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Ken Mercik started dancing West Coast Swing in the mid 1990s. Currently, he hosts Connecticut's longest standing West Coast Swing night at the Polish Home in Windsor Locks, CT where he frequently invites some of the best instructors in the country to teach.

He is frequently scene at the DJ table of most events in the Northeast and started his own West Coast Swing event in 2008 called Swingin Into Spring.

Web site: www.djkenm.com

Pam created Hudson Valley WCS in 2008 in an effort to provide a venue for local dancers to expand their horizons through regular monthly West Coast Swing workshops and classes with visiting Pros from around the country.

Pam also teaches beginner and advanced basics classes at her Thursday Kingston’s Swingin’ dance and loves to see new dancers gain confidence and skills each week. Her strength as a teacher is found in her ability to use many different methods to help the student understand what is being taught, while keeping the atmosphere fun and upbeat.

Outside of West Coast Swing, Pam is a Licensed Massage Therapist. Her training in this field helps her to understand the challenges that her students may have from old injuries and structural imbalances.

Website:  http://www.hudsonvalleywcs.com

Known for her dynamic style and musicality, Angelique has won numerous West Coast Swing competitions. She has been partner dancing for nearly a decade, and has taught in the Northampton area for over 7 years. A special education high school teacher by day; Angelique knows how to break down concepts to reach all ability levels and learning styles. Having taught students of all age levels over the past 15 years, Angelique has a unique perspective on the pacing of the lesson required to match the needs of her students. This knowledge, combined with her winning personality, makes her classes fun as well as educational.

Blake Hobby is a two time US Open Swing Dance Champion. She has been competing, teaching, and judging
on the National Swing Circuit for 15 years.

Previous to entering the West Coast Swing world, Blake danced in ballet companies in Atlanta and Boston.  She also holds masters degree in teaching which is evident in her planning and implementation of dance instruction.  Her teaching style is clear, direct, easy and focuses on technique and execution.

Blake resides in New York and teaches a weekly West Coast Swing class at East Wind in Wading River, New York as well as traveling the country competing, teaching and judging.

Her web site is: http://www.blakehobby.com

At the age of 6 Anthony's parents, John and Peggy DeRosa took him the the US1 flea market where he saw a bunch of kids his age dancing in front of a stage for a band. Wanting to learn what they were doing Anthony, joined in on one of the Line Dances. While dancing an instructor approached him because she saw a talent in him and invited them to the Yellow Rose Saloon in New Jersey where many kids his age came out for Family night for a fun night of Country and Western Dancing. Anthony fell in love with the atmosphere and fun time he had dancing with everyone.

Anthony has won numerous Strictly Swing and Jack and Jill Contests from the Age 14 to the present. Anthony was once known as the Jack and Jill wiz kid. Anthony has fallen in love with the dance and has been Teaching at Dance Events, Dance Studios and private lessons.

Anthony has also been a DJ for Country Western, Hustle and West Coast Swing Dances. Anthony is known for bringing the sounds of the NY club scene to the West Coast Swing World. Anthony has been told that his music tells a story, ranging from classic west coast swing to Contemporary and everything in-between.  Anthony is known for playing those songs that continue to push the boundaries in music around the swing world.

His web site is: http://www.wcsny.com

Bill Cameron has been teaching West Coast Swing since 1993. He travels throughout the U.S. and Canada to teach workshops on West Coast Swing technique, styling, and musicality. He is known for his easy-going and relaxed teaching style, while emphasizing proper technique, connection, centering, timing, and balance. Bill offers private lessons, as well as regular weekly group lessons for beginner, intermediate, and advanced dancers.

• 1997 U.S. Open Swing Dance Champion
• 1998 American Swing Dance Champion
• Board Member of the National Dance Dynamics Certification Board
• G.S.D.T.A. Certification 1
• 10 Year Member of the World Swing Dance Council
• N.A.S.D.E. Event Director

Web site: http://www.dancepros.net/

Yuna was born in Russia and honed her ballroom skills as a young woman in the United States. She discovered West Coast Swing in 2002 and threw herself into an intense time of learning and training under the best pros. She worked her way from Newcomer through Advanced to AllStar, not allowing herself any shortcuts or advantages, and has been placing as an All Star finalist ever since.

These days, Yuna is greatly sought after on the westie social floor, as a Jack & Jill and Strictly Swing partner and as a national Rising Star competitor. For the last five years, she has been a top pro teaching assistant, developing an intuitive eye and excellent diagnostic skills.

Recently, she has discovered her own role of discerning coach and popular teacher. Her teaching manner is easy and fun...she'll tell you like it is, but in an encouraging and supportive way. She is a delight to learn from, caring and committed to her students. Bottom line, she gets results!

Corey began dancing in 1998. Beginning in Ballroom and Latin, Corey quickly decided that West Coast Swing was what he enjoyed the most, thanks to the multiple genres of music it can be danced to. Corey has studied with top ballroom and swing instructors. Corey prides himself on dancing to the music and focuses on musicality and technique when teaching.

Erin found her love of dancing at 4 years of age. She trained in tap, jazz and lyrical jazz until the age of 16 when she found country dancing. From there, she was inspired by "crossover dancers" and began a whole new passion for West Coast Swing. Erin has taken numerous private lessons with champion instructors from around the country. Erin enjoys dancing, competing, and instructing with her husband, Corey. Her teaching method focuses on bringing information from her previous dance experience to break down the fundamentals of swing dance.

They can be found at: http://coreyanderin.yolasite.com

Lisa is a certified Ballroom-dance instructor with the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) for the past nine years and a Competing Professional the last five years. Throughout her extensive career as an Hustle and Ballroom instructor, she has taught dance to both couples and singles as well as children both on Long Island and Connecticut.

As a dance professional, Lisa have competed and participated in performances all across the Tri-state area. In competition, she placed 4th at the World Hustle Dance Championships and 2nd at the North Eastern American Rhythm Championships. Lisa was also a finalist in the local Zachary's Dance Contest for three years in a row.

Web site: http://lisasparklesdance.com

Ligaya Wakefield was trained in dancing starting at the age of five, and partner dancing for the last ten years. She fell in love with swing (Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing) dancing in 1998 and began to compete on a national level, becoming a nationally ranked dancer at the professional level.

She won first place titles at Grand National Dance Championship, North Atlantic Dance Championship, Mid-Atlantic Dance Jam, among others, and became a National Association of Swing Dance award winner (NASDE) in 2003 and US Open Swing Dance finalist as well. She has taught at large venues like Lincoln Center in Manhattan, and has taught and judged at many of the national events.

Nora has been teaching various styles of swing (including West Coast Swing) and ballroom dance since 1995. Her diverse dance background includes that of swing, ballroom, country, cajun, zydeco, ballet, jazz and tap. She has traveled the country learning from the top instructors, competing and dancing, and holds a Professional Dance Instructors Association certification. Teaching all over the southern New England area, her style is entertaining as well as very informative.

West Coast Jamn is a local group with classes and dances in the East Hartford, CT area

Their web site: http://www.westcoastjamn.com/

DanceGourmet weekends events occur about four times a year and are hosted by Tom Johnson, who is also an incredible chef. Each workshop weekend we bring in a talented dancer to teach some of the secrets of his or her dance. Each instructor has a unique style and personal path to becoming a dancer who can beautifully interpret music.

DanceGourmet events feature worshops in Hustle and West Coast Swing on Saturday and sometimes more on Sunday, with a dinner and dance on Saturday night.

The venue for the DanceGourmet events is within the East Hartford Community Cultural Center - Circle of Life - just a couple of minutes by car from downtown Hartford. The venue has a sizable, smooth wooden dance floor and a sizable seating area for dining or relaxing.

Web site is http://www.dancegourmet.com