Mike Faltesek
brings to the dance floor an incredibly diverse social and performance dance talent that includes not only Lindy Hop but also Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Traditional Jazz, Tap, Charleston, Breakaway, Balboa, Big Apple, Blues and many other Authentic Jazz dances.Mike has been dancing for almost a decade, in that time he has traveled to instruct, compete, and perform internationally. From Harlem to Los Angeles and all throughout Europe. Mike is well known for his charismatic personality, approachability and passion for the essence of Authentic Jazz dance and music. He possesses an enthusiastic ability to convey ideas and movements explicitly, making him a popular instructor wherever he goes. He teaches workshops internationally, each time leaving a lasting impression on his students.
Mike's main source of inspiration are the greats of yesteryear. Dancers and performers like Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, the Nicholas Brothers, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, John Bubbles, Earl "Snakehips" Tucker, and the Berry Brothers.
Mike has been residing in Sweden for the past 2 years as a member of the world's foremost Jazz Dance Company, The Harlem Hot Shots. He has since moved back to the states and can be found wherever people love swing music.
Bethany Powell
, a Maine native, was never 'classically trained' but has found a haven in the dances of the proletariat. You know, getting down. She quietly achieved the threshold of Lindy Hop savvy in the Portland and (recently) DC scenes of the past few years and, having fared well in recent competitions throughout the country, would like to advert that she dominated three-legged-races as a child. Bethany is intrigued by the interplay of assertion and concession that makes for good cooperative art. She would rather dance to the hot hot jazz. In spite of herself, she's really beginning to enjoy choreographing and teaching choreography. Bethany's style of teaching is to keep the fun focused and the focus on fun, although she would be embarrassed to hear it described that way.Stefan Durham
has been teaching Lindy Hop for a few years now, and he has won some stuff at a variety of Lindy Hop competitions, but none of that really means anything because the real issue at hand is his unflagging, lifelong love for and devotion to partnered jazz dance. In his classes Stefan likes to teach ideas, rhythms and moves that are fun, edifying, and adjustable to each dancer's needs. Stefan likes dancing really fast and really slow. He likes Charlie Chaplin and the traditional dances of Guinea. He can do the Mill's Mess and a pretty sweet scorpion kick. And he likes syncopating his steps as he's walking down the street, all cool-like.
Adam Boehmer
An avid jazz dancer for over a decade, Adam invokes the spirit within. He is often sought after as an entertaining instructor and performer, or sometimes just to show up; his positive energy is relentless.As a teacher, he presents an honest and fresh perspective on dance and boils down advanced concepts into graspable, concrete information. He believes that a good instructor is one-part dancer, one-part comedian and one-part poet. As a competitor and performer, he brings a jovial and effervescent feel to the floor. Confident in Jazz Dance as a path to one's overall individualism, Adam stresses the break-down of preconceived notions concerning style, structure and gender roles in dance.
Caitlin Wellman
teaches her students more than just a bunch of cool moves (but they get that too)! Her focus on solid lead/follow technique, based on momentum, connection, and rhythm helps her students enjoy the dance on a deeper level and become more connected to the music and their partner. Her teaching is clear and articulate, and full of fun and creative ways of improving your dancing.Caitlin has trained with all the great names in swing, including the original swing dancers of Harlem, since 1997. She was a founding member of the multi-award winning performance troupe Minnie's Moochers, from Ithaca, NY, USA, and has been in huge demand as a teacher across the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia for many years. She is the Artistic Director & Choreographer of The Flappettes, a sassy all female 1920's Jazz & Charleston troupe, and Director & Choreographer for Capital Dance Productions, a performance troupe that specializes in 20th century North American partner and solo dances.
Caitlin has also made several Television and Print appearances such as: Instant Star, Much Music Video Awards '06 with Fall Out Boy, Toronto 1 'Toronto Dances' program, and the cover of Dance Spirit Magazine.
Dan Amores
is easily Canada's top swing dance leader. He is an articulate teacher, a natural performer and competitor rolled into one. Dan's dance philosophy stresses musicality and momentum, with special attention to the communication between lead and follow. Incredibly versatile, with a wide dance range spanning from raw to lyrical, Dan never fails to make his follower feel like she is the best one out there (and never fails to take other leaders to school). Currently teaching, judging, djing, running events and competing full-time, Dan knows that, really, it's all about tapping into the heart and soul inside each one of us.His accomplishments include winning and placing in the highest level of competition at prestigious swing dance events in the United States as well as performances and demonstrations in TV shows, music videos and on stage musical performances.
Sylwia Bielec
is from Montreal and has been a regular fixture on local teaching and social circuits for many years. Dancing since the age of 10, Sylwia was drawn to lindy hop in 2000 when the Montreal swing scene was just discovering the dance. It was love at first sight. Today, Sylwia brings to lindy hop not only her love of partner dance but also her belief that each of us has primal internal rhythms and a biological impetus to move, baby! Her quest for the joy within the dance has led her to travel widely, learning from the best teachers in North America and dancing with top leaders. Recognized by her peers as a charismatic, sensitive and versatile follow, Sylwia is an articulate and highly skilled teacher and organizer who understands and works with individual learning styles. If you don't get it, she will find a way to teach it to you! Her dance motto is 'This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!' - her biggest accomplishment is igniting the light in others.
Alain Fragman
started dancing in 2000 at Arthur Murray Dance School, mainly specializing in latin dances (Salsa, Mambo, Cha-cha,...). About a year later, he was introduced to the wonderful world of Swing, and completely fell in love with it, attending multiple workshops, camps, exchanges, and competitions. He began teaching in 2003 and his love and passion for lindy hop is only surpassed by his affection to the swing community and his well-known friendliness among new swing dancers. A talented and very musical dancer and teacher, Alain believes that when people let go and really listen to the music and feel it, that is when they are truly dancing. Among his accomplishments, his most recent awards in 2008 include 1st place in the Strictly division at the Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships, 1st place with the Northern Lights in the Team divison at the International Lindy Hop Championships, and 3rd place in the Classic division of the Canadian Swing Championships (CSC) along with fellow Cat's Corner teacher Sylwia Bielec.
Carl Nelson
A philosopher at heart, Carl follows Nietzsche: "I do not know what the spirit of a philosopher could more wish to be than a good dancer." Constantly re-forging himself, his dancing and his passion for it all; he undergoes daily treatments of caffeine and weekly infusions of hot jazz, live of course. In the City (New York that is) he has fallen in with vagabonds and street musicians; hoodlums with a penchant for playing it sweet and wild in streets and dives. You will find him crouched, listening and watching till the band breaks into double time and he's on his feet or mid-air mid-charleston.In his spare time as a cyber-vagabond, he co-runs Lindybloggers.com, the news and review blog for the Lindy Hop scene, as well as his own personal dance blog. An intellectual, he is said to live in his head (perhaps up and to the left a bit) and will visit his body (to dance and the like).
He has competed, performed, and taught across the United States as well as that great white expanse to the North: Canada. His current exploits include brushing up on throwing girls to the ground (eventually), fumbling through tap class, and hopefully taking up modern classes.
His dancing emphasizes the interdependence of the music, his partner, and the floor. As a teacher he brings a critical attention to detail and mechanics while hoping that the minute you hit the floor, you forget and just dance. He dances his heart and hopes one day to get completely lost. Shiny.
Joanna Lucero
Ballet slippers, tap shoes, heels, Keds; whatever footwear she can find (and she has a lot), Joanna dances in. Simply put, Joanna loves to dance. She has a background in ballet, tap, popular latin dances (naturally, being a Spanish chica), and Argentine tango. She began Lindy Hopping in college when she joined her school swing club. She was hooked from the very first swingout. Joanna eventually became one of the swing club teachers and found it to be a great learning and very rewarding experience.In addition to teaching, Joanna also enjoys performing and competing. She has competed and placed at Boston Tea Party, American Lindy Hop Championships, Big Big Event and other regional events in the Northeast and Southeast. As a dancer, Joanna is just a tiny bundle of energy. She finds her joy in the music.
Originally from New York City, Joanna's dance roots lie in Rochester, NY where she attended the Rochester Institute of Technology for both undergrad and grad school studies. Joanna has just recently moved to Atlanta, GA where she will enjoy more pleasant year-round weather.
