Instructors

Anthony's first ingress into the performing arts was at age 8 when his parents convinced him to learn and perform Chinese lion dances. He then stumbled upon breakdancing during a national speech and debate tournament in middle school, and at the age of 16, he had his first foray into swing dancing alongside other young interns from a research laboratory. Since then, he has trained in other dance styles ranging from hip-hop to West Coast Swing, but most of all he enjoys using this background to expand upon his technique and creativity in Lindy Hop. On the social dance floor he is known to be playful, musical, creative, and clear. He holds first place titles from events such as Lindyfest and Lone Star Championships, Montreal Swing Riot, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Lindy Focus, and International Lindy Hop Championships.

Combined with his professional background in education, his love of both leading and following have been instrumental to making the classes that he teaches both clear and intuitive. Anthony is excited to call Salt Lake City his home since 2015, and is also a proud recipient of the 2021 Utah Arts & Museums Performing Arts Fellowship.

Dancing has been a passion for Irina for as long as she can remember. In 2009, at the age of 15, she stumbled upon Swing dancing and it took only one night of social dancing for her to develop an addiction to it. Though Lindy Hop was her gateway into the world of Swing, Irina's passion quickly expanded to include Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and solo jazz. She owes her rapid progression in part to spending her formative years of dancing in Southern California, home to some of the best Swing dancers and teachers in the world. She has since received numerous accolades from events such as Camp Hollywood, The International Lindy Hop Championships, and Lindy Focus and has taught these dances all across the U.S., Asia, Europe and Australia.

Irina's teaching style can best be described as patient and encouraging. Her goal is to guide her students through building solid foundations and inspiring individuality in personal movement, as well as helping them build confidence in their dancing.

Elizabeth's first experience with swing dance was when she was 8 years old, dancing with her brother as a partner in a talent show. Swing surged again into her life as a teenager along with tap dancing and a little jazz. In 2003, during her university years (BYU), Elizabeth found Lindy Hop. Her heart found its home, its song, its dance. Though she has enjoyed Ballroom, Latin, Clogging, African, Tap and Blues, Lindy is her soul's fabric. Whether she is in Utah or traveling, Elizabeth believes that the purpose of dance is to experience joy. Anyone who sees her dance, cannot doubt she lives that belief. Her joy comes first through connecting with her partner and second in creative expression. Elizabeth is excited to teach with Salt City Swing, sharing not only her talent and skill, but her love for this art form.

Dancing has been a lifelong passion for Sara, who began her dance training at an early age in ballet, modern, and tap. In the last two decades, she has shared her love of tap with people of all ages in Hawai'i, Wisconsin, and Utah. She moved to Salt Lake City in 2014 to take a faculty position in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Here, she was introduced to the world of social dancing when she discovered Lindy Hop with Salt City Swing in April 2017. She has since devoted significant time to learning all things related to swing dancing and began teaching in July 2018. She occasionally teaches tap in the Salt Lake City area and is a member of WOFA, a local African dance and drum company. As an instructor, she is committed to helping students build a solid foundation of technique in a fun and inclusive environment.

Blake’s introduction to Lindy Hop was joining a Salt City Swing class in 2018 as the first dance class he’d ever taken. The love of jazz music came first and it was a catalyst in breaking him out of his comfort zone and getting in the door. Once he started learning, it was an instant connection and there was no turning back. He values the history of Lindy Hop and how, on a personal level, it gives such an amazing platform for improvisation, individuality, connection, and pure joy. He truly appreciates the outstanding teachers and friends that made the Salt City Swing community such a comfortable space to learn, gain confidence, and grow as an individual dancer.

Blake is grateful for the opportunity to teach those who want to learn this art form. He emphasizes being able to enjoy your dancing with confidence and really feeling the music to bring out your own expression and creativity.

Alysia McEvoy has a BA in Dance Education and an MFA in Modern Dance with overlapping research in movement as communication both on stage and within the confines of American Sign Language. As for swing dancing, in college she was a part of a performance group that did dances from various decades and swing was one of those. She hopped on board the resurgence of the Lindy Hop back in 1998 when you could dance almost every night of the week here in Salt Lake City. Her original learnings came from people who would travel back from the “new” Camp Hollywood and teach each other next to the bar and the dance floor. Eventually competing locally and learning from VHS tapes and DVDs, Alysia began teaching a bit in addition to doing her master’s program at the UofU.

Fast forward to many years in and out of the community, Alysia is delighted to be joining the Salt City Swing teachers and spreading the joy of Swing dance once again! Come join her for class and laughs, you never know what might come out of her mouth!

Bio coming soon...