top of page

Meet our Teachers

alan.png
Alan

Lindy Hop / Balboa

Dancing has always been a part of my life, in one way or another: as a child when my parents hosted regular dance nights in our apartment, as a teenager skanking to punk music, as a student exploring the techno scene. As for partner dancing, I started ballroom dancing in 2006 for a couple of years and then tried a variety of dances before coming to Lindy Hop in 2021.

 

I dance mostly Lindy Hop, Charleston and Balboa as a leader, but I love to switch up my dancing. In my role as a teacher, I want to learn, share and explore the rich history of this art form, its rhythms and the connection with the music, your partner(s) and ultimately yourself.

Andi
Andi

Lindy Hop / Blues 

I've been dancing since 2011, after hiding from a Lindy class at a wedding. I have a particular passion for the non-verbal communication of social dancing.

charlotte.jpg
Charlotte

Lindy Hop

I have been dancing for nearly 3 years after walking into a Tuesday Lindy Hop taster class on my own and have loved every second of it. Shag seems to be my natural dance and it just makes me dance happy! My love is thinking about footwork and using the music to make a dance even more fun through breaks and rhythms.

Gary_edited.jpg
Gary

Lindy Hop / Balboa

I've been dancing for around 10 years having been reluctantly dragged along to a taster and instantly changing my tune. I really enjoy the fun you can have with dancing and being part of the great community. In classes I like to focus on connection and the myriad ways you can connect with your partner. 

Jo Bradley.JPG
Jo

Lindy Hop

I discovered dancing at university and tried almost every dance society. Salsa, jive, ballroom even belly dancing! It was my hunt for jive in Cambridge that led me to Cambridge Lindy Hoppers and I haven't looked back since. That was 2007 and I have since become a teacher and troupe member. I love sharing my enthusiasm of dancing with people as a teacher and performing with the troupe.  I have learnt other styles of dance as Cambridge Swing Dance has expanded and can be found following blues, balboa and shag on the dancefloor.  Ask me to dance!

Kathryn Bryan teacher photo .jpg
Kathryn

Lindy Hop 

I started tap dancing when I was 8 and I loved the intricacy of the footwork, the rhythms and the routines. So, when I went to my first Lindy Hop class at the age of 22, I already thought I was a pretty good dancer. It soon became clear that I had a lot to learn. Aside from finding the right connection to lead and follow with my partner, I also discovered that, scary as it may seem, there is a freedom and joy that comes from unchoreographed dance. As a teacher, I want to encourage that joy in dancers of all levels, helping everyone to build up the skills and confidence to get them out on the dance floor!

Lujo Matasovic.png
Lujo

Lindy Hop / Collegiate Shag

As probably most swing dancers do, I stumbled upon Lindy Hop by chance, decided to give it a go and remained a dancer ever since. Having danced Lindy Hop and Collegiate Shag both socially and competitively, I realised that understanding the proper technique and rhythmic structures leads to more creative dancing. My aim as a teacher is to share what I have learned, and further propagate the joy of dancing.

Mark Skipper.jpg
Mark

Lindy Hop

I used to be a typical computer nerd, but Lindy Hop changed my life. I had my first Swing Dance lesson in 2000 in San Francisco, and haven't stopped dancing since. I've been teaching since 2003. You'll find my lessons full of energy, mischief, and Jazz.

Paul Wright.jpg
Paul

Lindy Hop

I turned up to a social night in a dingy pub back in 2010 looking for a change from ballroom dancing. I stayed to the end of that first night and haven't looked back since. If you dance with me (or just near me), you may be lucky enough to experience my singing too.

CSD logo v0.2.jpg
Paul

Lindy Hop

Having first tried Lindy Hop at Twinwood Festival in 2009 and done a few classes at that time, I restarted when I started working in Cambridge in 2015 as a way to meet people and get a bit of exercise.  I have continued since then and tried a number of swing dance styles and currently focus on Lindy Hop and Balboa.  As well as attending CSD classes I have been a regular with other local Swing Dance groups, and try to bring moves and technique from these into my dancing and teaching in Cambridge.

alistairt.jpg
Alistair

Lindy Hop

I started swing dancing here in Cambridge in 2009, and I haven't stopped since. I've been to Herräng Dance Camp every year since 2011. I've taught Lindy Hop in Cambridge since 2013 as a lead, and since 2015 as a follow. Since 2016 I've been learning tap dance, because I've always been fascinated by rhythms. I am interested in the theory of leading and following, especially the Physics and musicality aspects and the relationship of the two roles. My dance mission is to bring the best out of every partner. My teaching mission is to keep Lindy Hop alive for the next generation.

Anita bio.png
Anita

Lindy Hop / Balboa

I first saw Lindy at the strawberry fair in 2012 and thought ‘I want to do that’. I then started to go and never stopped. I have been to (too) many international workshops to understand what it takes to be a good swing dancer and as a teacher I want to be able to make you progress in your journey, sharing tips that I got along the way.  I like all style of swing depending on my mood; Lindy of course but also Blues and Balboa and now I’m also into Slow Bal.

dorka nemes.jpg
Dorka

Lindy Hop

I am passionate about advocating the joy of playing with the music and coming up with your own style/moves. Less is more - the better you can do your basics, the less you need to fancy it up with 100s of variations. I love solo jazz too and strongly believe it makes you a better partner dancer. My recent obsession is with dance fusions - think hiphop merged with swing dance. My lindy follow crushes include Frida and Bianca because they are super playful and creative. In my classes I can guarantee energy, fun and quite a bit of craziness.

Immy Black.HEIC
Immy

Lindy Hop / Collegiate Shag / St Louis Shag / Solo Jazz

I started swing dancing in 2016, and find the more I learn, the more I want to learn. I lead and follow Lindy Hop, St Louis Shag, Balboa and Collegiate Shag, and enjoy dancing solo jazz. I love incorporating solo jazz, musicality and dance conversation into my dances: talk to me about switching roles, hijacks, dips, tricks and aerials.

 

I believe that connection to the music and to your partner is what makes a wonderful dance, and that comes from working on your basics and building on them to make the flashy moves feel as simple as a basic. As a teacher, my aim is to help everyone feel comfortable and confident in their dancing and able to find their voice and the fun in every dance.

CSD logo v0.2.jpg
Jo

Lindy Hop

At 6 foot 2 I had always felt awkward learning to dance but when a friend introduced me to lindy hop the fun, friendly, open and inclusive atmosphere had me hooked immediately. I love the energy of walking into a room of swing dancers and the freedom, expression and conversation that lindy hop allows. It is such a stark difference to my day job as a medicinal chemist and weekends often spent adventuring, hiking, climbing or more recently doing yoga or paddle boarding. I am grateful to those who taught me to dance and really enjoy passing on this knowledge and seeing others finding their feet, confidence, the beat and a love of dancing too.

Lauren.png
Lauren

Blues

Having discovered blues in 2017, I've never looked back and immersed myself in this fantastic dance style. I hope to be able to bring a sense of fun and laughter into all of my classes and show that everyone can dance! My motto for dancing (and life perhaps?): 'When in doubt, shake something!'

MK_photo.jpg
Marius

Lindy Hop 

I did my first rock step back in the 2013 and since then I never looked back. Over the years, I have been fortunate to be a part of many great dance communities, attend various workshops and perform at festivals which has only strengthened my love for Lindy Hop. I wish to share what I have learned over the years and help you to take a step further.

CSD logo v0.2.jpg
Michael

Lindy Hop / Blues

I discovered swing dancing something like 8 years ago (I'm not sure exactly when because I was so bad at it initially I didn't record when I started) once i got the bug there was no stopping me and I eventually got over having two left feet. Adding Blues to my repertoire levelled up my dancing and expanded my dance world, not to mention discovering masses of fantastic music. I love dancing and the dance community, I hope that I can help others discover the joy it has brought me.

FB_IMG_1711226923034 (1).jpg
Poppy

Blues/Lindy Hop

I’m a sucker for learning a new skill, so when a folk dancing friend said “Come, try blues dancing,” it led, unsurprisingly, to a new hobby. 

 

As a (casual) mathematician, I love patterns; as a scientist I’m fascinated by cause and effect; as, specifically, a physicist, I enjoy playing with forces and momentum; as a human, I’m bemused by the interpersonal aspects; and as a ‘collector’ of dance styles, I’m intrigued by the overlaps. These are all delightfully applicable to learning and teaching blues dancing :).

 

(I can also be found dancing Lindy.)

profile for teacher bio.jpg
Razz

Lindy Hop

Back in my university days I would attend swing band events and watch the swing dancers with awe, promising myself that one day I'd learn to move like them.  Flash forward a "few" years to September 2021, I finally started learning Lindy Hop and fell completely in love with the dance, the community, and the music.  Since then I've attended classes and socials weekly here in Cambridge, workshops and festivals in the UK, festivals across Europe, and have begun branching out into solo jazz, Collegiate Shag and Balboa. 

 

For me, dancing is about freedom of expression, connecting with others and appreciating incredible music….oh, and having a good time!  As a teacher, I aim to inject my classes with musicality and playfulness and support everyone to find their own style and means of expression through movement.    

bottom of page