Instructors & Staff
Instructors
Christian Frommelt
Christian Frommelt (he/him/his),is a swing dancer and musician from St. Louis, Missouri. As a teacher, organizer, and social dancer, he has dedicated much of his life to bringing people together through music and dance. The African-American vernacular dance values of spontaneity, rhythmic propulsion, and communal improvisation captivated him as a teenager, and he’s been bent on learning jazz-based artforms ever since. For him it has become a privilege to share the stories, sounds, and skills gained along the way as a teacher, writer, and performer.
He has been recognized with competitive accolades at the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown and the International Lindy Hop Championships, which include awards for choreography with Jenny Shirar. For nine years he served as co-organizer of the renowned Nevermore Jazz Ball & St. Louis Swing Dance Festival and continues to organize the Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl in the effort of collective expression. He has played piano for the Gaslight Squares jazz band since 2019.
Dee Daniels Locke
Dee Daniels Locke (She/her),started Swing Dancing at the age of three with her Dad in the basement, wearing her Mom’s heels and her favorite plaid skirt. A true Heritage Dancer and Tradition Bearer, learning from and dancing Lindy Hop with her family, in the context of black culture, music, and expression. With a hiatus into hip-hop during her school years, she was called back to Lindy Hop, and co-founded her college swing dance club. For over two decades she’s shared her love of Lindy Hop with dancers young and old, teaching, performing, and dancing at swing dance events.
Dee loves feeling free on the dance floor and advocates for self-expression and individual creativity as the true spirit of Lindy Hop and Vernacular Jazz. She bring an inclusive, shared knowledge, and individual ownership perspective from black culture classes. She dances for the joy and self-worth in expression that music and dance play in black culture in either partnered or solo dancing, and searches for presence in each moment.
She has recently enjoyed dancing a residency in Sw!ngout! at the Joyce Theater in NYC and on tour, and has taught, performed, and choreographed nationally and internationally, but mostly she wants to have a good dance. You should ask her, she follows and leads and wants to dance with you.
Giselle Anguizola
Giselle Anguizola (she/her)
Giselle has been an unmissable voice in the swing dance community for over 20 years, as a successful performer, instructor, competitor, event organizer, judge, and DJ. One of the top proponents of syncopated footwork, personal style, improvisation and communication - she will breathe rhythmic life into any dance, class, or stage appearance. She values individuality, self expression, creativity, and thrives on inspiring others to do the same. Giselle resides in New Orleans, teaching yoga & dance; and leading her own swing band.
Find her music on Spotify or Bandcamp
The REst of the staff
Paul Graf
Melissa Graf
Matt Arlyn
Micki McCarthy
Diane Darlington
Jamica Zion (consultant)