Instructors & DJs
Instructors
Seattle Swing Dance Club brings a wide variety of instructors to teach our Sunday workshops. Below are their bios and contact information.
Paul and Melinda Booth
Robb Bryan
Robb says he has had a love for music all his life, and was even working on a music major once upon a time. Later, he found another great outlet for music when he started dancing Country Western, and then West Coast Swing, in 1993. He’s competed nationally in both Country and West Coast Swing and taught both in the Seattle area since the late 90′s. He started DJ-ing around 2004 and loves watching dancers respond to his music almost as much as dancing to it. Working by day as a mild-mannered IT guy, and by night as a DJ, dance instructor, and social dancer affords him little time for much else including sleep, but the love of music, dancing, and of the dancers themselves, keeps him going.
You’ll find Robb DJ-ing WCS every other Tuesday night at the Century Ballroom, teaching and DJ-ing WCS at China Harbor Restaurant on Thursday nights, teaching and DJ-ing Country Western at his own “Country On” dances held twice a month on Friday nights in Monroe, and teaching and DJ-ing WCS at some of the 1st-&-3rd Sunday dances held by the Seattle Swing Dance Club. Look for Robb on Facebook posting to the “Seattle West Coast Swing Dancers” group page or on his “Got Our Country On” page.
Email: hayrobb@gmail.com
Lilli Ann Carey
Lilli Ann Carey, Owner of Dance for Joy! loves to dance almost anything, but focuses her teaching on many variations of Waltz and Swing, plus Zydeco, Nightclub 2-step, Polka, Foxtrot, and One-Step/Blues. Lilli Ann promotes dance through classes, workshops and events through her company, Dance For Joy!, including the Evening in Vienna Viennese Ball, now in its fourth year. You will find her teaching from both the Lead and Follow position several nights a week in Seattle. She has also teaches workshops in Portland, the DC area and Atlanta and has been a frequent instructor for Friday Night Waltz in San Francisco. www.danceforjoy.biz
Patti Conley
I have been totally immersed in dancing since 1997 and I’ve loved every minute of it. I feel very lucky to have found my passion. I have learned many dances and love them all. West Coast Swing was my first and continues to be my favorite with Argentine Tango running a close second. I also love east coast swing, salsa, waltz, hustle, country and night club 2 step. But, like I said, I love them all!
I feel so fortunate to be teaching dance. I am very happy to get to share what I’ve learned and love. I am a teacher by profession, so it comes naturally for me. Visit Patti’s website at www.swingdancefusion.com or contact her at 206-789-3958 or email patti@swindancefusion.com
Barry Douglas
Barry Douglas is an international performer and teacher with thousands of appearances around the world. Barry is certified with National Dance Council of America, Dance Masters, and Dance Educators of America. He is a Master Jazz Choreographer and a Certified Gold Bar Ballroom Instructor. His years of dance training have led to numerous regional and United States Championships in Latin, Swing, and Hustle.
Charles England
Charles England has been teaching in the Puget Sound and for Seattle Swing Dance Club for many years. In fact, Charles is celebrating his 25th year of teaching dance this year. Charles specializes in teaching beginners the basics and inspires them to get up and dance.
Bruce Gombrelli
Bruce is a multi-talented person with roots in figure skating, music composition, performance and production. He has a BSEE in Electrical Engineering and he spent many years studying digital and analog converstaion techniques for data and music. Bruce teaches both private and group lessons in West Coast Swing and Night Club 2 Step. He also studies Argentine Tango. He is a participant in the GSDTA instructors program and is an NDDCB certified judge. Bruce can be contacted by e-mail at public@dancingtothemusic.com, by phone at 425-614-7517 or visit his website at www.dancingtothemusic.com.
Lynn Gross
Lynn Gross has been teaching group and private lessons in partner dancing for twenty years. Lynn is also a west coast swing competitions judge and holds teaching and judging certifications through Golden State Dance Teachers Association and has been judging local, regional and national swing competitions for many years. Lynn is currently the chief judge for the Seattle Swing Dance Club competitions program and teaches for the clubs Progressive series. Lynn also teaches various classes throughout the greater Puget Sound and periodically throughout the Northwest and California. Learn more about Lynn and her classes on her website www.lynngrossdancenw.com or contact her at 206-313-5678 Lynn@LynnGrossDanceNW.com
James and Tamra Hood
Known for their funky groove, fluid connection, and fun musicality, James and Tamra Hood have been dancing and teaching together since 2000. Several years of national West Coast Swing competition and teaching experience has made them popular, up-to-date instructors in Seattle, WA and surrounding Pacific Northwest cities. Tamra spent many years as a full-time ballroom instructor in Tucson, AZ, then decided to focus on teaching primarily West Coast Swing. She served a few years as a WCS DJ and Music Director for the Tucson Swing Dance Club alongside her husband, James, who spent two terms as President of the Tucson Swing Dance Club. Together they taught regular group classes, organized swing club events, and taught choreography to the TSDC’s Performance Team. After moving to Seattle in 2009, James and Tamra began teaching weekly workshops at the Washington Dance Club as well as teaching group lessons occasionally at dance events around town and Vancouver, Canada. Tamra frequents the dance scene as a WCS DJ both locally and at conventions. When their hands aren’t full taking care of their two young daughters, you’ll see them out social dancing. Don’t be afraid to say hi! They love meeting other dancers and dancing with everyone.
Marc Imlay
Marc Imlay has been dancing since 1998. Professionally, he has been a yoga/meditation instructor since 1973, a chiropractor since 1981, and an acupuncturist since 1988. Marc brings his interest and experience in kinesiology, energy flow, and mindful expanded consciousness to his dancing and instruction.
Marc’s philosophy of dance is, “Dance is play for adults. Adults need to play just as much as children do, or even more. Dance is not just enjoyable, it is one of the most healthy things a person can do. It is excellent exercise, a means of interacting positively with others, and an avenue of self-development and learning that is virtually endless. All these have been shown to increase health, happiness, and longevity.” Visit Marc’s website at www.swingdancefusion.com.
Ari Levitt
Ari Levitt has been partnering, teaching, and performing dance in the Greater Seattle area, nationally, and internationally for over 25 years. An award-winning dancer, teacher, and performer, his breadth of styles include Salsa, Tango, Latin, Lindy Hop, Swing, Balboa, Blues, and Ballroom. He is the creator of several innovative new dance styles: “Fusion Waltz”, “Fusion Swing”, & “Fusion Night Club 2-Step” which he has been busy introducing in workshops throughout the country. When off the floor, Ari works as a physician and entrepreneur. www.rolluptherug.com
Jim Minty
Jim Mintys teaching focus is on helping people to feel their dance vs. learning to dance a pattern. Using innovative techniques and teaching tools, Jims desire is to help dancers of all levels learn how to feel and move with their partner on the dance floor by creating a better connection.
Jim is a certified G.S.D.T.A instructor, judge, chief judge and national competitor. He has been teaching and competing all over the U.S. since 1996 and has been instructing locally in Canada and Washington since 1987. While Jim has training, teaching and competing experience in ballroom and country dance he currently specializes in West Coast Swing, Night Club 2-Step and Hustle. Jim is the event director for Seattles Easter Swing, our national dance convention. Learn more about Jim, his classes, and videos at his website www.nwdanceconnection.com or contact him at 425-822-2525 or jim@nwdanceconnection.com.
Katie Schneider
Katie Schneider has been dancing West Coast Swing over 10 years, and competing nationally at the Champion/All-Star level since 2005. Her background includes a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a minor in Dance, and she has studied jazz, ballet, modern/contemporary, country and swing. She’s a very experienced teacher and is known for her focus on technique, the lead/follow relationship, and her creative musicality. She teaches group classes and private lessons in the Seattle area, and has traveled around the country and internationally teaching swing.
Joshua Sturgeon
Joshua fell in love with country dancing twelve years ago when he walked into a country bar on his 21st birthday. Since then he has studied, taught and competed in several forms of dancing including Ballroom, Salsa, Country, several Swing variations and Hip Hop. After getting married in 2007 he took a break from social and competitive dancing, exclusively choreographing and teaching wedding dances. Since early 2010 however, Joshua has been competing in his primary dance passion, West Coast Swing. He has competed in several local and national Jack ‘n Jill competitions, placing 1st in five of his first six events. He is now dancing in the advanced division and plans to keep competing for the sole purpose of advancing his teaching career. He will take his next big step on the competitive floor at Seattle Easter Swing, where he will debut his new Classic routine with Deron Hayes. He and Deron teach the upper level WCS classes at Century Ballroom in Seattle. Joshua loves to teach WCS because, in his words, “it fully embodies the idea of you dance with THIS partner to THIS song. Every dance is different.”
Roberto Villamarin
Roberto Villamarin, originally from Ecuador, South America, has an extensive background in a wide variety of dance forms including Ballroom, Latin and Argentine Tango. He studied West Coast Swing in California and other areas of the US with most swing world champions and national convention judges. This learning experience and his exciting competition journey at WSDC (World Swing Dance Council) national events inspired him to teach west coast swing with a solid dance structure but with an eclectic approach that precisely constitutes the beauty and the diversity of west coast swing. Roberto teaches, and choreographs for dancers of all levels at DanceSport International and tours the nation with Seattle dancer and instructor BriAnne Green to share the joy of west coast swing with others and to support dance communities with limited opportunities for the enjoyment of dancing. Roberto Villamarin specializes in crossing over dancers from all forms of dancing into educated social dancing for he believes that a quality of dance approach at the earlier stages provides a solid foundation that will cultivate creativity, musicality and artistry in new generations of social dancers. For more information about Roberto’s activities and dance instruction, please contact him at rvillamarin@uwdglobal.com, call 425-753-8086, or visit www.uwdglobal.com.
Terry West
Terry is a musically inclined, athletic and spiritual individual whose main interest is to create the opportunity for others to enrich their lives through the recreation of dancing. He has performed this work for the last 21 years as a dance instructor, DJ, and a major promoter of West Coast Swing in the Seattle area. He has provided Seattle area swing dancers with weekly West Coast Swing classes and dances as well as weekend workshops featuring the country’s top professionals. Visit his website at www.terrywestproductions.com or contact him at cutarug@gmail.com.
DJ’s
Paul “Song Scout” Booth
Robb Bryan
Robb says he has had a love for music all his life, and was even working on a music major once upon a time. Later, he found another great outlet for music when he started dancing Country Western, and then West Coast Swing, in 1993. He’s competed nationally in both Country and West Coast Swing and taught both in the Seattle area since the late 90′s. He started DJ-ing around 2004 and loves watching dancers respond to his music almost as much as dancing to it. Working by day as a mild-mannered IT guy, and by night as a DJ, dance instructor, and social dancer affords him little time for much else including sleep, but the love of music, dancing, and of the dancers themselves, keeps him going.
You’ll find Robb DJ-ing WCS every other Tuesday night at the Century Ballroom, teaching and DJ-ing WCS at China Harbor Restaurant on Thursday nights, teaching and DJ-ing Country Western at his own “Country On” dances held twice a month on Friday nights in Monroe, and teaching and DJ-ing WCS at some of the 1st-&-3rd Sunday dances held by the Seattle Swing Dance Club. Look for Robb on Facebook posting to the “Seattle West Coast Swing Dancers” group page or on his “Got Our Country On” page.
Email: hayrobb@gmail.com
Bruce Gombrelli
Bruce started playing music at the age of 8 and was a musician, performer and a DJ for different events through his 20′s including steady gigs at clubs in Florida. After living in the PNW for many years, in 2006 Bruce decided to pick back up the art of DJing and started to DJ for gigs in WA and California. Burce has been a West Coast Swing DJ at national and local events and also DJ’s private events. Bruce can be contacted at public@dancingtothemusic.com or at the website www.dancingtothemusic.com/ or via phone at 425-614-7517.
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