Instructors

Naomi Uyama

Naomi Uyama discovered lindy hop in her hometown of Washington DC during the late nineties. Over the past decade she has taught workshops all around the world and performed for dance and music legends alike. She has won the champion title at such prestigious competitions as the ALHC, the ULHS, and the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships.

Peter Strom

Since his start in 1998 Peter has taught at dance camps from Australia to South Korea to Herrang, Sweden. In addition to teaching he brings with him his skills as a sought after DJ and experienced Master of Ceremonies. He is currently a member of the renowned team the Silver Shadows and the founder of Uptown Swing in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Christian Frommelt

Christian Frommelt, a St. Louis native, is a world-renowned swing dance instructor, performer, and social dancer. In addition to being an accomplished lindy hop, charleston, and solo jazz dancer, Christian is one of the world’s foremost aficionados of St. Louis Shag, which he learned from original St. Louis Shag dancers John Bedrosian, the late Tommy Russo, and Lorraine Byrnes, who also belong to a unique local jitterbug tradition. While Christian possesses a historical perspective in his dancing and teaching, he embraces the importance of individual style and creativity above all else. Some of Christian’s proudest accomplishments include winning the 2014 Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in New Orleans, Louisiana and placing 3rd in the 2014 Lindy Hop World Cup at Rock That Swing in Munich, Germany, both with partner Jenny Shirar. Christian’s versatile talents have carried him to places such as Vienna, Austria, London, and Sidney, Australia, in addition to countless corners of the United States. His passions remain in St. Louis, where he enjoys social dancing, teaching lessons, and relishing the city’s rich live music offerings; co-organizing events such as Lindy Hop St. Louis’ Nevermore Jazz Ball & St. Louis Swing Dance Festival; and performing in a variety settings such as the Beggar’s Carnivale, and self-produced shows at the St. Louis Fringe Festival.

Jenny Shirar

Since being introduced to Lindy Hop in 2008, Jenny Shirar has quickly become known as a dynamic dancer, teacher, competitor, and performer. She embodies a distinctive, high-energy style that favors audacity and individuality over perfection. Ever proud of her hometown roots in St. Louis, Missouri, Jenny also specializes in St. Louis Shag and the regional dialect of swing that developed in St. Louis between the 1930s-present. She has been privileged to learn from and dance with some of the great St. Louis Shag and Swing dancers of eras prior and as one of the only followers in the world to have had this training, she enjoys sharing this unique perspective with students from all over. Jenny has had numerous competition successes, including first place wins at Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Midwest Lindy Fest, Hawkeye Swing Festival, and third place wins in the ILHC Showcase competition and the Lindy Hop World Cup at Rock That Swing Festival. As a teacher, she adopts a people-first approach and gets most excited about seeing dancers discover and explore their own way of moving.
Jenny partners with Christian Frommelt, also of St. Louis, MO, and in addition to traveling, teaching, and competing throughout the world, they have devoted a great deal of energy to building their local hometown scene. They are also the proud co-founders and directors of the Nevermore Jazz Ball & St. Louis Swing Dance Festival.

Nicole Zuckerman

Nicole’s first foray into Lindy Hop occurred in 2003, and she immediately threw caution and all other hobbies out the window to chase swing outs relentlessly. Since then, she’s developed her unique style, and an unmistakeable sense of fun and whimsy in her dancing. She's also won numerous competitions across the US for lindy hop, solo jazz, and balboa.

As an instructor, Nicole keenly articulates connection, rhythm, and creativity in an accessible way, with enthusiasm and the occasional sound effect. She’s currently the education coordinator at The 9:20 Special and a teacher of lindy hop and vernacular jazz in San Francisco. Nicole can also be found re-visiting her own extensive training in tap and ballet in the bay area, and availing herself of classes in Voguing, Hip Hop, and Street Jazz.

Carl Nelson

Carl has been dancing since 2001, he was swinging out so hard he got kicked out of an acapella group. His style focuses on strong partnering and rhythm rooted in exemplary basics. He has won numerous competitions at many of the largest events in the U.S. for lindy hop, solo jazz, and balboa.
As an instructor, Carl encourages students to find their own path through the dance, emphasizing collaborative workshops and focused exercises in his classes. Carl currently teaches in San Francisco.