The Track With Ryan Swift

My guest this month is the dynamic dancer, teacher, competitor, and performer, Jenny Shirar.  Jenny discovered swing dance in 2008, learning from some of the legendary jitterbugs in St. Louis, MO. She has since won competitions at events like Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown,  ILHC, and Midwest Lindy Fest, and has become an ambassador of St. Louis Shag, teaching around the world with her partner Christian Frommelt. Fiercely proud of her hometown, Jenny has also become a cornerstone of the St Louis swing dance community, having co-founded the Nevermore Jazz Ball and the St. Louis Jitterbugs. Jenny and I sat down in New York City to talk about her experiences learning how to dance on the social dance floor, why her main objective when competing is to be relentlessly herself, and the challenge of striving to innovate while still preserving the roots of vintage dances. We also discussed how she defines authenticity, how hearing stories of St. Louis’ dance history gave her a greater appreciation of individuals liv

My guest this month is swing dance instructor, performer and social dancer, Christian Frommelt. Christian is widely known as a devotee of St. Louis Shag, which he learned in his hometown from some of the original jitterbugs, and which has taught around the world with his partner Jenny Shirar.  Together with Jenny, he was won competitions at Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2014 & 2015, and at ILHC in 2015. Christian also does tremendous work as a scene leader in St. Louis, including organizing the Nevermore Jazz Ball and cultivating a strong community of dance through the St. Louis Jitterbugs. Christian and I sat down in New York City to talk about how learning swing and Shag from local legends like John Bedrosian cemented his ties to St. Louis, how he adapts his teaching style to encourage individual expression, and what it takes to grow both a local scene and a large national event. We also discussed what motivates him to take on a leadership role in his local dance community, getting destroyed in head-to-he

My guest this month is instructor and founder of the All Balboa Weekend, Valerie Salstrom. Valerie has a long list of Lindy Hop and Balboa competition titles to her name, including from events like the National Jitterbug Championships and the American Lindy Hop Championships, and is also well-known as the founder of the Cleveland Junior Jitterbugs after-school swing dance program. Val and I sat down at ILHC 2017 to talk about what it was like learning her first Balboa steps directly from legends Maxie Dorf and Sylvia Sykes, the thrill of competition, and the incredible impact the Junior Jitterbug program has on its participants and our scene. We also discussed her inspiration for the first weekend event dedicated solely to Balboa, what it took to build a scene from scratch in Cleveland, and both got a little choked up talking about how much we love the Juniors division at ILHC.

My guest this month is dancer, stand-up comedian, and my good friend, Noëlle Gray. Noëlle began dancing in 1999 and quickly became a fixture in the national Lindy Hop scene.  She started teaching internationally in 2004, both as a leader and follower.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, and in 2010 stepped away from dancing to focus on stand-up comedy.  She’s since returned to the world of Lindy Hop, and that community of friends continues to support her through her recent brain cancer diagnosis. We sat down during her recent visit to New York City to talk about what it was like teaching both lead and follow roles in a time when that wasn’t as common, why she gave up Lindy Hop for stand-up comedy, and how she came to terms with never quite reaching the level of dance or status she strove to achieve. We also discussed her impression of the modern swing dance scene after taking some time away, what she learned from Frankie Manning and Dawn Hampton, and how cancer has impacted her comedy, her memor

My guest this month, Mikey Pedroza, is one of the most versatile dancers in the modern swing dance scene, having competed, performed, and taught Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Blues, and Solo Jazz around the world.  He is a fixture on the international swing dance scene and co-hosts the podcast “The Brightside with Mikey and Rachel.” Mikey and I sat down at ILHC 2017 to talk about his changing approach to choreography and competition, and his memories of dancing as a teenager in Southern California among old-timers like Maxie Dorf and Hal Takier. We also discussed his personal experience with an event’s safe space policy, the injury that took him out of this year's competitions, and how these events brought him to reflect on what the dance means to him and his place in the swing dance community.

This month, I am joined by Moe Sakan. Moe discovered Lindy Hop as a teenager in her native Osaka, Japan, and continued social dancing after moving to London in 2000 to pursue a dream in the performing arts. Injury changed her path and Moe has since become an active competitive swing dancer and instructor. She has won several competition titles, including the 2017 Open Classic Lindy title and four consecutive Jack & Jill titles at Camp Hollywood’s National Jitterbug Championships, and has taught swing dance around the world. Moe joined me at ILHC to talk about her early training and dreams of becoming a professional broadway dancer, swing dance and vintage culture in both Japan and England, and how video tapes of Southern California dancers drew her to to become a fixture at Camp Hollywood and a 2017 inductee into their Hall of Fame. We also discussed the unique perspective of learning an American World War II-era dance in modern Japan, and some of her thoughts on what makes a rewarding experience in socia

This month, I am joined by the Queen of Swing herself, Norma Miller. Growing up behind the famous Savoy Ballroom, she joined Whitey's Lindy Hoppers as a young teenager and has spent over 80 years in show business as a dancer, choreographer, comedian, and writer. She competed in the inaugural Harvest Moon Ball in 1935, performed on Broadway, in films like Hellzapoppin' and A Day at the Races, and around the world as a dancer and leader of the Norma Miller Dancers and Norma Miller's Jazzmen. She has performed along side a who's who of music, dance, and comedy legends, including Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Bill Robinson, and Redd Foxx. Norma joined me at Uptown Swingout in Minneapolis to talk about dancing at the Savoy Ballroom, the Apollo Theater, and the 1939 World's Fair in New York City, traveling to Europe and Brazil as one of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, and performing on stage and screen. We also discussed standup comedy, her thoughts on dance and music, and her experience in the swing revival spreading Lind

This month, I am joined by a living legend from the world of West Coast Swing, John Festa. Born into a family of original-era swing dancers that never stopped dancing, John is a renowned dancer, instructor, and DJ at Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, and Blues dance events across the country. He is co-founder of the Gotham Swing Club and Liberty Swing Dance Championships, and hosted NYC's longest-running weekly WCS party. He has also earned numerous awards and accolades, including induction into the Swing DJ and World Swing Dance Council Halls of Fame. At his home in New York City, John and I compared & contrasted the worlds of Lindy Hop & West Coast Swing, and spoke about how a broken ankle effectively ended his professional ballet career while simultaneously leading him to experience two white-hot periods of swing in NYC: Lindy Hop at The Cat Club in the 1980’s and West Coast Swing at North River Bar in the 1990's. We also discussed the many different sounds that we love to DJ and dance to

This month, I am joined by one of the swing world’s most popular bandleaders and sought-after clarinetists, Paul Cosentino. Paul founded the Boilermaker Jazz Band in 1988 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and quickly became a mainstay at traditional jazz and Dixieland festivals for over a decade. Then in 2001, the Boilermakers first played specifically for Lindy Hoppers at the first PittStop Lindy Hop and have been a fixture in the swing dance scene ever since, playing around the world at countless exchanges and events like ILHC and DCLX. Paul and I got together at Stompology in Rochester NY, where we spoke about his extended family of musicians, his immersion in the Great American songbook at an early age, some of his early gigs playing clarinet with George Gee’s Make Believe Ballroom Orchestra in the 80's, and the Boilermakers' transition from Trad Jazz festivals to Lindy Hop events. We also discussed the differences between being a sideman and a bandleader, touched on some of the great jazz clar

This month is the 10th anniversary of the publication of the autobiography Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop, and I am thrilled to be joined by its co-author, Cynthia Millman. A long-time Lindy Hopper in her own right, Cynthia first met Frankie Manning in 1986.  She performed with the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers for five years under his artistic direction, and later studied, taught, and partnered with Frankie.  She is a librarian at The Town School in Manhattan, has contributed articles to Dance Magazine and The International Encyclopedia of Dance, and has served on the board of directors of the Frankie Manning Foundation since its inception. I joined Cynthia at her home in New York City to talk about her own discovery of Lindy Hop, the NYC swing dance scene of the 1980s & 1990s, and how the modern Lindy Hop world compares to that period, commonly referred to as the “swing revival." We also discussed what it was like writing the book with Frankie, some of her favorite stories that did and didn’t make

This month, I am joined by pianist and bandleader Gordon Webster.  A piano player since age four, Gordon had his first gig playing for swing dancers in 2001 and he caught the Lindy Hop bug soon after.  His passion, diversity, and musicianship have made him one of the most sought-after musicians in the Lindy hop world, becoming a fixture at events like The Snowball, Lindy Shock, Swing Camp Oz, and Beantown Dance Camp.  His seventh album, entitled “This.” was released this month, and he is currently wrapping up an ambitious Indiegogo campaign supporting that album and an upcoming digital single-of-the-month club. Gordon and I sat down at his home in New Jersey to talk about his development as a musician, the moment at Swing Out New Hampshire when he realized playing for dancers is what he was meant to do, and how his approach to band leading is different than some other swing bands today. We also discussed what goes into recording an album (be it live or in the studio), how Mona’s Tuesday night jam session ha

This month, I am joined by international instructor and award-winning swing dancer, Todd Yannacone.  Todd has been a traveling instructor since the age of 16 and has won numerous titles at major national and international events. Todd is a member of the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame and has taught, performed, or judged in 30 countries around the world.  When at home in New Orleans, Todd can be found performing on guitar or piano with a number of different bands, including his own, Hot Toddy & His Fully Dressed Po' Boys. Todd and I sat down at Lindyfest 2017 to talk about being dragged to swing dance classes as a teen by his mom, how Hop the Millenium completely changed his perspective on swing dance, finding inspiration in drastically different dancers (and dances), and why he still considers himself a social dancer above all else. We also discussed what drew him to New Orleans, his custom guitar and clothing, and even though it sometimes gets lost among all of the posture, counterbalance, and

This month, I am thrilled to be joined by Juste Debout World House Dance champion, and relative newcomer to swing and solo jazz dance, LaTasha Barnes.    Tasha and I sat down at Lindy Focus XV to talk about the many twists and turns of her life’s journey - from growing up as a young African-American in the capital of the Confederacy, to 10-year Army veteran, powerlifiting champion & fitness competitor, and an artistic director & educator with Urban Artistry dance company. We discussed her experience working at the White House under both the George W Bush and Barack Obama administrations, recovering from two debilitating injuries through dance therapy, performing at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, how a chance encounter led to her introduction to Lindy Hop, and the complex topic of representation and appropriation in the largely-monochromatic modern swing dance community.

This month, I am joined by one of the top swing drummers in the world, and bonafide rock star, Josh Collazo. Josh is known to most swing dancers through his work behind the drum kit with bands such as Jonathan Stout’s Orchestra and Campus Five, Dave Stuckey & his Hot House Gang, or perhaps his first band, The Feetwarmers.  But Josh may be better known to more mainstream music fans as the drummer for the Grammy-winning and platinum-selling band, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Josh and I sat down after Lindy Focus XV and talked about how he balances those two musical worlds, how his passion for swing dancing in the late 90s influenced his development as a drummer, and what it’s like to fill the shoes of drum legends like Gene Krupa and Chick Webb at the Lindy Focus tribute nights. We also discussed his early experiences as a bandleader, the technique and music theory of what provides an authentic swing era sound, and how he has gained enough confidence as a swing musician to take the torch and star

This month, I am joined by instructor, performer, and fellow New Yorker, Nathan Bugh. Most dancers I’ve talked to on the show are professional Lindy Hoppers in the sense that they make their living traveling from city to city as dance instructors.  While that description definitely applies to Nathan - he has taught with partners Evita Arce and Gaby Cook around the world - he’s also a professional Lindy Hopper of a different type: one who is regularly hired to perform at corporate and commercial events. We sat down in New York City at the end of 2016 and talked about his experience performing at those commercial gigs, how his education in music composition at Juilliard does (or doesn’t) influence his approach to Lindy Hop, and weighed the relevance of vintage jazz dance in modern popular culture. Nathan also explained why his unconventional approach to class structure may not necessarily be the best business model, what he means when he refers to the "academic Lindy Hop community,” and how the hot trend of “

I am joined this month by Remy Kouakou Kouame - Remy began dancing Boogie Woogie at age 6 in his hometown of Montpellier, France, and by 2006 he and his partner Sarrah Montalban became World Boogie Woogie Champions.  Since then, he has become an acclaimed international Lindy Hop and solo jazz instructor who has also earned several titles at the International Lindy Hop Championships. Remy joined me after ILHC 2016, where he described the competitive world of Boogie Woogie, challenging his own personal fears and insecurities as a competitive swing dancer, his initial impression of Lindy Hop as a dance for losers, and how dancers Ryan Francois and Skye Humphries helped change his mind and discover the “Spirit of Lindy Hop.” We also discussed the music video “Two Cousins,” which put him on the radar of many Lindy Hoppers, what it’s like working with partners Ramona Staffeld and Alice Mei, why he thinks it’s important to “master the dance before mastering the art of selling yourself,” and why he feels dancers shou

This month I’m joined by Nalla Kim.  Nalla has traveled the world as a dancer, instructor, and competitor, and is a mainstay in the booming swing dance scene of Seoul, South Korea.  He runs the swing teams Sweet Heart & Lindy Blossom and brings international instructors and musicians to the thousands of Lindy Hoppers in Seoul though events like Authentic Jazz Weekend, Lindy Blossom Weekend and SEOUL Lindyfest. Nalla made his first appearance at ILHC in 2011 with team Sweet Heart and now he's become one of the regular ILHC judges. He's known around the world for his enthusiasm and passion for Lindy Hop.  Nalla sat down with me at ILHC 2016 to share how he discovered Lindy Hop, describe the incredible Seoul dance scene, and educate me on some of the history of Lindy Hop in South Korea. We also discussed his early dance inspirations and his difficulties moving past copying other dancers to develop his own style, his wife Jessica’s professional yodeling, the cultural differences between dancers of South Korea

Like many of us, I am still reeling from the news that one of the guiding lights of swing passed away this weekend.  Dawn Hampton left us too soon at 88 years young - and I had the distinct privilege to call her my mentor and my friend.  She had the sharpest wit, the wisest soul, the warmest heart, and was also the biggest ham, of anyone I have ever known. If I am being completely honest, the potential of talking with Dawn was one of the very reasons I started this podcast.  So instead of my normally scheduled episode this month, I am re-releasing my conversation with Dawn, when we sat down in April 2015 not far from her East Village apartment in New York City. As I said on the original episode, it is no exaggeration to recognize Dawn as a National Treasure. Her amazing life began traveling from town to town of the American South in a carnival, singing and playing saxophone with the Hampton Family Band, followed by stints at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, and the Savoy Ballroom in New York City.  Dawn b

I am joined this month by my long-time friend, Mike Thibault. Mike is a driving force in the swing dance scene of Rochester, NY, where he is a founding member of the teaching group Groove Juice Swing and helps organize events like Stompology & Slow Dance Soirée. Mike has been running Swing Out New Hampshire since 2014, and is also a sought-after DJ, serving as Head DJ for Frankie 100 and spinning at events such as ILHC, Lindy Focus, and numerous lindy exchanges. We sat down after Stompology 2016 to reminisce about our time as students at Rochester Institute of Technology, as we discovered swing music and learned dance steps from VHS copies of Swing Kids. Mike clarifies my memories of our early dance adventures, offers some advice for new DJs, and talks about how his passion for history has led him to collaborate with Andrew Nemr and the Tap Legacy Foundation on an archive of American vernacular jazz dance. We also discuss taking over Swing Out New Hampshire, what it requires to foster a welcoming swing da

This month, I am joined by instructor & choreographer Laura Glaess. Laura was introduced to Lindy Hop in her small Texan hometown and helped grow the scene in San Antonio before making her way to Austin, TX, where she is now a vital part of the local scene. Her boundless energy & dedication have led her to become a highly-regarded international teacher and competitor.  Laura is the co-owner of The Lindy Project in Austin and is well-known for her work choreographing performances like the Lindy Focus New Year’s Eve Show and her work with the ILHC-winning team, Lindy Hopper’s Dozen.   We sat down at Lindyfest 2016 to talk about learning to dance at a restrictive Catholic school, what’s it’s like when your personal & professional identities are wrapped up in a romantic relationship, and what it's like when that ends.  We also discuss learning an instrument later in life, the challenges & rewards of running a team, and making plans for a career after dancing.