We are excited to welcome Julie & Jacob and… BadAZ Balboa & Shag Weekend is proud to Welcome Heather Ballew and Ian Dawson as your Featured Instructors!
Heather Ballew hails from the lovely, landlocked city of Denver. She took her first Lindy Hop steps in the 1990s after watching a certain movie. Known for her connection and playfulness, she spent a decade performing and competing with Denver’s champion swing dance troupe, 23 Skidoo. In 2002, she went to work for a ballroom studio to get teacher training and experience. She has since taught on four continents and she holds titles from International Lindy Hop Championships, Camp Hollywood, California Balboa Classic, and Lindy Focus. She has choreographed for multiple balboa and lindy hop troupes. She believes that swing dancing should look good and feel great but most of all it should be fun. She loves social dancing with people of all levels and can be found teaching abroad, talking passionately about scene-building, and starting zany and sometimes thoughtful Facebook discussions.
Ian Dawson (he/him) Ian came to the world of Swing Dance through his love of vintage clothing and jazz music. Once mentioning to a vintage friend that he was ‘tired of standing around at parties without knowing what to do’ they pointed him to the Cat’s Corner in San Francisco and he never looked back. Ian has helped to run Shag and Balboa scenes in San Francisco, Houston, and Denver, competed and placed in competitions all over the globe, and has taught local workshops and classes all over the US. He is excited to share his passion for these dances with you! He focuses on the improvisational aspect of dance, rhythm, and a comfortable connection.
Julie Roman is a Phoenix-based artist. As a classically trained concert pianist/vocalist (with a past career as a certified music educator and private vocal coach), she is passionate about pursuing excellence and spreading a love for the arts. She enjoys working with people to find the aspects of dance that inspire them most so they can identify and pursue the spaces and skills that bring them joy. Julie also loves exploring the technical skills that give people mastery over their movement so they can embody the music in whatever ways they choose. You can find Julie collaborating with vintage swing dancers from around the world to compete, teach, choreograph, and perform. While she studies and competes in as many Jazz dances as she can, she is especially in love with Collegiate Shag, Balboa, and air steps.
Julie is also the artistic director for and a founding member of the Phoenix Swing Project (an arts coop dedicated to growing and enriching the swing dance experiences available to people in Phoenix through collaborations and team training). The program is focused on creating contest teams, advocating for junior swing dance opportunities, and mentoring dancers who want to work toward specific goals within the swing dance community. Julie was selected to participate in a mentorship program with SW!NG OUT the show in 2022, and she has danced on or directed several teams including The Phoenix Bomb Squad (Lindy Hop), External Balidation (Balboa), The Rain and Shine Shufflers (Balboa), The Heart Breakers (Chorus Girl-Solo Shag), The International Shag Sailors (Shag), Shagnanigans (Shag), The Phoenix Firecrackers (junior Lindy Hop), The Sunny Side Stompers (Lindyhop/Charleston), the Salty Dogs (Solo Jazz), and the Hot Club Jitterbugs (Solo Jazz).
Known by his friends as “Spinney,” Jacob Spinney has been obsessed with swing dancing for well over a decade. Achieving titles such as National Jitterbug Champion, Arizona Swing Dance Champion, Arizona Balboa Champion, and California Balboa Classic Champion, Spinney’s love for swing dancing has helped him create a unique style focused on creativity and expressiveness. Co-Captain, Choreographer, Talent Developer, and Skills Coach for the Phoenix Swing Project which encompasses national award winning teams, Phoenix Bomb Squad, Phoenix Firecrackers, as well as the Sunny Side Stompers, Spinney enjoys sharing his passion for swing dancing, making up new moves, and being a goofball. He drinks a Roy Rogers, easy on the ice, extra cherries.
