The team at BTP 2009 (photo by Eric Bertrand)

Presenting our fabulous cast of writers and contributors:

Robert “Bobby” White (Baltimore/DC) is both a professional dancer and writer. He and his partner Kate Hedin teach Balboa and Lindy Hop internationally, and he is one of the organizers of Washington DC’s The Jam Cellar. He has been a journalist and humor writer for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution and Johns Hopkins Magazine, and is the writer of the notorious Jam Cellar newsletter and almanac. For more information, visit www.bobbykate.com. To read some of his non-dance writings, visit www.jackthevampire.com.

Bobby is best known for handing out $5 burrito coupons during our Lindybloggers trivia contests, and is so dedicated to the cause that he’s embarked on the P90X extreme workouts program in the pursuit of a story.

Casey Schneider (Seattle, WA) loves swing music and swing dancing, but loves telling people what she thinks even more. And somehow, she’s managed to convince the fine ladies and gentleman of the Seattle lindy hop scene that her opinion is actually valid.  You can find her on the dance floor; teaching at events that end in “-orama”; or on her soap box on Seattle’s White Heat discussion forum where readers are still not tired of her mediocre advice column, “Dear Casey”, after two years.

Casey’s column is a reminder to us all - “why so serious?” She and her partner Michael Faltesek are some of the silliest social dancers around. To visit her on the web, you’ll have to go to www.sisterkategirls.com, since she and Mike still can’t manage to get www.ponyandfalty.com designed.  (Interested?)

Mike Thibault (Rochester, NY) is Lindy hop’s best-kept DJ secret. He’s DJ’ed at exchanges, dances and workshops all over North America, in addition to organizing some amazing events like Stompology. If you ever visit Rochester, he will surely hold a rockin’ party in your honor at the famous Lindy Compound.

Mike’s our resident music guru and expert DJ. Check out his blog at www.mikethibault.com as well as www.groovejuiceswing.com

Abigail Browning (Washington, DC) loves words like “rigmarole,” “kerfuffle,” and “scrumtrulescent.” She learned such words during her years at Vanderbilt University, getting a vague and useless degree in “English.” She dislikes adverbs and clichés, and if she were a poem, she would be an epigram. But - Ms. Browning isn’t a poem. She’s a person. She’s a person who teaches connected and creative dance and loves to move through the metaphor and simile of the music. When she dances, she sees a brilliant array of colors, and experiences synesthesia on a regular basis. So, next time you get a dance with her, ask her what colors she saw while dancing with you!

Abigail is our very special insider in today’s Balboa scene. Visit her website at www.abigailbrowning.com

Emily “Jo” Hoffberg (Pittsburgh, PA), is a notorious movie quoter and inundates her friends and students with her “East Coast/Soprano” accent, one liners from Anchorman, Blades of Glory, SNL Coffee Talk, and My Cousin Vinny, as well as breaking out into song at inappropriate moments. When Emily grows up, she wants to be a secret agent and have language skills, knife throwing skills, shorthand skills, and the power to read minds. When she is not pretending to work on her website, she plots to take over the world; she is not entirely sure what she will do after that accomplishment. She does not enjoy long walks on the beach or cold weather, but does enjoy wearing boots and drinking cups of hot water.

Emily is our guest world-traveling pro Lindy Hopper, and has taught around all around the world, including in Argentina, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and Ukraine. Visit her website at www.emilyhoffberg.com

photo by Emmanuelle Girard

Alain Wong (Montreal, Canada) and Carl Nelson (currently traveling), both dancers, instructors and performers for many years, are the founders of Lindybloggers.com

In August 2008, they teamed up their collective blog experiences to provide a site for news, reviews and interviews related to Lindy Hop and vernacular jazz dances. Visit their personal sites at http://dancewithcarl.com and http://alainwong.com

We are continually looking for writers/collaborators to help us with this project, so please contact us if you’re interested.