Denise and Jose hang with Olga Marina. Hear Olga talk about her experience learning Balboa, starting out as a teacher, and her life outside of dancing. Olga was born into a family of teachers, and has been an energetic live wire since childhood, diving into martial arts, gymnastics, and athletics. She found her passion for dance in 2007 through Lindy hop, and soon after began traveling the globe to dance, learn, compete, and eventually teach. Today she is an international Balboa instructor sharing her love for both solo and partnered Balboa worldwide. In her classes, Olga keeps students engaged with fun challenging tasks, that sharpen technique and musicality while deepening their love of dance.She is also the owner and creator of isolobalboa, and continues to encourage her students to tap into their creative spark.

Welcome to our first video episode! Jose speaks with Scott Angelius, creator of the widely-used application RP Scoring. Listen to Scott as he talks about competition judging and how to read scoresheets!

Join Jose & our guest interviewer, Jennifer, as they talk to Fancy Dougherty! Hear Fancy talk to us about her experience dancing in SoCal, what she looks for in a dance partner, and her thoughts on pedagogy. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Fancy fell in love Lindy and shag in 2008, with Balboa trailing not far behind. She’s been hooked ever since, constantly endeavoring to improve her technique on a never-ending quest for connection, improvisational freedom in social dancing, and the true jitterbug spirit. She has performed, competed in, and taught Lindy, Balboa, and shag all over the world, and is a five time winner of the national jitterbug championships in the shag division. She loves to dance with new people and beginners, so be sure to ask her to dance!

In this episode, we interview a *very* special guest. Ray Huffman was born in the 1930s and grew up dancing Balboa in Southern California, where he got to listen and dance to bands such as Tommy Dorsey, Nat King Cole, and Count Basie!Featuring Guest Interviewer: Cory Von KorffLinks:Ray's favorite modern balboa video

Jose & Denise spend time with Natasha Shevchenko & Michael Tan! One of Balboa's power couples and innovators in the scene. Natasha's accomplishments in the swing dance world include prestigious wins at the California Balboa Classic, Camp Hollywood, BalLove, The Snowball, Valencia Balboa Festival and BalWeek NYC, along with notable placements at the International Lindy Hop Championships and Hot Rhythm Holiday. She has also appeared on prominent television platforms such as Dancing with the Stars and PBS’s America’s Ballroom Challenge. Additionally, Natasha has performed on stage with SW!NG OUT on tour and in A Very SW!NG OUT Holiday during its 2024 and 2025 showings at the Joyce Theater.Michael fell in love with swing dancing in 2016, captivated by the magic of two strangers seamlessly connecting through movement. Specializing in balboa, Michael shares his passion for partner dancing, focusing on the art of melding two individuals and the interplay of lead-and-follow.Michael has won major titles at The Snowball, Bal Love, BalWeek NYC, Valencia Balboa Festival, and the California Balboa Classic, with notable appearances at ILHC, Camp Hollywood, and more. Beyond dance, his third-degree black belt in Taekwondo informs his unique teaching approach, blending principles across different movement backgrounds.Links:World Famous Swing Dancer Goes UndercoverBalboa: The MovieEssay: The Out and In Experiment

In this Bite Size episode, we listen in on Denise's chat with Bobby White at Bal-Love 2025. Bobby talks practice tips, and Balboa history & resources.

In this episode of Pulse, Jose & Denise interview a panel of dancers from the queer community! Listen to Emily Schuhmann, Jona Venzor, and Chuyu Liang share their diverse experiences as queer folks moving through dance spaces.Special thanks to Balorado (Denver, CO) for supplying promo material.

Denise & Jose hang out with Taiga Miyajima at Snowball 2025! Taiga found Swing dancing in 2016 and since then has been relentlessly traveling and competing across the world. In 2023, he embarked on a dynamic six-month worldwide dance adventure, making 23 stops across 17 countries and immersing himself in Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag. Along the way, he earned placements in both national and international competitions across all three styles.Today, Taiga continues his journey, not just as a dancer but as an organizer in Japan. Inspired by the people he met around the world, he has started a new adventure to create welcoming spaces for dancers from all corners of the globe, fostering the same sense of connection and community that has been so central to his own experience.

Our season finale! Welcome to the first of a new episode format titled Pulse, where we interview everyday dancers from the Swing community at large.Our guest is Karen Tong, from Hong Kong, China. In this episode, Karen talks to us about her injury she obtained during a competition and the discussions that have arisen in the aftermath on competition etiquette and safety.

Jose meets with international dance instructor, Jennifer Lee. Jenn is an internationally recognized swing dancer and Balboa instructor with a long list of competition titles, but some of her most important victories happened far from the dance floor.She earned her first blue ribbon at age eight by winning the 4-H Food Festival, an achievement made possible entirely by her mother’s cooking. In high school, she won first place in state debate, proving she can out-argue nearly anyone.She later became a board-certified physician, despite receiving a strongly worded letter from her medical school dean after she convinced half her class to dance on top of a bar.In the dance world, Jenn has picked up numerous awards across Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag. She is especially proud of placing second in the Hot Wings Showdown at the California Balboa Classic, losing only to the legendary Andrea Gordon. Jenn is known for her musicality, her humor, and her dedication to helping dancers find their voice on the social floor.Music: Deja Vu by Greg Ruby.