Instructors

Michael Gamble and Jaya Dorf

Michael & Jaya got seriously involved with Lindy Hop in the southeast region of the US in the early 2000's, prolifically teaching, organizing, and devoting themselves to the growth of the dance community. In addition to organizing Lindy Focus (1-7), Sugar Foot Stomp (1-2), Enter the Blues (2-3), and Southern Belle Swing Bash (1-5), they have taught workshops in over 25 US cities. They have attended and led multiple regional teacher training seminars, and have sought relentlessly to spread awareness of Lindy Hop and to cultivate its tradition and technique. Together and separately they have helped to organize, operate, and judge a variety of contests of every dance style associated with the Lindy Hop world.

Marc Hussner

Marc was born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal. At the age of 21 he left for Sweden where he settled for three years. Restlessness and a great desire to travel brought him to sell all his belongings, quit his job, and leave for a South American tour. After backpacking through Brazil for three months, Marc arrived at Buenos Aires... and found tango. During his year and a half in Argentina, he intensively pursued perfection in tango by training with world-class teachers like Andres Amarilla, Chicho Frumboli, Julio Balmaceda, and Gabriel Glagovsky. After beginning his teaching career in Buenos Aires, Marc was brought to the states to teach at the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School, in Philadelphia PA, where he currently resides.

Marc is known for his dynamic yet graceful style, giving nuevo elements a warmth and sensitivity that is often seen in more traditional tango styles. Marc believes mastering the technical aspects of tango gives dancers the foundation to be more creative and to pursue a more complex quality of dance. His engaging, clear yet relaxed teaching approach allows students to understand and execute movements with ease, and give them the tools they need to bring their dance to a higher level. To support his development as a tango dancer, Marc practices body awareness method and pilates.

Mike (the Girl) Legett

Mike's true loves in life are teaching, dancing, following, and music. There's no order, because for her, these things are intrinsically linked. In addition to national events like Lindy Focus and Enter the Blues, Mike has taught at countless regional events in Lindy, Blues, and Tango, as well as traveling all over the country to teach and perform. She performed in an all-girls Charleston troupe at Camp Jitterbug's Jump Session Show in 2007, and in the all-girl blues troupe, the Hoodoo Ladies, at events from DC to BluesShout in St. Louis. Additionally, she spent one month as the Instructor-in-Residence for Philadelphia Lindy and Blues, teaching 2 workshops, a masters' class, a performance troupe review, a four-week series, and over 60 private lessons. She considers it to be one of the most challenging, educational, and rewarding experiences in her career.

Mike combines an intuitive understanding of connection with an analytical speaking style to give her students technique, but also strives to challenge and inspire her students to push themselves further into the music. She aims to help leaders create artistic compositions that are clearly led; she wants follows to have the ability to be the completely literal follow, and the inspiration and freedom to be an imaginative and dynamic contributor. In the classroom or on the social floor, she seeks a connection that involves active communication from both partners, to make a dance together.

Mike will be available for privates starting Friday afternoon, and charges $50/hr per person or couple, with a discounted rate for students of $40/hr per person or couple. She'll also be available to teach privates with Reuel for $80/person or couple. To contact her about lessons, email her gmail account: immaculateconnection.

Daniel Arredondo

Daniel Arredondo was born in San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina and has been dancing almost all of his life. As a teenager he trained and competed in Martial Arts. He also studied and performed modern dance during his last years in high school. As a member of the Universidad Nacional de San Luis ballet in Argentina, he performed traditional folkloric dances. In addition Daniel successfully competed as a member of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Ballroom Team in 1999. After more than six years of instruction from several world renowned Argentine Tango dancers, he has performed in many National Tango events, and over the past several years has traveled internationally and nationally teaching Tango workshops. Currently he is the Argentine Tango instructor in the Charlotte area.

Reuel Reis

Reuel's unique style of dancing holds its roots in the dirty streets of the Big Easy, where he was born and raised. Growing up, Reuel's mother was a late-night DJ of avant-garde jazz for the local New Orleans radio station WWOZ and raised him listening to artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, the Rebirth Brass Band, and the Dirty Rascals. He also played in school bands under jazz greats like Walter Payton and Edward "Kidd" Jordan. Despite their excellent instruction, he soon learned that his talents were not in playing the jazz that he loved, but in dancing to its rhythms. Since then, Reuel attempts to imbue the spirit, culture, rawness, and tradition of his hometown (where you can still hear some of the greatest live music in the world on any given night) into every dance.

Reuel will be available to teach privates, and charges only $50/hr. He'll also be available to teach privates with Mike for $80/hr. To contact him email his gmail address at reuelreis.

Krissy McFadden

Tango became an instant passion as Krissy took her first steps 3 years ago. Dedication and eagerness to master tango drove her to study with every instructor that inspired her, quickly becoming known as one of the youngest and most promising newcomers in the Philadelphia tango community. Now an established and cherished instructor, Krissy teaches at the Philadelphia Argentine tango school.

As a dancer, Krissy is known for her intricate footwork and superb musicality. Despite primarily being a Nuevo dancer, her versatility takes her over pre-established style boundaries to be fluent in everyone’s embrace. Her enthusiasm and laid-back approach create an easygoing learning environment, where students feel relaxed and inspired. Krissy emphasizes the importance for both leaders and followers to put technique, creativity and joy on equal grounds.

Krissy will be available for privates Saturday, and charges $60/hr. To contact her, email her hotmail account at kristinamcfadden.

Introductory Teachers

Zoe Whittaker

Zoë Whittaker has been dancing, performing & instructing Blues & Savoy style Lindy Hop for over eight years. She emphasises strong social dance technique and is known for her connection based approach to teaching. Her classes teach solid partner communication that will make your dancing feel comfortable. Some of her professional experiences include teaching and performing blues dance at Herrä ng Dance Camp in Sweden, teaching connection classes at Lindy Focus III, working as a period dance consultant, choreographer & dancer on the set of George Clooney's movie Leatherheads and directing two years of Orton Academy's Swing & Jazz program (Asheville, NC).
She teaches Blues & Lindy weekly in Charlotte, NC. Some of her more recent events have included teaching the Beyond Blues
traveling series with Mihai Banulescu in Raleigh, Virginia Beach & York, Pennsylvania along with master classes in tango & blues at Blango Nuevo this past October. She is looking forward to dancing with you and breathing in some fresh mountain air.

Huy Huynh

One of Huy’s greatest memories as a child was playing old gospel hymns on the church organ during Sunday service. Although music has always been a great love in his life, Huy was involved in many activities. He was a varsity swimmer and rower, had roles in plays and musicals, and has studied multiple forms of martial arts. Entering college in 2002, Huy was looking for a change from his usual and decided to join the Vanderbilt Swing Club to learn to dance. In 2004, Huy was offered the opportunity to teach beginner swing dance for Music City Motion in Nashville, TN. In 2006, Huy moved to Huntsville, AL where he was awarded a graduate assistantship to study liquid rocket engines. “Jonesing” for his fix, Huy realized that in order for him to dance in Huntsville he was going to have to teach dance. Huy teaches weekly beginner and intermediate level Lindy and Charleston at the University of Alabama Fitness Center. His greatest challenge teaching a social dance in Huntsville has been structuring his class to suit a room full of technical minds (i.e. Engineers, Programmers, and Physicists). During classes, Huy stresses the importance of connection, quality of movement, and technique. Huy is currently the president and instructor chair for the Huntsville Swing Dance Society. He is excited to be a part of BAB and can’t wait to see all of you on the dance floor.

Bill and Connie Healy

Bill and Connie were born and raised in N.Y.C., met at an "Officers' Club Dance" in Manhattan and married a short time later.
Dancing wasn't a part of their lives until they moved to Knoxville in 1996. Within a short time, they were dancing the Waltz, Fox-trot and all the other Ballroom dances and meeting wonderful people who also loved to dance. They particularly enjoyed the Latin dances including the Rumba and Cha-Cha. They fell in love with the Argentine Tango the first time they saw it danced. They have been learning and teaching Tango ever since. They feel that Argentine Tango is a mental as well as physical dance which can be both simple and difficult, and definitely worth learning. It's a thing of joy!

Connie and Bill enjoyed spending time in Buenos Aires immersed in the local culture and learning from master Tango teachers there. Their goal is to share what they know with others and promote Tango in Knoxville. Connie is President and Bill is VP of the Knoxville Argentine Tango Society (KATS) having been members since KATS was organized. They encourage everyone to try Tango. For information about the Argentine Tango, contact Bill and Connie or check out the KATS' website at www.knoxvilletango.org.

Bill and Connie are indeed available for private lessons! Their normal rates are $50/hr per person or couple (plus floor fee, if applicable), but they've generously offered a special deal of $30/hr per person or couple for BAB perticipants. To contact them about privates, or for more information, email them: tangoduo at gmail.