Dancing since 1974, Chester Whitmore originally studied to be a cinematographer. An encounter with famed tap dancer Fayard Nicholas changed his life. Eventually, Mr. Nicholas became his teacher and mentor.

Mr. Whitmore has been jumping ever since.  Lately, he has been travelling around the world on tour as dancer, teacher, choreographer, director and entertainer. He and his dance company, Black Ballet Jazz, have performed with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Mercer Ellington, the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster and the great Miles Davis.

The summer of 1999 sent him touring through Canada and Europe with the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra in a tribute to Duke Ellington.

Chester Whitmore's choreography can be seen in music videos by Weird Al Yankovic, Tina Marie, Boys 2 Men, and most recently, Sugar Ray.

The NAACP Image Awards (1989-1994), Soul of American Music, and Stellar Awards (Gospel Music Awards) show Mr. Whitmore’s versatility in choreographing for diverse groups, such as the Nicholas Brothers with Savion Glover, M.C. Hammer, Lavert, Bebe and Cece Winans, Vickie Winans and dance tributes to Dick Clark and The Artist (formerly known as Prince).

Teaching assignments included Herrang (Sweden), and dance performances, Salzburg (Austria), the San Francisco Jazz Festival (1997), the Monterey Jazz Festival (1996), performing with veteran jazz greats Jon Hendricks and Joe Williams.

Mr. Whitmore is actively involved in projects reaching young people through Los Angeles Cultural Affairs events as performer or as teacher for the Parks and Recreation Division, African Marketplace, and in schools and universities throughout the U.S.

Chester Whitmore has taught almost everyone who has made a name in the swing scene.

 Meet AJ Howard, a vibrant force in New York City's Lindy Hop scene. As a celebrated dancer, teacher, and competitor, AJ brings undeniable energy to the floor—his dynamic style and deep love for the dance have made him a standout at events across the globe. He’s performed in productions like SW!NG OUT! and earned his place in the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame.

When he's not dancing, AJ keeps the rhythm alive as an emcee, hyping crowds at world-class events like ILHC, Paris Jazz Roots, and the International Swing Dance Championships. Whether leading a packed workshop or lighting up a social floor, AJ blends skill and showmanship with a deep commitment to community, creating spaces where dancers of all levels feel welcome, inspired, and connected.

Dee started Swing Dancing at the age of three with her Dad in the basement, wearing her Mom’s heels and her favorite plaid skirt. A true Heritage Dancer and Tradition Bearer, learning from and dancing Lindy Hop with her family, in the context of black culture, music, and expression. With a hiatus into hip-hop during her school years, she was called back to Lindy Hop, and co-founded her college swing dance club. She has became an influential member of the Minneapolis scene. For over two decades she’s shared her love of Lindy Hop with dancers young and old, teaching, performing, and dancing at swing dance events.

Dee loves feeling free on the dance floor and advocates for self-expression and individual creativity as the true spirit of Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz. She bring an inclusive, shared knowledge, and individual ownership perspective from black culture classes. She dances for the joy and self-worth in expression that music and dance play in black culture in either partnered or solo dancing, and searches for presence in each moment. She loves responding to the music and partner, priding herself on making each dance unique to the musical experience and partner, creating an authentic dance conversation. Her goal is to help dancers experience the inclusion, joy, and self worth in expression that music and dance play in black culture by using teaching strategies that give access to the dance for different peoples and learners and creating a welcome and supportive environment.

She has recently enjoyed dancing a residency in Sw!ngout! at the Joyce Theater in NYC and on tour, and has taught, performed, and choreographed nationally and internationally, but mostly she wants to have a good dance. You should ask her, she follows and leads and wants to dance with you.

Some of Breonna’s fondest childhood memories are dancing in the kitchen with her siblings to top 40 radio while dinner was being prepared. Cooking, cleaning, roadtrips – music and dance was a part of everyday life. But it wasn’t until Breonna moved to New Orleans, where she experienced her first taste of live traditional jazz music, that she realized her affinity for the living art form of jazz dance!

She has danced and studied Lindy Hop, along with Vernacular Jazz at many different festivals and workshops around the world. As an emerging New Orleans based dance instructor, she values the connections between music, history, and authentic self expression through movement.

Nathan Bugh is one of the world's leading exponents of Lindy Hop and vernacular jazz dance. His on-stage appearances include: Carnegie Hall (Swing Swing Swing w/ New York Pops), The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain (Meet Ella, SW!NG OUT), The Apollo Theater (Swingin’ Frankie’s Way), and Jacob’s Pillow (Earthbeat!, More Forever, SW!NG OUT). He is one of the creators and choreographers of the Joyce Theater's SW!NG OUT, the greatest proscenium, swing-dance show since SWING! the musical. An active swing-dance competitor since the late 1990’s, Nathan holds numerous first-place titles in Solo Jazz, Lindy Hop, Team, Invitational, Slow Dance, Showcase, and Mix/Match divisions at events like the International Lindy Hop Championships. Recent results include 1st 2023 ILHC Video Showcase, 1st 2024 BTP Invitational Crossover, 2nd 2025 Lindyfest Invitational Draw, 2nd 2025 BTP Invitational. Nathan is a veteran dance instructor, with 20+ years of experience teaching students of all ages. He teaches the Columbia University Swing Club (2006-present) and is adjunct dance faculty at Marymount Manhattan College (2022-present). He has headlined many national and international swing-dance festivals, including Camp Jitterbug, Lindy Focus, Southwest Lindy Fest, Herrang Dance Camp, Paris Jazz Roots Festival, Swing Riot, Nanjing Lindy Festival, and AJW Korea.

At 27 years old, Cyle Dixon is a proud Cleveland native and award-winning dancer who discovered his passion for artistic expression early in life. He often reflects on how he first learned to hear music from the soul while soul line dancing at barbecues and singing in church as a child. Cyle embarked on his dance journey at just thirteen, joining the Cleveland Junior Jitterbugs (CJJ). This formative experience ignited a lifelong love for Lindy Hop, inspiring him to compete  in and explore various dance styles, as well as create choreography and soul line dances.

Cyle's dedication to his craft has taken him across the world , where he has showcased his talent at numerous events, including Frankie 100, BeanTown Dance Camp, Herrang Dance Camp, ILHC, and Camp Hollywood etc. As a teacher, his primary goal is to spread love and honor the rich legacy of the art form created by his ancestors or as he calls them “melanated legends and icons”. If there is one lesson he wishes to impart to every student, it would be: “Feel the beat of the music from the depths of your soul and let your creativity and individuality shine outward.”

Sean Vitale is a dynamic dancer with a love for jazz music and movement. Sean has been
lindy hopping since 2018 and is grateful to be a part of the cast of the acclaimed Lindy stage
show, Sw!ng Out. Sean is a prominent member of the NYC based dance troupe, The Harvest
Moon Hoppers. Sean is also a past member of Frankie Manning’s legacy troupe,The Big Apple
Lindy Hoppers. As a partnered dance specialist, Sean excels at improvisation and has won
many partnered improvisation (luck of the draw) competitions throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Beyond his work as a dancer and educator, Sean is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, board
certified in the treatment of people affected by neurologic conditions such as, Parkinson’s
disease, MS, stroke, and spinal cord injury.

Elaine Buchignani and Stefan Huynh have spent a decade teaching and organizing, founding both the independent dance school, Jazztime Seattle, and Stormy Weather Jazz Dance Festival. They are known for their passion for vintage clips and broad expertise across the many forms of jazz dance. Most importantly, they believe jazz dance is a way to express yourself and connect with your community, so every class is also a party!

Ben O’Neal has been partner dancing for almost 2 decades. While starting in ballroom, he quickly found social dances like salsa and west coast swing to devote the majority of his time. He became obsessed with the learning and teaching process of wcs and really let it engulf his dance life. Through this process he found that he could implement other dances into his wcs, unknowingly to him, starting his fusion journey. It wasn't until he found fusion properly that he stopped calling himself a wcs dancer and realized all he’s ever wanted to do was dance fusion. After years of learning the rights and wrongs of dance, fusion gave him an open ended canvas to explore and create. He still loves to pull from his past dance experiences but now prefers exploring the boundless creativity fusion offers. 

Heather is well known for her ability to creatively fuse her classical training with her love of partner dancing.  She is a winner in the Nova Star Category in the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame, a two-time US Open Sophisticated Swing Champion, and a retired professional ballet dancer who cross-trains in Argentine Tango, Country, Hustle, Swing and Contact Improv.  She has performed, competed, judged, and taught at events and workshops across the country for nearly two decades.

Heather lives in The San Francisco Bay Area where she hosts After Hours, a bi-weekly social dance at Allegro Ballroom.  She teaches weekly West Coast Swing classes at Motion Arts in San Mateo, and she is a regular guest instructor at the world renowned Two Left Feet, Lakeside Swing, Next Generation Swing Dance, Fusion Dance Academy, SwingOut, as well as other West Coast Swing and Fusion events in the Bay Area and around the country.  

Heather loves teaching people from all dance backgrounds and abilities.  She cultivates a learning environment where laughter lightens the mood, and moments of true beauty are created.

As a partnership, Mark and Sia value community building through their shared passion for dancing. With a combined 43 years of partner dancing experience and 37 years of teaching, they have developed a heartfelt approach to sharing dance and incorporate creative techniques to engage and inspire their students. Moved by music as a source of creative expression, Mark and Sia approach each dance as a new canvas to paint.

Mark Carpenter

Mark is an internationally acclaimed Fusion dance instructor, DJ, and event organizer, and has been shaping the global fusion scene for more than a decade. Based in the SF Bay Area, he founded the Fusion Dance Academy in 2023 and has studied multiple dance styles, including Lindy Hop, Blues, Tango, and many more. Mark's innovative approach to teaching and his fluency in two languages have made him a sought-after instructor and facilitator worldwide.

Sia Brodeur

Originally from Montreal and shaped by the creative spirit of San Francisco, Sia brings a lifetime of movement and pedagogy to her dance. She began dancing at age three, exploring various solo and partner styles with a foundation rooted in contemporary and swing dance forms. She specialized in Balboa, a style she has taught, judged, and competed in professionally across North America and France, earning the title of two-time Canadian Balboa Champion. In recent years, Sia has embraced Fusion dance as a creative and inclusive space to explore self and partner expression.

--Ry’el is a dynamic performer, choreographer, instructor, and community builder with a deep love for LambaZouk—the fusion of Brazilian Zouk and Lambada. Since 2011, he’s been instrumental in shaping the U.S. Zouk scene, especially in NYC, where he taught, performed, and mentored rising artists. His international experience spans 17+ countries, but pivotal moments like dancing in the Brazouka! show and visiting Lambada’s birthplace in Brazil deepened his commitment to honoring the dance’s roots. Now based in Colorado, Ry’el travels widely, sharing his RAD (Ry’el ART Dance) Method, a teaching system rooted in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning that blends creativity with foundational technique to help dancers grow with confidence, connection, and joy.

--Devon Near-Hill is a teaching and performing artist and the Co-Director and Co-Founder of Denver School of Social Dance alongside Rachel Farley. Her movement repertoire spans belly dance, ballet, salsa, modern dance, capoeira, Lambada, Brazilian Zouk, Kizomba, and tango.

Devon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Expressive Arts Coaching and Community Building at the California Institute of Integral Studies, where she is deepening her exploration of movement, creativity, embodiment, and relational practice. She is especially passionate about teaching embodied consent and helping dancers develop greater choice, awareness, and agency within social dance.

Devon also serves as a judge for both the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council and the Lambada World Dance Council and remains committed to continual growth, cultural learning, and exploration. She teaches locally, online, and internationally, with a vision of cultivating adaptable, embodied, versatile, and purposeful movers. Devon looks forward to sharing her passion for movement with you.