Teachers
Trisha Sewell
"Dancing from the age of 3, I have not stopped spreading my joy and love of dance. Now in my 'Reinvention' period, it has been a time for change, discovery, empowerment and pushing the boundaries".
Trisha hails from Hertfordshire, UK, and has been teaching since 1997 and on the international scene since 2003. For 10 years she contributed to establishing the first European swing dance brand and the biggest of its time. She is now thrilled to manage her own company SavoyHop.com creatively directed by her personal vision. Trisha has built up a reputation for being one of the most influential teachers within the European Swing Scene.
Trisha has natural flair, a unique touch and very distinctive style on the dance floor. Her focus is to recreate the look of the original dancers of Lindy Hop, mixed with providing followers with drills, technique and musicality. An accomplished musician & experienced in Tap she helps others to understand rhythms and how to improvise within the dance. She has had formal training in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap and musical theatre since the age 5.
Markus Rosendal
He is a professional dance teacher, performer and DJ.
A well regarded specialist in dances from the 1920´s - 1950´s, Markus now teaches Lindy Hop, Boogie Woogie and Authentic Jazz.
Markus started his dance career in 1999 when he was a competition dancer for the Swedish National Team, he continued to compete for the team until 2010. From 2006 alongside competing Markus has been travelling around the globe teaching at various events, from Herräng Dance Camp which is located in the home country of Sweden to Osaka, Japan and everywhere in between.
As well as teaching adults, Markus has enjoyed working with the community, touring Sweden teaching children around the country about dance and dance culture.
Ana Mínguez
A pioneer of swing dance in the Basque Country, she has been teaching Lindy Hop in Donostia since 2000.
She has also taught regular courses in other cities such as Vitoria, Bilbao and Biarritz.
In addition, she has also participated as a teacher of Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz & Charleston in various international stages and festivals as well as in several editions of the Paris Swing Festival. Of particular note, in the 2008 edition of the Paris Swing Festival, she was Frankie Manning’s assistant partner.
Her passion for Lindy Hop and her intention in creating a swing community in Donostia have led her over the years to organize dances, parties and workshops, to promote social dancing and never stop learning.
Mimmi Gunnarson
”Her feet run the floor like fingers over the keys of a piano—with clear intentions and deep sound. Rhythms are tight, movements fresh and joy unmistakable.” - Swingzine.com
Mimmi is a dancer filled with energy and joy. A true student of the dance, in love with the raw and wild style of dancers in Harlem in the 30s and 40s. Her inspiration though, is gotten from everywhere which she with care and ease incorporates into her own style.
As a breath of fresh air from a time that past, she makes the dance her own every time she swings by the dance floor.
Starting off as a social dancer, she soon found the passion for performing - since 2012 as a member of the famous dance company The Hot Shots. Besides teaching regularly at Chicago Swing Dance Studio in Stockholm, Mimmi has traveled to teach and perform in all continents of the globe. Countries such as Australia, US, Brazil, Singapore, Korea, South Africa and Mozambique just to mention a few - And of course frequently all around Europe.
Fredrik Dahlberg
He was born and raised in Stockholm. Never had he a thought of becoming a dancer. Instead he spent his days listening to Hip-Hop and playing basketball. He moved to the south side and started to show interest in jazz music. One of his friends took him to a lindy hop class and at first he didn't show much of talent, struggling with what was left and right and up and down. Soon after he joined the famous swing dance company The Hot Shots. How was this even possible? With a mind set on nothing else (that is not entirely true) and some luck some might say.
With a big portion of individual style and new ideas he brings something refreshing to the scene. He tried tap (and is still trying), but on the other hand he has advanced in dances like the lindy hop, the charleston and several other vernacular jazz dances which has entitled him several big awards in only a short period of time.
He has been teaching in several international events such as Frankie 100, Herräng Dance Camp, Camp Jitterbug and traveled to perform around the globe in such places as Singapore, Greece, Korea, Lithuania, China, Australia, Brazil, Canada, The U.S. and Mozambique among other. He is also an important part of the puzzle Chicago Swing Dance Studio where he has been teaching, djing, cleaning, providing guests with a smile and dancing at every opportunity he gets. Also he plays trumpet and tries to play piano.
Peter Kepič
His obsession by swing and jazz music in general is based on his musical background. He has been musician since childhood and used to play saxophone for years.
Peter started with jazz dances not long time ago in Bratislava, first with Boogie Woogie. Now his triples belong mostly to Lindy and Authentic jazz. In this short period he became first Slovak jazz dancer known internationally, travelling around Europe, winning competitions and teaching. He did workshops in Hungary, Austria, Sweden, Lithuania, Poland and other places.
Peter was hosted as regular teacher inVilnius but now his beloved city and home scene is Brno in Czech Republic where he founded Lindy Hop and started with regular teaching. As a dancer and teacher he feels the need to share his passion, joy and craziness that possesses his face and body every time a swing song starts to play. He is the one who enters the dance floor as first and leaves as the last one. He is a swing geek, spending nights digging in old clips and music, searching for new inspiration for his solo dancing and teaching. Taking his class is unique and inspiring experience because this swing kid is the craziest!
Pavli Korcova
She loves slow tempos. Swing and blues fascinates her by it’s power of storytelling, self-expression and liberation.
Being a school leader and an important person for the growth of swing dance scene in Czech Republic, community and social aspect of the dance has always been crucial for her. She also believes dancing and building this community is one of the most beautiful and positive forms of activism.
Social topics like feminism, safe space, emotional intelligence, cultural appropriation etc. influence the way she dances, thinks about the dance and music and shares ideas about it with others. She never stops studying, learning and exploring.
Alba Steinlen & Javi Molina
Alba is from Donosti. She was already a dancer of other styles when she discovered Lindy Hop 10 years ago. She teaches at Spirit Valencia, contributing her ideas and energy to this project. Alba is also a historian, so she really enjoys researching books, records and videos. She admires and respects Swing Era dancers such as Marie Byant and Mable Lee, and loves Cab Calloway both as a musician and as a dancer.
Javi founded the Spirit Valencia Project nearly 20 years ago and is one of the people who introduced Swing dancing to Spain. Since then, he has been devoted to learning about and communicating the roots and values of this culture. He began dancing Acrobatic Rock and performing in national tours, so he loves aerials. Watching Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in Hellzapoppin excites and inspires him!
Isabel Jiménez & Jonathan Marx
Isa has 10 years' experience in classical dance and 4 years' in dance pedagogy. When she discovered Lindy Hop, she found a way to dance that felt much more free, and in which discipline and technique were secondary. Isa sees Lindy Hop as a street dance, which is why she focuses more on the social aspects of the dance, respecting each person's unique way of expressing themselves. Her dancing is pure energy and rhythm, and is influenced by African dance.
Jonathan grew up with music and already as a teen he had a passion for jazz, even if his peers couldn't do anything with Art Tatum or Erroll Garner. Many years later he discovered by chance that there was a Lindy Hop scene in his student town. Couple dancing was very unfamiliar at first, but Jonathan quickly became an active social dancer, attending as many classes and parties as possible, and so it is still today.
Since 2017 he has been teaching mainly in Saarbrücken, but also in Trier and Metz (France). In 2020 he quit his HR job to attend osteopathy school and dedicate more time to swing dance. What he loves about swing dance is the freedom in movement, the musicality, the communication and shared moments with the partner, living in the moment, the warmth in the communities and of course the good parties.
Maria Peña & Amaia Martinez
María is passionate about music. Before Lindy Hop, she danced the style called Northern soul at Soul and R&B festivals. In 2010 she discovered Lindy Hop and began exploring its roots and related dance styles: jazz steps, tap, blues, balboa and even a bit of hip hop and ballet. Since about 2017, Maria has been teaching at different schools, where she enjoys spreading her knowledge and passion for dance. At the same time, she continues to learn and search for new ways to grow as a dancer.
Amaia has been involved in movement and education for many years. She started with other dance styles, but in 2005 she tried Lindy hop and was quickly captivated by its rhythm and energy. Since then, she has not stopped training in classes and at international festivals. During her long journey, Amaia's Lindy Hop has evolved, blending with elements from other dances, and giving her her own unique dance style. This will be her first time teaching at a festival and she is eager to spread all her energy and enthusiasm there.
