Meet our instructors . . .

Susan Balshor

Susan Balshor has been dancing since the age of four, and today enjoys the partner-dancing gamut from country western to Argentine tango. The waltz is a particular passion, and her focus is on the essentials, starting with how a dancer's foot hits the floor. Susan helps dancers grok the musicality of waltzing, and she's passionate about how this dance comes alive when partners discover how to connect with the music. One of her personal goals is to continually raise the level of waltzing in Seattle. Susan is a co-producer of the Valse Cafe Orchestra.

Guy Caridi

Guy has been dancing since 1988, performing and choreographing since 1991, and teaching since 1993. He is a founding member of Seattle's Savoy Swing Club and with his dance partner, Nancy Fry, the first couple from the Pacific Northwest to teach Lindy Hop and Balboa. He has taught and performed internationally and is well known for his respectful, sensitive and humorous teaching style. Guy has been artistic director of the Savoy Swing Club Performance Troupe for over fourteen years. In 1999, Guy and Nancy took home trophies in the Lindy Hop and Team divisions at the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships in southern California. In total, four of five routines choreographed by Guy were place-winners.

Guy has produced many dance events and shows in Seattle, including "What Is This Thing Called Swing" with The Rhythm Hot Shots from Sweden, "Swingin' Then, Swingin' Now!" with the legendary Norma Miller, and the annual Pacific Northwest Lindy Hop Championships (1999-2006).

Guy's choreography credits for local theaters and schools include State Fair, Oklahoma!, Wizard of Oz, Charleston!, Kilroy Was Here, Music Man, Oliver!, Peter Pan, Anne of Green Gables, Urinetown, Robin Hood the Legend Continues, The Fantasticks, Beauty & the Beast, A Rock & Roll Midsummer Night's Dream, Suessical the Musical, and High Button Shoes. "The Sound of Music, Godspell, Into the Woods. He also choreographed and was a featured dancer in the 2011 movie "Camilla Dickinson".

Sean Donovan

Sean Donovan brings great passion, joy and excitement to dance and to teaching. Positive and playful, Sean is a creative and effective communicator, with focus on the essence of dance and its power to delight and transform us. Dancing and teaching since 1999, both nationally and in Seattle, Sean has been on faculty with Northwest Dance (nwdance.net) since 2004. In addition to Swing (his first love) and Zydeco (a passion which prompted numerous learning expeditions to Louisiana and Texas), Sean revels in teaching Blues, Waltz, Whiskey River Jitterbug, Country Two-step, and Cha Cha Cha. Emphasizing solid basics, fluid movement and elemental connection -- to ourselves, the music, and to our partner -- Sean seeks to facilitate dancing ecstasy! A great music lover as well, you can catch Sean on the radio at KBCS 91.3 FM (online at kbcs.fm) where he hosts a weekly music show Mondays from noon-3pm.

More informaton at GatorBoyProductions.com

Leah Fast

Leah began partner dancing 15 years ago with Living Traditions, the "parent" of NDN, but she's been a dedicated dancer from age 6, studying ballet, jazz and modern dance, and performing in Europe and North America.

Leah's impressive foundation in classical dance, along with her talent and passion for the joy of social ballroom's playfulness, gives her a depth of understanding that will help NDN students go beyond merely learning steps or patterns–and more quickly become good dancers.

"What I love most about teaching is seeing new dancers let go of their self consciousness when they discover how wonderful dancing can feel," Leah says. "I really liked Living Traditions' approach. It focused on communicating with your partner. It wasn't about 'looking good,' but about enjoying yourself and the partner that you're with. My goal is to continue that tradition, to help students escape feelings of pressure and just have fun."

Nancy Fry

Nancy discovered her passion for dance in 1981 and has been dancing ever since. Over the years she has participated in a large variety of partner dances, and enjoys it all. She began teaching Lindy Hop and swing-related jazz movement classes in 1994 with Seattle's Savoy Swing Club, for which she was a founding member. At the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships in 1999, she and her dance partner, Guy Caridi, placed in both events in which they competed.

Nancy's joy on the dance floor is in connecting with her partner, and she believes that this connection is where the magic in partner dancing is to be found. Nancy began teaching swing and waltz with Northwest Dance in 2004, and is happy to be part of this great team. Her teaching focus concerns that special connection between partners, in helping her students develop the ability to communicate and move together, to lead and follow, while having fun.

Heather Kraft

Heather has been dancing for 21 years and discovered blues dancing in Portland, Oregon five years ago. She is inspired by the historical importance and emotional rawness that is unique to blues music and movement. Heather has organized events and taught in Calgary, Providence, Portland, and Seattle.

John Lozano

With more than a decade of experience as a dance instructor, John has inspired new generations of dancers throughout the US and Canada. He started dancing ECSwing and Lindy Hop in Detroit and traveled extensively for many years throughout the mid-west, and into parts of Canada. About 8 years ago he began to pick up Blues dancing and not long thereafter was began teaching on the west coast. He maintains a strong emphasis on fun, comfort, technique and creativity whether he is teaching Swing, Lindy Hop or Blues dancing

Dick Mercier

...more info coming soon

Dean Paton

Dean Paton abandoned the baseball diamond for the dance hall in 1994, and fell so hopelessly in love with waltz that he founded the Valse Cafe Orchestra, an ensemble committed to the art of playing music for dancers. When he teaches rotary waltz, Dean stresses mastering the core of the dance - turning left, turning right, transitioning between the two -- then helps dancers use this foundation as a platform on which to build organic, graceful movement as well as a few elegant moves.

Stuart Spencer

I started dancing 30 years ago with a Scandinavian group in Seattle called Liekarringen at the old Sons of Norway at 300 W. 3rd (Later the Mountioneers' Club). Went from being a rank beginner to being the Dance Director during my 14 years with Liekarringen. Before I left Liekarringer I started with Alvfotter, a Swedish group, and danced with them until the group stopped performing in the late 1990's. After all the Scandinavian, I started taking class es from Walter Dill and NancyAnna in various kinds of Ballroom dancing and did that for about 3 to 4 years. In 1999, when Zach started Waltz Etc. I started going there to work on my skills in Ballroom and enjoy a new community of dance partners. Since 2008, helped at various classes for NDN and began doing the set-up before the dances.