Instructors

INSTRUCTOR BIOS

Laura Glaess - New York City, NY

Laura Glaess has been an influential voice in Lindy Hop competition, performance, and education for the past 20 years. She has won countless awards and acknowledgments at international competitions, and has taught at festivals in 22 countries spanning 5 continents. She has performed at the Joyce, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Guggenheim, as well as at Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz festivals worldwide. She is an instructor at Steps on Broadway. Her Youtube channel dedicated to Lindy Hop history, vocabulary, partnering, and body movement is one of the most popular and influential in the scene.

AJ Howard - New York City, NY

Meet AJ Howard, a vibrant force in New York City's Lindy Hop scene. As a celebrated dancer, teacher, and competitor, AJ brings undeniable energy to the floor—his dynamic style and deep love for the dance have made him a standout at events across the globe. He’s performed in productions like SW!NG OUT! and earned his place in the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame.

When he's not dancing, AJ keeps the rhythm alive as an emcee, hyping crowds at world-class events like ILHC, Paris Jazz Roots, and the International Swing Dance Championships. Whether leading a packed workshop or lighting up the social floor, AJ blends skill and showmanship with a deep commitment to community, creating spaces where dancers of all levels feel welcome, inspired, and connected.

Hannah Lane - Baltimore, MD

Hannah Lane is a dancer, researcher, and historian from Baltimore, Maryland. Throughout her time in the swing dance community, Hannah has developed a loving appreciation for jazz music, and for jazz dances including Lindy Hop, snake hips, and Charleston.

Alongside dance, Hannah is passionate about sharing research that centers jazz and nightlife histories of African American communities in her home state, Maryland, and throughout the U.S. She is also passionate about uplifting the stories of Shake Dancers through her research and oral history project, Queens of the Nightclub.

Currently Hannah serves on the board of Collective Voices for Change and is a participant in the Al Minns Next Generation Project. You can learn more about her work via instagram at @hannahpilarrr and @Queensofthenightclub. Stay tuned for her upcoming Queens of the Nightclub Substack!

Timothy Christopher - Philadelphia, PA

Timothy Christopher was first a musician! His journey with jazz starts with self taught piano from and old recordings. He stumbled into dance years later while looking for a Jazz jam when got back to his home town from college! He found himself in a room full of people moving there bodies around to swing music, but there was one couple that was dancing! The next day he found himself in the couples house learning this lovely dance called the Lindy Hop!

Clearly he got obsessed with this dance and the culture surrounding the dance and now he is competing, dancing, and teaching internationally! He was in the most recent installment of the Swing Out Show in New York 2023, has performed at the Lincoln Center in New York and maintains good working relationships with most other instructors in the Lindy Hop scene.