All our instructors are also available for private lessons.
Jenny Sowden
Jenny Sowden is an award winning, full-time, international dance instructor based in New York City where she is the managing director of Brooklyn Swings and nycBABBLE.com. Jenny has been training in dance for over twenty years and teaching for over fifteen, with a BA in Dance and Theater from San Diego State University. She has studied 34 different styles of movement including Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, West African, Capoeira, Aikido, Tango, Salsa, Lindy hop, Balboa, and Blues. Her background influences her teaching and general style through musicality, variety, expression and an understanding of body mechanics. Jenny believes the dance floor is a ‘World of Yes,’ where by constantly accepting and being inspired by what happens, creates an amazing place to be. We then take classes in a ‘World of Intention’ to expand our ‘World of Yes.’ Find out more at JennySowden.com.
Dan Repsch
Dan is immersed in the music and the movement. He constantly travels to continue learning, happily sharing his ideas along the way. In his teaching, Dan’s enthusiastic approach brings a focus on innovation, connection, and attention to your partner. Dan is also a veteran DJ, spinning for events across the continent and locally on a weekly basis, and has dabbled in organizing for events and local dances. In the end, Dan is most excited to push his dancing and to see his students break through their boundaries.
Tim O'Neil
Why should you take classes with Tim? Here is what some of his friends, teachers, and students have said about him: He is a natural teacher and could teach fantastic classes without much effort, but still puts a huge amount of effort into planning. The classes create a comprehensive and fulfilling experience that carries a broader message about the relationship of the dancer to the community, the dance, and its history. But teaching is ultimately about the personal and individual investment in the student; Tim is sincerely inspired by the progress and happiness of anyone who works with him. He is honored to have that experience and is motivated by a deep sense of responsibility to his students. In class Tim is commanding, engaging, direct, and humble.
Since 1997 Tim has studied and taught Blues, Lindy, Ballroom, and Argentine Tango. He has won over a dozen Blues competition titles and is invited to teach at the biggest Blues events in the world. His teaching philosophy is that the best way to dance is to have fun, and learning dance enhances that ability. And he is really excited to see you at BluesQuake!
Julie Brown
Julie’s expressive dancing and joyful, playful connection are known throughout the country. With a background in performance and solo dance, she is best known for her solo blues, artistic choreography, and seamlessly integrating following with expression.
As a teacher, Julie presents material with a caring and light-hearted tone. She carefully crafts her classes and continuously tailors her material to fit the crowd at hand. Julie teaches regularly in her hometown of Boston, and has taught workshops everywhere from California to London.
A hard-working competitor, Julie has also won many national competitions, including bluesSHOUT 2014 All Star Jack & Jill, Steel City Blues 2014 Open Jack & Jill, Enter the Blues 2014 Strictly & Choreography Competition, and many more.
Paul Mandel
Paul Mandel first started swing dancing in Santa Cruz, CA in 2005. After learning lindy hop in college from Sarah Spence Adams, he was dragged to a blues house party in 2006 and has been hooked ever since. More than anything, he loves establishing a crystal-clear connection with his partner and discovering their unique blend of musicality together.
He has won several competitions including first place with Kelly Pavao at Blues Blaze 2010, first place with Joy Arico at Mile High Blues 2011, and first place with Kara Fabina at Bambloozled 2011. Amanda Gruhl and Paul Mandel also placed first in the choreography competition at Enter the Blues with their choreography to "I Put a Spell on You" by Nina Simone and went on to perform it and teach an excerpt at Down Home Blues 2010.
Nicole Trissell
Nicole has been a dancer her whole life. Ballet, West Coast Swing, Lindy
hop and Tango are all dances that have driven her need for expression
through movement. But when she discovered Blues 4 years ago, it was love
at first dance. This unique dance style that combined creativity,
freedom of movement, and a strong dance connection with her partner
inspired her in a way no other dance had before. After a few years, she
couldn’t withstand the draw of the dance any longer and started her life
as a traveling dance instructor.
Nicole’s love and passion for
expression through dance has propelled her through life since she was
seven. She brings that same zeal to her students through challenging and
inspiring classes that encourage her students to learn, play and grow
as dancers and as people.
Heidi Fite
Heidi began dancing and teaching Blues dances in St. Louis in 1999 and has been dancing, teaching and performing ever since. An early promoter of Blues dancing, she founded the first national Blues dance workshop (Cheap Thrills), which has since transformed into the nation's largest Blues dance workshop and competition weekend (bluesSHOUT!).
Now busy raising a family of four daughters, Heidi no longer runs bluesSHOUT!, but she continues to travel the world teaching Blues dance as a living tradition, with a rich history and an exciting future. From local classes to international workshops and historical research and documentation of the dance, she is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Blues dancing.
Her classes are inspiring and challenging, but Heidi's focus on the underlying principles and fundamentals of the dance allows her to break down the most difficult concepts and moves, making them easy to understand and incorporate. Heidi is able to communicate and instill in her students a love of dance and a dedication to the learning process. Most importantly, her classes will put some serious 'boom boom boom' and 'aw haw haw haw' in your dancing.