ALHC 2005 Bios

INTRODUCING OUR TEACHERS

ANGELA ANDREW

Angela hails from London. She has a background in music and dance, which was encouraged by her musical family. She started social dancing over ten years ago and discovered Lindy Hop in 1991 at the famous London Club Jitterbugs. She is an internationally respected teacher having taught throughout Europe and the USA. She uses her vibrant personality to push those she teaches with zeal and enthusiasm. She has worked with many of the great masters of Swing dance, including The Harlem Hot Shots (formerly called The Rhythm Hot Shots) and Chester Whitmore. She is Artistic Director and co-founder of The Cotton Clubbers Dance Company.

SYLVIA SYKES

Sylvia is California's premiere Swing Dance Instructor and Choreographer. She is an internationally recognized authority on most types of Swing Dance, has been teaching and judging for 20 years throughout the US, Europe, and Australia.
Sylvia studied with the great dancer Dean Collins, and was a member of his last dance troupe. She studied Balboa with Maxie Dorf and spent years learning from the greatest Southern California Balboa dancers. Sylvia is an inductee into the National Swing Dance Hall of Fame, as well as the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. She is a U S Open champion, was the NASDE top point winner, two time California Balboa Champion, took third place in the National Carolina Shag Dance Championships, and has won many Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill dance contests through the U.S. in Lindy, Balboa and West Coast Swing. She was twice voted Swing Dance Teacher of the Year, and is a 4 time Feather Award winner as Best Female Lindy Dancer in the U.S.

She has performed with Count Basie, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Artie Shaw, and Les Brown, and appeared on many television shows such as American Bandstand and Gotta Dance for the American Movie Channel. She represented the US in the World Boogie Woogie Championships in Grenoble, France with her original partner Jonathan Bixby.

A "teacher's teacher", Sylvia instructs teachers worldwide in Balboa and Lindy ...come study with the best!

JOEL & ALLISON PLYS

Joel and Allison have taught all over the US (20 states and counting) as well as Australia, Canada, England, France and Sweden. They are members of Ryan Francois & Jenny Thomas’ new dance company: Swing Un-Ltd.

Joel co-created the popular All Balboa Weekend in Cleveland, OH. Together they are creators of the BALBOA RENDEZVOUS & BALBOA UNIVERSITY.

Competitors too they are the American Lindy Hop Championships 2003 Fast Dance Champions and placed third at American Classic Balboa Championship in 2003 & 2005.

NATHALIE GOMES & YUVAL HOD

Nathalie and Yuval are famous for their smooth dance style and their gravity-defying aerials, Nathalie and Yuval have performed on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, MTV, and at the Lincoln Center. They have appeared in several movies, including Mona Lisa Smile and Polar Express.

Bill Borgida and Julee Mertz from Chicago has been partners for the past three years. They have taught workshops together all over the world, most recently in Melbourne.

As a complementary and powerful voice, Julee shares Bill's philosophy of dance - which is that strong basics and sound technique are the basis for better dancing. Julee's keen insight into body movement and partner connection adds to Bill's strong focus on technique.

BILL BORGIDA
& JULEE MERTZ

DAVID GRAYBILL

David was a member of Carol Fraser's Varsity Swing and the 2004 US Open Swing Dance Championships 1st place winning Swing Challenge Team. He was in the national tour of Forever Swing. He has also performed with the Singapore Jitterbugs Performance Team and the Grit Grinders under the direction of Janice Wilson.

David is a favorite partner of any Jack and Jill contestant because of his inventiveness, connection and sense of style. He has placed in many competitions a crossed the country.

SKYE HUMPHRIES & NINA GILKENSON

Skye Humpries has performed, taught, and competed both nationally and internationally, gaining recognition as a talented and dedicated dancer. He currently resides in DC where he is the least helpful member of the Jam Cellar.

Nina Gilkenson has been dancing for 8 years. As a teacher, performer and competitor of Lindy Hop and Belly Dance, she is a member of both Silver Shadows and Ancient Rhythms, a Middle Eastern dance troupe.

Nina and Skye both teach Internationally and have won many titles from the most prestigious competitions in the world. Their classes will focus personal style and creativity while striving to keep sight of the lindy hop roots.

JUSTIN ZILLMAN & JENN SALVADORI

Jenn Salvadori and Justin Zillman have been dancing since 1996. They are not only masters of musicality, connection and timing, but they do it all keeping the original flavor of lindy hop alive. Together and separately they have placed top three in more than 12 national competitions. They are well rounded DJ's, being asked to DJ across the country, including the US Open Swing Dance Championships. They are national level judges. Having taught all over the United States. their travels have taken them from New York City to Hawaii including the 2001 and 2002 Great Southwest Lindyfest, the 2001 and 2002 Midwest Lindyfest. With the help of a few friends, they annually organize and hold the LA/OC Lindy Exchange (a.k.a. Lindy Binge). Jenn and Justin are particularly well known for their uncanny knack for breaking down lindy hop, and teaching it to the masses in order to further the knowledge of where we came from in this dance. They are firm believers in the theory that, "You have to know where you came from, to know where you are going."Know your roots!

CHESTER WHITMORE

Chester is known as a tapper, Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz Dancer, composer, comedian, actor, choreographer, stuntman and bandleader. He is a multi-talented teacher that continues to surprise everyone. We believe he's from another planet. He started out as a tap dancer in 1974 and, for many years, was a protégé of the famous tap legend John Bubbles. He has also worked together with many tap masters such as the Nicholas Brothers, Willie Covan and stars like Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr. and Lionel Hampton. Mr. Whitmore has his own well-reputed dance company, Black Ballet Jazz specializing in Afro-American vernacular dancing.

Paulette Brockington

Paulette is an international workshop teacher and judge who also happens to be event director for the premiere Lindy event in the country, The American Lindy Hop Championships. She is, also, an award winning choreographer, stage director and actress versed in many dance styles and has been a finalist and winner of many dance contests.

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