Instructors

Jenn Martinez

Jenn has been learning partner dances since she was sixteen. She started with ballroom, and East Coast Swing. But when she saw Lindy Hop for the first time in 2001, she was immediately hooked. She adopted Frankie Manning’s approach to learning – out on the floor. She became known for her style, energy, and ability to bring out creativity from her dance partners. In 2004, she was introduced to Blues. Jenn’s connection skills and natural musicality enabled her to once again learn by doing, and she has been exploring its possibilities ever since.

Jenn and Gui Cavalcanti teamed up to start teaching Lindy Hop and Blues lessons at the MIT Lindy Hop Society in the summer of 2006. They became one of the most popular and well-respected teaching teams at MIT. The teaching style that developed is rooted in fundamental physical principles (both were trained as engineers), and classes tend to feel fun and experimental in nature; past lessons have included class-wide jam sessions, mock bar scenes and a live house band.

Jenn and Gui founded Blues Union in 2009 with the help of several dedicated dancers and instructors.

Ogden Sawyer

ogden1Ogden’s experience with movement began studying martial arts at age nine. In 1997, he walked into a swing dance and was hooked. Over the last 12 years, he has studied various swing dances, ballroom dancing, African dance, Argentine tango, lindy hop, and blues dancing, and has been teaching lindy hop, connection, and musicality classes in the Boston area for the past 7 years.

Ogden and his main partner, Amanda Gruhl, have been dancing, choreographing, and competing in blues dance since 2000, and teaching blues dance since 2002. Their style of modern blues combines historic blues dance with modern concepts of strong connection, partnered improvisation, and elements from many of the different dance styles they have studied. This unique blend has given them a national reputation for inspiring and emotional partnered blues dancing.

Their teaching style communicates their passion for blues dancing, and encourages dancers of all levels to take chances and push their personal boundaries.  Since 2003, they have been teaching at national events and workshops, including Blues Shout, Down Home Blues, Cheap Thrills, Red White and Blues, and Emerald City Blues Festival, and encouraging and supporting the recent growth and popularity of blues dance.

Currently, Ogden teaches with a collective of Boston dance instructors at the It’s All Swing! Dance Studio in Watertown, MA and founded independently Blue Studios to focus on teaching and supporting blues dance.

Amanda Gruhl

amanda4Amanda has been dancing since age five. Experienced in dance instruction, choreography, performance, and show production, she has studied blues dance, lindy hop, jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical dance, sacred dance, and hip hop. She has also had instruction in other dance forms such as Argentine tango, flamenco, modern dance,
popping/breaking, and ballroom dance.

Amanda and Ogden Sawyer have been dancing, choreographing, and competing in blues dance since 2000, and teaching blues dance since 2002. Their style of modern blues combines historic blues dance with modern concepts of strong connection, partnered improvisation, and elements from many of the different dance styles they have studied. This unique blend has given them a national reputation for inspiring and emotional partnered blues dancing.  Their teaching style communicates their passion for blues dancing, and encourages dancers of all levels to take chances and push their personal boundaries.

Since 2003, they have been teaching at national events and workshops, including Blues Shout, Down Home Blues, Cheap Thrills, Red White and Blues, and Emerald City Blues Festival, and encouraging and supporting the recent growth and popularity of blues dance.

Amanda has also been teaching locally with Shawn Hershey since 2005 and they have since traveled and taught together at workshops and events around North America, including Austin Blues Party, Down Home Blues, From Montreal With Love, the Blues Blast Workshop Weekend in central PA, and Albany Smorgasboard. Their style of blending lindy hop, ballroom, blues, and Argentine tango into their dancing is both beautiful and powerful, and earns them praise wherever they go, most recently at the Emerald City Blues Festival, where they took 2nd place
in the Strictly Competition.

Currently, Amanda teaches with a collective of Boston dance instructors at the It’s All Swing! Dance Studio in Watertown, MA and founded independently Blue Studios to focus on teaching and supporting blues dance.

Shawn Hershey

shawnShawn Hershey came from an extensive music background, so when he started lindy hopping in the late 1990s with the Lindybaby studio, he quickly got hooked! He has studied extensively at camps and workshops with nationally renowned instructors and started teaching swing and lindy hop in Boston around 2002 with various partners.  Shawn also began teaching and performing lindy hop internationally with his sister, Betina Hershey.

Shawn has won or placed in half a dozen blues competitions in the past few years, and started teaching blues with Amanda Gruhl in 2005.  They have since traveled and taught together at workshops and events around North America, including Austin Blues Party, Down Home Blues, From Montreal With Love, the Blues Blast Workshop Weekend in central PA, and Albany  Smorgasboard. Their style of blending lindy hop, ballroom, blues, and Argentine tango into their dancing is both beautiful and powerful, and earns them praise wherever they go, most recently at the Emerald City Blues Festival, where they took 2nd place in the Strictly Competition.

Currently, Shawn teaches with a collective of Boston dance instructors at the It’s All Swing! Dance Studio in Watertown, MA and runs two successful swing bands, The Fried Bananas and the Shawn Hershey Quartet.

Julie Brown

bluesshout12Julie has been teaching, DJing, and competing in blues since 2006. With a background in many forms of solo dance, she is known for her musicality, great body  movement, and playful dancing style.

Julie got her start teaching in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2006, where she and her dance partner, Jeff, helped found a monthly blues dance. Julie and Jeff also helped found the currently successful Steel City Blues Festival, which happens every March in Pittsburgh, and brings national blues instructors, classes, and live blues music to the Northeast.

In her classes, Julie emphasizes individual body movement, musicality, and open communication in connection. Julie choreographs, performs, DJs, and teaches locally and nationally with a variety of partners, and has placed in many national competitions including 1st place in BluesSHOUT 2009 Juke Joint, 2nd place in Enter the Blues 2009 Solo and 2nd place Jack’n'Jill, and 2nd place in BluesSHOUT 2008 Open Jack’n'Jill.