Enter the Blues presents: Enter the Blues 4, May 21-23, 2010
Instructors
Laura Glaess and Mike Roberts
Laura grew up in a small hick town with very little access to dance or music she liked (other than her mom's classical CDs). When college came in 2001, she bumped into Lindy Hop, Swing, and Jazz ( <3 ) in San Antonio while at Trinity University, and soon added blues to her repertoire. Since then, she has been dedicating every spare moment (and dollar) to learning more about these amazing dances. She has taught in Canada, France, Estonia, Australia, New Zealand and throughout the US.
Mike has been dancing Lindy Hop, Charleston, East Coast Swing and Blues since 2000. Over the years, Mike has traveled the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand attending workshops and competitions, honing his craft. He strives to create a fun and exciting environment in his classroom and at social dances. No matter how much technique you have, if you’re not having fun with it, there’s no point.
For Laura and Mike, blues dancing is the epitome of trust in a relationship: trust in the weight and connection of the other person, trust in the other person's musicality and timing, trust in their support of your musicality and timing. It's a beautiful ebb and flow that moves beyond "compromise" into complete togetherness. Dang! They get giddy about the idea of blues dancing again as they write this bio! Anyhow, they use this philosophy of trust in their social dancing and choreography, and try to convey the feeling in their classes.
Mike has been dancing Lindy Hop, Charleston, East Coast Swing and Blues since 2000. Over the years, Mike has traveled the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand attending workshops and competitions, honing his craft. He strives to create a fun and exciting environment in his classroom and at social dances. No matter how much technique you have, if you’re not having fun with it, there’s no point.
For Laura and Mike, blues dancing is the epitome of trust in a relationship: trust in the weight and connection of the other person, trust in the other person's musicality and timing, trust in their support of your musicality and timing. It's a beautiful ebb and flow that moves beyond "compromise" into complete togetherness. Dang! They get giddy about the idea of blues dancing again as they write this bio! Anyhow, they use this philosophy of trust in their social dancing and choreography, and try to convey the feeling in their classes.
Mike Legett and Reuel Reis
Mike combines an intuitive understanding of connection with an analytical speaking style to give her students technique, but also strives to challenge and inspire her students to push themselves further into the music. She aims to help leaders create artistic compositions that are clearly led; she wants follows to have the ability to be the completely literal follow, and the inspiration and freedom to be an imaginative and dynamic contributor. In the classroom or on the social floor, she seeks a connection that involves active communication from both partners, to make a dance together. A full time instructor/dj/choreographer/performer/judge/competitor, some of her career highlights include teaching at Blues Muse, Emerald City Blues Festival,and Austin Blues Party, an Ann Johnson Award for Most Inspirational Follow at Southern Belle Swing Bash, and Djing all over the country.
Reuel's unique style of dancing holds its roots in the dirty streets of the Big Easy, where he was born and raised to dance the blues until dawn. He has taught from one end of the United States to another as a respected blues teacher known for his performance, contrast, respect for others, visual aesthetics, and competitive spirit. Students have enjoyed his classes at events such as Blues Muse, Camp Blues, Dance Renaissance, Down South Camp Meeting, and even at weekly blues dances such as Friday Night Blues or First Friday Blues in Nashville, of which he is the host. Reuel can also be found teaching weekly blues classes in Huntsville and in Nashville, where he currently resides.
Brought together by their love of connection on the dance floor, Mike and Reuel are known as one of the most engaging teaching couples in the country. They provide clear explanations, and balance in-depth technical information with levity and humor, creating a classroom that is both productive and fun. They first taught together at Lindy Focus 2007, and have since become a force to be reckoned with, teaching all over the country; they took resounding victories at the 2009 BluesSHOUT! Competitions: together, they took 1st place in the Strictly Ballroomin Competition, while Mike took 3rd and Reuel took 1st in the Champion's Jack and Jill Competition.
Photo by Voon Chew
Don West and Tina Davis
Tina Davis has been dancing Swing, Lindy Hop and Blues since 1999, first in Florida and now in her current home of Dallas, Texas. Tina started teaching Blues and Lindy in 2007 and has taught at events large and small, across the nation in Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago, Wichita, Minneapolis, Boston, Virginia Beach and Canada. Tina has competed in various competitions, most notably winning the Solo Blues Competition at Enter the Blues 2009, the Jack n' Jill competition at Blues Shout in 2007 and placing as a JnJ Finalist at Emerald City Blues Festival 2009. In addition to becoming a sought after DJ, Tina has also organized several Lindy and Blues events in Florida and Texas.
Don West has been dancing since 1997 and teaching since 2000 in Dallas. He’s been in a number of dance troupes including Smiley’s Lindy Hoppers, Uptown Swing, founder of the Madcap Maniacs, and the creative director for the ACME Swing Company. He was also the 2000 American Lindy Hop Championships Jack and Jill Champion as well as first place winner in several competitions in Austin and Houston, and served as co-organizer for Lone Star Championships in 2008.
Since joining up in July 2007, Tina and Don have spread their love of dance throughout the U.S. (and Canada!) teaching at events like Blues Shout Chicago, Austin Blues Party, Blues Boot Camp (Dallas), Down Home Blues Shout (San Francisco), Sweet Molasses Blues (Boston), MezzJelly Blues Weekend (Waterloo, Canada) and at a week-long stint in Minneapolis in October 2008. In their classes, Tina and Don like to emphasize sound fundamentals, the basics of rhythm, partnership in social dancing and love of the music. But most of all, dancing has just got to be fun.
photo by Keir Briscoe
Plus Special Guest Instructors:
Carsie Blanton and Jon Darvill
Jon and Carsie are both musicians, and began dancing with music on the brain. Jon learned Lindy Hop in Ithaca, New York, and Carsie in Eugene, Oregon. They discovered blues independently, and were obsessed from the getgo. Carsie studied blues voraciously in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle while Jon honed his skills at workshops and exchanges all over the country. Their paths did not cross until 2006, when they spent many hours at a late-night blues party discovering their mutual love for cozy, consistent connection, mutual receptivity, and ridiculously musical dances.
These days, Jon and Carsie help to run LaB, Philadelphia's weekly Lindy and blues dance, and all of its associated events (including Blues Muse in October, LaBLove in January, and lots more). At LaB and elsewhere, they teach skills and concepts for improving connection, lead/follow communication and musicality. Their teaching style is enthusiastic, articulate, pragmatic and silly, and embodies their shared belief that learning to dance is an infinite game: you can never learn enough. In the light of day, Jon is an engineer, and Carsie a singer/songwriter (www.carsieblanton.com). They live together in Philadelphia with their two dogs, Domino and LMNOP.
These days, Jon and Carsie help to run LaB, Philadelphia's weekly Lindy and blues dance, and all of its associated events (including Blues Muse in October, LaBLove in January, and lots more). At LaB and elsewhere, they teach skills and concepts for improving connection, lead/follow communication and musicality. Their teaching style is enthusiastic, articulate, pragmatic and silly, and embodies their shared belief that learning to dance is an infinite game: you can never learn enough. In the light of day, Jon is an engineer, and Carsie a singer/songwriter (www.carsieblanton.com). They live together in Philadelphia with their two dogs, Domino and LMNOP.
Mike Marcotte and Rachel Stirling
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Mike Marcotte discovered dancing in 1999 near the height of the swing craze. He first took lessons from the same person he teaches with today, Donna Barker. Together they helped cultivate a blues dancing scene in Washington and have been teaching lindy and blues together for over seven years. Lately, he has
worked hard with Capital Blues to put on great blues events like bamBLOOZled and Red Hot Blues 'n BBQ in addition to hosting a weekly dance every Thursday at Glen Echo's Back Room.
Mike's father fostered an appreciation for jazz at an early age. A student of classical cello and jazz piano in high school, it was only natural that he got more involved with the music as a DJ after starting as a dancer. He learned the most under the wing of Rayned Wiles at K2, and before long was working events across the country including every DCLX, Philly Lindy Love, St. Louis Blues Lindy Exchange, Frankie 95, and many others. After collaborating with Glenn Scales and Jerry Almonte at the Virginia State Open and ALHC, other competitions inquired about Mike's expertise. He is honored that Nina Gilkenson and Tena Morales asked him to be the Head Competition DJ for the first two years of ILHC.
Whether it's Blues or Swing, Mike likes a dance floor that's having fun, feeling challenged yet inspired. Usually, if the dancers are having fun then so is the DJ. He tends to draw from a variety of genres as he puts together a set. While creating a groove is important, mixing it up -- something learned well from Rayned -- always keeps things interesting. This is a DJ who loves to dance, so don't hesitate to ask him in the middle of a set!Rachel Stirling got her first taste of blues dancing at a late night party in 2003. She was immediately drawn in by the impassioned music and sensual movement. She loved (and still does!) to swing dance, but she found this dance had a more intimate connection to one's partner and the music; it encouraged improvisation and playfulness. She was hooked. Since 2005, she's been dedicated to promoting blues dancing in the DC area and beyond and helping run Capital Blues events (Cabin Fever, Jammin' the Blues, Red Hot Blues 'n BBQ, bamBLOOZled, and a weekly Thursday night dance). Rachel loves to share her joy of blues dancing with anyone who'll let her. In her classes, she focuses on quality of movement and connection with one's partner and the music. And thanks to a degree in education, she has a knack for breaking things down and explaining them in a variety of ways so that everyone can understand.
worked hard with Capital Blues to put on great blues events like bamBLOOZled and Red Hot Blues 'n BBQ in addition to hosting a weekly dance every Thursday at Glen Echo's Back Room.
Mike's father fostered an appreciation for jazz at an early age. A student of classical cello and jazz piano in high school, it was only natural that he got more involved with the music as a DJ after starting as a dancer. He learned the most under the wing of Rayned Wiles at K2, and before long was working events across the country including every DCLX, Philly Lindy Love, St. Louis Blues Lindy Exchange, Frankie 95, and many others. After collaborating with Glenn Scales and Jerry Almonte at the Virginia State Open and ALHC, other competitions inquired about Mike's expertise. He is honored that Nina Gilkenson and Tena Morales asked him to be the Head Competition DJ for the first two years of ILHC.
Whether it's Blues or Swing, Mike likes a dance floor that's having fun, feeling challenged yet inspired. Usually, if the dancers are having fun then so is the DJ. He tends to draw from a variety of genres as he puts together a set. While creating a groove is important, mixing it up -- something learned well from Rayned -- always keeps things interesting. This is a DJ who loves to dance, so don't hesitate to ask him in the middle of a set!Rachel Stirling got her first taste of blues dancing at a late night party in 2003. She was immediately drawn in by the impassioned music and sensual movement. She loved (and still does!) to swing dance, but she found this dance had a more intimate connection to one's partner and the music; it encouraged improvisation and playfulness. She was hooked. Since 2005, she's been dedicated to promoting blues dancing in the DC area and beyond and helping run Capital Blues events (Cabin Fever, Jammin' the Blues, Red Hot Blues 'n BBQ, bamBLOOZled, and a weekly Thursday night dance). Rachel loves to share her joy of blues dancing with anyone who'll let her. In her classes, she focuses on quality of movement and connection with one's partner and the music. And thanks to a degree in education, she has a knack for breaking things down and explaining them in a variety of ways so that everyone can understand.