Dancer Bio
Joanna didn’t manage to find her way to lindy hop in the small town known as New York City, where she grew up. Instead, she came across the dance in the thriving metropolis of Rochester, NY where she attended college. It took her three years to find the school swing club but you know what they say — the best things in life are worth waiting for.

She was hooked from the first swing-out. Having already had a background in ballet, tap, and partnered social dance of the latin variety, she picked the basics up pretty quickly and then… practice, practice, practice. Her dancing developed primarily from social dancing, traveling to workshops, and exchanging ideas with fellow lindy addicts. When she dances, Joanna is a tiny bundle of energy. She finds her joy in the music. And as a teacher, she strives to help her students do the same.

DJ Bio
Joanna owes her love of jazz era music to her slightly unhealthy childhood obsession with watching I Love Lucy. The show introduced her to classic tunes such as Sweet Sue, Shine on Harvest Moon, and Sweet Adeline at a very young age and piqued her interest in all things old-timey. Through dancing, Joanna has expanded and refined her knowledge of jazz music to cater to dancers of varying styles — lindy hop, charleston, balboa, and blues. She has spun tunes in Rochester NY,  Atlanta GA, San Francisco CA, and now fills the ears of dancers in Austin TX. Her goal as a DJ is to keep that driving energy for the dance alive on the floor and in dancers’ hearts.

Teaching Experience:

• San Diego Stomp – Feb. 11-13, 2011 – w/ Reuel Reis     (San Diego, CA)
• Hot Mess – July 9-11, 2010 – w/ Reuel Reis  (Philadelphia, PA)
• Member of The Lindy Project, Teacher – November 2009 to present  (Austin, TX)
• Swing Soulstice – May/June 2009     (Atlanta, GA)
• GTDA Dance – April 24, 2009 – w/ Jeff Camozzi   (Atlanta, GA)
• Sparx – April 3-5, 2009 – w/ Carl Nelson  (Cleveland, OH)
• Swing Into Spring – March 14-15, 2009 (New Haven, CT)
• Lindy Focus – Dec. 29th, 2008 – Community Class: Day at the Races – w/ Sosh Howell (Asheville, NC)
• Cat’s Corner 10th Anniversary – October 31st to Nov 2nd, 2008 – w/ Carl Nelson  (Montreal, QC)
• LEAF Festival – October 17th and 18th, 2008 – w/ Sosh Howell  (Asheville, NC)
• Frim Fram – July 17th, 2008 – w/ Carl Nelson (New York, NY)
• Lindy and Blues – July 16th, 2008 – w/ Carl Nelson (Philadelphia, PA)
• RIT Swing Club – Fall, 2006 to Spring, 2008

Notable Competitions:
2011

• ILHC – 4th place – Team Division (Lindy Hopper’s Dozen)
• Lindy on the Rocks – 1st place – Team Battle (Lindy Hopper’s Dozen)
• Lindy on the Rocks – 1st place – All-Star Jack & Jill (partner: Jonathan Jow)
• Lindy on the Rocks – 2nd place – Solo Charleston
• Camp Jitterbug – 1st place – Solo Charleston
• Lone Star Championships – 1st place – All-Star Jack & Jill (partner: Michael “Dargoff” Darigol)
• Lone Star Championships – 3rd place – Solo Charleston

2010

• Lindy Focus 9 – 2nd place – Open Jack & Jill  (partner: Reuel Reis)
• Lindy on the Rocks – 1st place – Solo Charleston
• Lindy on the Rocks – 3rd place – Partnered Charleston  (partner: Brooks Prumo)
• Lindy on the Rocks – 3rd place – Open Jack & Jill  (partner: Ceth Stifel)
• Midwest Lindyfest – 2nd place – Invitational Jack & Jill  (partner: Max Pitruzzella)

2009

• Lindy Focus 8 – 1st place – Crossover Jack & Jill (adv. follow)  (partner: Mitchel Kwiatkoski)
• Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown – 1st place – Showdown (strictly)  (partner: Chance Bushman)
• Swingtime In the Rockies – 1st place – Advanced/All-Star Jack & Jill (partner: Partick Szmidt)

2008

• Lindy Focus 7 – 1st place – Solo Charleston
• Lindy Focus 7 – 1st place – Advanced Jack & Jill (partner: Marc-Andre Vachon)
• Lindy Focus 7 – 2nd place – Showcase (partner: Carl Nelson)
• Atlanta Varsity Showdown – 1st place – Advanced Jack & Jill (partner: Huy Huynh)
• Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown – 1st place – Team Division (Hot Rhythm Rising)
• Southern Belle Swing Bash – 1st place – Jack & Jill (partner: Hurley Francois)
• Southern Belle Swing Bash – 1st place – Solo Charleston
• International Lindy Hop Championships – 3rd place – Strictly Lindy (partner: Carl Nelson)
• Sugarfoot Stomp – 1st place – Sugarfoot Jam (partner: Carl Nelson)
• Big Big Event – 1st place – Strictly Lindy (partner: Andrew Thigpen)

2007

• American Lindy Hop Championships – 2nd place – Strictly Lindy (partner: Carl Nelson)
• American Lindy Hop Championships – 3rd place – Open Jack & Jill
• Southern Belle Swing Bash – 1st place – Jack & Jill (partner: Patrick Manigault)
• Southern Belle Swing Bash – 3rd place – Solo Jazz
• Boston Tea Party – 1st place – Novice Jack & Jill (partner: Jason Lancaster)