Albany's Smorgasbord of Swing

Smorgasbord of Swing is back this year to serve you up a delicious serving of Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues and more. The buffet is open to everyone and trust us this is one event which you don't want to miss.

Instructor Line Up

Jojo Jackson
(Ithaca, NY)

Jojo Jackson is a world-renowned Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Blues dance instructor. Hailing from Ithaca, NY, she has taught, competed, judged, and performed vintage jazz dances since 1998. She is an American Lindy Hop champion, an Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown champion, and has performed with teams such as Minnie's Moochers and Mad Dog.

Jojo is known for her high-intensity, highly creative solo Jazz and Lindy Hop classes as well as her expressive style of Slow Drag, Ballrooming, and solo Blues. She is one of the few female instructors who is consistently hired to teach workshops throughout the United States and the world without a standing partnership-- a trait that has enabled her to partner with, at various times, over thirty of today’s finest Lindy Hop virtuosos. Above all, Jojo loves to dance, to create, and to empower others to do the same.

For private lessons, workshop bookings and other info, please contact: info@jojojackson.com

Michael Gamble & Jaya Dorf
(Asheville, NC)

Michael and Jaya have been teaching Lindy Hop professionally for just over 6 years, and have taught in over 25 US cities. They have also played their part in building the popularity of the dance, organizing such annual events as Southern Belle Swing Bash, Sugar Foot Stomp, Enter the Blues, and seven years of Lindy Focus. Recently they made a move to expand even further the reach of Lindy Hop by taking over www.iDance.net, a dance instruction website.

Michael and Jaya emphasize technique, control, and training drills to convey the fundamentals of the dance, and use rhythms, riffs, and other musical devices to explore the artistic side. Michael's formal background in jazz piano and extensive Lindy Hop DJ experience ensure that musicality is always a top priority. Together, Michael and Jaya try to make every class a suprising and memorable experience.

Michael and Jaya are available for private lessons.

Noelle Gray
(New Haven, CT)

With a diverse and professional dance background spanning 23 years, Noëlle Gray is Connecticut's most prominent Lindy Hop and Blues Dance instructor. In addition to teaching for Connecticut Swing Dance Society Noëlle has also taught Lindy Hop, Blues and Styling in London, England and throughout the Northeast at dance camps and workshops weekends such as Goodnight Sweetheart in England (GNSH), Swing Out New Hampshire, Junebug Jam, the Albany Lindy Smorgasbord and the Gargleblaster Blues workshops in Connecticut and Boston. Noëlle has also partnered with Bill Borgida in Lindy Hop and Blues workshops locally and abroad. Known for her solid technique, her graceful styling and great sense of humor, she is an increasingly sought-after instructor in the US and abroad

Alain Fragman & Sylwia Bielec
(Montreal, CA)

Alain Fragman started dancing in 2000 at Arthur Murray Dance School and about a year later, he was introduced to the wonderful world of Swing. He began teaching in 2003 and his love and passion for lindy hop is only surpassed by his affection to the swing community and his well-known friendliness among new swing dancers. A talented and very musical dancer and teacher, Alain believes that when people let go and really listen to the music and feel it, that is when they are truly dancing.

Sylwia is from Montreal and has been a regular fixture on local teaching, social and competitive circuits for many years. She was drawn to lindy hop in 2000 when the Montreal swing scene was just discovering the dance. Today, Sylwia brings to lindy hop not only her love of partner dance but also her belief that each of us has primal internal rhythms and a biological impetus to move, baby! Recognized by her peers as a charismatic, sensitive and versatile follow, Sylwia is an articulate and highly skilled teacher who understands and works with individual learning styles.

Among competition credits, Sylwia and Alaincounts several first, second and third places at national competitions in couple and team divisions. She is a member of the Northern Lights and teaches at Cat's Corner in Montreal, Canada.

Shawn Hershey & Amanda Gruhl
(Boston, MA)

Shawn Hershey came from an extensive music background and Amanda Gruhl came from an extensive dance background, but both started lindy hopping in the late 1990s with the Lindybaby studio and got hooked! They studied extensively at camps and workshops with national instructors and started teaching in Boston around 2002 with various partners. Amanda began teaching and judging blues dance at national events with Ogden Sawyer, and Shawn began teaching and performing lindy hop internationally with his sister, Betina Hershey. Shawn and Amanda started teaching together at the It's All Swing! studio in Boston in 2005, and have since taught lindy hop and blues together at the Boston Gargle Blaster Blues Workshops, From Montreal With Love,Swing Into Spring in CT, and the Blues Blast Workshop Weekend in central PA. Their style of blending lindy hop, ballroom, blues, and Argentine tango into their dancing is both beautiful and powerful, and earns them praise wherever they go, most recently at the Emerald City Blues Festival, where they took 2nd place in the Strictly Competition

Marc-Andre Vachon & Tara Wienstein
(Providence, RI)

Marc-Andre started swing dancing in Montreal in 2003 under the instruction of Zack and Maryse, and has embraced the crazy attitude of Montreal swing dancers, although he has been in Providence since 2004. After rigorous study with many instructors to hone his skills, MA forgot everything he was taught and as a result has developed a creative and highly energetic style all his own. Tara, who is originally from Montreal but grew up in Toronto, started dancing in Providence in 2005 after having taken ballet for years as a child. She quickly became addicted and has been dancing around the country ever since. Marc-Andre and Tara started teaching together in 2006, and have since taught at Boston Tea Party, Beantown Camp, New Year's Dancin' Eve, and Swingin' New England, as well as several other workshop weekends on the East Coast and numerous weekly series at Providence Swings. Marc-Andre brings innovation and energy to their partnership, and Tara brings clarity and the ability to translate and articulate for Marc-Andre. :)

For private lessons, workshop bookings and other info, please contact:

Marc-Andre: www.stepetteswing.com
Tara: www.taraweinstein.com

Chester & Linda Freemen
(Hudson Valley, NY)

Chester and Linda Freemanhave taught in Europe, on Martha's Vineyard, on cruises and at Saratoga's famous Dance Flurry Festival, but their home base is the Hudson Valley where they run swing danceworkshops, group classes and monthly dances.

Chester is a member and assistant director of the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers performance troupe and winner of a silver medal at the Canadian Lindy Hop Championships. Linda helped edit the original manuscript for Frankie Manning's autobiography, "The Ambassador of Lindy Hop." They are the directors of the Hudson Valley Swing Kids.

Band Line Up

Peter Davis and Reggie's Red Hot Feetwarmers

Gordon Webster and vocalist Brianna Thomas

Check out the Music Section for more information