Internationally acclaimed Champs Steve & Heidi, famous for their phenomenal footwork, fun and creativity, are unquestioanbly one of the best Balboa Swing dance couples in the world. Steve & Heidi thrive on bringing their style of Balboa, Bal-Swing and Lindy Hop to dancers all over the globe (so far to England, Australia, Russia, Hungary, France & Sweden). Steve & Heidi are the 2005 National Jitterbug Pro Balboa Division Champions (first time nearly every Pro Bal dance couple competed in the same competition), the 2005 International Bal-Swing Champions (where the best from around the world competed for the cup) and the 2006 California Swing Dance Hall of Fame Rising & Nova Stars. Much more importantly they are superb swing dance instructors sought after for classes, workshops and private lessons worldwide. With over 20 years of combined teaching experience, Steve & Heidi not only bring their knowledge of the way Balboa & LA Style Swing was originally done in the 30's & 40's but also bring lots of fun and exciting moves they have created and innovated over the years, combining LA Swing and Savoy styles with Balboa.

"The best Balboa couple you've ever seen in your whole life." ~ John Wheaton, Monetrey SwingFest

Famous for their amazing and creative footwork, Steve & Heidi teach Balboa as it was done by the old-timers and Bal-Swing & LA Style Lindy Hop with their very own style and flair and what they call JitterBal, their fun and exciting combination between Balboa and Lindy Hop. After teaching in the San Franicsco Bay Area for five years, together with their precious baby girl Juliette, they have moved to Southern California and now teach weekly classes in North Hollywood at MKM every Tuesday. They give special workshops and travel around the globe to bring their knowledge and skills to dancers everywhere, with baby girl Juliette in tow. They also teach countless students in their homes using their Instructional Swing Dance DVD.

Steve & Heidi both have a remarkable understanding of body movement and mechanics and can break down moves and provide dance technique in easily understandable ways. Together their love for the dance, and each other, has created a teaching style which combines education and humor, making the dance lessons easier to assimilate and ensuring fun, laughter and learning. You will also learn directly from Steve & Heidi the many moves Steve has created over the past years, which many instructors all over the world teach in their Bal-Swing repertoire today, as well as the latest moves Steve & Heidi have innovated together and the way to seamlessly mix and match all the swing dances, which they have coined "JitterBal". And of course they can bring to you what those amazing gems of swing, the old-timers, have taught them. Most importantly, they can impart the true Balboa "feel" which is at the heart of this amazing dance.

"They are just as strong in technique as they are in natural talent, and they have the rare ability to teach all levels from beginners to advanced." ~ Riley Wimes, Jr., BigTymeSwing, Chicago, IL

Steve has been dancing since 1996 and his voracious appetite for history aided in his emerging into a Big Band music and dance historian, helping him understand all the different styles of Swing and why they fit so well with evolving music rhythms of the time.

Steve was fortunate to have learned much of his Swing and Balboa directly from the old-timers who he actively sought out. The old timers are those amazing dancers who innovated and danced the dance in the 30's & 40's, won jitterbug contests, and performed in the Swing era movies. Over many years Steve studied one on one on a steady and regular basis with the greats: Maxie Dorf, Anne Mills, Bart Bartolo, Hal Takier, Willie Desatof and others.

Steve brings to the classes well-rounded skills and abilities acquired and developed outside of swing. Steve is a recent graduate from the San Francisco Academy of Art University where he received a BFA in cinema/3D animation. Steve is also a Kung Fu San Soo Master, with over 19 years of study.

Heidi comes to Swing with a trained knowledge of dance and body movement, which she acquired as a dance major as well as from a long history of studying and teaching ballet, tap and jazz spanning over several decades, and even spent several years in the circus performing on the web (not to be confused with the internet) and trapeze ... seriously.

Heidi has also been fortunate to learn many moves one on one directly from the old-timers, including Hal Takier, Dean Raftery, Ann Mills and Natalie Esparza. Heidi embraces her feminist roots and strives to bring to follows all the fun and flair that has been historically reserved for the leads.

Heidi too brings to the classes her talents and training beyond swing. She is a Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice, practicing in civil defense litigation, aka, she's a trial lawyer.

Heidi also designs and maintains the website (in .html), so you can send any suggestions, comments or complaints to her.