Teachers

Michael Faltesek brings to the dance floor an incredibly diverse social and performance dance talent that includes not only Lindy Hop but also Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Traditional Jazz, Tap, Charleston, Breakaway, Balboa, Big Apple, Blues and many other Authentic American Jazz dances.

Michael has been dancing for well over 15 years. In that time he has traveled to instruct, compete, and perform all over the globe -- from Harlem to Los Angeles, Canada to Korea, and all throughout Europe. Mike is well known for his charismatic personality, approachability, and passion for the essence of authentic jazz dance and music. He possesses an enthusiastic ability to convey ideas and movements explicitly, making him a popular instructor wherever he goes.

Casey's love of swing dancing began in 1998. Whether social dancing, teaching, or performing, Casey is inspired by the playful spirit of traditional jazz dances and in "raising her voice" as a female dancer. In her teaching, she focuses on developing solid technique and partnering skills as the foundation for developing one's style and sense of musicality. Casey also enjoys competing, with placements or wins at regional and national competitions. She frequently performs with and dabbles in a variety of dance forms with Sister Kate, an all-girl performance group.

Always striving to capture the classic spirit of the original jitterbugs with a modern voice, Bobby and Kate teach Balboa, Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz, and Collegiate Shag nationally and internationally.

Between them they have championship titles in almost every major Balboa and many major Lindy Hop competitions, including the International Lindy Hop Championships and the American Lindy Hop Championships. Their judging is highly respected and sought-after for events such as the International Lindy Hop Championships and the European Swing Dance Championships.

Both Bobby and Kate are recognized for their engaging teaching: Kate instructs with a thorough, mechanics-based method, while Bobby prefers unique analogies and irk-irk noises. Along with more traditional classes based around moves, variations, and lead/follow technique, Bobby and Kate also enjoy teaching many "alternative education" classes on subjects like partnership, practicing, dancing personality, and developing a unique voice.

Nathan "Soft Shoe" Bugh presents a unique, rhythmic style of movement, in performance and in classrooms worldwide. A veteran of stage and screen, he has performed Lindy Hop at Carnegie Hall, with The New York Pops and Josie Say. He danced in David Tutera's "Great Gatsby" wedding on the hit reality series "My Fair Wedding;" He performed on FoxNC's "Fox and Friends Christmas" with George Gee; and he and Ramona Staffeld exhibited Lindy Hop in Noemi LaFrance's "Agora II," and at the legendary dance mecca, Jacob's Pillow. Nathan and Evita Arce are also principle dancers in the Weepies music video "Be My Honey Pie." A competitive dance champion, Nathan holds 1st place titles in Lindy Hop, Solo Charleston, Team, Cabaret, and Slow Dance divisions across the US.

In the classroom, Nathan draws on over a decade of professional experience. Several of his students have gone on to win contests or work as dancers. He teaches weekly classes at Dance Manhattan and Columbia University, and his lessons are available online at idance.net.

Joe DeMers is a champion Blues and Lindy Hop instructor based in Denver, CO. In addition to teaching all over the US he has toured the world from Canada to France to South Korea. He loves to dance and is proud to be a dancer, performer, competitor, and instructor. He is the excited owner of Overstreet Dance Gallery in Littleton, CO; a club for the arts, music, and dance. He is a proponent of Frame Matching and the creator of ΔPTED, a framework for analyzing and teaching partner-dance connection. Joe also runs a 6-day Blues dance instructor training in Denver, CO. Additionally, Joe enjoys sushi, anime, long walks on the beach, and dancing with Mike Legenthal.

Mike Legenthal is a passionate aficionado of jazz and blues, known all over the world for her friendliness, teaching skills, following, and expression. She embodies vibrant energy and technical precision, and strives to make every social dance the best possible. Whether at residencies, international workshops, or private trainings, she brings preparation and flexibility every time. Her classes can involve students morphing into robots or seaweed, standing on one foot blindly, or analyzing chord changes - always in pursuit of art. Regardless of subject, she always brings abstract and concrete topics, plenty of levity, and homework, to help students improve long after class ends.

Jeff and Sara have been dancing together since 2003. As dancers, they are known for being fun, friendly, and approachable. According to Sara's mother, Sara was a dancer even before she was born. Sara flipped through elementary school and high school, training as a gymnast. After retiring from gymnastics, Sara dabbled in many dances before going to college where she fell in love with swing dancing and met Jeff. Jeff started swing dancing in college as a fun social activity to share with old friends and to meet new ones. To this day, this philosophy is still a driving force behind his passion for the dance. Together, over the years Jeff and Sara have studied a wide range of dances, including (but not limited to) lindy hop, charleston, balboa, solo jazz, tap and all the many forms of blues. They have traveled extensively throughout the US and even overseas to attend dance camps and exchanges. Oh, and they both have Ph.D.'s in mathematics, so they do that too.

As teachers, Jeff and Sara are known for their fun, engaging style of instruction, clearly breaking down body movements and dance patterns. They strive to instill in their students their passion for swing and blues dancing as something fun, social, musical, and artistic. Over the years, they have taught at local and regional events throughout the midwest (and beyond) and are thrilled to be teaching this year at Pirate Swing.