Meet the Instructors for the Caribbean Cruise
We have gathered fantastic instructors from around the U.S. to provide classes in Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, Charleston, and Jazz Steps. Three tracks - beginning, intermediate, and advanced.
Steve Conrad
Instructor & dance cruise director
Phoenix, AZ
Steve has been teaching Lindy Hop for more than 26 years and has traveled around the world teaching. He was recently featured on ABC's "The Bachelorette", HGTV's "House Hunters", and NBC's "Little Big Shots: Forever Young". He began organizaing dance cruises in 1997 and teaching and dancing has been a huge part of his life. His first teacher and mentor was Frankie Manning and Steve produced the Arizona Swing Jam with Frankie for 14 years.
Camille Hartley
Wilmington, NC
Lindy Hop and Ukulele teacher
Camille is a great dancer and also an incredible musician and singer. She is part of the ukesdasies and the band Gin Fizz. She also competes in Lindy Hop competitions and loves to share her passion of dance and music with students. A school music teacher by day and a jazz singer by night, Camille is a great addition to the cruise and will teach the ukulele swing music track.
Paul Riding
Sacramento, CA
Paul has been dancing in SoCal since 2004 and is passionate about sharing the joy of dance through social dancing, teaching, live streaming, competing, and DJing. In 2020 he was awarded Inspiration Weekend’s “Inspiration Award,” Camp Hollywood’s “Golden Budgie” and in 2022 Camp Jitterbug’s “Spirit of Lindy Hop” award for his drive to nurture and help the dance community via live streaming, scene building, and volunteering. He recently moved to Sacramento, CA where he teaches lindy hop, balboa, and shag regularly at Midtown Stomp.
Jerry & Kathy Warwick
Dallas, TX
Dance teachers with years of experience in Blues, Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing. Jerry and Kathy have taught to rave reviews across the U.S. as featured instructors because of their entertaining style and strong emphasis on technique and fundamentals.
Ashley Perretta
Los Angeles, CA
In 2014, after nearly a decade as a professional dancer in musical theatre, Ashley moved to Los Angeles and began her swing dance career. Her teaching (and dancing) are centered around creating joyful gracious partnerships, letting the music inspire self-expression, and cultivating connected conversation. She is "ambi-danceterous" and holds international titles in Lindy Hop, Collegiate Shag, and Balboa (as a leader and follower)! She thrives on sharing the magic that swing dancing has brought to her life and strives to honor this Black American dance by fostering an equitable, inclusive community.
Terry and Cindy Gardner
Minneapolis, MN
Cindy has been teaching Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Charleston and Aerials for many years. She’s passionate about Lindy Hop because it’s so fun, creative and playful, and it’s great for social interaction and self-expression. Terry began teaching with Cindy in 1997 and they've made a great team ever since.
Laura Evans
Sacramento, CA
Laura was first introduced to partner dancing at nine years old by her stepmother, a professional ballroom dance instructor. She discovered lindy hop in college through the University of Redlands Ballroom Dance Club and fell in love with the dance almost instantly. She attended Phoenix Lindy Exchange as her first weekend event in 2016, and it launched her into an unquenchable passion for lindy hop. She has traveled and competed regularly since 2017, winning or placing at events such as Camp Hollywood, Inspiration Weekend, and Lindy on the Rocks. Outside of dancing, Laura is a professional classical violinist and music teacher, and her passion for music has shaped the way she dances. In both her social and competition dancing, she values creatively expressing the music and interacting playfully with her partner. Laura lives in southern California and teaches regularly at Lindygroove and other local dances. She loves to inspire her students and share the dance with anyone willing to try it.