https://www.breakawayswing.com/home daily 1.0 2026-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487551945219-Q4VZ84ZKR5JN2JKMQAF5/breakaway_03012016-74.jpg The Breakaway https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487066618757-WLY7VJW25N00N06X6D85/P1420384_wb.jpg The Breakaway https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1656026332734-FYQIHVPZSXQG3CC6IL7E/Website+header+dark.png The Breakaway https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1463114465123-059LNKMFK79J4YWU2W0I/breakaway_03012016-26.jpg The Breakaway https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487064444089-8O1B6CBQI7UGY02H971B/breakaway_03012016-4.jpg The Breakaway https://www.breakawayswing.com/members-gallery daily 0.75 2019-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1464218920854-OJ6ELWUPO6XCBV69CLTZ/thumbnail.png Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1464218920854-OJ6ELWUPO6XCBV69CLTZ/thumbnail.png Members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487288553162-VFPGR2PPBCR12T4S0Q47/P1420844_2.jpg Members - Amalia#Social Events Amalia discovered swing dancing for the first time through a Balboa workshop that a friend pulled her into in her hometown, Barcelona in 2008. She enjoyed it very much and shortly after she was introduced to Lindy hop. She moved to Grenoble (France) in 2009 and got the chance to keep learning and exploring the swing scene there and around Europe. A few years later, she discovered the pleasure of dancing slow music as well through Blues. Lindy brings her lots of joy, fun, playfulness and a big smile in her face while Blues dancing allows her to express more sensuality and explore a different connection that is very grounding for her. Building a swing dancing community here in the East Bay with such wonderful people is a new adventure that she is very passionate about and very grateful to be part of. See you at The Breakaway! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1517329178975-TQZ7RFYGQBFEMSDRMPUN/FB_IMG_1516819465308.jpg Members - Ruth#Operations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516595777773-ZXYSNUOEHCE43TN3VML6/21752508_10159401369415051_4369100125361865130_o.jpg Members - Nilgul#Decorations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1530837216456-H8XJALEO81MEXO2T08UX/IMG_20180602_214317.jpg Members - Tracy#Quartermaster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516595298785-A0K4B9IQRG5PPKKJFCTR/13147404_10208286701419469_542035249911336913_o.jpg Members - Elizabeth#Volunteers https://www.breakawayswing.com/partners-gallery daily 0.75 2019-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1470431679837-67HNSKUYIHD36Y1BC93N/P1420829_1.jpg Partners - Megan#President   Born and raised in sunny San Diego, Megan had no idea that one day she would fall in love with the lindy hop, let alone become the President of the Breakaway team. In her first semester as a student at UC Berkeley, Megan found swing dancing purely by accident - she walked past a group of people dancing on the main campus plaza and heard the jazz music she had always loved listening to. She became instantly enamored, and quickly signed her life away to Berkeley's swing dancing club, Lindy on Sproul. Megan eventually came to facilitate the student-led course called SwingCal, and choreograph for performance troupes including The [M]ovement and Sproul Stompers. After graduating from Cal, Megan felt a hole in her life where lindy hop had been, and now she has found her new family in The Breakaway crew. More than anything, Megan loves to share the joy of swing with new dancers, and she makes sure everyone she knows gets bitten by the lindy bug. Find Megan at the Breakaway on Tuesday nights and ask her to dance! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1470431881989-LHQS05DOOP8H39BEG93A/P1420674_1.jpg Partners - Joleigh#Venue#Outreach Joleigh grew up in the Bay Area and loves being a part of the Oakland community. She first started swing dancing in Berkeley at Lindy on Sproul in the Fall of 2006, and was a student in the very first SwingCal class in Spring 2007. After graduating, she stayed involved in the East Bay Lindy Hop community and taught at SwingCal, Pixar, and I-House, started mentor groups, and helped organize events such as the Stanford-Cal Lindy Exchange and Lindy at Night. In 2011, Joleigh and James partnered with Jean and Bromley to open a Berkeley dance venue called The Dancers' Den. Her passion lies in community building, having a good laugh on the dance floor, and meeting new people. Joleigh's vision is to collaborate with dancers in the Oakland community to build awareness of the historical roots of Lindy Hop, and foster an open, diverse environment where dancers can be creative, try new things, and explore uncharted territories of dance together.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487287973782-DPLICDEIMRQ1DZEQTJAN/44.jpg Partners - Shawn#Treasurer Shawn had two lives. There was the 17 or so years before he danced, and there was all the years after that - when he was given a chance to dance with [M] at Berkeley. As a total noob, he was simultaneously introduced to both lindyhop and hiphop dancing. This forged a palpable link in his heart for these two styles from different era - the "classic/vintage urban" and "modern urban" dance that shared much of the same roots. Being an active member of the Bay Area urban dance community, Shawn continues to introduce the beauty of connected partnering and dance conversation to the scene through performances, open sessions, and cyphers. Being a bold and idealistic lindyhopper, he strives to build a swing scene where dancers can be free from conformity, celebrate individuality, and continue the innovation and evolution on this historical style of dance. "If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487288471086-5MGJPBR240WSC01TM0N7/P1420877_1.pg.jpg Partners - James#Membership James began his love of swing dancing after watching the movie Swing Kids and seeing all the cotillion kids at his high school actually swing dance. In 2004, he was randomly walking on Upper Sproul while attending UC Berkeley, and started dancing at Lindy on Sproul on the day of its revival. He trained under dance guru Howard Chong and after a year, began choreographing Movement performances and organizing Lindy on Sproul to produce Lindy at Night and Swing Cal. After graduating from Cal, James co-founded the Dancers Den. James is at it yet again at The Breakaway because he deeply believes that swing dancing should be a permanent fixture of fun, community, and exercise in the modern day, not only for the dancers but for the organizers, the DJs, and the bands as well. When not swing dancing, James loves to backpack and nurture his up and coming boy band career. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1530838059335-JHXPTJ0AQCXZQWILIHVY/18922632_10102419780946498_7314191863035540308_o.jpg Partners - Jessica#Marketing https://www.breakawayswing.com/inactive daily 0.75 2019-10-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1538441212960-AUM6K6R6EUFPDOD2EH60/IMG_6858.jpeg Inactive - Olivia#Taster Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1538441212960-AUM6K6R6EUFPDOD2EH60/IMG_6858.jpeg Inactive - Olivia#Taster Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1533012151929-IO8BIPAX4473Y8J8KTZR/me.jpeg Inactive - Catherine#Teacher Coordinator https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487287634616-X6ERC80B5LEOLRPJC4B9/P1420661_2.jpg Inactive - Jessyca Jessyca is a vivacious lindy hopper, excited to share her bubbly happiness of the dance! Born and raised in Québec, Canada it’s in 2013 that she unexpectedly found out about lindy hop as a The Shim Sham performance was happening in the streets of Montreal. She went to her first social dance night on the first week of her first class, a few months later she was doing workshops and got into a performance troupe, placed and won competitions during her first year of dancing. Through though times and injuries, she never stopped to give back to the community. Now, Jessyca just moved to Bay Area where she has a happy married life and is the co-founder of Oakland’s swing dance studio, The Breakaway. Her background as a jazz musician definitely influenced her take on swing dance. “Jazz offers to the dancers an opportunity to improvise, something we rarely do anymore in our world and adult life. It inspires me more than anything else to know that while we are cherishing an individual freedom of self-expression we also enjoy the responsibility to the group or our dance partner.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1470431679837-67HNSKUYIHD36Y1BC93N/P1420829_1.jpg Inactive - Megan#President   Born and raised in sunny San Diego, Megan had no idea that one day she would fall in love with the lindy hop, let alone become the President of the Breakaway team. In her first semester as a student at UC Berkeley, Megan found swing dancing purely by accident - she walked past a group of people dancing on the main campus plaza and heard the jazz music she had always loved listening to. She became instantly enamored, and quickly signed her life away to Berkeley's swing dancing club, Lindy on Sproul. Megan eventually came to facilitate the student-led course called SwingCal, and choreograph for performance troupes including The [M]ovement and Sproul Stompers. After graduating from Cal, Megan felt a hole in her life where lindy hop had been, and now she has found her new family in The Breakaway crew. More than anything, Megan loves to share the joy of swing with new dancers, and she makes sure everyone she knows gets bitten by the lindy bug. Find Megan at the Breakaway on Tuesday nights and ask her to dance! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1470431099044-Y4S3FQTL422PPFDE5RJW/P1420701_%21f.jpg Inactive - Mary#Marketing Mary's older sister was an inspiration and first encouraged her to try social Ballroom Dancing, then Balboa. From there, Mary went on to discover Lindy Hop at Lindy on Sproul where she met and became friends with many founding members of The Breakaway. Captivated by the dance's joyful affirmation of being and opportunity for playful expression, she is thrilled to be on the marketing team to help share this dance with others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516595637504-MB06C61UN5X6JIKC6CO4/IMG_1921.JPG Inactive - Brynna#Performances Brynna's passion for dancing first began after watching Singing in the Rain as a child. She instantly fell in love with the movement and music, and over the next few years, she decided to try on various dance hats including tap, jazz, and ballroom dance. Originally from Los Angeles, Brynna first discovered swing dance in 2010 during her new student orientation at Berkeley. She soon became actively involved in Lindy on Sproul and SwingCal. Here, she also discovered a love of sharing her favorite jazz tunes through DJing. Currently, in addition to being the DJ and Band Coordinator at The Breakaway, she also is member of the solo jazz dance troupe Someday Sweethearts. Brynna is thrilled to be a part of the Breakaway Team, and is excited to watch the East Bay dance scene to continue to grow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516595475309-DEUTJ69HS4GF1FOUI7PT/468848_856792987850_1051925529_o.jpg Inactive - Jeff#Designer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1517329201971-UCEPPXR5TVB7MZJ3KAF7/IMG_0496.jpg Inactive - <strong>Rachel</strong><br/> Rachel started volunteering at The Breakaway at the door, and was so excited to support a new swing dance venue in the Oakland that she started volunteering other areas as well. She loves planning parties and building community. She has been dancing since a she was a youngin’ jamming out to the radio in her room, and remembers first hearing big band music on the radio in high school. Years later, the two connected when she was hanging out in Golden Gate Park and got pulled into Lindy in the Park. Dancing has also inspired her to get back to her childhood hobby of playing music. Rachel loves doing fancy walks on the dance floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1470431029094-HS02B4IGGEMW1575JLYO/P1420946_1.jpg Inactive - <strong>Hunter</strong><br/> Hunter currently works as a Behavior Therapist but his night time has been spent dancing for the past 13 years. Teaching, performing, and competing, Hunter has done it all. From teaching dance in South Korea to placing at Camp Jitterbug, Hunter looks forward to sharing his expertise with new and excited students of the East Bay. Having studied Ballet, modern Jazz, and Tap, Hunter brings a well rounded dance background to Lindy-Hop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1467071079122-X5CMFK55T6W9M59D3AGD/P1420897_1.jpg Inactive - <strong>Jeremy</strong><br/>Manager Jeremy Harris has been dancing swing for 12 years, and is excited to be part of the organizing team that has jumpstarted the Breakaway into existence. His everyday persona includes being a professional Architect, a jazz saxophonist, and outdoors enthusiast. His secret superpower unravels as the Breakaway's unofficial band schmoozer and Graphics Lead for the group. His goal is to create a dancing community, that gives back to the local community, and connects dancers of Lindy Hop with the vibrant urban dancing scene, history, and diversity of Oakland. He envisions a space where dancers of all types can express their styles, learn from each other, and inspire a new generation of Lindy Hop that would make Frankie Manning proud. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1467071278131-B8J5GJ659WHWFIY4472H/P1420910_1.jpg Inactive - <strong>Melanie</strong><br/>Manager Melanie has been a dancer all of her life with her first true love being ballet. Her first swing out happened at a summer swing dance camp when she was a wee lass. She continued to dabble in other forms of dance, including salsa and ballroom dancing until she joined the [M]ovement dance group as a swing dancer and choreographer at UC Berkeley. There, she met many of the members of The Breakaway and fell in love with jazz - particularly New Orleans jazz music (and food!) - and the form of dance that evolved with it: the lindy hop. She is super excited to be part of The Breakaway team helping members of the Oakland and East Bay community discover the thrill of self expression through dancing and the excitement of listening to live jazz. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516595615110-KX9R4KHFE54GP825ZND5/18278225_773815086128263_2929680308203195080_o.jpg Inactive - <strong>Ben</strong><br/>Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516596090843-1YN6NI688N1QGRNOV9TI/19059984_10211430782318731_5557785168818800801_n.jpg Inactive - <strong>Veronica</strong><br/>Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516596376712-VDDQS5Y3W3Q20LNVC7RC/14976587_1131193820298988_3594292766321588159_o.jpg Inactive - <strong>Josh</strong><br/>Marketing Partnership https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487288144453-EFOI0EE2MLP0GVLIE4DH/mel.jpg Inactive - Melissa Melissa is an avid lover of social lindy hop. As a co-organizer of the Breakaway, she hopes to foster dancers who listen to the music, learn new ways to express themselves, and enjoy the moment. Some of her favorite dance memories include performing at the Apollo Theater for Frankie 100, dancing to live bands at speakeasies, and organizing a lindy-bomb at Berkeley's 4th Street Jazz Festival. She loves to meet new people, think and effect social justice, and support the community. https://www.breakawayswing.com/super-volunteer-gallery daily 0.75 2019-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487287634616-X6ERC80B5LEOLRPJC4B9/P1420661_2.jpg Super Volunteers - Jessyca Jessyca is a vivacious lindy hopper, excited to share her bubbly happiness of the dance! Born and raised in Québec, Canada it’s in 2013 that she unexpectedly found out about lindy hop as a The Shim Sham performance was happening in the streets of Montreal. She went to her first social dance night on the first week of her first class, a few months later she was doing workshops and got into a performance troupe, placed and won competitions during her first year of dancing. Through though times and injuries, she never stopped to give back to the community. Now, Jessyca just moved to Bay Area where she has a happy married life and is the co-founder of Oakland’s swing dance studio, The Breakaway. Her background as a jazz musician definitely influenced her take on swing dance. “Jazz offers to the dancers an opportunity to improvise, something we rarely do anymore in our world and adult life. It inspires me more than anything else to know that while we are cherishing an individual freedom of self-expression we also enjoy the responsibility to the group or our dance partner.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516595842382-QPXFJ3FF6878XPNHEC74/17434803_1405187466169304_2076436726069569322_o.jpg Super Volunteers - Rachel#Band &amp; DJs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1516596191752-KA7BRD82JQ3L0WM4F2FH/22041959_10154640601850989_5317893132702557382_o.jpg Super Volunteers - Grant#Flyers#Marketing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1530837615912-6KUMMQMX1ZIEC0D81WWM/17493178_10154426967067135_7068902493640627872_o.jpg Super Volunteers - Amelia#Digital Marketing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1530837639468-6VCU6I0CV7QDDI5U976P/30595055_10216863070794519_9028142030385682928_n.jpg Super Volunteers - Renea#Community Organizer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1554225270855-YXDXFXP6898B8EDCSK1K/29665237_10215842895086895_4646171977409763617_o.jpg Super Volunteers - Emmy#Social Media Marketing https://www.breakawayswing.com/survey daily 0.75 2017-12-20 https://www.breakawayswing.com/our-story daily 0.75 2022-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1464050727560-DWN20CDN2BGPKYASULTQ/Screenshot_2.png Our Story https://www.breakawayswing.com/taster-class daily 0.75 2023-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663537282807-22XI0KS0N7NNUWMJKVGG/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-22.jpg Taster Class https://www.breakawayswing.com/what-is-swing-dancing daily 0.75 2016-06-01 https://www.breakawayswing.com/faq daily 0.75 2023-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663537135651-HOTHMQY7Q6KZC3X2L5Y2/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-1.jpg FAQ https://www.breakawayswing.com/about-taster-class daily 0.75 2016-06-01 https://www.breakawayswing.com/contact daily 0.75 2016-09-28 https://www.breakawayswing.com/404-error daily 0.75 2016-07-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1467827263581-DY7RTPQLHD4F210A9A54/group1.jpg 404 error https://www.breakawayswing.com/teaching-philosophy daily 0.75 2016-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1468279837524-2S4CN6BERDKVEVJVK8EQ/class.png Teaching philosophy https://www.breakawayswing.com/safe-space daily 0.75 2016-07-12 https://www.breakawayswing.com/dance-etiquette daily 0.75 2017-01-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1468283016772-Z1MLPEPSSLGCQHHLRDSJ/image-asset.jpeg Dance etiquette https://www.breakawayswing.com/get-involved daily 0.75 2025-04-10 https://www.breakawayswing.com/playlists daily 0.75 2017-03-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1489461934053-AY3RCPYTAHWLB7ASMPCF/breakaway_03012016-74.jpg Playlists https://www.breakawayswing.com/bay-area-events daily 0.75 2017-03-15 https://www.breakawayswing.com/lake-merritt-dance daily 0.75 2022-09-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663537723792-AKE4FV0G51T0170XA32J/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-47+half+size.jpg Lake Merritt Dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508635652149-MID95NQIDK73EYNQKSCP/Screen+Shot+2017-10-21+at+6.25.02+PM.png Lake Merritt Dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508642983727-J49MRICD4A3PHCDYPPFN/IMG_20171017_210029.jpg Lake Merritt Dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508642991151-W0RRTQ94AHC3CAGH7VE1/IMG_20171017_203127.jpg Lake Merritt Dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508635658885-FF97FTN6NJGY82BPOHZ2/Screen+Shot+2017-10-21+at+6.26.11+PM.png Lake Merritt Dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508635659332-WNVSE4AY7N4FP7PGG9NS/Screen+Shot+2017-10-21+at+6.26.01+PM.png Lake Merritt Dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508635652150-I6NZCUZSLY79F2KV9ZVX/Screen+Shot+2017-10-21+at+6.24.51+PM.png Lake Merritt Dance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508635312311-ZLO8EDC6OY9VYNHVA6MG/FB_IMG_1508252245346.jpg Lake Merritt Dance View from Bay Place corner Montecito Avenue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1508635314639-SEY7AHXF290YGZ0PNR91/FB_IMG_1508252249440.jpg Lake Merritt Dance Entrance from the parking lot accessible from Bay Place. https://www.breakawayswing.com/ella-fitzgerald daily 0.75 2020-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1493160067767-RBJ3AYT7XW97OP7X6MFH/ella.jpg Ella Fitzgerald https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1493159303121-AKTTQ7AOOJK5926CRLRM/8a78deb73faedf41b6626f2e1718400c.jpg Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald and Fillmore celebrants in the 1950s. Courtesy the Red Powell/Reggie Pettus Collection. From this article. https://www.breakawayswing.com/taster-class-2 daily 0.75 2017-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487552276598-FKFOWDTSDKMOM9RVDX5Q/Taster-Classes_v1.jpg Taster Class https://www.breakawayswing.com/july-2018 daily 0.75 2018-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1487544409668-GIYGUS8FHI42GL27FF7R/Classes_Banner_v1.jpg July 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1526692332242-RWLQB1BJWBYKBYEJY0XS/Website+-+Teacher+Banner+%2812%29.png July 2018 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1526692254824-4XFNNO3SH2T1W4DQLILX/Website+-+Teacher+Banner+%2811%29.png July 2018 https://www.breakawayswing.com/scholarship daily 0.75 2020-01-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1579143239505-DQTUN72RUES8ZJFOBR2V/Sugar-Sullivan.jpg Scholarship - Sugar Sullivan Harvest Moon Ball Winner 1955 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1579143221947-6Q11PEJMNPG7AM7B0KGD/Barbara-Billups.jpg Scholarship - 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Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/af460943-6f17-444d-ad14-593800eaea04/Sam+Nguyen.jpg Test page - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/69a0a390-25e0-417a-b30a-93a89eb26a13/Steven+Bach_headshot.jpg Test page - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/d47415ed-e396-45ed-9a05-857a8787aa2e/Minh+Hoang_headshot.jpg Test page - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/7e797c96-14ba-461c-a05e-1f0c65244221/Andree+George_headshot.jpg Test page - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/3cda62e7-d0a4-4c0b-a80a-63afcbf9b0f1/Mimi+Liu-Leyco.jpg Test page - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/84250f68-cd35-4bfc-8d10-9647f351a5d6/332792811_717839926478529_8521077997990372135_n.jpg Test page - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.breakawayswing.com/teachers daily 0.75 2024-01-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1468279837524-2S4CN6BERDKVEVJVK8EQ/class.png Teachers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1719532901621-PV3JG45OD6LUZFAQBMG4/Alex+Phelps+Teacher+Photo.jpg Teachers - Alex Phelps https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703757839420-CTY39I09LSM60142Q6CX/Amanda+Collins_headshot+PC-Mary+Freitag.jpg Teachers - Amanda Collins PC: Mary Freitag Amanda Collins (she/her) has been dancing Lindy Hop for the last 30 years. In that time she has competed at the national level, taught locally and regionally, and helped run a variety of dance events. She specializes in musicality and responsive and collaborative following. Amanda lives in San Francisco with her husband, also a Lindy Hopper, and her daughter. She has another daughter on the way due in September. In her day job she is a school librarian. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703757838334-NYGADFN6TLOFXR06KYW3/Andree+George_headshot.jpg Teachers - Andree George Andree (he/him) began swing dancing in 2011 at his college club in Gainesville, FL. In the decade that followed he spent time learning, traveling, teaching, and competing in an effort to push himself as a dancer. Andree learned from some of the most well-known dancers of our time and traveled to dance events all around the country. He teaches lessons to all levels, headlined local workshops, and teaches locally at Lindy by the Lake. During his travels, he competed at several local and regional events, most recently placing at camp jitterbug. In his spare time he also enjoys choreographing and performing routines. He describes his style of dancing as playful and conversational. Each dance is treated as a chance to try something new or revamp something old. He brings this energy to each lesson, encouraging his students to play with a variety of ways to change the feel of the dance and to converse with their partner and the music. Most of all he tries to embody the spirit of the dance as it began as a contrast to the more well-defined ballroom dancing of the era. He believes that the only rule in dancing is to have fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758384106-P6OKQ81H1BLIVXCBMYUZ/Anna+Papitto_headshot.jpeg Teachers - Anna Papitto Anna (she/her) finally discovered the student-run Lindy at Sproul in her last year at Berkeley, and was immediately struck by how welcoming and fun-loving the East Bay Lindy hop scene is! Since then, she's kept coming back for every dance event that she can find. Anna hopes to share the most fascinating and fun part of Lindy hop for her -- the three-way conversation between the music and the two dancers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758382896-RFJKP3CL0QFAIUGJO69K/Annie+Kirkwood_dance.jpg Teachers - Annie Kirkwood Annie has been dancing for 13 years. She initially started dancing at Midtown Stomp in Sacramento and then got heavily involved in her college club, the Davis Swing Dancers. She moved to the bay area in 2019, where she started dancing at the Breakaway and other bay area events. You can find her dancing at events around the bay and sometimes around the world. As well as Lindy, Annie enjoys dancing Shag, Balboa, Ballet and West Coast Swing. When she's not dancing Annie enjoys sewing, knitting, baking and reading. She loves people so if you see her dancing, come say hi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758382063-ZJT0SDHQDN3CK3KXB0RL/Ariyana+Vojdani_headshot.jpeg Teachers - Ariyana Vojdani Ariyana (she/her) started Lindy Hop as a Cal student in SwingCal, a student-run swing dance class. As a pianist, she immediately loved connecting to the music through movement while creating new friendships in her dance scene. She served as an Executive Director of Lindy on Sproul at UC Berkeley, participated in multiple choreography groups, and taught lessons on campus. Her goal as a teacher is to encourage students to let the music inspire their dancing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758382988-X21ICV363WFG0M8275D9/Bryan+Lopez_headshot.jpg Teachers - Bryan Lopez Bryan (he/him) is a local dancer/instructor and has taught at venues such as the 9:20 Special, The Breakaway, and Bootlegger’s Ball. Though he is a primary lead, he follows as well! If you see him on the dance floor, don’t be afraid to ask him to dance, no matter your role! Bryan hopes to teach you solid fundamentals and a touch of musicality so you can have fun in every dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758445944-ODFF32CRV68EUZ50M546/Calvin+Lu_headshot.jpg Teachers - Calvin Lu Calvin (he/him), also sometimes known as "that guy who follows a lot," fell in love with Lindy Hop for its joyful expression, creative improvisation, and deep connection between partners. Since then, he has been actively involved in the community as an instructor, event organizer, competitor, and frequent up-past-3-am dancer. A lifelong student, and a Game Designer by trade, Calvin strives to make his classes engaging and help students fall in love with learning and practice as part of the fun of being a dancer. In his teaching and curriculum planning, he highly values offering students multiple perspectives, supporting a variety of learning styles, and fostering good dancers who are also good community members. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758380646-23PJ4S4O46L9D38RD5ZV/Catherine+Marvin_headshot.jpg Teachers - Catherine Marvin Catherine (she/her) has been doing Lindy Hop since 2011, where she got her start with UC Berkeley's student-led SwingCal class after watching Swing Kids in high school and falling in love with the music. Since then, she's choreographed, DJed, and taught in the San Francisco Bay Area. In class, she's passionate about giving students the tools to fully connect with their partner and the music through solid rhythmic fundamentals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758692084-II4TULMYM41SUT6KRJQJ/Chad+Kubo+%26+Kristen+Paulin_partner.jpeg Teachers - Chad Kubo Chad (he/him) is one of the Original Lindy Hop founders in San Francisco Co-founder of Lindy in the Park Golden Gate Park. He’s co-owner of the venue “The Doghouse,” Lindy Hop teacher at the Metronome Ballroom, the largest Ballroom in San Francisco, and has done Martial arts for over 38+ years with Black Belt proficiency in Judo, Aikido, and Karate. He’s been a professional Lindy Hop teacher, dancer, performer, social dancer teacher since 1993, and taught in the SF Bay Area, the U.S. and Internationally. He taught for Frankie Manning, Lionel Hampton, Winton Marsallis, and Brian Setzer. He performed, taught cast, and co-choreographed for Berkeley Repertory California, Center Stage, Baltimore Maryland Theater, Yerba Buena Theater SF, Catalina Island, Macy Passport Show, Frankie Manning workshops, and throughout the SF Bay Area. *Chad’s Zen Dance teaching combines martial arts principles of awareness, frame, connection, momentum and power to make dancing fluid, effortless and connected. See what hundreds of years of martial art principles can do for your dancing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758685455-CUJ96YLSZ6JR1NUXZIHY/David+%26+Charlie+Stellar_partner.jpg Teachers - David &amp; Charlie Stellar Charlie (she/her) and David (he/him) met at a partner dance and the connection was instantaneous. Charlie has been a dancer and musician her entire life, initially starting with solo performance dance as a member of modern and contemporary troupes as well as hip hop, she discovered her love of partner dance coincidentally on the day she met David. David started dancing in 1996 after seeing the seminal and cheesy film Swing Kids. He has been dancing obsessively since then, and started teaching in 1998, and has since brought his love of dance to workshops in over 40 countries. His love for dancing comes out of the connection and improvisation found in non-formal, non-choreographed partnered dancing. His classes are usually concept based, focusing on connection and musicality fundamentals, modified as necessary for the student's abilities. Both nomads, they now travel the world offering their knowledge to students and focus on the parts of dance they love: connection, musicality and momentum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758685416-R8ZOMNYLAUSXSMPZNZRC/Deniz+Akin_fullbody.jpeg Teachers - Deniz Akin Deniz is a lover of movement, and can be found exploring and getting down on a variety of dance floors including contact improv, house, fusion, and contra. She first discovered swing dancing as a teen, then dove deep into teaching, competing, performing, and, of course, spending many a late night social dancing. She loves traveling to exchanges to meet new dancers and soak in new scenes, and it’s important to her that newcomers feel supported, engaged, and connected to the community. She’s so excited to share her love of dance with the next generation of enthusiasts at the Breakaway! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758681026-GEPJPVHNT686FBENRZY0/Edward+Paddock.jpg Teachers - Edward Paddock After a childhood of dance, Edward (he/they) discovered Lindy Hop in college at UC Davis and fell in love with the dance and the community. After moving to Oakland in 2018, they branched out into Solo Jazz and Collegiate Shag, as well as continuing their training in Rhythm Tap. They are passionate about rhythm, technique, and making dance a fun and welcoming experience for dancers of all levels! Edward's recent dance achievements include choreographing the winning Solo Jazz team for Camp Hollywood 2022 and buying too many new pairs of tap shoes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758680226-NF2PUMHWB9XRDZDU7X5B/Finn+Kupel_dance.jpg Teachers - Finn Kupel Finn Kupel (they/ them) has been dancing vernacular jazz and Lindy Hop for nearly 2 decades and loves to find dynamic ways to explore classic movements, whether on the social dance floor or in competitions. They started teaching at age 14 and discovered the joy of creating a learning environment focused on joy, technique, and individuality of movement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1706932098822-D26EWR5WTUVYTXO55AV0/Gaurab+Banerjee_headshot.JPEG Teachers - Gaurab Banerjee Gaurab (he/him) first started dancing while at Stanford and joined the on-campus Lindy Hop groups soon after where he wore hats such as organizer, performer, teacher, and DJ. He loves the playfulness that Lindy brings out between partners and loves both leading and following! In his teaching, he likes to focus on connection and conversation, but most importantly on joy and expression. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758680531-7DADVRBNONBJZN3115GA/Hannah+Howard_dance.jpeg Teachers - Hannah Howard https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1709757369626-23AB0SBCDOQCODDG5RWR/Helen+Garfinkle_headshot+PC-Jerry+Almonte.jpg Teachers - Helen Garfinkle Helen Garfinkle (they/them) started dancing in 2014 at Carleton College, and quickly started traveling to their hometown scene in the Twin Cities to do even more dancing. They moved to the Bay in 2017, and have been dancing and teaching at local venues ever since. They regularly travel to learn and compete at events across the country and beyond, and have placed at events like Midwest Lindyfest and Inspiration Weekend. Helen firmly believes in teaching a strong rhythmic foundation and facilitating classes that are challenging and fun! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758857208-9RPS8X7IQPF6G581SP8N/H%C3%BClya+Ulu%C7%A7ut_headshot.jpg Teachers - Hülya Uluǧut Hulya Ulugut (she/her) is a swing dancer with a passion for jazz music and dance. Hulya discovered her love for Lindy Hop while living in Turkey and became obsessed with the energetic and rhythmic jazz tunes that accompanied the dance. She soon joined the Istanbul and Izmir Teams and honed her skills in the old-school Lindy Hop style. Then she moved to Amsterdam, where she was exposed to a variety of different styles of swing dance. In pursuit of new styles and techniques, she participated in various workshops across the world and she was able to learn from some of the best Lindy Hop dancers in the world to incorporate their techniques into her own unique style. Hulya is sought after for her expertise in styling, good connection, discovering one's own style, being creative, and more importantly enjoying the music. Her main goal is to encourage dancers of all levels to embrace their individuality and find joy in the dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758856350-1R5S4PS66JD88RGK8CLY/Idalia+Ramos_dance.jpg Teachers - Idalia Ramos Idalia’s (she/her) journey into dance began as she serendipitously stumbled into a lindy hop video. She felt the heavens open and angels sing while the rays of sunshine fell on her, she fell in love with the music and energy, and knew this was something she had to be a part of. Her love for dancing has brought her to receive many accolades from national and international competitions including the International Lindy Hop Championships, Stompology, Zaragoza Swing Festival and Camp Hollywood. Idalia's dancing can be described as joyful, sassy, musical, and a bit mischievous. In her classes she loves to focus on empowering students to find their comfort by exploring movement that feels good in their bodies, embracing their uniqueness and making it a strength. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758855390-0DACCC5C09W1Z65UP63C/Irina+Semenova+%26+Nick+Sha_partner.jpg Teachers - Irina Semenova Irina's Lindy hop journey began three decades ago when she faced the challenge of relocating from Republic Georgia to Russia. Adjusting to a new country and culture was hard, but as a teenager, she discovered that swing dance became her lifeline. Years later, after moving to the United States and starting a family, Irina and her husband, a fellow swing dancer from Belarus, made the decision to open classes for their three children and numerous children from across the Bay Area. Shortly after, Irina wanted to spread the joy of swing dancing to everyone, so she began classes for adults. To this day, she continues to share her passion and knowledge of swing dancing with people of all ages. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758853752-U5CO1NA8WB3S7SP7VVDB/James+McBryan_headshot.jpeg Teachers - James McBryan James McBryan (he/him) has been teaching in Bay Area venues for the last two decades, doing his first triple steps at Lindy on Sproul in 2004. This inspired him to grow Lindy on Sproul and start Swing Cal, Dancers Den, and The Breakaway to continue spreading the joy of swing dancing. His enthusiasm for swing dancing brought him to travel all over the world and to swing dance at festivals and events and really experience the many flavors of Lindy Hop fun! James' classes focus on helping students find their confidence with new vocabulary and translating that to fun and creativity on the social dance floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703758856611-COQWEJZSOT9P1H85A46W/Kevin+Weng_headshot.jpg Teachers - Kevin Weng Kevin Weng (he/him) has been Lindy Hopping since 2010. He got his start at UC Berkeley at the much beloved student-taught class series, SwingCal. His style emphasizes the lead/follow connection in tension, compression, and the transitioning from one end to the other. He enjoys exploring the entire spectrum between lightly connected wiggles of recent trends and the tightly coupled partnership popular during the late 2000's. He prefers to play between linear stretchy movements and rapidly rotating ones. Lately he has been focused on incorporating more slow steps into his partnerships. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759038330-Z9NJFM9LTRFK118VVTIB/Chad+Kubo+%26+Kristen+Paulin_partner.jpeg Teachers - Kristen Paulin Kristen (she/her) was first introduced to dance starting with contemporary jazz and acrobatic tumbling at age 8. She established her Lindy Hop and Blues dance roots while in college in Cincinnati over 15 years ago. After moving to Chicago in 2008, Kristen refined her Swing and Blues and was engaged in the local dance community. She moved to the Bay Area in 2013 and since then has been teaching, performing, and traveling for all things Swing. Now experienced in Lindy, Charleston, Balboa, Shag, and Blues, Kristen is passionate about sharing her love for dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759055210-9CDTGMAYZ46DUKQZ0L14/Mark+Hasier_dance.jpg Teachers - Mark Hasier Mark (he/him) discovered swing dancing in 2016 shortly after college by being exceptionally bored on a Monday in Milwaukee, WI. A Midwest dancer at heart, he has since then traveled the country for workshops, competitions and instruction. While in Milwaukee he taught local classes between there and Chicago, DJ’d occasionally, and helped organize various annual events. When it comes to swing dancing, Mark truly enjoys putting community first and finding ways to share a modern love for a vintage dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1709757370266-YIZZOQHMZ8LPNYDWQBB9/Max+Ramirez_headshot+PC-Jerry+Almonte.jpg Teachers - Max Ramirez Max Ramirez (he/they) has been around the Bay Area Lindy Hop scene since 2012, when they began dancing, teaching, choreographing, and organizing with UC Berkeley’s Lindy on Sproul. They started teaching at the Breakaway in 2016. He’s also taught at the 9:20 Special, Wednesday Night Hop, and Cat’s Corner, and has made finals and placed in contests at national levels. Max loves teaching classes that help students build awareness of and get comfortable with the way their bodies move, and that instill a knowledge and love of jazz music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759055577-J80AGYDZ0HL6ZQZD2S59/Mimi+Liu-Leyco_headshot.jpg Teachers - Mimi Liu-Leyco Mimi (she/her) is excited to be teaching swing dance in the Bay Area after being an active leader of the NYC swing dance scene for over 15 years. In addition to being known for her smooth and sassy stylings, Mimi has also been an established teacher, performer, DJ, and choreographer in the Northeast and beyond. Her advice to all swing lovers is to get to know the music and musicians, which is how she continually finds joy in swing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759043762-2X1BNLJUWYFPPUMADJPK/Saining+Li_dance.jpg Teachers - Saining Li Saining (she/her) started Lindy hopping after moving to San Francisco in 2019, hoping to meet some friends and pick up a casual hobby. This didn’t quite work out, as it soon became an obsession (in a fun and healthy way?). As a teacher, she values making the dance fun for everyone, especially through connection and musicality. She lies awake at night pondering what moments gave a dance that dance that magical feeling and how to convey it to others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759219817-8E6YCN753M69YUNO3KC4/Sean+Krazit_headshot2.jpeg Teachers - Sean Krazit Sean Krazit (he/him) started dancing in 2012 at the University of Delaware Swing Club. Since then, he's traveled around the country to dance, DJ, teach, choreograph, and compete. He loves to focus on rhythm, improvisation, and coming up with interesting and creative classes for his students. He also loves to share his experience as a jazz musician and explore the connections between jazz music and dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1704247473636-1YMUMTPZ3O248Z8J63ET/Sam+Nguyen_headshot.JPG Teachers - Sam Nguyen With no prior dance or rhythm experience, Sam (she/her) bravely joined a Lindy Hop class at UC Berkeley, where she quickly fell in love with the improvisation and joy of the dance. Although Sam has held many roles in the dance community (teacher, choreographer, performer, competitor, organizer), her one true love is social dancing. In her dancing, Sam loves to incorporate silly playfulness, "psychic" partnership, and smooth footwork to highlight the music. Coming from humble beginnings of gathering in random Berkeley hallways and learning through YouTube videos - combined with her day job of being a high school science teacher - her classes often include a ground-up approach where students learn and explore ideas together. Sam’s lessons are crafted to emphasize her own values of the dance: honoring the roots of the Black dance artform, finding connectedness with your partner and the music to inspire improvisation, and (straight up just) having a blast on the dance floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759218568-O4WFBK6M7OVJ0JVVJJNT/Sophia+Papitto_headshot.jpg Teachers - Sophia Papitto Sophia (she/her) began lindy hopping as an undergrad at UC Berkeley when her sister introduced her to the SwingCal community. She then went on to help organize and teach at SwingCal and at Lindy on Sproul, a weekly swing dancing event on campus open to the public. She has had the opportunity to attend weekend workshops such as Camp Hollywood and the Switch Workshop (her particular favorite). She especially enjoys helping people with their swing dancing one-on-one, and is always looking to learn more and expand her lindy hopping background. She wants all beginner swing dancers to have a lovely relaxing time and to not have to stress too much! Learning to dance should be fun every step of the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759048164-RWJJ61K765XGVR1MHJLZ/Minh+Hoang_headshot+%281%29.jpg Teachers - Minh Hoang Minh Hoang (he/him) found out about lindy hop in 2017 at Wednesday Night Hop and was instantly hooked by the dance and the welcoming community. Once started, he just couldn’t stop going to classes and workshops. For his first few years, he was dancing almost everyday! On the dance floor, he loves to synchronize with the music and his partner, and to flow around effortlessly together. Outside of dance, you can find him dabble in a lot of hobbies, but nothing seems to stick as deeply as dancing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759215971-AMXPTTGZA8HFQOFNH3EA/Irina+Semenova+%26+Stanislav+Shaposhnikov_dance.jpg Teachers - Stanislav Shaposhnikov Stanislav began dancing at a very young age, so young that he can't even remember a time without dancing. Growing up in a family passionate about swing dancing, he was immersed in the art from the beginning. Since moving to the Bay Area almost 16 years ago, he has been lindy hopping at The Beat in Berkeley and has recently began teaching there. The spark for teaching ignited within him, and during his final semester at SFSU, he took the opportunity to teach an Intro to Swing Dance course that spanned an entire semester. Now that he has graduated, he looks forward to further expanding his knowledge of lindy hopping and introducing others to the astonishing realm of creativity that can be expressed through the enchanting art of swing dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759218324-VIQBHB9457JZHH443RU7/Steven+Bach_headshot.jpg Teachers - Steven Bach Steven (he/him) started swing dancing during grad school as a fun way to take a break from working in the lab and has been enthusiastic about it ever since. In his teaching he tries to impart what he values in dancing: strong quality of movement, musicality, communication in the partnership, and a tasteful amount of flash. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759217586-7OZ3NVI7B8W40BDUF2F8/Tor+Helmer+%26+Carissa+Koo_dance.jpeg Teachers - Tor Helmer Tor (he/him) loves to teach Balboa in a manner that is both fun and easy to understand–with a heavy emphasis on connecting to your partner and conveying the music. He believes very strongly in mastering the basics and having a good understanding of the fundamental aspects of the dance. Tor has competed and traveled around the world doing Balboa and would love nothing more than to share what he has learned with his students. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1703759217750-IFAGAO71KC5TOUDXVOW9/Ya%C4%9Fmur+Halezero%C4%9Flu_headshot.jpg Teachers - Yağmur Halezeroğlu Yağmur (she/her), like many dancers in the Bay Area, learned to swing dance at UC Berkeley where she taught and facilitated the student led class on campus. She fell in love with swing because of its joyful and creative energy, which she likes to focus on when teaching. She believes that this quote by Frankie Manning, one of the founders of Lindy Hop, captures the beauty of this dance: ‘When you are dancing with your partner, for that two and a half minutes, you are in love with each other. You're corresponding with each other by the moves that you make. It's a love affair, between you and your partner and the music.’ https://www.breakawayswing.com/intermediate-shag-workshop daily 0.75 2024-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663538096323-FDQCFTXWIUSD7D0Q3E02/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-37+half+size.jpg Intermediate Shag Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/84250f68-cd35-4bfc-8d10-9647f351a5d6/332792811_717839926478529_8521077997990372135_n.jpg Intermediate Shag Workshop - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/70fe7b8d-11a8-433e-913b-1c9baeda266a/AlexPhelpsTeacherPhoto.jpg Intermediate Shag Workshop - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.breakawayswing.com/conversational-dancing-workshop daily 0.75 2024-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663538096323-FDQCFTXWIUSD7D0Q3E02/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-37+half+size.jpg Conversational Dancing Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/9e465e96-7566-4690-94bf-74482df85330/Screen%2BShot%2B2023-09-26%2Bat%2B4.37.04%2BPM.png Conversational Dancing Workshop - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/8b459976-4e2e-4f64-8a6d-bf2603c91658/Screen%2BShot%2B2023-09-26%2Bat%2B4.48.20%2BPM.png Conversational Dancing Workshop - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.breakawayswing.com/practice daily 0.75 2024-06-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663537282807-22XI0KS0N7NNUWMJKVGG/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-22.jpg Practice https://www.breakawayswing.com/breakaway-blues daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/cc0ae427-583c-4e04-8199-458b34ef8388/BreakawayBluesIdeas+%283%29.png Breakaway Blues - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.breakawayswing.com/max-helens-lindy-hop-and-charleston-workshop daily 0.75 2025-01-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663538096323-FDQCFTXWIUSD7D0Q3E02/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-37+half+size.jpg Max & Helen's Lindy Hop and Charleston Workshop https://www.breakawayswing.com/contact-copy daily 0.75 2025-02-07 https://www.breakawayswing.com/terms-brine daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://www.breakawayswing.com/privacy-brine daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://www.breakawayswing.com/switch-workshop-with-jason-hsu daily 0.75 2025-08-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663538096323-FDQCFTXWIUSD7D0Q3E02/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-37+half+size.jpg Switch Workshop with Jason Hsu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/0b24dac7-be33-4b1a-b764-2aecae0b6b51/jason.jpg Switch Workshop with Jason Hsu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/044a1e43-fa2c-4aa8-a91b-d11fdcc9891b/Calvin+Lu.jpg Switch Workshop with Jason Hsu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.breakawayswing.com/advancednewcomer-comp daily 0.75 2025-12-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1464050727560-DWN20CDN2BGPKYASULTQ/Screenshot_2.png Advanced/Newcomer Comp https://www.breakawayswing.com/april-2026-classes daily 0.75 2026-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/1663538096323-FDQCFTXWIUSD7D0Q3E02/Breakaway_Reopening_08042022-37+half+size.jpg April 2026 Classes https://www.breakawayswing.com/march-26th-2026-clint-bakers-golden-gate-swing-band daily 0.75 2026-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5734fede4c2f8570818945fa/fa333daf-b9ec-4923-b913-4c5a41b61420/cbggsb_fogcity.jpg March 26th, 2026 - 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