Emerald City Blues Festival

We have an all star lineup of instructors for the festival with wide and varied backgrounds in blues dance and we are excited to bring them together for a fantastic weekend of instruction. If you are interested in taking private lessons from an instructor, drop us an email.

Bill Borgida (Ithaca, NY)

Bill's love of Blues dancing started back in the 1980's when he used to go down to Washington DC for the infamous all night house parties there (just ask Donna Barker if you know her). As he developed his interest in Lindy Hop, one began to influence the other. And now he sees them as complementary dances, two ends of a continuum which blend and borrow from one another, always inspired by the music. He has been introducing blues dancing to the Lindy scene for the past 10 years. And is very excited to see it finally come into it's own. He's very appreciative of all the effort that blues devotees have made to this end. And he's very psyched to be able to share what he's learned after all these years.

Noni May Clarke (Australia)

Noni May Clarke has been in love with Swing Dance since first taking it up in 2000. Her other dance experience includes tap, jazz, and classical. A member of the top-notch teaching team at Swing Patrol in Melbourne, Noni is a brilliant social dancer, a passionate performer, and a gifted instructor. Noni and her partner Josh McKiterick placed first at the Helzapoppin' World Championships (November 2004) and tied for first at the Australian Jitterbug Championships, Showcase Division (March 2004). Other than dancing, her strengths are fine arts and music -- she placed first out of 3,000 entries in a Victoria-wide painting competition; she plays the double bass and bass guitar, and has traveled all around Australia performing music. Noni has a loving personality and smooth but playful style of Swing Dance, with a specialty in Blues.

Ria DeBiase (Sacramento, CA)

Ria DeBiase has been teaching Lindy Hop for six years, both in the USA and in Europe. She has also studied Historical Jazz, Ballet, Gymnastics, and Hip Hop. Her dancing style is energetic and musical, and she is comfortable being playful and funky.

In 2002 Ria won both 1st place in Strictly Lindy at the American Lindy Hop Championships and 2nd place at the World Lindy Hop Championships. In Spring/Summer of 2003, Ria toured Canada and the USA with the Harlem Hot Shots.

Ria's teaching style is clear and concise and she can break down complicated moves and concepts so they are easily understandable. She specializes in teaching the basics, communication through lead/follow technique, and connection.

Solomon Douglas (Seattle, WA)

Solomon Douglas has danced Lindy Hop and Blues for the past seven years. He is increasingly in demand worldwide as a teacher of Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Vernacular Jazz, and has a particular reputation as a Blues Dancing specialist; he has taught Blues workshops in Hilo (Hawaii), Honolulu, Oakland, Osaka (Japan), Ottawa (Ontario), Portland (Oregon), Quebec City (Quebec), San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, Seoul (South Korea), Singapore, Tokyo (Japan), and with Noni Clarke throughout Australia. He is well known as a musician, playing piano and leading bands at swing dance events throughout North America and worldwide in such bands as Back Pocket, the Solomon Douglas Swingtet, and Corner Pocket.

Mike Faltesek (Sweden)

Mike 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.

For over 7 years Mike has been an important fixture on the Twin Cities swing dance scene. He has traveled to instruct, compete, and perform internationally, from Harlem to Los Angeles and all throughout Europe. Mike is well known for his charismatic personality, approachability and passion for the essence of Authentic American Jazz dance and music. He possesses an enthusiastic ability to convey ideas and movements explicitly, making him a popular instructor wherever he goes. He teaches workshops internationally, each time leaving a lasting impression on his students.

Mike's main source of inspiration are the greats of yesteryear, including Whitey's Lindy Hoppers and The Nicholas Brothers. Mike is currently in Sweden performing with the world's foremost Jazz Dance Company, The Harlem Hot Shots.

Heidi Fite (San Francisco, CA)

Heidi Fite began dancing and teaching in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1999 and has been dancing, teaching, and performing ever since. She now lives in San Francisco, California, where she teaches classes, workshops, and private lessons.

Heidi's expertise includes Lindy Hop and Blues dance and she enjoys helping students of all ages and ability levels improve their dancing. Admired for her clear explanation of fundamentals, Heidi brings to all her classes and workshops not only a focus on solid techniques, but more important, a love of dance and a dedication to the learning process.

Together with Charlie Fuller they founded FUSION swing dance, a not-for-profit cooperative group of St. Louis teachers and dancers dedicated to promoting and supporting social dancing (especially Swing, Lindy Hop, and Blues) in the St. Louis area.

Since 2001, they have focused on Blues dance, playing a pivotal role in the recent resurgence of local and national interest in Blues through teaching Blues workshops across the United States and Canada and helping to organize Blues dance events like Cheap Thrills All Blues Weekend 2003-2005 and STLBX 2002-2005.

They developed their unique style of modern Blues dance by incorporating ideas from the original forms of the dance, while giving special attention to modern methods of partner connection and musical interpretation.

Charlie Fuller (St. Louis, MO)

Charlie Fuller began dancing and teaching in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1999. After being cajoled into teaching a weekend workshop at Truman State University in the summer of 2001, he has been teaching weekend workshops both regionally and nationally ever since.

Often cited for his quick wit and humorous examples in classes, Charlie presents fundamental concepts in a practical and knowledgeable way, and he brings to his classes and workshops a focus on solid techniques and a dedication to the learning process.

Together with Heidi Fite they founded FUSION swing dance, a not-for-profit cooperative group of St. Louis teachers and dancers dedicated to promoting and supporting social dancing (especially Swing, Lindy Hop, and Blues) in the St. Louis area.

Damon Stone (Sacramento, CA)

Damon has been dancing his entire life. Starting with vernacular jazz/blues he went on to Hip-Hop, and eventually studied over a dozen different dance styles until coming full circle focusing primarily on the history and styles of swing and blues, in 1995.

He has taught dance extensively on both coasts, and studied the development of vernacular jazz/blues dance regionally and nationally, traveling to New York, Chicago, Memphis, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, St. Louis, and New Orleans. He has been interviewed as a jazz dance historian in documentary and for radio.

Damon has been a featured instructor at numerous swing camps and jazz festivals and workshops and camps across the U.S. and Canada and he recently organized the Down Home Blues Dance Festival in San Francisco. He is a member of the California Historical Jazz Dance Foundation, and a member of the Northern California Lindy Society.

Laurie Zimmerman (Philly, PA)

Laurie took her first blues class at the very first ALHC in 1998. She was thrilled to find
In swing dancing a spicier side. Since then, she has taught in PA, CT, MD, NH, QC, ON,
NY, NJ and WV, including weekends in California and workshops in Texas and Cana-
Da. One thing she loves about Blues dancing is that it can be romantic, sexy, goof-
Y or flip, depending on the song, your partner, and your mood. If you think
Blues Dancing is just slow dancing, think again and add your own funky nature.
U can let go and dance organically with plenty of improv. What to expect from class?
Themes of humor, assorted sentiments, free hips and freer inhibition.
They don't call her LindyButt for nothin'.

Additionally, we will be featuring special lecturer Roy Rydbeck who will be leading a discussion sesson on Blues History.

Roy Rydbeck

Roy is a avid blues collector, listener, and researcher. He first became enthralled with the blues when he moved to Chicago in June of 2000. In the 5 years that he lived there Roy scoured the blues clubs weekly listening and loving live music. Roy Dee Jays both swing and blues. He has Dee Jayed as far away as Russia as well as many exchange and blues parties in the USA. Roy is now a regular DJ at San Francisco’s Friday Night Blues. Roy has given his blues music history lecture several times and has helped dancers with a better understanding of blues music, its history and its styles.

Brought to you by the Washington Blues Society
and some of your favorite blues dancers.