Sophia Asta
Sophia has been around art and music her whole life growing up in the world of classical ballet. In college, she stumbled upon Lindy Hop and the wider world of social dancing. Since then she has dabbled in many styles of social dancing but Lindy Hop continues to be the dance and community where she feels most at home. She has enjoyed teaching Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing to the Northern Colorado scene and hopes to keep growing with the community.
Cara Bowen
Cara’s broad dance background began in childhood and includes more than a decade performing with an Eastern European folkloric dance company, followed by years exploring a variety of dance forms, including competitive ballroom and country western dance. She stumbled onto Lindy Hop during the swing revival of the late ’90s and, for nearly three decades, has brought her love of the music, movement, and connection to dancers both in the classroom and on the social dance floor.
Kevin Bretting
Kevin was first exposed to Lindy Hop in 2003 while attending the University of Wyoming. He was attracted to the joyful energy of swing music and the experience of partner dancing. He regularly travels to various Lindy Hop events around the country where he participates, competes, and continuously learns from some of the best internationally-acclaimed instructors. Kevin obtained his Master’s degree in Kinesiology studying adults’ motivations to participate in Lindy Hop and has a strong desire to share this wonderful art with the Laramie Community.
Beth Butler
Beth was one of Kevin’s Lindy Hop dance students around 2015 before moving to North Carolina and becoming more involved in the Lindy Hop community in the Triangle area of Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. From there, she shifted into Fusion Dancing for many years before returning to Laramie to complete her Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. She now works on her family ranch near Douglas, WY, splitting her time between there and Laramie.
Martin Chilvers
Martin came to dancing through a lifelong love of old-school Rhythm & Blues music. After dancing and teaching Ceroc, he discovered Lindy Hop during the swing revival of the ’90s and went on to help build swing dance communities in Australia, Austin, and southern England. A musician as well as a dancer, he has played in and led swing and blues bands formed specifically to play for dancers. Martin brings nearly three decades of experience with both the music and the dance to his teaching, with plenty of levity and playfulness.
Ron Jacobson
Ron Jacobson is one of the founding members of NoCo Swing Dance, a non-profit organization located in Fort Collins that is dedicated to sharing the joys and benefits of swing dancing. Mr. Jacobson has been dancing for over 25 years. His love of swing dancing can only be matched by his love of sharing what he has learned with others, especially new dancers.