Dancing since 1974, Chester Whitmore originally studied to be a cinematographer. An encounter with famed tap dancer Fayard Nicholas changed his life. Eventually, Mr. Nicholas became his teacher and mentor.

Mr. Whitmore has been jumping ever since. Lately, he has been traveling around the world on tour as dancer, teacher, choreographer, director and entertainer. He and his dance company, Black Ballet Jazz, have performed with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Mercer Ellington, the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster and the great Miles Davis.
The summer of 1999 sent him touring through Canada and Europe with the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra in a tribute to Duke Ellington.

Chester Whitmore's choreography can be seen in music videos by Weird Al Yankovic, Tina Marie, Boys 2 Men, and most recently, Sugar Ray.

Has been swing dancing since the age of 15, only 19 years old he joined the Rhythm Hot Shots that later became the Harlem Hot Shots. Today at the age of 26 he is still performing with the company that is well recognized for it's spectacular shows worldwide. Sakarias has been teaching a lot both internationally and within Sweden. Sakarias teaches tap at the Swedish Ballet Academy. Sakarias masters several dances from the swing era including Lindy Hop, Charleston and Tap.

In Lindy Hop Sakarias together with Frida Segerdahl made it to the finals ”Hellzapoppin” New York (2004 and 2005) and ”The Battle (2006, 2007), he placed second in the fast and medium Lindy Hop divisions at the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2007. As a solo dancer Sakarias has won the authentic jazz division at both ”The Battle” and ”Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown” 2007. He also made it through to the final in the Swedish dance reality TV show ”Floor Filler” where he competed with his swing dancing against other dance styles. He likes to compete for the fun of it but believes that no other person really is to judge a dancer.

Nina hails from Washington D.C. As teacher, performer and competitor of Lindy Hop and Belly Dance, she is a member of both Silver Shadows and Ancient Rhythms Middle Eastern dance troupe. Nina teaches Nationally and can lay claim to many titles from some of the most prestigious competitions in the world. Her classes will focus on innovation and personal style while striving to keep sight of Lindy Hop's roots. Nina is very excited to be back in Seattle, this is one of her favorite places to dance.

Andy Reid is well known for his powerful presence, movement and technique. His style is a balance of the refined and the eccentric, and he succeeds highlighting the wildness of Lindy Hop without compromising underlying technique.

Andy has performed and taught all over the world including Sweden, Italy and France. He is a founding member of Silver Shadows, a recently formed troupe who performed in Harlem, NY at a tribute event for the surviving members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, as well a member highly influential troupe Minnie's Moochers. Andy is also a founding member of Mad Dog!, a Lindy Hop Crew who is infamous within the Lindy community for some reason.

Peter Strom has been a featured instructor at workshops and camps all over the world including the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Since 1999 he has both competed and won at various national competitions. Competitions and titles aside, Peter is first and foremost a social dancer. With this in mind, his classes focus on solid lead/follow technique as the road to finding one's own unique style. His simple philosophy, based on momentum, connection, and rhythm helps students to learn more than a bunch of cool moves. In his classes, Peter shares his love of dance with his students, helping them enjoy the dance on a deeper level and becoming more connected to the music and their partner.

Rikard Ekstrand was first inspired to start dancing in the early age
of 7. Today it's his life and his way of living. Best chance to see this
dancing creature is to visit Stockholm, Sweden, were he's most often
found. His focus in swingdancing and teaching lies in the art of
rhythm, music and partnering. Except from swingdancing, Rikard is a quite
well known streetdancer in Sweden. He see swingdancing as an artform
and a culture legacy. Recreation of old tecniques and styles is what
makes Rikard go wild. He call himself a student more than a dancer.
"In the school of dance and rhythm you will never be fully skilled".
2006 Rikard started his cooperation with the Harlem Hot Shots and in 2008 he
became a member.
Rikard also have a passion for competition, in which he has a long list of
titles in both Lindy Hop and Boogie Woogie.

Jessica started to dance at very young age around 1990, and like many other of the Swedish dancers, she was at first hooked on Swedish bugg (a long-distance relative to the lindy) and Swedish double-bugg (an even further relative to the lindy where the leader has two followers to take care of at the same time …). In 1994 she met and started to dance with Andreas Berg and they decided to focus on boogie woogie. Since then their mutual career is and has been most comprehensive and includes several major titles in boogie woogie including Swedish Champions three times, European Champions once and World Champions three times. They are internationally well-known and are frequently seen out and about at different dance events teaching and/or performing. In 2007/2008 they also received Svenska Sportspegelpriset (Swedish Sport News Award) in recognition for their extra ordinary level of dancing and international success. Jessica’s career at present does not only include boogie woogie but also balboa and lindy hop. She recently became a member of The Harlem Hot Shots.

Nick Williams has embodied the passion and spirit of swing dancing ever
since his first lesson in 1998. His in depth understanding of Lindy Hop,
Balboa, and Collegiate Shag stem from studying with the original dancers.
Nick's desire for authenticity, combined with his passion for dance
evolution, leads to a style known for precision, lightness, musicality and
dynamic energy. His successes include World Lindy Hop Champion, U.S. Open
Swing Dance Champion, American Lindy Hop Champion, National Jitterbug
Champion, International Lindy Hop Champion, Ultimate Lindy Hop Champion,
American Classic Balboa Champion and California Balboa/Swing Champion. He
is also an accomplished choreographer and has been featured on the hit
television show So You Think You Can Dance? As an instructor, he is known
for his ability to break down movements and technique to create a fun and
light-hearted learning environment. His true love for music and dancing
will forever inspire him to learn, teach, and grow. In 2004, Nick was
honored to be recognized by the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame.
www.SwingNick.com

Naomi Uyama didn't realize swing dancing still existed until one night in late 1997, she attended a dance in her hometown of Washington DC, witnessed her first jam, and was instantly hooked. Over the past eight years she has studied vernacular jazz dance as a historic treasure while pursuing it as a living art form. She has taught workshops around the world, and performed for dance and music legends alike. As a competitor, Naomi recently took an unprecedented sweep of first place titles at the 2005 American Lindy Hop Championships, US Open Swing Dance Championships, and all three separate tempo divisions at the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. Her expertise in subtle musicality and focus on following skills are points she loves sharing with the dedicated dancers she finds at signature events like Camp Jitterbug.

Competing is fun for Carla and a great way to push her limits, but her real passion is teaching dance and social dancing. She travels all over the country and the world teaching this art form to others and is excited to call San Francisco home and be a part of the thriving San Francisco Bay area dance community. She has a down to earth teaching approach, but still takes learning seriously and focuses heavily on quality of movement, partner connection, musicality, and most importantly, enjoying the dance! Carla searches for that fine balance of staying connected to the roots of the dance, where it came from and why, while still pushing the envelope of where the dance can go. Lindy Hop is a constantly evolving dance that should be rooted deeply in its vibrant & extensive history, but still bursting with energy towards a brilliant future. Carla currently teaches, choreographs, judges, competes, & social dances all over the world & feels very fortunate to be able to do what she loves most.

Ramona is known internationally for her wildly graceful style and spontaneity on the dance floor. She was only 14 when legendary swing dancer Frankie Manning introduced her to New York at the Mid-Summer Night Swing series at Lincoln Center. Since then she has been teaching and performing all over the world. In 1998 and 1999, she placed first at the American Lindy Hop Championships in the junior division. As a founding member of Minnie's Moochers, she taught and performed in Singapore in 2000. That same year she also performed in Tokyo representing Swing Dance America. In 2002, Ramona became a World Lindy Hop Champion in Stockholm, Sweden.

Currently, Ramona is a member of the Vanavar Caravan, a contemporary dance company specializing in modern, clogging and ethnic dance. She teaches at Hop Swing and a Jump in New York, and is studying tap in her free time.

Annie is an former competition gymnast. She is a co-founder and co-owner of Studio 88 Swing in Montreal (Canada) where she has taught swing since 2001. She also manages and dances in the Montreal Swinging Air Force dance performance troupe, along with her partner Max Pitruzzella. She is passionate and enthusiastic as a swing dancer, teacher and competitor. Her style joins dynamism and power with a subtleness that is very feminine. She is thrilled to come back to Camp Jitterbug for her second time.

Emily "Jo" Hoffberg calls California her home, though she spends most of the year traveling with her dance partner Kevin St. Laurent. She holds 1st place titles from the US Open, Canadian Swing Championships, Camp Hollywood, American Lindy Hop Championships, and Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. She worked in Japan for Universal Studios and has taught in the US, Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. She is a passionate and avid dancer, instructor and competitor.

Jenny started dancing when she was seven years old at Lasse Khülers dance school in Stockholm. She stayed in the school for ten years and became maybe a better performer than a dancer. She got her passion for jazz music and singing from her mother at an early age and when Jenny was sixteen she left Khülers dance school and started study theatre. Since then she has been in several plays and cabarets, both as an actress, singer and a dancer. She started dancing lindy hop when she was sixteen. After two classes for Mattias Lundmark, she went directly to Nalen (the most famous dancehall in Stockholm) to dance socially. Herräng Dance Camp was the place that got her hooked on lindy hop and she hasn't stopped since. 

2003 she started performing with the dance troup Shout n' feel it in Stockholm and 2005 she became a member of the perfomance group Harlem Hot Shots. Dancing and performing with the Harlem Hot Shots has also made her a skilled charlston and jazz dancer. Jenny has been teaching since 2004 with a variety of dance partners, her focus is on musicality and improvistion.

Lennart Westerlund started to dance Swedish style jitterbug at Lasse Kühlers dance school in 1980 and became a member of recently formed Swedish Swing Society in 1981. In the early years he competed frequently at different places around Sweden and he also spent lots of hours dancing socially. Around this period of time he furthermore became a member of the board of above mentioned society and was also an active part of organizing the very first Herräng Dance Camp in August, 1982. After getting his first impressions of African-American swing dancing in 1983 he was hooked and turned into becoming one of the pioneers of the first modern revival of lindy hoppin'. In 1984 he traveled to New York to meet and study with the late Savoy dancer Albert Minns, whom he later on the same year also invited to Stockholm for teaching and lectures. After mister Minns' visit Lennart together with a few dance friends formed Swedish swing dance company The Rhythm Hot Shots (later Harlem Hot Shots) in 1985 and started to study old film clips to learn more about not only the lindy hop but also the charleston, tap, acrobatics and other things related to the African-American swing dance tradition.

If Max was not a dancer, he would probably be a boxer! Max demonstrates a tremendous versatility being able to adapt to very slow or very fast tempo in couple, and showing some incredible skills in solo dancing as well. The art of swing dancing is how he makes his living, teaching at Studio 88 Swing in Montreal and teaching internationally with his new partner Annie Trudeau. He is passionate about sharing his understanding of all the details that create a good connection between partners and give the most energy to the dance. Max wins titles at every event he attends but is particularly proud of having won the Endurance Contest at the last ULHS.

Juan hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been a leading proponent in the revival of vintage jazz dances in South America. Today, he spends most of his time travelling the world with his dance partner Sharon Davis. His background in gymnastics, acrobatics and martial arts strongly influence his dancing and teaching, giving him a unique perspective on body movement and awareness, and a distinct - and often spectacular - personal style. Known for his high-flying acrobatics and eye-catching slides, Juan is a consumate performer, a creative dancer and an insightful teacher. Visit www.juanvillafane.com to find out more about him.

Originating from California, Kevin has kept in the spirit of CA divisity with both his dancing influences and international travels. Ten years on the professional Lindy Hop circuit has brought Kevin awards in all the major competions as well as appearances on TV & Film. He appeared on ABC's revival of the TV show Dance Fever in 2003 and was a featured dancer using Motion Capture technology in the 2004 Feature Film The Polar Express in 2004. His expertise is sought after by both amateur and professional dancers world-wide.
In 2007 Kevin teamed up with Jo Hoffberg to create a dynamic partnership for exhibiting the performance and social spectrum of Lindy Hop as well as for sharing their discoveries and knowledge of the dance through instruction. Kevin and Jo are known for their humorous, effective and approachable teaching styles.
As a founding member of the Vintage Jazz Dance Troupe The Killer Dillers, Kevin continues to push his dancing in new directions and strives to reinvent the progressive flavor of early 20th century Jazz music and dance. Whether through acro, jazz, lindy, soft shoe, tap, cane or hat tricking, Kevin promises to entertain and inspire.

Links:

Hailing from Australia, Sharon now spends most of her time teaching and performing around the world with her dance partner Juan Villafane. In Lindy Hop, Charleston and Blues, she is admired for her unique and feminine style, musicality and improvisation. She is known for her dedication to the history of vernacular jazz dances and the music they evolved to. Sharon is also a founder of Australian burlesque troupe Sugar Blue Burlesque, with which she has delighted audiences with her graceful feather fan dances and sassy showgirl antics. Visit www.sharondavis.com.au to find out more about her.

Mike Faltesek brings to the dance floor an incredibly diverse social and performance dance talent that includes not only Lindy Hop but also Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Traditional Jazz, Tap, Charleston, Breakaway, Balboa, Big Apple, Blues and many other Authentic Jazz dances.

Mike has been dancing for almost a decade, in that time he has traveled to instruct, compete, and perform internationally. From Harlem to Los Angeles and all throughout Europe. Mike is well known for his charismatic personality, approachability and passion for the essence of Authentic Jazz dance and music. He possesses an enthusiastic ability to convey ideas and movements explicitly, making him a popular instructor wherever he goes. He teaches workshops internationally, each time leaving a lasting impression on his students.

Laura Keat first entered the competitive lindy hop scene with 23Skidoo, Denver's competitive performance team, in 2003. In 2004 Laura began competing on her own as well. Some of her most memorable wins was the Classic division at 2004 American Lindy Hop Championships, the Strictly Lindy at 2004 US Open, and being a finalist at the Centennial Basie Ball Hellzapoppin Contest, as well as many other reputable successes. Teaching regularly in Denver, and semi-regularly nationally, she enjoys teaching a combination of skills ranging from partner connection, to movement, styling, and musicality with an emphasis on styling and musicality. She is always excited for another chance to share her joy and passion for the dance!

Casey's love of swing dancing began in 1998. Whether social dancing, teaching, or performing, Casey is inspired by the playful spirit of traditional jazz dances and in "raising her voice" as a female dancer. In her teaching, she focuses on developing solid technique and partnering skills as the foundation for developing one's style and sense of musicality. Casey also enjoys competing, with placements or wins at regional and national competitions. She frequently performs with and dabbles in a variety of dance forms with Sister Kate, an all-girl performance group.

Fatima started to tap dance in Brussels, her hometown, in the late 80's. Her style is strongly jazz related and deeply rooted in the 30's and 40's tap tradition. Since several years she is teaching all over Europe and since the fall of 2002 she is living in Stockholm where she is a member of Harlem Hot Shots, involved in the Chicago swing dance studio and one of the organizers of Herräng Dance Camp.

With rhythm in his hips before a diaper around them and with four older siblings who gave him the inspiration, Pontus started to dance naturally as a five year-old in 1994. Only one year later, he started to compete and thereby found an interest of the two swing dances available, Boogie Woogie and Lindy Hop. He found a partner in 1998 and started to dance Lindy Hop and started to compete immediately. The following year he started to dance Boogie Woogie with his nowadays main partner Lizette.

Already in the junior classes they got successful, also gaining appreciation by the crowd very quickly. Most notable though, is their win of the Swedish- and World Championship 2006 in Boogie Woogie Junior class along with the 3rd place in Lindy Hop Showcase division of the Lindy World Championship 2007, where they got ranked as 4th overall.

At the age of 5, Frida started her dance career in the Swedish bugg and rock ´n´ roll federation. By the age of 11 she did her first Lindy Hop
competition witch is the style that is closest to her heart. She loves dancing and she has been studying ballet, modern, jazz dance and Swedish folk-dance. In 2005 frida moved to Stockholm from the small countryside city of Ludvika. She came in contact with Chicago Swing Dance Studio and the Harlem Hot Shots as soon as she moved there and she later on became one of the members of Harlem Hot Shots. Nowadays she spends her life performing, teaching and improving her dancing skills. She loves to share her knowledge in the art of dancing and is very exited about coming to Camp Jitterbug!

Giselle is a professional vintage jazz dancer and founder of Girl Jams, honoring women in jazz music and dance history. Learning her basics from Josie Say and Catrine Ljunggren in 1998, she has dedicated herself to the preservation of vintage dances. She is an internationally known performer, instructor, judge, competitor, social dancer, DJ, and event organizer that pays tribute to previous generations of legendary dancers. She currently lives in New Orleans and works with the Cherries Jubilee (San Diego), Olio Productions (San Diego), and the NOLA Jitterbugs. Giselle hopes to spread vintage dances within urban street cultures and expose others to the world of jazz and its connection to the modern.

Mickey Fortanasce and Kelly Arsenault have been teaching and dancing together since 2005. Internationally recognized teachers and competitors, they have placed in various competitions in both Lindy Hop and Balboa. Most recently placing first at All Balboa Weekend's 2008 American Classic Balboa Championship and achieving repeat victories at the International Balboa Championships, at the Balboa Rendezvous. They have been featured in dance articles in Time Out New York , The New York Sun, www.priceless.com, have appeared on Good Day New York (NBC), and were interviewed and filmed for a story about Balboa on HDTV. Known for their dynamic and innovative style, showmanship and passion for dance, their commitment to fostering Balboa in New York also led them to establish the city's first and only regularly occurring social dance event devoted to Balboa, known as White Heat.

These are the instructors who are confirmed so far...stay tuned for a few more fabulous names to be added to the line-up.