Nathan specializes in Lindy Hop, the high-energy swing dance from the 1930s and 40s, and has been teaching, performing and DJing since 2005. He started swing dancing in 1997 and lindy hopping in 2000. A regular dancer in San Francisco since 2001, Nathan enjoys the creativity and personal connection of social dancing as well as the challenge and satisfaction on working on and improving his dance.

He has taught at practically all of the local swing dance venues at one time or another, including the 9:20 Special, Lindy in the Park, Tuesday Night Jump, Rent Party and original Doghouse, and has been a featured instructor at regional workshops such as Swingin' at the Savoy, California Swingin', *Workshop (San Luis Obispo), Santa Swing (Santa Barbara), and Le Hot Sauce (SF).

Alyssa Glanville is an award-winning West Coast Swing competitor and international dance teacher, but a lesser known fact is that she got her start dancing Lindy Hop, and still loves to cut a rug on the social dance floor! Her dancing blends technical prowess with an intricately playful sense of musicality and style. In between globe trotting and teaching with her main West Coast Swing dance partner John Kirkconnell, Alyssa has taken opportunities to train and perform with Nathan, including acrobatic Lindy Hop and Charleston showcases at the Richmond Homefront Festival.

Amanda Marchand has been swing dancing since 1993, officially started calling it Lindy Hop in 1997 in Santa Barbara, and has been traveling to dance events all over the country and world, teaching dance, and just dancing at every opportunity since then! Although primarily a social dancer for most of her dance career, Amanda has also competed at the national level, taking 3rd place in 2012 and 2nd place in 2013 in the Advanced Jack & Jill at Camp Hollywood. She has also won or placed many times at smaller regional events across California in Lindy Hop, Balboa, and West Coast Swing. Amanda is also the new creative director for the Sweet 16, a vintage chorus girl group performing team solo jazz choreography at events around the Bay Area. Amanda loves swing and jazz dancing with a passion, and loves to pass that passion on to others!

Autumn LaVarta has been teaching Swing, Lindy Hop, Salsa, Tango and more in San Francisco for many years now.  He was responsible for the Friday Night Swing dance party which ran for several years at the Metronome Ballroom/Cheryl Burke Dance Studio. More recently, he has been the resident Lindy Hop instructor along with Hep Jen a the Tuesday Night dance party. Autumn is also a fantastic DJ, and you'll often find him in the Cat's Corner DJ booth at the end of the month!

Both Catrine and Calle (pronounced "call-ay") learned to dance lindy hop around the same time in Sweden from original swing dance legends Frankie Manning and Al Minns. The two Swedes were instrumental in jump-starting the current revival of Lindy Hop through their involvement in the Rhythm Hot Shots and Shout And Feel It performance groups and the Herrang Dance Camp.

Over the years, Catrine & Calle have taught and performed alongside each other at dance camps worldwide, including most recently: Masters of Lindy Hop & Tap (Seattle) & the Lindy Hop Argentina International Festival. They are excited to bring their unique Swedish style of Lindy Hop -- which is really Frankie and Al's style -- to you at Cat's Corner...expect zany, flashy, bouncing-off-the-wall fun and a swingin' good time.

Besides the dancing, Calle is a one-of-a-kind person and showman, known, internationally for his Elvis impersonations, humor, and charming way with the ladies.

Cheryl has been inspiring dancers to move their feet to the dancing beat for more than 30 years. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, she has been dancing since she was a mere tyke.
She is well known for teaching Cajun and Zydeco dancing which evolved in the Lafayette area of Louisiana. Her love of Swing dancing is inspired by the likes of Frankie Manning and she is passionate about sharing her enthusiasm through swing, lindy hop, charleston and balboa.
In private lessons, her repertoire includes basic west coast swing, salsa, tango, waltz and more. The emphasis is on body language, comfort and fun.

Charlie has been a dancer and musician her entire life, initially starting with solo performance dance as a member of modern and contemporary troupes as well as hip hop, she discovered her love of partner dance coincidentally on the day she met David. Since then they have been building their partnership with his social dance background and her trained dancer background to create something much stronger.

Both nomads, they now travel the world offering their knowledge to students and focus on the parts of dance they love: connection, musicality and momentum.

As a child, Christine really wanted to take dance lessons, but her mother said they were too expensive. So, when Christine moved out of the house she signed up for ballroom dance classes at community college. She was bitten by the Lindy bug three years ago and spent 2009 traveling and competing at swing camps and competitions all over the US, including Camp Hollywood, Camp Jitterbug, and the International Lindy Hop Championships. Christine has taught at Friday Night Swing and City College of San Francisco, and has hammed it up performing with The Hot Bloods and 101 Junction. Her favorite part of teaching is witnessing the "a-ha!" moments — those little breakthroughs that students have along their (hopefully) lifelong swing dance journey.

David Ljung Madison is an internationally respected Blues and Lindy Hop teacher who is an expert in cutting to the chase and conveying strong fundamentals. He's joined by his teaching partner-in-crime and exquisite social dancer Charlie. Charlie and David met at a partner dance and the connection was instantaneous. Charlie has been a dancer and musician her entire life, initially starting with solo performance dance as a member of modern and contemporary troupes as well as hip hop. She discovered her love of partner dance coincidentally on the day she met David. Since then they have been building their partnership with his social dance background and her trained dancer background to create something much stronger.

David has been dancing Lindy and Blues for close to two decades and was one of the people responsible for the creation of the contemporary Blues Dance scene. He has been teaching Lindy and Blues workshops in dozens of countries across the world and teaches classes based on the beginning and advanced fundamentals that will make your dance come alive. Together, David & Charlie travel around the world bringing the joy of Blues Dancing and Lindy Hop to scenes everywhere they go, sharing their knowledge and focusing on the parts of dance they love: connection, musicality and momentum.

Idalia moved to the bay area 4 years ago and started teaching all over the bay, Cats Corner, the 9:20 Special, Wednesday Night Hop and the Breakaway! She has represented the Bay Area well bringing home the Gold and Silver awards from national and international contests such as the International Lindy Hop Championships, Camp Jitterbug, Camp Hollywood, Fog City Stomp and Stompology to name a few. As a dancer and teacher, she focuses on quality of movement, musicality, and connection. She values individuality, musicality and expression so much she started the Solo Jazz Academy - small size class training mentorship in Oakland to help students advance their dancing in a focused manner. Her fierceness and love of jazz is contagious, so grab her for a dance when you see her!

James Pack started dancing lindy hop at the University of Delaware in 2010, where he has since fostered what is easily one of the strongest college swing dancing scenes on the East Coast. When teaching, James strives to make his class experience one that includes both entertainment and learning, and is known for infecting students with his enthusiasm.

As a social dancer, James pays close attention to his partner and focuses on creating an enjoyableexperience for both dancers. He often opts for rhythmic games and replication of simple movements to create a conversation with his partner.

Jeff Kroll has been swing dancing since 1996, and teaching and competing nationally since 2004. He has danced on TV and for the big screen, and has performed, taught, and DJed at countless weddings and private events.

While Jeff enjoys all styles of swing dancing, he has a particular fondness for Balboa-Swing and 1920s Charleston and will dance it and teach almost every chance he gets. His love for dancing and his desire to share it shows in the enthusiasm and positive energy he brings to his classes, the fun and creativity with which he infuses everything including even the most technical of details, and the relaxed, patient individual attention and encouraging guidance he gives.

Joleigh grew up in the Bay Area and loves being a part of the Oakland community.  She first started swing dancing in Berkeley at Lindy on Sproul in the Fall of 2006, and was a student in the very first SwingCal class in Spring 2007.  After graduating, she stayed involved in the East Bay Lindy Hop community and taught at SwingCal, Pixar, and I-House, started mentor groups, and helped organize events such as the Stanford-Cal Lindy Exchange and Lindy at Night. In 2011, Joleigh and James partnered with Jean and Bromley to open a Berkeley dance venue called The Dancers' Den.  Her passion lies in community building, having a good laugh on the dance floor, and meeting new people.

Joleigh's vision is to collaborate with dancers in the Oakland community to build awareness of the historical roots of Lindy Hop, and foster an open, diverse environment where dancers can be creative, try new things, and explore uncharted territories of dance together.

Ken is the co-founder and regular teacher & DJ at Lindy in the Park in SF. Ken began swing dancing in 1987, and has been teaching Lindy Hop in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1998, including classes at the Allegro Ballroom in Emeryville, the Metronome Ballroom in San Francisco, as well as numerous workshops, including the 2000 Frankie Manning Millennium Birthday Bash in Tokyo, the 2001 Lindy U. swing dance camp in Chicago, the 2003 Japan Lindy Exchange, and the annual NCLS Frankie Manning workshops in San Francisco.

His greatest claim to fame, however, may be as the (one-time) swing dance instructor to Xena, the Warrior Princess (Lucy Lawless).

A friendly face around the SF swing dance scene, Kristin actually got her start swing dancing at Cats Corner at Savanna Jazz Club! She's taught with Nathan at Ashkenaz and Mission Mondays, and was a guest teacher with Autumn LaVarta at the Verdi Club. She loves to perform and has entertained audiences along with the SF Jitterbugs and with Nathan's Swing or Nothing dance troupe. She has also been involved with organizing an increasing amount of swing dance events, including live music, dancing and vintage trolley rides in the Castro. Kristin's vibrant energy will help put a hop in your step and a smile on your face!

Mara, who originally hails from Florida, has been swing dancing in the SF Bay Area for many years now. A familiar face on the social dance floor at Cat's Corner, she has also performed and taught workshop classes with the Motion Explosion Dance Company, and performed and taught with Nathan many times in the past. Her background in aero/astro-engineering and experience as a flight instructor might partly explain her love of incorporating high-flying aerials and dance acrobatics into her Lindy Hop!

Michael has been dancing swing since 2000 and teaching Swing since 2008 at venues such as Cat's Corner, ODC, and 9:20 Special. He directed the Lindy Hop group Motion Explosion. Michael studied Cuban salsa in Cuba and learned about the connection between Swing and Cuban dancing.

Nicole’s first foray into teaching Lindy Hop occurred in 2004, but she’s been hooked on dance since she was 5, doing time steps everywhere she goes. You can’t miss the sense of fun and whimsy in her dancing. Along with her light-hearted steps, she keenly articulates concepts like technique and musicality in an accessible way, with enthusiasm and the occasional sound effect.

She’s currently teaching Lindy Hop and vernacular jazz in San Francisco at The 920 Special, and availing herself of the great dance instruction in the Bay Area with classes in Hip Hop and Vogueing.

Hailing from her hometown of Vancouver, WA where she raised a pet cow as a child and went to a school where she got sent to the principal’s office for wearing shorts on the wrong day, Olivia now lives in the big city and lives her dreams. When she was just 17, Olivia was peer pressured into going to Swing Club at her school. Little did she know that it would alter her life forever. In 2008 she moved to Seattle to pursue lindy hop and she has never looked back. She has since performed, competed, choreographed and taught. Olivia now lives in San Francisco and is pumped to keep sharing her lindy hop wisdom.

Sam and Calvin fell in love with swing dancing at UC Berkeley's Lindy on Sproul and SwingCal, both becoming active members of the swing community by teaching, mentoring, and DJing. Raised in Cal's ambidancetrous community, you'll often find them both leading and following on the social dance floor. Their dancing focuses on playful partnership and lighthearted silliness. Coming from performances with the Sproul Stompers and recent competition experience, Sam and Calvin are excited to share their enthusiasm at Cat's Corner!

Check out their moves in the 2016 Swingin’ at the Savoy History of Lindy Hop Strictly Competition.

A spirited dancer, Shannon Lea seeks joyful conversation in every dance. Whether at the end of a swingout or throwing down in a solo jam, she strives for rhythm and creativity on the dance floor. As a teacher, her goal is to inspire students to find their own voice in jazz dance and music.

Shannon Lea’s Lindy Hop addiction developed in Indiana in 2010, matured in the Midwest, and has taken her around the country social dancing, teaching, and brimming with happiness. She is a new(ish) arrival in San Francisco, and in addition to teaching at several Bay Area dance venues, is a member of the solo jazz troupe Fancy Pants.

Rose has been dancing for over ten years, beginning with ballet and then eventually adding on modern dance, jazz, swing and blues, feeding her constant hunger for more dance. She has been performing for most of her life and enjoys dance as both a form of expression and a form of entertainment. She has been swing dancing since 2005, tearing up the floors at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, then Midtown Stomp in Sacramento, and now she dances wherever she can, whenever she can, in the San Francisco area. When she is not dancing, Rose is also an artist, specializing in pencil portraits.