Teachers and DJs

“The instructors were very knowledgeable and approachable.”

“Each of the instructors brought such positive and accepting attitudes to their teaching! Many times, instructors seem patronizing like they’re “too cool” for those seeking instruction, or make us feel foolish by exaggerating the problem so that people laugh at it. This was not a problem this weekend, which was a relief.”

Ruby Red

Ruby’s dance career started as a childhood figure skater and has traversed through ballet, modern dance, tap, yoga, circus training, martial arts, theatrical improvisation, and finally, partner dance. In 2001, she discovered Lindy Hop, and shortly after, Blues dance— which has become her area of expertise. Through studying and learning to teach Blues, Ruby has developed her own unified theory of partner dance and always enjoys sharing her ideas with the most beginning dancers, to the experts. Recently she started learning how to play the drums and is interested in fostering continuing adult education—meaning, you don’t have to learn a skill as a child to enjoy it as an adult.

Although she has lived in San Francisco and Chicago for the past 25 years, her origins are in the mountains and backcountry of Idaho and Arizona. During her time in San Francisco, she worked at one of the largest worker owned cooperative grocery stores on the west coast and became deeply involved in food politics and worker rights. Ruby has had a deep and continuing interest in organic standards, permaculture and finding ways to live off the grid and is excited to be visiting Dancing Rabbit for the first time.

Ruby is lending her expertise as a teacher and organizer to making this event successful.

Justin Riley

Justin has been dancing, deejaying, and instructing for over eight years and continually strives to find new music, metaphors, and movements that stretches the musical styles and aesthetics of both his fellow dancers and himself. For the majority of the past six years Justin has lived, traveled, organized, and danced in such places as Buenos Aires, Cuba, Morocco, Italy, London, Palestine, Turkey, and India, bringing international influences to both his dancing, teaching, and djing styles. He is the founder and organizer of The Blues Recess Events (http://www.bluesrecess.com) and makes a deliberate effort in his teaching and organizing to bring gender-neutrality and conventionality to historically patriarchal dances. When not dancing, Justin works as an edible-landscape gardener, Latin American Solidarity organizer and activist, and a freelance journalist based in Latin America.

Ted Maddry

As a teacher, Ted Maddry has helped thousands of students change their dancing and sometimes even their lives. In his classes, he will challenge you to develop dance technique, experiment & take risks in your dancing all the while maintaining a comfortable & entertaining classroom environment. You will get new perspectives, unique material, & sometimes you will even learn how the same methods you use to improve your dancing can also be used to improve your non-dance life.

Ted is also the Ringleader of Beyond Blues in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jenny Sowden

Jenny Sowden is an international instructor and DJ based in NYC where Jenny is a regular teacher, organizer & DJ for local and national events, including BABBLE (NYC’s only Exchange May 11-13).  She has been training in dance for over twenty years and teaching for over fifteen, with a BA in Dance and Theater from San Diego State University. Her background influences her teaching and general style through musicality, variety, expression and an understanding of body mechanics. Jenny has studied such styles as Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater, Hip-Hop, Funk, Gymnastics, Capoeira, Aikido, Tango, Waltz, Salsa, Lindy-Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Blues.  Jenny believes that the dance floor is a ‘World of Yes’ where by constantly accepting and being inspired by what happens creates an amazing place to be.  In turn we take classes in a ‘World of Intension’ to expand our ‘World of Yes.’

Andrew Smith

Andrew’s passion for teaching dance stems from a passion to help his students find their own creative voice. Though his first venture into social dancing was as an eighth grader trying to impress a girl, he now sees dance as a medium for cultural learning and artistic expression. He specializes in teaching students how to dance the Blues, and he has taught around the world at events such as Mile High Blues, Urban Blues Recess, and European Blues Invasion. Andrew’s approach to dance instruction balances technical rigor with spirit and creativity. In class, he draws on his background in social, vernacular, and classical dances to inspire and challenge students toward clear, confident, fully integrated movement. He spent the past summer in Africa, studying dance and drums with local artists to connect more deeply with the roots of Blues.

When not dancing, Andrew pursues a graduate degree in Sustainable Design and Construction at Stanford University. He researches contractual and organizational frameworks that may accelerate the adoption of sustainability practices in the construction industry.

Mike Legett 

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.

Organizers

Rachel Katz and Tony Sirna

Rachel and Tony are co-founders of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage and blues dancers.  We are thrilled with the idea of melding two of our passions: eco-community and dancing.   Tony is also a member of Skyhouse Community, a sub-community of Dancing Rabbit, which is hosting the event, and is a skilled facilitator.  Rachel has a zeal for dance and penchant for organizing. And together they’ll dance just about anywhere, even on ice skates on the pond.