Our Teachers

Vivant actuellement une vie nomade, Jamica Zion (Ils/Elle) est fière d'être une danseuse solo groovy, une suite dynamique et un leader grandissant. Jamica vise la diversité, non seulement en termes de connexion et de style, mais aussi à travers les genres ! Depuis qu’elle a commencé les danses Jazz et Blues il y a 15 ans, elle a collecté plusieurs titres lors de concours lors des principaux événements américains, notamment Lindy Focus, Camp Jitterbug, Beantown et Camp Hollywood. En tant qu'artiste solo, Jamica a donné la priorité à la performance plutôt qu'aux concours. Ainsi, au lieu d'une collection de victoires en solo, elle dispose d'un portefeuille de performances diversifié et abondant (consultez-en quelques-unes sur YouTube) ! Lorsque Jamica ne danse pas en société, n'enseigne pas ou ne travaille pas sur des chorégraphies, elle passe probablement du temps avec son chien, lit, joue à des jeux, fait une sieste ou se détend avec ses proches. 

L'approche de Jamica en matière de partage de la danse avec les autres comprend une compréhension et une appréciation critiques de son histoire et de sa culture, tout en incitant simultanément les étudiants à construire leurs propres styles et des liens significatifs avec celles-ci. Jamica s'appuie sur sa formation professionnelle auprès de diverses organisations de justice sociale et sur une longue formation qui comprend près de trois diplômes en sociologie. Ce mélange unique d'expériences, de formation des enseignants et de connaissances permet à Jamica de proposer des cours inclusifs et culturellement responsables, créatifs, stimulants et originaux.

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.

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.

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.

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.