INSTRUCTORS
Irina Amzashvili - Salt Lake City, UT
Dancing in all forms has been a lifelong passion for Irina (she/her). In 2009, at the age of 15, she stumbled upon Swing dancing and it took only one night of social dancing for her to fall head over heels in love with 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, teachers, and music in the world.
Irina 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. Additionally, she is honored to have been inducted into the Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame in 2019 and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2022.
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Irina's teaching style can best be described as patient and encouraging. Her goal is to guide her students through building solid foundations while inspiring individuality in personal movement, as well as helping build confidence through dance.
Anthony Chen - Salt Lake City, UT
Anthony's first ingress into the performing arts was at age 8 when his parents convinced him to learn and perform Chinese lion dances. Naturally, he then stumbled upon breakdancing during a national speech and debate tournament in middle school, and he had his first foray into swing dancing at age 16 alongside other young interns from a research laboratory. Since then, he has trained in other dance styles including West Coast Swing and various modern street dances, 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 International Lindy Hop Championships, Montreal Swing Riot, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Lindy Focus, and Lindyfest and Lone Star Championships. His love of both leading and following, combined with his professional background in education, make the classes that he teaches both clear and intuitive. He is an active scene builder in his community and founded Salt City Swing, a non-profit in Utah where he teaches locally.
Elaine Buchignani - Seattle, WA
Elaine Buchignani is a full-time Lindy Hop & Jazz Dance instructor, organizer, choreographer, and program director. She is the co-founder of Swing Dance SCT, one of Seattle’s largest Lindy Hop & Jazz Dance schools, and the co-founder and organizer of Stormy Weather Jazz Dance Festival. She is also the founder and choreographer of Evergreen Rhythm performance team, a group focused on exploring the full range of jazz dance styles.
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Since the age of three, Elaine has spent her life diving deep into the diverse worlds of Ballet, Modern, Circus, Pilates, and Ballroom, but nothing captures her heart like jazz dance. As an instructor, she’s known for her keen eye for body mechanics and ability to break down complex concepts. As a dancer, she’s known for her versatility, dramatic stylings, creativity within the connection, and full body musicality. She’s won many contests at events over the years, but her heart belongs to performance, social dance, and building community.
Stefan Huynh - Seattle, WA
Stefan Huynh has been partner dancing for nearly two decades and swing dancing since 2010. He’s been a member of numerous performance groups such as The Big Apple Lindy Hoppers, Yeah Man, The Amazebals, and more. As a competitor, Stefan has won and placed at major events across the country such as Camp Jitterbug, Lindyfest, Inspiration Weekend, and others. He is an avid social dancer who values conversational dancing and prioritizes connecting with the music and his partner above all else.
Stefan makes use of his master's degree in psychology from NYU as an instructor of Lindy Hop, Balboa, and other jazz-age partner dances. He is a cofounder of Swing Dance SCT, one of the largest swing dance schools in Seattle and acts as a teacher, coach, and mentor there. He is known for his innovative pedagogy and passion for partner technique.