Alison Cockrill  began formal dance training at age 4, and a professional performing career in 1987. She has been teaching salsa since 1999. A founding member of the Century's performance troupe Swing This!, Alison's most recent projects have included performances with the Pat Graney Company, and with Choreographer Wade Madsen.
(Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha)

Darla Weideman  started dancing in 2004 right here at the Century Ballroom. Knowing from the beginning that dance was to become more than just a hobby, she began teaching and traveling for dance within a year. Having been a member of Seattle's Sister Kate and Jackson Street Lindy Hoppers, Darla's enthusiasm and approachability go with her to every dance she encounters, be it the Century Ballroom or the grocery store isle. She has taught at such places as Hep Cat Productions and Swing Out Northwest and has most recently placed in the 2006 Pacific Northwest Lindy Hop Championships and 2007 Northwest Balboa Fest.
(East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop)

Dean Paton  abandoned the baseball diamond for the dance hall in 1994, and fell so hopelessly in love with waltz that he founded the Valse Cafe Orchestra, an ensemble committed to the art of playing music for dancers. When he teaches rotary waltz, Dean stresses mastering the core of the dance - turning left, turning right, transitioning between the two -- then helps dancers use this foundation as a platform on which to build organic, graceful movement as well as a few elegant moves.
(Waltz)

Deron Hayes  was introduced to social dance at age 14 while living in Munich, Germany, and danced for about six months before moving back to the States. She then rediscovered her love for dance in college and hasn't looked back since. Deron has been an integral member of the Century Ballroom team since 2000, and has been teaching & performing Salsa as part of the Salsa Girls since 2003. Recently, she has discovered a new love: West Coast Swing, and has been entering competitions all along the West Coast. She made it to finals (Top 10) of the Novice Jack & Jill division (there were over 150 competitors!) at Boogie by the Bay in San Francisco (Sep 09), but tragically couldn't compete because her flight left before the competition (Bummer!). Since then, Deron has placed 1st in the Novice Jack & Jill at SeatoSky in Vancouver, BC (Oct 09), 1st in the Novice Jack & Jill at CDS in Chico, CA (Dec 09), 3rd in the Novice Jack & Jill and 1st in the Advanced Strictly Swing at WCDC in Bellevue, WA (Nov 09). She has now graduated from Novice to Intermediate and is looking forward to tackling more competitions in 2010. Besides dance, Deron's passions include martial arts, art (she is Century Ballroom's graphic designer), and being a part of people's social dance journey.
(Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha, West Coast Swing)

Greg Rolnick  's early performance career in dance extends from ballet in San Francisco to modern dance performances throughout the US and Europe. Since 1997 he has studied Tango and danced extensively throughout the US and in the Netherlands. Among his teachers are Fabian Salas, Luciana Valle, Gustavo Naveira and many others.
(Tango)

Hallie Kuperman  is the owner of the Century Ballroom and Restaurant in Seattle WA. She has been teaching Lindy Hop and Swing dancing since 1991 and Salsa dancing since 1997. She was the co-director for Swing This!, a Lindy Hop performance troupe at Century Ballroom. She continues to teach, choreograph and perform whenever possible. Prior to opening Century Ballroom she ran Swing Girls, an organization dedicated to teaching gay, lesbian and non-homophobic people partner dancing.
(Salsa, West Coast Swing)

Inga Ingenue  "The Little Blonde Bomb", infuses her bubbly personality with traditional bump 'n' grind, resulting in an adorable mix of sexy blonde ambition and innocent "ingenuity." Ooh la-la! Mlle. Ingenue was born and raised in Seattle, where beginning at age two she studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern dance and choreography for dance and theater. Since joining the Seattle burlesque community in 2005, Inga has become an international burlesque star and an instructor for Miss Indigo Blue's world-renowned Academy of Burlesque.
(Single Ladies Video, Michael Jackson Tribute)

Kenya Hart  's first serious experience with maintaining her balance in a defined slot came during elementary school when she placed in several gymnastics competitions following her performances on the balance beam. Years later she joined her family for a salsa class to prepare for a sister's wedding reception and hasn't stopped dancing since. In addition to salsa, Kenya enjoys West Coast Swing and other variants of Latin dance, and waits for the day when social dancing in the U.S. re-emerges as the medicine of choice for all that ails us.
(Salsa)

Lera Thompson  has been dancing Tango obsessively since 2002. She has studied with Fabian Salas, Cecilia Gonzalez, and Luciana Valle. She has co-taught all levels of classes with local tango teachers both in Seattle and in Vancouver, BC. She has also taken ballet and modern dance classes in University of Washington to enrich her Tango.
(Tango)

Lou Henry Hoover  is Ricki Mason, who made her Swing dance debut in the Century Ballroom's Swinging Radio Hour in Fall of 2005. Since then she has been teaching social dance for gay, lesbian, and non-homophobic people with Hallie Kuperman. Ricki also teaches beginning ballet at Velocity Dance Center, directs LAUNCH dance theater and The Launchettes, and performs as Lou Henry Hoover. She holds BFA in dance from the University of Michigan.
(Single Ladies Video, Michael Jackson Tribute)

Mark Kihara  has been enthusiastically dancing Swing since 1998. An avid social dancer, Mark has traveled and danced Lindy Hop in more than ten countries. Mark was a member of the 2002 1st place American Lindy Hop Championship team. Great energy is brought to every class he teaches, and he becomes most excited while getting people to share his love of the dance.
(East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop)

Susan Balshor  has been dancing since the age of four, and today enjoys the partner-dancing gamut from country western to Argentine tango. The waltz is a particular passion, and her focus is on the essentials, starting with how a dancer's foot hits the floor. Susan helps dancers grok the musicality of waltzing, and she's passionate about how this dance comes alive when partners discover how to connect with the music. One of her personal goals is to continually raise the level of waltzing in Seattle. Susan is a co-producer of the Valse Cafe Orchestra.
(Waltz)

Waxie Moon  is the alter ego of Marc Kenison, who began his formal dance training at the Interlochen Arts Academy and went on to receive his BFA from The Juilliard School. Marc danced professionally with the Jose Limon Dance Company (1991-1996) and Tere O'Connor Dance (1996-2001). In 2004, Marc received his MFA in Acting from the University of Washington and co-founded Seattle's Washington Ensemble Theatre, where he has both acted and directed. His original performance work has been seen at various venues throughout New York, Seattle and in Tokyo and Takamatsu, Japan. He lives to perform "boylesque" as Waxie Moon.
(Single Ladies Video, Michael Jackson Tribute)

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