Our Teachers

Learn to dance from swing champions! Our all-star cast of teachers are competition medalists in swing dances such as Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Balboa, Shag and Blues. They're dynamic, energetic dancers, as well as fun, professional teachers!

Byron Alley

Byron Alley

Director

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Founder of Swing Dynamite, Byron also co-founded the highly successful Studio 88-Swing in Montreal in 2002, as well as creating Lindy Hoppers Anonymous in Victoria in 2001. He is also a member of Canada's famous Swinging Air Force.

Byron's great passion is social dancing - the spontaneous interaction of two inspired hearts on the dance floor. He also enjoys winning things, and on the competitive side of swing he's won dozens of medals and trophies, including:

As a performer, Byron has been featured on MuchMusic, Radio Canada's Match des étoiles, TVA, Rogers, ATV and in the Movie Gleason (2003). He's choreographed and danced in shows including the National Arts Centre with the NAC Orchestra, Ottawa's Parliament Hill on Canada Day, the Casino de Montreal, and the Salle Wilfred Pelletier at la Place des arts, not to mention numerous other performances in Canada and the US.

Teaching swing since 1999, Byron has given classes across Canada and in the US, including:

Known for his emphasis on partner connection and the original swing spirit, on the dance floor Byron combines vintage Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues dancing, and Balboa, creating a dance ranging from smooth and subtle to dynamic and creative. Byron is also known as one of Canada's foremost swing aerials experts.

Byron speaks English and French fluently. He's working on his Spanish and Chinese!

Natalia Rueda

Natalia Rueda

Artistic Director

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"Better than Nutella!"

A full-time dance teacher, Natalia's many competition awards include winning first place at the Canadian Swing Championships two years in a row, earning six 1st places in 2010 alone and having won 1st place in almost every style of dance represented at CSC! Born in Colombia, Natalia grew up dancing Salsa and Merengue. As she puts it, "I never went to a party where people didn't know how to partner dance until I came to Canada!" Luckily, as soon as Natalia arrived in Canada, she discovered swing dancing, rising quickly to become one of Canada's top swing dancers. While her first swing love is Lindy Hop, she's developed a sweet spot for Blues, West Coast Swing, Charleston, Shag and Balboa. In short: everything swing!

Coach and choreographer for every Swing Dynamite team except for the D-Boyz, Natalia began her career as a choreographer in Colombia, where her song and dance routines won dozens of 1st place prizes. She also won 1st place in her provincial cheerleading championships, making her a natural for swing acrobatics! Not only is she a Lindy Hop champion, she's been seen performing on stage with the National Arts Centre Orchestra at the NAC, at the Casino du Lac Leamy, on TV with Rogers and ATV, as well as numerous other performances!

As a teacher, Natalia's known for her positive energy and her ability to inspire her students to push themselves. Students appreciate how Natalia's precise feedback helps them learn, and they rave about how her enthusiastic encouragement makes it all worthwhile. Natalia's taught a wide range of ages, including children and teens aged 7-17, in groups as large as over 200 people!

Natalia's been invited to teach at a number of major events:

Natalia speaks English and Spanish fluently, and she's working on her French!

Olivier Henchiri

Olivier Henchiri

Teacher and Coach

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"The O-Train"

Coach of Swing Dynamite's Rhythm Blasters team, Olivier co-choreographed the very first routine that Swing Dynamite ever performed. "O-Train" Henchiri has been known in Ottawa for years for his innovative Charleston moves that have inspired his Rhythm Blasters choreographies as well as his social dancing. Since 2002 he's done an enormous amount of travelling to social dance at major swing events across North America, which has helped to fuel his passion for the dance and his creativity on the dance floor. His dance students love his sense of humour, his knowledge and precision when he explains technique, and the way his passion for social swing dancing makes classes fun.

As co-founder of the University of Ottawa Swing Club (SwingUO) in 2003, he was responsible for a major expansion of Ottawa's swing dancing community. Olivier is also a classically-trained cello player specializing in Baroque music, and a dedicated member of the Ottawa Baroque Consort ensemble. He also loves to play jazz, and his musical talents are obvious in his swing dancing. As he puts it modestly, "so I know where the one is," but his powerful musicality is obvious in his dancing and choreographies.

With his natural style, easy smile and music background, Olivier is a natural for performance, competition and choreography. Some of his credits include:

Before joining the Swing Dynamite teaching crew, Olivier began his teacher career at the University of Ottawa swing club. In addition to his regular classes at Swing Dynamite, Olivier's teaching credits include:

Olivier speaks French and English fluently, as well as some Spanish!

Dave Ward

Dave Ward

Dave 'The Kid'

Teacher

Dave's the perfect synthesis of fun and perfectionism. Known for his friendly smile and easy-going attitude, his talent and determination have taken him far in just four years of dancing! In 2008 alone he took first places at the Canadian Swing Championships (Jack 'n Jill division), the Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships, and Ottawa's own Swing Explosion Jack 'n Jill. In that same year he took home top three placements in West Coast Swing and Lindy Hop in other events including Swing Niagara.

An extremely versatile dancer, Dave has been a member of most of the Swing Dynamite teams: TNTeam, the D-Boyz, the Rhythm Blasters, and the Westie Bombers, of which he was a founding member! His competition and performance credits include:

As a teacher, Dave's known for his smile and enthusiasm as well as his attention to detail, which he's shared while teaching at a number of different places and events in addition to regular Swing Dynamite classes:

In addition to his swing addiction, Dave has explored some hip hop, jazz, and tango.

Bill Ewanick

Bill Ewanick

Teacher/Assistant Coach

As one of Swing Dynamite's top dancers, Bill is a member of three Swing Dynamite teams, two of which he also helps to coach: the explosive TNTeam, the badass D-Boyz, and the Atomic Crew. In 2007 Bill took both the Hardcore and the Attitude awards at the Canadian Swing Championships, only to return in 2008 to take top three placement at both the Canadian Swing Championships and the American Lindy Hop Championships! He's performed with Swing Dynamite at many events for clients including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Canadian War Museum, the Bytowne Museum, and the city of Gatineau, as well as with the teams at CSC and ALHC. In addition to teaching and performing with Swing Dynamite, Bill was also the founder and President/Teacher of Carleton Swing Dance Club. Bill believes that in swing, having fun always comes first... and speed and attitude are part of what makes it fun!

A highly competitive dancer in Lindy Hop, Bill is also one of Canada's top Shag dancers. He's won some impressive awards:

Known for his humourous, boisterous teaching style, Bill's taught swing at a number of events and venues:

Bill's all about being awesome, aggressive and... alliterative.

Gabrielle Desmarais

Gabrielle Desmarais

Teacher

Although currently Swing Dynamite's youngest teacher, Gabrielle is one of our most senior dancers. She won her first major competition award with the Dynamite Girls in 2007 at the Canadian Swing Championships, and ever since then she's been one of Ottawa's local stars! Gabrielle is also one of Ottawa's top Balboa dancers, having taken first place at the Canadian Swing Championships!

Gabrielle has a lot of impressive competition awards as well as performance experience, including:

Gabrielle's known for her friendly, easy-going teaching style, which she's refined teaching at a lot of local venues and events:

Gabrielle speaks English, French and Spanish--which is her minor at the University of Ottawa.

Clare Hopkins

Clare Hopkins

Teacher

Clare Bear

Clare has been a member of the Dynamite Girls, TNTeam and the Atomic Crew performance groups in Swing Dynamite, as well as president of the University of Ottawa's swing club, SwingUO. Drawing on her strong dance background including 12 years of ballet training, Clare is another rising star in the Ottawa swing scene, winning 3rd place at the Canadian Swing Championships.

Clare has some impressive competition awards and performances under her belt, including:

Swing students love Clare's fun and encouraging attitude, and she draws on a variety of dance teaching and leadership experience:

As a Clare has also explored many other forms of dancing, including modern, jazz, hip-hop, Spanish, Irish, Highland and various other national dances.

Travis Matte

Travis Matte

Teacher

Travis is one of Swing Dynamite's most senior members and one of Ottawa's most impressive dancers. He was a founding member of TNTeam and the Atomic Crew, starting with the very first Team Challenge in 2006 performing the "Shout 'n Feel It" choreography. As a university student, he discovered Youtube as a never-ending source of inspiration, and he admits to looking kind of silly copying moves in his living room. Still, with a growing collection of wins from the Canadian Swing Championships and a number of other competitions, it seems to be working! As a jazz musician and music teacher, he incorporates his love of playing jazz into his dancing to make his movements a living creation in the moment.

In addition to swing, Travis has been teaching guitar for many years, giving him a wealth of teaching methods that have easily translated to swing instruction. He's taught at many local venues and events:

Particularly in love with Lindy Hop, Blues, Charleston and Balboa, Travis aims to make every dance a comfortable, and--most of all--fun experience.

Sari Zelenietz

Sari Zelenietz

Teacher

Power Girl

In Swing Dynamite, Sari is known for her ability to make things happen, whether it's teaching, performing, or coaching. She's a senior member of the Dynamite Girls, an assistant coach for the acrobatic Lindy Hop team TNTeam, and a founding member of the Westie Bombers, which makes her one of Ottawa's most versatile dancers. Her friendly attitude makes her fun to learn from, and her analytical eye and ability to break things down really help demystify the dance experience! Ironically, Sari didn't enjoy her first dance experiences: as a kid she hated ballet so much she'd hide when it was time for lessons (although she says she really liked the outfit!) She's since discovered a love of swing dancing, including Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Balboa and Charleston!

Sari's competition awards show her versatility in mastering Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing and Balboa. Some of her past competition wins and major performances have included:

Sari's swing teaching and leadership experience include:

Alec Mills

Alec Mills

Teacher

In September 2002, Alec tentatively handed $10 for a membership to the Queen's Swing Club. The club rep said "It's the best $10 you'll ever spend." More than 7 years later, Alec has now logged over 2000 hours dancing, teaching and loving swing with no end in sight. Having taught and trained teachers at both McGill and Queen's Universities, he is known for inspiring dancers of all levels to feel and express music in new and exciting ways.

In the little time he spends outside of swing, he makes a living watching you with satellites.

He's danced with the following teams:

He's also won the following awards:

He's been an invited instructor at the following events:

Alec has also been asked to perform at events across Canada:

Pauline West

Pauline West

Teacher

Pauline is a real Swing Dynamite success story: she started with our very first Swing I class at Swing Dynamite, and only months later joined the Dynamite Girls to earn a silver medal at the Canadian Swing Championships in 2007! Now one of the most senior Swing Dynamite members, she's now president of the Carleton Swing Club where she teaches classes Swing club as well as with Swing Dynamite. You may well have taken classes with her already at Saturday Night Swing! Pauline loves Lindy Hop, Solo Charleston, Balboa and Blues, and she's now exploring West Coast Swing!

Known as just as strong in her solo Charleston and Blues as she is in her partnered dancing, some of Pauline's dance credits include:

Pauline is known for her energy when she teaches, and she's acquired a lot of dance teaching and leadership experience in just a few years:

Laura Smith

Laura Smith

Teacher

A recent import from Kingston, Laura already had quite a bit of swing teaching experience even before joining Swing Dynamite! She was Dance Instruction Co-ordinator for the Queen's Swing Club in 2007-2008, where she developed the overall teaching strategy for the club that year, including training and evaluating new teachers.

In addition to her strong teaching background, Laura's showcased her dancing ability in a number of contests:

Laura's swing teaching and leadership experience include:

Scott Piffard

Scott Piffard

Teacher

Scott feels that he was somehow born in the wrong era--and that swing dancing is probably the best way he can connect with some of those good old-fashioned sensibilities. Scott's swing dancing story started and continues with his obsession with trying new things. He began dancing with the Carleton Swing Club and soon jumped into Shag dancing with Shag Explosion. After joining Swing Dynamite with the Lindy Hop team, the Rhythm Blasters, he's since trained with TNTeam, and began dabbling with West Coast Swing only to also join our Westie Bombers team! Lately he's become positively ecstatic about dancing the Hustle.

Teaching and leadership experience:

Scott's been seen dancing around town! Some of his performance and competition experiences include:

Guest Teachers

While they no longer teach regular classes at Swing Dynamite, we're lucky to periodically bring in these guest teachers for special classes!

Maria Ford

Maria Ford

Guest Teacher

Maria has danced since she could walk. She trained in contemporary jazz, tap and ballet for 13 years, as well as gymnastics and synchronized swimming. She holds 17 provincial dance competition medals, including gold and silver places for solo jazz work. Recently Maria has been adding WCS medals to her list, with a collection of wins from Swing Niagara, the Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships, CASH Bash and many others. Together with her partner André she's been enjoying travelling to WCS competitions to compete and dance. Maria was the original coach of Ottawa's first competitive WCS team, the Westie Bombers, from 2008-2009!

Learn more about Maria's dance background.

André Danis

André Danis

Old Skool!

Guest Teacher

In his 40s, André decided he wanted to "discover his inner rhythm": that's when he started dancing West Coast Swing, and André quickly made up for lost time to become a strong and creative West Coast Swing leader, winning top three placement at competitions including the Canadian Swing Championships, Swing Niagara and CASH Bash. He brings exceptional musicality, a flair for choreography, and martial arts training to his dancing. That and some occasional screwball comedy, guaranteed to loosen you up for dancing! André coached Ottawa's first competitive WCS team, the Westie Bombers, from 2008-2009!

Learn more about André's dance background.