Instructors
Brandon Barker
Brandon is a dance performer, teacher, and choreographer. Although he predominantly teaches Lindy Hop, he is actively taking classes and going to socials for Hip Hop, House dance, and Chicago footwork. He began dancing at 3 years old at the Dance Theatre of Harlem doing Ballet, and progressed those skills through his time in his middle school, Ballet Tech, where he also learned modern dance and repertoire. In high school Brandon danced within the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre High School Division, and expanded his movement knowledge with styles such as West African, Horton, Graham, and Hip Hop. During this time he discovered Lindy Hop outside his dance program through a family friend, Clyde Wilder, and was later under the mentorship of Samuel Coleman. This became his favorite style of dance, as he found a certain freedom of expression that was mostly unattainable through his Ballet classes. Brandon continued his Dance studies to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance at UMASS Amherst, where he worked to add more contextualization to his Lindy Hop movement, and participated in several annual Lindy Hop events. He also received a degree for public policy in the arts, as well as a certificate in Arts Management. He now does public policy work pertaining to the arts, as well as teaching and performing Lindy Hop in New York City where he resides.
Nathan Bugh
Nathan Bugh is one of the world's leading exponents of Lindy Hop and jazz dance. His on-stage appearances include: Carnegie Hall (Swing Swing Swing w/ New York Pops), The Apollo Theater (Swingin’ Frankie’s Way), and Jacob’s Pillow (Earthbeat!, More Forever, SW!NG OUT). Active in the Lindy Hop scene since the 1990's, he has earned numerous first-place titles in Solo Jazz, Lindy Hop, Team, Invitational, Slow Dance, and Mix/Match divisions at events like ILHC (International Lindy Hop Championships), ULHS, and ALHC. He was also the choreographer of the 2015 ILHC winning team, "Yeah Man.” In 2016, he joined Caleb Teicher for "Meet Ella," an acclaimed duet incorporating Lindy Hop with other jazz/theater styles. Their subsequent work eventually lead to "SW!NG OUT," the greatest Lindy Hop proscenium show of a generation. Nathan is a veteran social-dance teacher who has learned directly from swing-era luminaries, Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Dawn Hampton, and many others. He is excited to celebrate their incites and achievements, and to share his own experience and passion with the communities in/around NYC.
Samuel Coleman
Samuel Coleman is a multi-disciplinary dance educator/performing artist who has taught and facilitated for many prestigious institutions including: Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazzmobile, The Ailey School, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Yale University, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Hunter College, Harlem One Stop, Minton’s Playhouse, Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, Ginny’s Supper Club, Swing 46, Harlem Stage, The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Midsummer Night Swing, New York City Department of Education, 92nd Street Y and Harlem School of the Arts. Samuel received his first crew credit listing in a feature film as the choreographer for Sundance released “PASSING” directed by Rebecca Hall starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga. Samuel Coleman is the founder and director of Sammy Swings and The Harlem Strutters, and proud to be a Frankie Manning and Norma Miller Ambassador.
Gaby Cook
Gaby Cook is an esteemed, active professional in the global lindy hop community. For 20 years, she has established her career performing and teaching for major swing dance festivals worldwide — including Stompology, Swing Out New Hampshire, Camp Hollywood, Beantown, Herräng Dance Camp, Lindy on the Rocks, Paris Jazz Roots and Lindy Focus. On stage, she is a principal dancer for the acclaimed "SW!NG OUT", which premiered at the Joyce theater (2021) and tours regularly. Other stage credits include: “Macy’s Day Parade Live Broadcast” for Nickelodeon’s Blues Clues (2022), "Swing's the Thing" with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (2023), “Decades of Dance” at the BET Soultrain Awards (2021), “Don’t Mean a Thing” with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center (2021) and many appearances in film and TV. She regularly advocates for lindy hop in industry dance communities and is consistently "on-call" with university dance programs (past: Julliard, Marymount, NYU, Columbia). In New York, Gaby curates and teaches several swing dance programs, including Midtown Swing with AJ Howard. In class, she is playful, informative and honest. She prioritizes equality for followers and leaders in the classroom space — and has championed a movement first approach to teaching partnered dance content. Online at @gaby_cook
Candice Franklin
Candice Michelle Franklin, born and bred in live jazz music and jazz dance, is a New York-based professional dancer, choreographer, and producer as well as Artistic Director for the live music and dance production group, JAZZ AIN’T DEAD®. She received her conservatory training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and has continued her dance studies with the Ballroom Dance Teachers College of New Mexico. She is currently a certification candidate in Katherine Dunham technique. Miss Franklin’s choreography has been presented by such presenters as Jazzmobile, Harlem Arts Festival and Joyce SoHo and has been performed in a host of New York venues including Jacob Javitz Convention Center, The Syracuse OnCenter, MTV/Viacom, Symphony Space, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAM Cafe, Webster Hall, The Theater of Riverside Church, John Jay College, and New York’s City College, as well as several casinos including Turning Stone, the Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Tropicana, Borgata, and Caesar’s. She has also choreographed for internationally celebrated Bollywood Hip hop recording artist, SHAKTI, and Grammy award- winning recording artist, MACY GRAY. Currently, Miss Franklin serves as choreographer for recording artist, ART AURÉ, tours as a Master Teacher/Adjudicator for Joffrey Ballet School and teaches throughout the US and abroad.
Elena Iannucci
Elena Iannucci is a teacher, coach and choreographer. Elena specializes in Swing/Lindy Hop but has also performed and taught the basics of all forms of social ballroom dance for 30 years. For eight years she was well known as a performer with The Big Apple Lindy Hoppers (BALH), the performance arm of the New York Swing Dance Society. At the time it was under the direction of Tony-award winner, Mr. Frankie Manning. Frankie, her mentor, was a Lindy Hop legend and one of the original innovators of the dance! As a performer with BALH, Elena performed at local events and jazz festivals as well as special extravaganzas such as the Smithsonian's Tribute to the Swing Era, Lincoln Center's Midsummer's Nights Swing, Merv Griffin's Resorts Hotel, New York City's First Night, Frankie Manning's 80th Birthday Gala NYC, and the Museum of New York's tribute to Frankie Manning. She counts among her credits: choreographer of the winning Lindy Hop team at ASDC '95 and coach of the Lindy Hop Division winners at ASDC '98. Elena opened Dance Manhattan Studios in 1992. It served the NY dance community for over two decades. The studio became a foundational facility for Swing/Lindy Hop. Although Elena found performing and the spotlight sweet, her true love and passion is for the playfulness, freedom and spontaneity of the social dance floor. She takes pride and joy in scanning an event and seeing the many generations of dancers who have started in her classes. She continues to spread the love of dance and looks forward to helping create many more generations of dance enthusiasts! You can currently still find her running her popular Tuesday night Swing classes, as well as a monthly Beginner's Swing Crash course, at NYC's You Should Be Dancing..!! studios.
Breonna Jordan
Some of Breonna’s fondest childhood memories are dancing in the kitchen with her siblings to top 40 radio while dinner was being prepared. Cooking, cleaning, roadtrips - music and dance were a part of everyday life. But it wasn’t until Breonna moved to New Orleans, where she experienced her first taste of live traditional jazz music, that she realized her affinity for the living art form of jazz dance. She has performed and immersed herself in Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz through numerous festivals and workshops across the globe. As an emerging New Orleans-based dance instructor, she values the connections between music, history, and authentic self-expression through movement. Recently, Breonna demonstrated her dance skills in Ryan Coogler's movie Sinners, notably in one of the film's most acclaimed and memorable scenes.
Akemi Kinukawa
Akemi Kinukawa is dedicated to preserving and sharing the spirit of Lindy Hop, a dance pioneered by Harlem's Black-American community in the 1930s. Her work, from original dance pieces to dance theater, educates on its history and promotes its legacy of inclusivity. Lindy Hop transformed her life as an immigrant with no dance experience and limited language skills. Through the dance, she discovered a powerful means of self expression and a sense of community. Now, she honors this dance and its history by sharing her experiences. Akemi founded Project Connect, a dance company bringing interactive Lindy Hop theater to underserved communities. She is a Senior Teaching Artist of Dancing Classrooms, cultivating life skills through social dancing in NYC public schools, and teaches adults at You Should Be Dancing...! Studios. She also performs with Harvest Moon Hoppers, honoring the 1930s Black American New York Lindy Hop pioneers.
Franck Muhel
Franck Muhel's performances are renowned for their dynamic creative energy that inspires and electrifies audiences all over the world. As principal dancer with Eddie Torres, the Mambo King, and featured soloist, Franck has performed and choreographed with internationally acclaimed orchestras: The Mambo Legends Orchestra, Eddie Torres Mambo Kings Orchestra, Mitch Frohman Latin Jazz Quartet, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Eddie Montalvo Band, Bobby Sanabria and more.
Performed on stage at New York’s major venues including, National Museum Of American History Behring Center Smithsonian, Lincoln Center, Summer Stage, The Apollo Theater, Manhattan Center, Madison Square Garden, Lehman Performing Arts Center… He was a featured dancer in the Warner Bros Film. “In The Heights” Released in 2021.
Reyna Nunez
2023 Frankie Manning Foundation Fellow, Reyna Núñez, grew up immersed in the rich arts and culture tapestry of New York City. Truly one of a kind, her unique physical expression of art is representative of her diverse upbringing. Núñez is a dancer, choreographer, educator and visionary. Her repertoire includes Vernacular Jazz, Lindy Hop, House, Voguing, Hip-Hop & Tap. Her expansive training led to work with artists such as Louie Vega, Janet Jackson and more. Núñez was featured in the film 'In The Heights' as well as international campaigns such as Aldo: Step Into Love, Deepak Chopra for Amazon Audible, and Adidas: Women's History Month. Wearing a multitude of hats, Núñez also serves as the Rehearsal Director for The Jazz Continuum presented by LaTasha Barnes. She continues to expand her artistry as a Choreographer and Associate Director of Ladies of Hip-Hop with Michele Byrd. As well as the Rehearsal Director for the Ladies Dance Collective. Núñez can be found gettin' down anywhere between the club to the stage, preserving culture and holding space at the intersection of spirituality and vernacular movement of the afro diaspora.
Rafal Pustelny
Rafal Pustelny is a vibrant young dancer and instructor who is passionate about traditional dances from all around the world! Rafal moved to NYC in 2010 and there studied American Jazz dance forms, including Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Balboa. He quickly established himself as one of the top dancers in NYC, and has since earned acclaim in the international swing dance community.
Rafal’s expertise and passion for dance shine in the classroom; he uses his technical prowess, upbeat sense of humor, and innate ability to connect with people to distill high-level content into accessible pieces that elevate multiple aspects of his students’ dancing.
A Frankie Manning Foundation Ambassador, he teaches and performs locally with You Should Be Dancing...! Dance Center. You can also find him at international events where he works with dance communities across the globe.
Sara Sofia Rentas
Sara-Sofia Rentas (she/her) discovered swing dancing in Orlando, Florida in 2015 and quickly immersed herself in the community. Limited access to Balboa instruction early in her dance journey led her to develop her style and understanding of the dance on the social floor, ultimately shaping her approach to experimentation and teaching. In her classes, you’ll find a blend of excitement for technique, comfy partnership, and playful improvisation, honoring the greatness of swing music and each student’s personal expression. She now internationally teaches, competes, judges, and shares her love of Balboa wherever jazz is playing, but you can find her locally in NYC at You Should Be Dancing...! Studios.
Adrienne Weidert
Cross-pollinating careers as a professional conservatory dancer, Adrienne is a ballerina gone Jitterbug with all the class of Hollywood's Golden Era. She is an International Champion & Professional Swing Dancer specializing in Lindy Hop, Charleston, Solo Vernacular Jazz and tap who has danced and performed on stages & screens from coast to coast. Adrienne has been a featured dancer in film and television as well as music videos in both NYC & Los Angeles, CA. She holds 1st Place National Jitterbug Championship Titles, US Open Swing Dance Championship Lindy Hop Showcase Title, as well as International Lindy Hop Championship Titles.
Hailing from Southern California, Adrienne is a NYC transplant, who made her theater debut with The Public Theater's production of “The Comedy of Errors” (directed by Daniel Sullivan) at the Delacorte Theater with Shakespeare in the Park. Adrienne has since enjoyed dancing regionally with Merry-Go-Round-Playhouse, and Arrow Rock's Lyceum Theater as a Ziegfeld Follies Girl in "Will Rogers Follies."
Her other NYC performing credits include dancing live at Carnegie Hall, performing & teaching onstage at Lincoln Center's "Midsummer Night Swing" (now Swing in the City), entertaining USO-style shows on the historic aircraft carrier The Intrepid, and floating around the rotating dance floor of New York's iconic Rainbow Room, B.B. Kings Blues Club, and Swing 46 Supper Club.
Adrienne co-founded her own creative project & dance company, The Bathtub Ginnys - NYC's prohibition era chorus girls specializing in Charleston, Vernacular Solo Jazz, Tap, Cabaret, and Musical Theater.
Additionally, she performs for the Governor’s Island Jazz Age Lawn Party as a company member with the Canarsie Wobblers - a Brooklyn-based group who recreates historic vernacular dances. Adrienne teaches and performs locally with You Should Be Dancing...! Dance Center.
Bobby White
Bobby teaches traditional swing dances around the world, and holds championship titles and placements in Balboa, Lindy Hop, and Solo Jazz. With each, Bobby strives to innovate and create a new voice, while still capturing the spirit of the original dancers. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. He is the co-director of the Lindy Hop performance group the Harvest Moon Hoppers, which specialize in dancing in the performance style of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. He is the author of the popular swing dance blog Swungover*, and the book "Practice Swing." As a dancer, he is widely recognized for his floppy hair, and as a teacher, by his sound effects.