Swing Into Spring - Instructors!

We've got a great lineup of instructors this year. These three sets of instructors are passionate about what they do and love having fun doing it.

The 2010 Lineup is:

Karen Turman, also known as Andrew's "sister from another mister," was first seen on stage at age 9 performing a tap dance to "Lollipop" in a striped leotard and has been dancing ever since (in fact, she can still be seen dancing around in a leotard from time to time). She discovered Lindy Hop during the swing craze in 1998 and has never looked back. Karen originally honed her dance skills in Minneapolis, MN and now currently resides in Santa Barbara, CA.

Andrew Thigpen, also known as Karen's "brother from another mother," was first exposed to the Lindy Hop back in 1998 but didn't actually develop rhythm until booty dancing in college. Since 2005 Andrew has developed a uniquely energetic style of swing dancing with a focus on fun and learning things right the first time. His only hope is to share his love of the dance and the energy it brings forth with as many people as possible.

Andrew and Karen are basically the same person except Karen likes unicorns and rainbows while Andrew likes dragons and beer. All they want to do is dance the Lindy Hop and make each other laugh. Having fun is awesome. They hope you like awesome too.

Check Karen and Andrew out on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcmHCtNFRKo

Joel Domoe & Melanie Myers (Cincinnati) - have been dancing, competing, performing, teaching and studying swing dance constantly in a variety of capacities since 1995. They are known for their commitment to high quality teaching and for enthusiastically supporting the development and growth of all the lindy hop communtiies they come in contact with. They've literally taught thousands of people to swing dance.Prior to returning to Cincinnati, Joel and Melanie lived and were significantcontributors in the swing dances scenes of Atlanta, GA, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC and Baltimore, MD.

Joel and Melanie have also been involved with the production of many swing dance events. Both have served as judges for numerous competition events. Joel is the tabulator for the American Lindy Hop Championships as well as the MC and Head Judge for Lindy Focus over New Year's Eve and the Northeast Lindy Hop Championships at Beantown Lindy Hop Camp. Joel had the honor of serving alongside Tony and Aurlie Tye as competition coordinator and MC for the landmark Lindy Hop community event Frankie95, where he oversaw the World's largest Jack & Jill in honor of Frankie Manning.

Joel and Melanie were married in 2002 and have two children, Nicole (6) and Jordan (5).

Michelle

Michelle has been cutting a rug in the Atlanta swing scene since 1998. After taking her first Lindy Hop class from Frankie Manning in 1999, she became a devoted follower. Captivated by the music, the energy and the history of the partner dance, Michelle was hungry to learn more. So, she hit the road to take class from some of the world's finest swing dance instructors.

Michelle is no stranger to the classroom. She has been a student and performer of dance for over 25 years, training in Ballet, Modern/Contemporary and Jazz dance forms. Add to that a little competitive gymnastics experience and some musical theater.....just to keep things interesting. As an instructor, Michelle pulls from her diverse background and her quirky sense of humor to serve up a fun, enjoyable learning experience. In all of her classes, she emphasize the importance of good basics, the essence of "feeling it" and creative, playful partnering skills.

Terrace

Terrace Ellis began dancing the lindy hop or "swing" in 1998 while studying music education at Geogria Southern University. He went on to become one of the original founders of The GSU Swingcat Society, the first ever swing organization at the university. After teaching and learning the dance for several years in college he moved to Atlanta, Ga in 2003 to begin a career as a conductor and music educator.

Since finding an intense love for jazz dancing Terrace has been learning, traveling, competing, and performing the lindy hop and charleston all over the United States and overseas. He holds top placements in dance competitions all over the southeast region including the Southeastern Lindy Hop Championships, The American Lindy Hop Championships Regional Qualifier, and several other regional and local dance events. Terrace teaches regularly for Down South Swing in Atlanta and has taught lindy hop and vernacular jazz regionally as well as overseas for over 10 years. He recently taught the first ever swing workshop in Trinidad with partner Michelle Postles. Terrace has also several dance affiliations including the Atlanta Jazz Dance Preservation Society, Atlanta Swing Era Dance Association, and Down South Swing. He is an active performer and often performs for dance events, charities, and corporate events.

Terrace's dancing is rooted in the classic movement of Frankie Manning, Al Minns and Leon James. In class he focuses on feeling natural, staying grounded in the music and having an experience based dance education