Julie Roman is a Phoenix-based artist. As a classically trained concert pianist/vocalist (with a 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 collaborating with vintage swing dancers from around the world to compete, teach, choreograph, and perform. While she studies and competes with as many Jazz dances as she can, Julie is madly in love with Collegiate Shag (and flying aerials). She has  won contests at Shag events such as The Warsaw Shag Festival, The Barcelona Shag Festival, Camp Hollywood, Shag and Drag, The LA Shag Festival, and Hot Rhythm Holiday. 

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 especially focused on creating contest teams, advocating for junior swing dance opportunities, and mentoring young dancers as they start competing and social dancing. 

Julie has performed with or directed several Phoenix-based teams including The Phoenix Bomb Squad (Lindy Hop), External Balidation, The Rain and Shine Shufflers (Balboa), The Phoenix Fleahoppers (Shag), The Phoenix Firecrackers (junior Lindy Hop), the Salty Dogs (Solo Jazz), and the Gypsy Jitterbugs (Solo Jazz).

Known by his friends as "Spinney," Jacob Spinney began swing dancing socially after graduating high school in 2004 and by 2015 he turned that hobby into a full blown obsession. Having placed and won in several notable state and national contests and achieving titles such as National Jitterbug Champion, runner up Arizona Swing Dance Champion and Balboa Champion, and California Balboa Classic Champion to name a few, Spinney’s love for swing dancing has helped him create a unique style focused on creativity and expressiveness. What he enjoys most is syncopation, tension and compression, slides, and being a goofball. He drinks a Roy Rogers, easy on the ice, extra cherries.

These last two years have highlighted the need for connection, art, and recognizing each other’s struggles. Social dance and the swing community have provided Michelle with a reminder of the joy that can still be experienced in life. As it becomes safer to gather and social dance again, Michelle has focused her teaching on exploring the power behind solo movement in vernacular jazz and bringing the Afro swing rhythms of Lindy Hop and Balboa to new and seasoned dancers. In addition to swing dance, Michelle is an avid student of Pachanga and Boogaloo, dance styles in the Afro-Cuban tradition, which reached their height of popularity in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Born and raised in Northern California, Michael discovered his love for social dancing amongst the redwoods in his early college years while pursuing a Zoology degree at Humboldt State University. During his time there, he ran the HSU Swing Dancing club on campus, instructed lessons locally, and DJ'd a show dedicated to the swing jazz eras of the 20s-50s on the local public radio station, KHSU. While having a strong backbone of Savoy style Lindy hop and East Coast Swing (triple swing), he currently enjoys the slick and smooth footwork of Hollywood style Lindyhop and the explosive and fun energy of Collegiate Shag. Calling Tucson home since 2019, he can be found amongst the deserts and sky islands of Southeastern Arizona photographing wildlife, attending local live music events, and dancing with the Arizona Swing Cats.

Howard and Gayl Zhao are super lame for taking forever on submitting their bio and picture. What they wish you know is that they are old and have a tendency for silly humor, despite the deadly serious nature of swing dancing. They met a thousand years ago (2004) at The UofA Swing Cats Club. But, it was a fated day at a lindy hop competition, ironically, when they won a pair of tickets to a balboa event. That balboa event was a waypoint for their balboa passion and their feet have been shuffling since. They are excited to share some of their knowledge with you. Also, please enjoy this random picture of their dog drinking a cocktail.

Icarus Newton has been tap dancing for the last 16 years. They started learning tap dance on the east coast before moving to Arizona 7 years ago where they began to tap dance competitively. In just the past 7 years they have learned and competed choreography from Megan Maltos, Chrissy Jones, and Brendan Kellam, as well as taken master classes from Sarah Reich, Max Pollock, Anthony Morgerato, Sam Webber, Dianne “Lady Di” Walker, and many more. In addition to taking classes, they also choreograph and teach dances. At the University of Arizona, Icarus teaches a small beginner tap class and is working with some friends to turn it into a fully recognized club by the university. Before coming to the UofA, Icarus was a teacher's assistant for Megan Maltos, helping out in two beginner level tap classes. They also choreographed four dances for their high school’s dance program, including two tap numbers and two jazz/freestyle dances. Tap dance is one of Icarus’s biggest passions, and they want to spread the joys of tap to as many people as they can, starting in their local community. 

Simeon and Chelsea are a married duo whose dance partnership began in 2012. As wee college students, the pair met and soon discovered their mutual love for music, rhythm, and connection through Blues. Simeon and Chelsea are best described as Blues Fusion dancers, incorporating influences from hip hop, ballet, Argentine tango, salsa, and bachata. While their partnership origins began in Colorado, they have danced in a number of countries such as Japan, and South Korea and all across the western United States. Currently, Simeon and Chelsea teach every other week at the Tucson Blues Dancers on Tuesdays. When they are not dancing, Simeon and Chelsea can be found plugged into their gaming computers, channeling their inner Katniss Everdeen at the archery range, or rolling around Skate Country. 

Ryn has been dancing switch since they started lindy hop in 2019.  Their unfortunate timing led them to spend a whole pandemic learning and playing with switch dancing.  Their first ever event was the Tucson Lindy Exchange in 2021.  Ryn is passionate about bringing people into lindy hop, encouraging them to dance whatever roles they want, and learning how to switch!  Now, they help lead the Arizona Swing Cats, the non-profit student group at UArizona.