a group that mixes many styles of dance from Hip hop to lindy hop) and is now one of the artistic directors. He has extensive experience performing and loves social dancing.
Laura started dancing lindy hop in Barcelona (Spain) where she is from. There she taught lindy hop regularly and performed with the "Barcelona Jazz Cats" dance company. Once in San Francisco, she continued social dancing and joined the Loosechange dance company.
Owen and Laura have been social dancing and performing together since 2004. They competed at the Basie 100yr Anniversary in NYC and placed in the top 6 dance couples. They also both competed at UHLS in the team division 2005 and won 1st place. Owen and Laura love social dancing and performing Lindy Hop, and are inspired most by the spirit and energy of the Dance.
Owen and Laura will be teaching the following classes:
Partnered Jazz steps - In this class Owen and Laura will show basic Jazz steps and incorporate them into a partnered lindy sequence.
Lindy Routine with hip hop variations - Owen and Laura will teach a lindy choreography that incorporates some basic movement from house and hip hop that fit well with classic lindy hop steps.
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Nathan and Heidi
Nathan Dias is an accomplished swing dance instructor, DJ and performer in San Francisco. Dancing since 1997, Nathan learned his chops on the social and competitive dance floor, at national and international dance camps, and as a performer with the SF Bounce and 3 Minute Maniacs swing dance troupes. Nathan teaches group classes on Mondays at Amura Dance Studio and Wednesday's at the Cat's Corner Swing Dance Party. He is a frequent guest instructor at Lindy in the Park and the 9:20 Special. Read more about Nathan and his classes at: http://www.swingornothing.com
Nathan's favorite Frankie memory: "At the 2005 Frankie Manning Workshop, the volunteers and teaching staff had a chance to have an intimate lunch with Frankie in the back room and ask questions about his life and Lindy Hop story. Many of us were on performance troupes so we got to ask and learn more about what it was like to be on Whitey's Lindy Hoppers...and compare it to our own experiences. I remember how everyone was absolutely silent, eyes, ears and attention glued to Frankie, hanging onto each and every word he said."
Heidi began dancing and teaching Lindy Hop and Blues in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1999 and has been dancing, teaching, and performing ever since. She now lives in San Francisco, California, where she teaches weekly Lindy Hop classes at the 9:20 Special and is a frequent guest instructor for the weekly Blues classes at Friday Night Blues. On weekends, she travels to teach at workshops all over the US and the world. You can learn more about Heidi and her classes at: www.blues-dance.com
Nathan and Heidi will be teaching the following classes:
Lindy Hop from the Ground Up - We'll cover the fundamentals of Lindy Hop including essential footwork, lead/follow technique and Lindy Hop's signature style. This class is perfect for those who are brand new to this classic (and
awesome!) swing dance as well as those who want to practice and polish their basics.
When the Spirit Moves: How to dance more musically by doing less - Dancing isn't just about doing whiz-bang move-after-move-after-move. It's also about moving as one in tune with your partner and the music. In this class, we'll quiet down our dancing by actually subtracting from and simplifying our basics, so that we can open up space for both partners to play with the connection, dynamics and rhythm...and also give ourselves room for the amazing, unplanned and musically inspired to occur!
Catrine & Elliott
Catrine Ljunggren is a dancer, teacher, performer & swing organizer specializing in dances of the Swing Era as well as Argentine Tango. Catrine teaches at dance camps and workshops all around the world. Most recently, she has taught at the Liny Hop Argentina International Festival - LHAIF and Herrang Dance camp 2008 in Sweden. She also runs and teaches the Wednesday night Cat's Corner at Savanna Jazz Club and teaches regularly at the YMCA in the Richmond in San Francisco.
Catrine is one of the original members of the legendary Rhythm Hot Shots and one of the founders of Herrang Dance Camp, the world's largest dance camp which has been in existence since 1982. Catrine and her dance company are one of the main groups responsible for the resurgence of Lindy Hop today. Catrine also organized Hop The Millennium, a swing camp that took place in Ensenada, Mexico and was attended by more than 450 people from all over the world.
Catrine learned from Al Minns and Frankie Manning, both members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in the 1930's. Catrine is known for her energy -- she likes to dance fast and fly high and it is a joy to watch her dancing as she is an excellent performer and dancer. In her dance partner Elliott Donnelley she has found someone willing to attempt to keep up with her, and they are a joy to watch because they really have fun when they dance.
Catrine's favorite Frankie memory: My best memory of frankie is probably when he and I took a boat to an island right outside stockholm and we ate and drank very good...I believe we drank a bit too much!
Elliott Donnelley has taught and performed Lindy Hop all over the world. Since 2002 he has been a featured teacher at the Herrang Dance Camp in Sweden.
In addition to being a skilled and energetic teacher, Elliott is a founding member and director of the San Francisco based dance troupe "Loose Change", he is a respected and successful organizer and he has produced several CD's including the Barbara Morrison: Live at the 920 Special album.
Elliott was instrumental in producing Frankie Manning's 90th Birthday Cruise, The Count Basie Centennial and the recent 80th Anniversary Celebration of the Savoy Ballroom.
He is currently helping to organize Frankie Manning's 95th Birthday Festival which will be held in New York City from May 21st-26th, 2009.
Catrine and Elliott will be teaching the following classes:
Charleston Lindy Hop - We will be mixing up the regular Lindy Hop steps with a lot of Charleston steps. We will include some of the traditional figures like behind the back, traveling and side by side Charleston as well as some less common moves. Hoping to accommodate everyone!
Harvest Moon Ball! - we'll be emphasizing the madness of Lindy with some crazy moves and lifts ....might be some biting and screaming :)
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