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BIY Instructor Bios

Laura Keat began her swing dance lifestyle in 2002 when her brother, after seeing Swing Kids for the first time, convinced Laura to take him swing dancing. After a day of Lindy Hop, she was hooked for life. Ever the disciplined student and skilled competitor, Laura began winning national contests and gaining recognition as a Lindy Hop follow with an independent style and point of view. Laura’s love for swing & jazz music pushed her to expand her dancing into Balboa, Collegiate Shag, Solo Jazz, Charleston and dancing in her non-primary role as a lead in Lindy and Bal.

To this day, Laura loves dancing with a wide variety of partners with diverse styles and ideas to challenge and broaden her own ideas and abilities. As an instructor, she brings a fresh perspective to her classes, working to develop a technical foundation for the purpose of creating opportunity for individual expression and voice in response to the music.
When Laura isn’t on the dance floor she can be found with her dog hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains, enjoying the beautiful Colorado sunshine or a good book in a great coffee shop.

www.ElevatedRhythm.com

 

Adam Speen strives to provide a unique perspective combining classic swing dance technique with a modern ideology. Partnership and playfulness are the focus for Adam on the dance floor, creating a “yes and” environment for his partners and himself. He brings the same positive environment to the classroom where conditioning drills, visual media, and demonstrations by students are commonplace. While in self isolation, Adam has taken up neighborhood birding, cooking ramen from scratch, and has enjoyed 30 weeks of disco themed Fridays working from home with his partner Abigail.

 

Jenn Lee travels all over the world for Balboa. If there is great Balboa, you’ll find her there, dancing until the wee hours with the biggest, most contented smile on her face. Fourteen years ago, a friend took her swing dancing, and she’s been devoted to that scene ever since, first as a student, then later as an avid competitor, organizer, advocate, and now as a popular instructor.

Her teaching style reflects her creativity, music background, collaborative approach, and partner communication. She is thrilled to be dancing and collaborating with some of the best Balboa partners out there. Her film titled “One Girl and Two Boys” won the Jazz Dance Film Festival, and she holds 1st place titles from the California Balboa Classic, All Balboa Weekend, the Eastern Balboa Championships, the Snowball and, Lindy Focus. Check her out at https://jennleedance.wordpress.com/

During her excess time in the COVID era, Jenn has been biking and hiking like crazy. She’s tried her hand at hand-making boba and sourdough, but while Jenn has many strengths, these skills aren’t among them.

 

Bobby White is known worldwide for his individual dance style, expressive teaching methods, and floppy hair. He is a passionate dancer of Balboa, Lindy Hop, and Solo Jazz and has won many national and international championship placements in those dances, which he teaches all over the world. His welcoming nature and humorous personality are complemented by his passion for the dance and in-depth instruction. He is dedicated to exploring the art form and history of swing dance, as shown through his well-read blog, Swungover, and the story-telling talks that he delivers at events. He is the emcee of Lindy Focus and other events.

 

Teni Lopez-Cardenas – Graceful and fiery. Feminine yet dynamic. Known for her swivels and fancy footwork. Teni Lopez-Cardenas is an accomplished competitor, teacher, judge, and performer, and has the pleasure of working with many well-known leads and teams. In the classroom, Teni maintains a fun and accessible attitude while focusing on the importance of connection, body awareness, and technique. Her passion for the dance shines through in her teaching, and she strives to instill a sense of playfulness while encouraging her students to develop their own personal style. Teni is happiest when dancing her heart out, both socially and in competitions and performances. On the competition circuit, Teni is one of the few unpartnered follows who consistently places in top Lindy Hop and Balboa divisions at many prestigious events. She’s also really into Krav Maga.
http://www.tenilopez.com/