Instructors
Estelle Bonnaire
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Estelle Bonnaire
Estelle began her dance journey at age 13 when she discovered Lindy Hop. Hooked from her first swivels, swing dancing quickly became her central passion accompanied by her second passion, traveling. At 18, she embarked across the world to learn as much about the dance as possible, eventually discovering her favorite dance, West Coast Swing. It melds all her favorite elements—smoothness, grace, and technique—with her love of swing. In 2011, she moved to Montreal for two years to train professionally as a dancer and dance teacher while developing her technique and pedagogy amongst the best of the community. All the while, she travelled to compete and became the first French All-star. In november 2018, she competed at The Open, category Classic, with Thibault Ramirez, and placed 6th, working closely in collaboration with Kyle Redd and Sarah Van Drake, and coached by Maxence Martin and Torri Zzaoui. Estelle now lives in the Bay Area in California, competing, teaching, judging, and head judging at WSDC events while she still travels to Europe. She teaches with a myriad of partners as well as collaborates with many of her peers. Moreover, she provides judges training during weekends centrally focused on helping the community grow and thrive as best she can. Her responsibilities also included 3 years of residing on the WSDC (World Swing Dance Council) board of directors in addition to acting as the WSDC European liaison. She continues to travel the world, sharing her passion with everyone she meets. Her joyful personality, easy-going and open attitude, and skillful reduction of hard ideas to easily understandable concepts make her a renowned teacher. These qualities make her workshops and classes leave her students with greater confidence and understanding than when they began. |
Austin Kois
Austin is an amazing dancer and wonderful human. He has won many things and is great at teaching, judging and performing. He is not great at submitting biography info! lol (webmistress)
@akoisdance
@akoisdance
Shanna Porcari & Paul Núñez
Paul and Shanna’s partnership began with a plot twist at Choreo Camp 2024.They quickly discovered how much they enjoyed working together, teamed up, and started competing in Showcase in 2025. Since then, they’ve traveled the country teaching, judging, performing, and placed 6th in Showcase at the Open.
In addition to their partnership: Paul is the creator of FotoFrame and Shanna is the creator of Sharky Swing.
Their partnership is built around power and dynamics, in addition to a growing collection of signature lifts and tricks. With over twenty years of combined teaching experience, Paul and Shanna are passionate about teaching and love bringing their fun energy to every workshop they teach.
In addition to their partnership: Paul is the creator of FotoFrame and Shanna is the creator of Sharky Swing.
Their partnership is built around power and dynamics, in addition to a growing collection of signature lifts and tricks. With over twenty years of combined teaching experience, Paul and Shanna are passionate about teaching and love bringing their fun energy to every workshop they teach.
Edwin Li
Edwin is an All-Star and Champion competitor who has danced West Coast Swing (WCS) since 1992 and whose background includes Latin and other dances.
In addition to his Jack & Jill and Strictly Swing compeititons, he has won the US Open Sophisticated Swing Division with Joanna Meinl (2018), and placed 4th in Classic at the US Open (with Libbat Shaham), top 5 in Classic around the US, and finaled in Classic at the US Open five times (with Libbat Shaham, Katie Schneider, and Courtney Adair).
He has taught and judged around the US and in Europe, and his style is based on artful use of footwork, body movement, power, and momentum, shared with his partners.
In his teaching, he weaves fun and technique, encouraging students to discover, develop, and share the fun and art of the dance.
In addition to his Jack & Jill and Strictly Swing compeititons, he has won the US Open Sophisticated Swing Division with Joanna Meinl (2018), and placed 4th in Classic at the US Open (with Libbat Shaham), top 5 in Classic around the US, and finaled in Classic at the US Open five times (with Libbat Shaham, Katie Schneider, and Courtney Adair).
He has taught and judged around the US and in Europe, and his style is based on artful use of footwork, body movement, power, and momentum, shared with his partners.
In his teaching, he weaves fun and technique, encouraging students to discover, develop, and share the fun and art of the dance.
Joanna Meinl
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Joanna has a unique and diverse dance history, beginning her formal training in 1990 with ballet, jazz & hip-hop, and then studying modern, classical Indian and dances of the African diaspora in college. She holds a B.A. in Dance Ethnology & Performance/Choreography and has danced professionally since 1998. In 2005 after becoming a Ballroom & Latin dance instructor, Joanna was introduced to West Coast Swing. She soon became immersed and has been a swing addict ever since! She has won many competitions including placing top 5 in Classic, Showcase, Champions Strictly, Champions Jack & Jill, Pro-Am Routine and Cabaret and is a two time US Open Swing Dance Champion in the Sophisticated division. Joanna has 25 years of teaching experience and incorporates both her technical training as well as her practical social dance experience into her dynamic style. She calls the Bay Area, CA home, but travels extensively, teaching, performing, judging, competing and sharing her love of dance! When she's not doing West Coast Swing you can find her teaching and performing kathak, classical dance of North India, with the Leela Dance Collective.
Watch Joanna Dance! |
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* PRIVATE LESSONS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH ALL OUR PROS!
PLEASE CONTACT THEM DIRECTLY FOR DETAILS & SCHEDULING.
PLEASE CONTACT THEM DIRECTLY FOR DETAILS & SCHEDULING.
