Instructor Line-up
Whistle Stop offers unique lessons from some of the best dancers around!
Peter Flahiff & Lauren Smith
Peter and Lauren are two dynamic swing dance instructors with over forty years of teaching experience between them in the great classic dances of the Swing Era. Peter Flahiff began swing dancing in 1993 and started teaching just one year later. Today, Peter counts some of the world’s top dancers and instructors as his own former students. Lauren Smith has been dancing throughout her life, and started swing dancing in 2007. Lauren regularly competes as both a lead and a follow, and has won and placed in a number of dance competitions.
Caleb Teicher
Caleb Teicher is a New York City-based dancer, choreographer, and director regarded widely in the performing arts as a leading voice in interdisciplinary collaboration. They’re a regular on the international Lindy Hop/Vernacular Jazz circuit as a judge (at ILHC), teacher (at Paris Jazz Roots, AJW Korea, ILHC, and many others), and competitor (1st place in Invitational Solo Jazz 2023). This year, we’re thrilled to have Caleb teaching our Solo Jazz track at Whistle Stop 2024!
Jamica Zion
Jamica Zion takes pride in being a groovy solo dancer, a dynamic follow, and growing lead. 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. She has a diverse and abundant performance portfolio (check some out on YouTube)! 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.
Jeron Tuell
Jeron has loved dancing since he was a kid, from dancing hip hop or just dancing around the house he could not stop dancing. Since starting swing dancing in college in 2017, he has always wanted to spread his love for dance by teaching and attending social dances. He loves to teach Collegiate Shag, Balboa, and Lindy hop and he wants to give people the room to explore their creativity and make dancing more welcoming for everyone in and outside of the classroom.
Ursula Hicks
Ursula Hicks began her dance training over 20 years ago in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and later Modern and Contemporary dance. Ursula brings such musicality and enthusiasm to the dance floor, it's no wonder that she has placed in multiple Lindy Hop competitions including the International Lindy Hop Championships and LindyFest. She has also taught throughout Europe, sharing her love of Vernacular Jazz dances. Ursula has also been on the board of directors for The Fort Worth Swing Dance Syndicate, and served as President of The Dallas Swing Dance Society.
Shelby Johnson
Shelby is a dance instructor, DJ and lecturer based in Columbus, Ohio. Over the years, Shelby has developed a wealth of knowledge not just of lindy hop and jazz dance steps, but connected the dots between the cultural customs and traditions of these and other dances to those of current Black dances and spaces. Shelby isn’t just a keeper of classic steps and choreographies, but also of stories of how these jazz dances came to be and how they evolved over time, along with the music and events that shaped them. From 2021-2023 Shelby became a board member for Collective Voices for Change, an international organization founded to address the issues of racial inequalities and cultural appropriation in the Jazz dance community in Europe and around the world.
Meet the Band
Live Music Friday and Saturday will keep you dancing all night long!
The Corner Pocket Jazz Band
Led by Jon Tigert, of Baltimore, MD, the band is dedicated to celebrating the swinging sounds of the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
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Jon Tigert is also world recognized Swing Dancer and musician. Swing Dancing since 2005, Jon has made a home in the swing community as a teacher, an MC, a performer, an organizer, and a musician. Jon now lives in Baltimore where he teaches at the Mobtown Ballroom and sings and plays drums with The Corner Pocket Jazz Band.