Our Teachers

Julie Brown (any/all pronouns) is a Boston-based blues dance teacher, DJ, choreographer, competitor, organizer, and enthusiastic student. She has been participating in blues dance since 2004 and has since gone on to teach blues dancing around the globe and won many national competitions.

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As a teacher, Julie aims to help students connect with and understand blues dance’s deep roots, find their own voice, and connect to themselves & others authentically, joyfully, and respectfully. Julie has taught blues dancing in Austin, Boston, San Francisco, Seoul, London, Chicago, Zurich, and many places in between. They are grateful to have won or placed in many solo & partnered blues competitions, including at bluesSHOUT!, Blues Muse, Mile High Blues, Steel City Blues, Northstar Blues, and more.

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During the past year, Julie has been reconnecting to their love of solo blues dancing, continuing to work on Chicago-style Stepping, leading blues, & headstands, as well as continuing to learn about blues history and its connections to later and present-day Black social dances & music.

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For dance videos, pictures, and more info, check out https://dancewithjulie.wordpress.com.

Alfredo has been teaching partner dancing for over two decades.  He has taught workshops, performed and competed (and often won) at multiple dance events, and developed teacher training programs all over the world.

His approach to the dance experience is centered around the conversational aspect of partnering and he is excited to be a part of Montreal Bagel and Blues again.

Dan is immersed in the music and the movement. As a teacher, his enthusiastic approach brings a focus on innovation, connection, and attention to your partner. As a veteran DJ, he's played for events across 4 continents, DJing everything from international events to local dances. He’s also organized both locally and for international events, including a Head DJ role in BluesSHOUT! and The Balboa/Blues Experiment. In the end, Dan is most excited to work hard at improving the dance and to see people break through their boundaries.

Katrina Rogers is an International Blues Dance Instructor with a strong musicality and quality of movement who has been helping students find their groove for over 8 years.. She flows with a sense of grace and playfulness. Music and dancing are food for Katrina’s soul. She feels the music on a very deep level and her body simply responds. Dancing has always been and will continue to be a place for Katrina to explore and express who she is, and she encourages everyone to do the same.

Katrina has been instructing various forms of movement; from personal fitness to track and field to dancing for over 17 years. While she is a technician; she wants her students to find how they can come alive through dancing. To learn how to make each movement their own and groove with confidence.

Kenneth Shipp hails from St. Louis, MO as an instructor who grew up dancing hip-hop and DJing breaking comps before jumping into blues. He has spent the past few years passionately studying the family of blues idioms, incorporating his nerdy personality along the way. Kenneth’s life experiences inform his dancing and teaching style so that students walk away with a better historical and contextual understanding. With every class and practice, he'll encourage you to approach social dancing with coolness, relaxation, or in other words “Chill The F$%& Out.” When he’s not dancing, you can likely find him ranting about the latest blockbuster movie, game, or nerd convention, or desperately trying to dismantle toxic institutions.

Mike strives to create a learning environment that is fun, challenging, and inclusive. The goal is for each individual student to find their next step forward and enjoy that process of growth. Mike loves seeing students’ eyes light up when they understand a concept or feel a movement work naturally in their body for the first time.

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Mike has taught dance in 21 countries and counting. He currently teaches Lindy Hop, Air Steps, Solo Jazz, and many different Blues styles.

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Mike loves teaching private lessons and wants to teach YOU. Private lessons are great for individually tailored learning and physically feeling movements. If you don’t know what to work on, no problem. Mike enjoys figuring out the best way to help you get to your next level of dancing.

Currently living the nomadic life, Jamica Zion (They/She) takes pride in being a groovy solo dancer, a dynamic follow, and growing lead. Jamica aims for range, not just in connection and style, but across genres too! Since starting Jazz and Blues dances 15 years ago, she’s collected multiple titles from contests across top US events including Lindy Focus, Camp Jitterbug, Beantown, and Camp Hollywood. As a solo artist, Jamica has prioritized performance over contests so instead of a collection of solo wins, she has a diverse and abundant performance portfolio (check some out on YouTube)! When Jamica is not social dancing, teaching, or working on choreography, she is likely spending time with her dog, reading, playing games, napping, or relaxing with loved ones. 

Jamica's approach towards sharing dance with others includes a critical understanding and appreciation of its history and culture, while simultaneously ushering students to build their own styles and meaningful connections to it. Jamica draws on their professional training from various social justice organizations and a long educational background which includes nearly three degrees in Sociology. This unique blend of experiences, teacher training, and knowledge allows Jamica to deliver inclusive and culturally responsible classes that are creative, thought provoking, and original