TEACHERS

Heather Ballew and Javier Johnson

Heather Ballew hails from Denver, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. She took her first Lindy Hop steps in the 1990s after being inspired by a movie. Known for her connection and musicality, she spent a decade performing and competing with Denver swing dance troupe, 23 Skidoo. She has since taught on four continents, and she holds titles from International Lindy Hop Championships, Camp Hollywood, California Balboa Classic, and Lindy Focus. She believes that swing dancing should look good and feel great but most of all it should be fun. She loves social dancing with people of all levels and can be found teaching abroad, talking passionately about scene-building, and starting silly and sometimes thoughtful online discussions.

Javier Johnson is a rocket scientist by trade, and he brings a powerful analytical sense which joins the mechanics of dance and the soul of expression. He is well versed in all the swing dances, but specializes in Balboa and Soul. As an international swing dance instructor, he's traveled around the world sharing his joy of teaching and his passion for jazz dances.

Olivia Adams and Jacob Wigger

Professional Horse Trainer by day, Swing Dancer by night, backpacker, adventurer…Olivia’s interests are widely diverse! She started Swing Dancing while visiting Disneyland in 2005. Olivia truly has a passion for sharing her love of Swing Dance and is wanting to cultivate an environment where people at all levels and ages can come and learn. The things Olivia values the most in Balboa are the partner connection, the flow of movement and the intricate subtleties of communication that is the “glue”. She loves Pure Balboa and Bal Swing equally and loves drawing inspiration from the Old Timers. She thinks of Balboa as a duet, where two people are singing at the same time in order to create melody and harmony together, something complimentary and beautiful.

Jacob discovered his love of Balboa in 2005 and has been hooked ever since. As a teacher he enjoys using a mix of humorous analogies and serious instruction to create a fun and exciting learning environment. Jacob has been teaching at national and international events for the last 15 years. He has honed his ability to break down and analyze the dance to make complex and dynamic movement happen with ease and comfort. Jacob’s primary goal in all his partnerships has been to connect in a way that works for both him and his partner to find what they can create together. This has resulted in numerous placements and wins at all levels of competition, but more importantly, having ever-evolving social dances.

NIna Rüetschi and Anthony Carusiello

Nina is a swing dance professional with over 25 years of dance experience. She began her dance journey with Jazz Dance at the age of 7. With a degree in Art Education, she blends her artistic knowledge with her extensive dance experience to teach and inspire her students. Nina is an accomplished competitive dancer, regularly making finals and placing at events across the continent. Her commitment to the art of swing dance, combined with her educational background, makes her a dynamic and influential presence in the dance community.

Anthony hails from the US and has been teaching Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag, Charleston, Vernacular Jazz and other American jazz era dances for over 15 years. He holds several first place titles from prominent competitions such as – Rock That Swing Festival, Midwest Lindy Fest, Fog City Stomp, Lindy on the Rocks, Nevermore Jazz Ball, European Balboa Festival, Bal Love, The Snowball, and Valencia Balboa Festival – to name a few and was a member and choreographer for the aerialist Denver dance troupe “23 Skidoo”. Anthony now teaches across Europe emphasizing a blend of old and new ideas. "Technique is not a cage that confines us, but a tool we use to clarify our communication and expression.”