The Jam Cellar || Swing Dance and Lindy Hop

Andy Reid

www.andyandnina.com

Andy Reid is well known for his powerful presence, movement and technique. His style is a balance of the refined and the eccentric, and he succeeds highlighting the wildness of Lindy Hop without compromising underlying technique. Andy has performed and taught all over the world including Australia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden, Italy and France. He is a founding member of Silver Shadows, a recently formed troupe who performed in Harlem, NY at a tribute event for the surviving members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, and recently won the team division of the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. He is alsohighly influential troupe Minnie's Moochers. Finally, Andy is also a founding member of Mad Dog!, a Lindy Hop Crew who is infamous within the Lindy community for some reason. Andy also holds a variety of regional, and national competition titles.

Angie Sabin

Angie danced herself right out the womb, in a small town of the Pacific Northwest, but it was strange to dance so soon. Thus, she lived the life of a secret dance enthusiast; only dancing shyly in living room musical productions or later making flagrant yet heartfelt attempts at learning the choreography of 1984-89 music videos. During her near mid 20's, amidst mad obsessions with Billie Holiday, rock-n-roll shows and all things old timey; she first tried her hand at swing dancing and was immediately hooked. Ever since, she has been a willing addict, finding various ways to learn more and share her experience with others. She taught for some time at large, small (and not at all) dance venues in Portland, Oregon. By the new year 2006, Angie found herself driving cross country to seek out new adventures. Where the road stopped, she found a home; amongst the Jam Cellar crew. You will find Angie nearly every other week, round 9pm, teaching our beginning lesson.

Betsy Kipperman

Betsy Kipperman Ð mild mannered music teacher Ð has been lindy-hopping for ten years. As someone who has successfully taught fifth grade students to Charleston, she feels confident in her abilities to teach newbies some basic, swingin' moves. If you can't find her on the dance floor she may spinning some tunes as a DJ or singing with the band on stage. When it comes down to it Ð Betsy loves her some good swing music and can't help dancing when she hears it.

Bobby White

www.bobbykate.com

Bobby has been a devout student of all things swing. Whitey's speed lindy, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, all styles Lindy Hop, air steps, tricks and vernacular jazz, and choreography are all passions he has been studying since 1998. He also has a great love of teaching and hopes to pass along the enormous swing-inspired smiles that make people walk a good distance away from you on the street.

While some people are proud to hold trophies or world records for dance marathons, he is proud to have held a jar of duck preserved in it's own fat (which he won in a Balboa competition in France).

Gretta Thorn

Gretta started dancing in the year of our Lord, 1998. She has been teaching for the past ten years. Her graceful style and ability to breakdown steps has set her apart as one of the best instructors in the area. Gretta has an amazing knack for organization and planning. She was instrumental in starting the UVA/ Charlottesville lindy hop scene and has helped nurture the DC scene into the vibrant place it is. One big highlight for Gretta in recent years was performing at the WWII Memorial dedication in front of thousands of veterans and millions of television viewers around the country.

Jeff Booth

Jeff has been dancing for a nearly twelve years(!). A swing dance history enthusiast, Jeff has amassed one of the most extensive collections of classic swing dance footage in the country. As DC's own swing dance historian, Jeff helps people learn while keeping sight of lindy hop's roots. He has been teaching for over nine years and is sought after for his specialized knowledge. He is also an accomplished musician who, in a former life, appeared on MTV with his band.

Kate Hedin

www.bobbykate.com

has instructed and performed extensively for Cleveland's Get Hep Swing as well as in workshops throughout America and in Europe. Aside from a love of both social and performance Lindy Hop, it is her passion to develop the opportunities for follows in Balboa and learn every follow's footwork variation possible.

Kate holds 1st place titles in the Eastern Balboa Championship's Invitational Jack & Jill (2004, 2006) & Intergalactic Strictly (2005), and the American Open Lindy Jack & Jill (2004). She is also proud to have held, along with her friends at Get Hep Swing in Cleveland, the Guiness World Record for longest dance party ever (52 hours, 3 minutes).

She also likes to climb trees.

Lee Tucker

Sometime around 1999, Lee made his first foray into swing dancing near Ithaca, NY. Unfortunately, not even the allure of high school assembly-induced Charleston could overcome the supreme awkwardness of his adolescence. Three years later and 1,000 miles away as a college freshman in Minnesota, Lee was finally ready to try again. Needless to say, this second experiment was much more successful, and dancing has remained a major part of his life ever since. Lee moved to the District in 2006, and he has remained active as a DJ, competitor, choreographer, teacher, and social dancer. You'll find Lee teaching our beginner lesson every few weeks and on the dance floor sweating through his unusually large t-shirt collection.

Phil Onochie

Phil Onochie slow-slow-quick-quick'd into the dance scene in the year 2000, in good ol Houston, TX. Knowing in his heart of hearts that there was something bigger and better than "slow, slow, quick, quick", he sought to find out how to feed his passion for movement and creativity. After finding Lindy Hop at the Melody Club, Phil understood what he must do. Now, 8 years into Lindy Hop, Phil has become a prominent face on the nationwide circuit teaching, competing and dancing. With his silly antics reminiscent of old time great legend, Leon James Phil put smiles on many faces..and scowls on a few. After much gallivanting globally, Phil is excited about moving back to DC and sharing his passion for dance with total strangers at the Jam Cellar. Phil doesn't bite. Please, say hello.

Nina Gilkenson

www.andyandnina.com

Lindy Hopper. Belly dancer. Hair-removal Laser Technician. The mysterious figure that is known only as "Nina" (and sometimes "Naomi") has many titles from prestigious dance competitions. But that's only a small part of her accomplishments. For instance, she can swivel in midair. She can simultaneously create vintage-style dresses and then destroy them while dancing. She can make 12-minute biscuits in 10 minutes. She writes upbeat musical theater involving funeral homes. And last, but not least, she is a part of the award-winning Lindy Hop team the Silver Shadows, which sounds like it's a group of super heroes. And that's what she is. A Super Hero--one whose main super power is doing swivels in midair. And one day, they might save the world. Until then, she lives in Washington D.C. and falls down a lot.

Naomi Uyama

www.naomiuyama.com

Naomi Uyama didn't realize swing dancing still existed until one night in late 1997, she attended a dance in her hometown of Washington DC, witnessed her first jam, and was instantly hooked. Over the past eight years she has studied vernacular jazz dance as an historic treasure while pursuing it as a living art form. She has taught workshops around the world, and performed for dance and music legends alike. As a competitor, Naomi recently took an unprecedented sweep of first place titles at the 2005 American Lindy Hop Championships, US Open Swing Dance Championships, and all three separate tempo divisions at the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. Her expertise in subtle musicality and focus on following skills are points she loves sharing with the dedicated dancers she finds in her classes.