Your Teachers

Every hero needs a mentor... so begin your journey with Swing Dynamite's Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing experts! We have a lot of truly amazing instructors for this workshop: not only do we have both a Lindy Hop and a West Coast Swing track running simultaneously, but we'll have MORE than two teachers for each class! We'll have up to four instructors in each class so that can give you maximum attention as you learn. Need some extra help during the class? We'll have teachers on hand who can help you!

Dave Ward — Dave's dancing and teaching are the perfect synthesis of fun and perfectionism. Known for his friendly smile and easy-going attitude, his talent and determination have taken him far in just four years of dancing! He's won awards in both WCS and Lindy Hop at the Canadian Swing Championships, the Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships, Swing Niagara, Swinging New England, MADJam, and Ottawa's own Swing Explosion Jitterbug Contest. An extremely versatile dancer, Dave has been a member of almost all of the Swing Dynamite teams: TNTeam, the D-Boyz, the Rhythm Blasters, and the Westie Bombers!
Sari Zelenietz — In Swing Dynamite, Sari is known for her ability to make things happen, whether it's teaching, performing, or coaching. She's a senior member of the Dynamite Girls, an assistant coach for the acrobatic Lindy Hop team TNTeam, and a founding member of the Westie Bombers, which makes her one of Ottawa's most versatile dancers. Her friendly attitude makes her fun to learn from, and her analytical eye and ability to break things down really help demystify the dance experience! Ironically, Sari didn't enjoy her first dance experiences: as a kid she hated ballet so much she'd hide when it was time for lessons (although she says she really liked the outfit!) She's since discovered a love of swing dancing, including Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Balboa and Charleston!
Alec Mills — In September 2002, Alec tentatively handed $10 for a membership to the Queen's Swing Club. The club rep said "It's the best $10 you'll ever spend." More than 7 years later, Alec has now logged over 2000 hours dancing, teaching and loving swing with no end in sight. Having taught and trained teachers at both McGill and Queen's Universities, he is known for inspiring dancers of all levels to feel and express music in new and exciting ways. He's also the only dancer to have been on teams with three of Canada's top dance schools, namely Swing Dynamite, the Swinging Air Force, and Swing Connexion. With a number of competition awards including several from the Canadian Swing Championships, Alec has been a member of teams doing Lindy Hop, Balboa and West Coast Swing, and he's won awards doing all three dances! In the little time he spends outside of swing, he makes a living watching you with satellites.
Laura Smith — A recent import from Kingston, Laura already had quite a bit of swing teaching experience even before joining Swing Dynamite! She was Dance Instruction Co-ordinator for the Queen's Swing Club in 2007-2008, where she developed the overall teaching strategy for the club that year, including training and evaluating new teachers. In addition to her strong teaching background, Laura's showcased her dancing ability in a number of contests, including taking first place at Ottawa's Swing Explosion Jitterbug Contest in 2009.
Scott Piffard — Scott loves trying new things, and he's gone from learning Lindy Hop to Shag to West Coast Swing to Hustle over the last few years. He loves sharing his swing obsession with everyone from university students to his own mother. Not only is he a lot of fun, with a chill yet humourous teaching style, but he's also got the creds, with awards in Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing. He hopes it won't be long before he's bringing back some shiny Hustle plaques, too! In addition to having been a member of four Swing Dynamite teams, he's also an exec member of the growing Carleton Swing Club.
Gabrielle Desmarais — Although currently Swing Dynamite's youngest teacher, Gabrielle is one of our most senior dancers, with national awards in both Lindy Hop and Balboa. She won her first major competition award with the Dynamite Girls in 2007 at the Canadian Swing Championships, and ever since then she's been one of Ottawa's local stars! Gabrielle is also one of Ottawa's top Balboa dancers, having taken first place at the Canadian Swing Championships! Gabrielle's known for her friendly, easy-going teaching style, and she speaks English, French and Spanish--which is her minor at the University of Ottawa.

Now check out the schedule!

Want to know what you'll be learning from these awesome teachers? Check out the schedule!