Nothing brings Irina (she/her) more joy than sharing a dance and building community. Since discovering Lindy Hop at 15, she has been a lifelong lover of social dancing — a passion that grew to include Balboa, Collegiate Shag, Solo Jazz, and West Coast Swing. Raised in Southern California, she feels fortunate to have learned in a scene shaped by some of the world’s finest dancers, teachers, and musicians.

Irina’s dancing has since earned recognition at Camp Hollywood, the International Lindy Hop Championships, the California Balboa Classic, and All Balboa Weekend, and she is honored to be a member of both the Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame (2019) and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame (2022). She has also taught across the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Australia.

Just as meaningful is her work in Salt Lake City, where she co-leads Salt City Swing with her partner in both dance and life, Anthony Chen. Investing in her local scene — teaching, organizing, and creating space for others to connect — has been one of the most rewarding parts of her journey.

As a teacher, Irina strives to be patient, encouraging, and approachable. Her goal is to inspire students to value the foundations and culture of these dances while also celebrating individuality, expression, and confidence through movement.

Tzefira, a native Texan, has loved music since early childhood. She began playing piano and violin in 4th grade and switched to cello in 5th grade. She went on to play cello from elementary school, to present day. She holds a bachelors and masters in music eduction and is currently a PhD candidate, all but dissertation, in music education. In addition to her schooling, she carries 10 years of orchestra teaching experience in K-12 and higher education. She began her dancing journey in the summer of 2017 after a friend convinced her to attend Dallas’ weekly lindy hop social dance. She quickly fell in love with the dance and soon found new ways to express her musicianship. After the passing of her grandmother, who was a swing dancer, she felt a new found drive to stay connected to her lineage through dance. As an instructor she aims to foster a deeper understanding of music, musicality and expression while developing technique in her students.

Shawn Carter has been called a walking time machine. A purist in Hollywood Style Dean Collins Swing-outs, Collegiate Shag, and Balboa. This dancer has been personally critiqued from the greats: Hal Takier – a legendary swing and balboa master for over 75 years; George Christopherson; John Mills; Maxie Dorf; Willy Desitoff; and Bart Bartola to name a few. These influential dancers where part of Shawns core learning years.

When Collegiate Shag had a comeback in the 90’s,  Shawn Carter won the first Camp Hollywood contest for shag in 1998. The following year he took home 3rd place in the Lindy-Hop Strictly at Camp Hollywood and 2nd place in Shag. The list continues:  ALHC 1999 Lindy 3rd , Jitterbug Ball 2000 Shag 1st, BeBop 2000 Lindy 1st, CH 2000 ( all contests 1st ) lindy, shag, JnJ. ALHC 2000 Lindy 1st, CH 2002 Lindy 4th, Lemonfest 2003 Lindy 3rd, CH 2015 Shag 5th, CH 2015 Shag 4th, CH 2018 Shag 2nd, Plus the Original Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame 2007.

He has also been part of carrying swing dancing through history by showcasing his talents in film, some include: Steve Holy – Please don’t make me beg 1999 , Keeping up with the Kardashians mom’s 60th birthday party ( feature dancer ) season 11 Episode 13 - 2015, Master chef ( feature dancer and eater ) season 11 episode 14 - 2016, The Bachelorette featured dancer in swing dance date episode 2016, Sia – Cheap Thrills ( featured dancer ) 2016, Jive Aces – hot Rod Gang 2017, “Teachers” season 2 - ( TV show ) 2017

Today he spends his time spreading the dance through teaching. His most recent: Collegiate Shag and Hollywood style Lindy Hop at the LA Shag Festival.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sarah developed a love for the music and films of the 1930s and 40s at a very young age. Growing up watching films like A Day at the Races and Disney’s “All the Cats Join In” cartoon, she always dreamed of learning how to dance like the people she saw on the screen. In the early 2000s, she decided to make that dream a reality and quickly found herself madly in love with all things swing. As a dancer, Sarah values the playful collaborations and creative possibilities that emerge in a social dance, and loves to explore the ways in which developing one’s technique, connection, and body awareness can bolster confidence and individual expression. As an instructor, she hopes to help other dancers develop their sense of self-efficacy, confidence, and curiosity in the classroom and beyond.

Known by his friends as "Spinney," Jacob Spinney has been obsessed with swing dancing for well over a decade. Achieving titles such as National Jitterbug Champion, Arizona Swing Dance Champion, Arizona Balboa Champion, and California Balboa Classic Champion, Spinney’s love for swing dancing has helped him create a unique style focused on creativity and expressiveness. 

Co-Captain, Choreographer, Talent Developer, and Skills Coach for the Phoenix Swing Project which encompasses national award winning teams, Phoenix Bomb Squad, Phoenix Firecrackers, as well as the Sunny Side Stompers, Spinney enjoys sharing his love for swing dancing, doing slides, and being a goofball. He drinks a Roy Rogers, easy on the ice, extra cherries.