Ross Blythe: Blues
A favorite on the social floor for his rhythmic play and clear lead allowing for effortless follow expression, Ross inspires his partners and onlookers alike. His movement background in martial arts and sport fencing affords him a grounded strength and athletic balance, giving rise to precise, secure changes between shapes and directions. Ross was drawn to the blues idiom because of its emphasis on personal expression in relation to a partner and the breadth of tempo and style within blues music. As a teacher Ross builds layered classes to challenge all levels, balances technique with application, and chooses appropriate music to support each exercise. Met with overwhelming competitive success, Ross has placed 1st at a number of contests within the last two years: BluesSHOUT 2015 Open Strictly (Chicago, IL), North Star Blues 2016 JnJ (Minneapolis, MN), Austin Blues Party 2016 Social JnJ (Austin, TX), Snowbound Blues 2016 All Star Strictly, and Sweet Molasses Blues 2016 Advanced JnJ (Boston, MA).
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Sarah Lokay: Blues
From an athletic background of soccer and martial arts, Sarah began dancing in 2010, and has been smitten with it since. With a passion for the community and a joy found in the music, her focus on strong partner connection and mutual expression creates the center of her dancing and forms the way she approaches practice and learning. Packing warm humor with clear analysis and breakdowns, her teaching aims to share the joy of movement, and to encourage fun, strong partnered dances out on the floor. Sarah has finaled in events such as the Winter Blues 2016 Jack & Jill, the the Winter Blues 2016 Solo Competition, the BluesSHOUT! 2016 Open Strictly, and has taken 3rd in the Steel City Blues 2016 Solo Riffin’ Competition, as well as Austin Blues Party 2016 Strictly with her partner, Ross Blythe.
Sarah has taught both Blues and Lindy Hop at venues throughout the Midwest, and, when not traveling to compete, learn, or teach, can be found working with the Bluetopia event board as an organizer and instructor in Chicago. |
Jeff Meyer: Lindy
Jeff is known for being a fun, friendly, and approachable dancer who, as a good friend noted, “can’t keep a smile off his face on the dance floor.” In fact, focusing on communication and improvisation helps keep his social dancing fresh and exciting. Jeff is proud of his broad partner dance background -- having studied many swing dances, blues dances, Argentine tango, and ballroom dances -- and skillfully draws connections between different dance forms to inform his own dancing and how he teaches dance. Jeff has taught dance all over the country, and is known for teaching fundamental building blocks that are easily communicated and can be put together to create innovative and complex patterns. Jeff is also known for his knowledgeable, robust, and audience-pleasing djing -- many dancers have cursed him for keeping them on the dance floor with too many great songs.
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Sara Lapan: Lindy
Don’t let her youthfulness fool you, Sara has been swing and blues dancing for over 13 years. According to Sara's mother, Sara was a dancer even before she was born. Sara flipped through elementary school and high school, training as a gymnast. After retiring from gymnastics, Sara dabbled in many dances before going to college where she fell in love with swing dancing. Since then Sara has carefully studied and refined many swing dances (lindy hop, charleston, and balboa), blues dances (jookin’, ballroomin’, and drag), Argentine tango, solo jazz, and tap. While in Michigan, she performed regularly with an all girl jazz dance troupe. Over the years, Sara has been very active teaching dance (and math!) in the communities she has lived, from Michigan to Chicago to (now) Los Angeles.
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