My guest this month, Mikey Pedroza, is one of the most versatile dancers in the modern swing dance scene, having competed, performed, and taught Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Blues, and Solo Jazz around the world.  He is a fixture on the international swing dance scene and co-hosts the podcast “The Brightside with Mikey and Rachel.” Mikey and I sat down at ILHC 2017 to talk about his changing approach to choreography and competition, and his memories of dancing as a teenager in Southern...

This month, I am joined by Moe Sakan. Moe discovered Lindy Hop as a teenager in her native Osaka, Japan, and continued social dancing after moving to London in 2000 to pursue a dream in the performing arts. Injury changed her path and Moe has since become an active competitive swing dancer and instructor. She has won several competition titles, including the 2017 Open Classic Lindy title and four consecutive Jack & Jill titles at Camp Hollywood’s National Jitterbug Championships, and has...

This month, I am joined by the Queen of Swing herself, Norma Miller. Growing up behind the famous Savoy Ballroom, she joined Whitey's Lindy Hoppers as a young teenager and has spent over 80 years in show business as a dancer, choreographer, comedian, and writer. She competed in the inaugural Harvest Moon Ball in 1935, performed on Broadway, in films like Hellzapoppin' and A Day at the Races, and around the world as a dancer and leader of the Norma Miller Dancers and Norma Miller's Jazzmen....

This month, I am joined by a living legend from the world of West Coast Swing, John Festa. Born into a family of original-era swing dancers that never stopped dancing, John is a renowned dancer, instructor, and DJ at Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, and Blues dance events across the country. He is co-founder of the Gotham Swing Club and Liberty Swing Dance Championships, and hosted NYC's longest-running weekly WCS party. He has also earned numerous awards and accolades, including...

This month, I am joined by one of the swing world’s most popular bandleaders and sought-after clarinetists, Paul Cosentino. Paul founded the Boilermaker Jazz Band in 1988 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and quickly became a mainstay at traditional jazz and Dixieland festivals for over a decade. Then in 2001, the Boilermakers first played specifically for Lindy Hoppers at the first PittStop Lindy Hop and have been a fixture in the swing dance scene ever since, playing around the...

This month is the 10th anniversary of the publication of the autobiography Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop, and I am thrilled to be joined by its co-author, Cynthia Millman. A long-time Lindy Hopper in her own right, Cynthia first met Frankie Manning in 1986.  She performed with the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers for five years under his artistic direction, and later studied, taught, and partnered with Frankie.  She is a librarian at The Town School in Manhattan, has contributed articles...

This month, I am joined by pianist and bandleader Gordon Webster.  A piano player since age four, Gordon had his first gig playing for swing dancers in 2001 and he caught the Lindy Hop bug soon after.  His passion, diversity, and musicianship have made him one of the most sought-after musicians in the Lindy hop world, becoming a fixture at events like The Snowball, Lindy Shock, Swing Camp Oz, and Beantown Dance Camp.  His seventh album, entitled “This.” was released this month, and he is...

This month, I am joined by international instructor and award-winning swing dancer, Todd Yannacone.  Todd has been a traveling instructor since the age of 16 and has won numerous titles at major national and international events. Todd is a member of the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame and has taught, performed, or judged in 30 countries around the world.  When at home in New Orleans, Todd can be found performing on guitar or piano with a number of different bands, including his own, Hot...

This month, I am thrilled to be joined by Juste Debout World House Dance champion, and relative newcomer to swing and solo jazz dance, LaTasha Barnes.    Tasha and I sat down at Lindy Focus XV to talk about the many twists and turns of her life’s journey - from growing up as a young African-American in the capital of the Confederacy, to 10-year Army veteran, powerlifiting champion & fitness competitor, and an artistic director & educator with Urban Artistry dance company. We...

This month, I am joined by one of the top swing drummers in the world, and bonafide rock star, Josh Collazo. Josh is known to most swing dancers through his work behind the drum kit with bands such as Jonathan Stout’s Orchestra and Campus Five, Dave Stuckey & his Hot House Gang, or perhaps his first band, The Feetwarmers.  But Josh may be better known to more mainstream music fans as the drummer for the Grammy-winning and platinum-selling band, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. ...

This month, I am joined by instructor, performer, and fellow New Yorker, Nathan Bugh. Most dancers I’ve talked to on the show are professional Lindy Hoppers in the sense that they make their living traveling from city to city as dance instructors.  While that description definitely applies to Nathan - he has taught with partners Evita Arce and Gaby Cook around the world - he’s also a professional Lindy Hopper of a different type: one who is regularly hired to perform at corporate and...

I am joined this month by Remy Kouakou Kouame - Remy began dancing Boogie Woogie at age 6 in his hometown of Montpellier, France, and by 2006 he and his partner Sarrah Montalban became World Boogie Woogie Champions.  Since then, he has become an acclaimed international Lindy Hop and solo jazz instructor who has also earned several titles at the International Lindy Hop Championships. Remy joined me after ILHC 2016, where he described the competitive world of Boogie Woogie, challenging his own...

This month I’m joined by Nalla Kim.  Nalla has traveled the world as a dancer, instructor, and competitor, and is a mainstay in the booming swing dance scene of Seoul, South Korea.  He runs the swing teams Sweet Heart & Lindy Blossom and brings international instructors and musicians to the thousands of Lindy Hoppers in Seoul though events like Authentic Jazz Weekend, Lindy Blossom Weekend and SEOUL Lindyfest. Nalla made his first appearance at ILHC in 2011 with team Sweet Heart and now...

Like many of us, I am still reeling from the news that one of the guiding lights of swing passed away this weekend.  Dawn Hampton left us too soon at 88 years young - and I had the distinct privilege to call her my mentor and my friend.  She had the sharpest wit, the wisest soul, the warmest heart, and was also the biggest ham, of anyone I have ever known. If I am being completely honest, the potential of talking with Dawn was one of the very reasons I started this podcast.  So instead of...

I am joined this month by my long-time friend, Mike Thibault. Mike is a driving force in the swing dance scene of Rochester, NY, where he is a founding member of the teaching group Groove Juice Swing and helps organize events like Stompology & Slow Dance Soirée. Mike has been running Swing Out New Hampshire since 2014, and is also a sought-after DJ, serving as Head DJ for Frankie 100 and spinning at events such as ILHC, Lindy Focus, and numerous lindy exchanges. We sat down after...

This month, I am joined by instructor & choreographer Laura Glaess. Laura was introduced to Lindy Hop in her small Texan hometown and helped grow the scene in San Antonio before making her way to Austin, TX, where she is now a vital part of the local scene. Her boundless energy & dedication have led her to become a highly-regarded international teacher and competitor.  Laura is the co-owner of The Lindy Project in Austin and is well-known for her work choreographing performances like...

This month, I am joined by DJ, Lindy Focus co-organizer, and Rhythm Serenaders bandleader, Michael Gamble. Michael has been swing dancing for more than 15 years and in that time his projects have become some of the most esteemed in the swing dance community. Michael has been head DJ for Beantown, Lindy Focus and the European Swing Dance Championships, and a featured DJ at Herrang Dance Camp, ILHC, and the Lone Star Championships, among others.  His band, the Rhythm Serenaders, has...

This month, I am joined by vocalist, swing DJ, and Lindy Shopper - Laura Windley.  Laura began DJing in her native North Carolina in 2001, spinning at major events across the country and her blog, Lindy Shopper, provides swing dancers with invaluable vintage fashion and shopping resources for finding dance clothing new and old. Laura got her start singing with the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars, and has since performed with bands such as the Jonathan Stout Orchestra and Michael Gamble's Rhythm...

This month, I am joined by one of the most prolific and respected Lindy Hop bloggers in the world, Jerry Almonte. Jerry is a fixture behind the scenes of the swing community — he is one of the founders of DCLX, the Washington, DC Lindy Exchange (which just celebrated its fifteenth year), and DJs regularly at The Jam Cellar in Washington, DC.  He has also served as Event Manager for landmark events including Frankie 95, the Big Big Event, and every year of ILHC since its inception. However,...

In this episode I am joined by one of the most widely recognized and respected swing dance instructors in the world, Sylvia Sykes. Sylvia began dancing in 1966, competing in 1970, and teaching in 1979, and she studied with many of the dance greats, including Frankie Manning, Dean Collins, Maxie Dorf, and Willie Desatoff.  She is a six-time US Open Finalist, a member of the National Swing Dance Hall of Fame, and co-founder of the International Lindy Hop Championships. Sylvia’s unparalleled...

This month, I am joined by international instructor and award-winning Lindy Hopper, Jo Hoffberg.  Jo has been a traveling instructor since 2007 and has won titles at ALHC, the Canadian Swing Championships, ILHC, the European Swing Dance Championships, the National Jitterbug Championships, Lindy Showdown, and the U.S. Open. Jo has taught and performed in 25 countries across 5 continents and in 2012 was inducted into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. We sat down at ILHC 2015 to talk...

This month, I am joined by the Head DJ of Lindy Focus, Rob Moreland.  Now based in St. Louis, ‘Raleigh’ Rob has been DJing for swing dancers since 2003, when he started a four-year stretch of DJing every week at a local dance in Raleigh, NC.  Rob has since DJed countless international dance events, including the Basie Centennial Ball, Frankie100, and Lindy Showdown, and has been the featured DJ at Stompology, Swing Out New Hampshire, and the Nevermore Jazz Ball. In our conversation, we...

This month, I am joined by an amazing dancer, singer, and instructor from Toronto, Caitlin Wellman.  A native of Ithaca, NY, Caitlin made a splash with the rest of Minnie’s Moochers in 1998. Starting as a teen, Caitlin was a traveling instructor for the better part of a decade, partnering with Dan Amores & Peter Strom, before she stepped away from the scene in 2006.  She has since returned, teaching on her own in Toronto and at dance events in Canada & the USA. In our conversation,...

This month I am joined by one of the top bandleaders for swing dancers today, Jonathan Stout.  Jonathan began dancing as a teenager in 1995, and started his first band, the Campus Five, in 2002.  Since that inception, his bands have played regularly throughout his native Los Angeles, and he has grown into a giant of the swing world. He has released 3 albums with the Campus Five, and led bands at the National Jitterbug Championships at Camp Hollywood, the Frankie 95 festival, the International...

This month I am joined for a very important conversation with instructor & back-to-back ILHC Pro Classic champion, Ramona Staffeld.  Believe it or not, Ramona has already been teaching for half of her young life, starting at age 14 and spanning two decades.  In that time she’s taught alongside legends Frankie Manning and Chazz Young and has brought crowds to their feet at international events while performing with Minnie’s Moochers, the Silver Shadows, and  recent partners Todd Yannacone...