Meet Our Instructors
Anna has been dancing in some way, shape, or form for most of her life. From her initial ballerina dreams to tapping up a storm in high school musical theater, she just loves to move it, move it. Her focus has been blues and jazz since 2008. Solo movement, creativity, and musicality are strengths as both a teacher and a social dancer. (She was once recognized at a dance event as "oh, you're the one with the hips.”)
Anna Washenko
Los Angeles, CA
Adam and Krystal Bowen Wilkerson
Krystal has an uncanny energy and enthusiasm for blues music and dancing, and can often be seen at events all over the southeast and, indeed, the country, closing down late nights, frequently dancing until dawn. She’s been partner dancing in various styles since 2007; Blues stole her heart, however, in 2010, and has never let go. She’s a fierce competitor, making finals at multiple national blues dance competitions, and brings her fervor for connection into all of her dancing and instruction.
Adam’s been dancing in a variety of styles since 2004, but he followed Krystal into blues in 2010, and it’s been his primary focus ever since. He’s passionate about social dancing and blues music, and loves to explore all different blues styles in his setlists and instruction. Adam’s also danced at events all over the country and in Australia, and DJ’d throughout the Eastern US. His analytical approach to connection and value for intuition in dance provides a unique classroom environment.
Krystal and Adam both still dance various swing styles (mostly balboa and lindy hop), and spend a lot of their free time hiking with their greyhounds and rock climbing. They’ve been teaching swing and blues since 2009, but have been focusing on blues instruction since 2014. They teach at the weekly meetings of Thursday Night Swing in Huntsville, both with each other and with other instructors in the area, and they host a biweekly blues group practicum at their home. Krystal’s passion for the dance is apparent in her teaching style: upbeat, personal, encouraging, and energetic. Adam’s experience teaching math makes his style more analytical and minutiae-oriented. Together, they balance out as an effective partnership, keen to instruct any group, and their collective passion for the dance is evident in their classes.
Clyde Wright
Clyde Wright is a social dancer, teacher, DJ, competitor and performer from Washington DC with over fifteen years of partner dance and stage (dramas, musicals, operetta) experience and a lifetime of musical experience in a variety of forms. His intense study of partner dances began over a decade ago with West Coast Swing and he quickly discovered Blues, Tango, Lindy, Salsa and Fusion dancing from there. He has placed and won in many Blues and West Coast Swing competitions over the years, in addition to performing various choreographed pieces, of which he has created with his partners.
As an instructor, he loves breaking down all of the subtle interactions that can happen between partners in a variety of ways to help students with the learning process, and is interested in bringing new methods of teaching to groups that aren’t commonly seen in social dance instruction. His instructional style is breezy, entertaining, and self-aware, knowing that a relaxed, fun learning environment is the ideal incubation for creativity and exploration. Clyde teaches and DJs regularly in Washington, DC and is hired to teach and DJ regionally up and down the East Coast.
Recent project of Clyde’s include co-hosting and creating the Blues Dance World and Fuse Muse podcasts and his current area of dance study is Balboa.
Laura Chieko
Laura Chieko loves to dance, even more than she loves shoes. Since 2006, Laura has trained in Lindy hop, balboa, and blues, and dabbled in a myriad of other dance styles. She is known for her grace, enchanting performance, and effortless following. Her musical training informs her intricate musicality and opinions on how clarinets should sound. Laura loves blues for its emphasis on connection and the rich diversity in its music which she seeks to celebrate on and off the dance floor. On that dance floor, she is best known for her poise, ability to rock the color orange, and occasionally winning things.
An educator in dance halls and traditional classrooms, Laura is known for her sunny disposition, student engagement, and captivating exploration of tiny details. She pulls from her wide cross training from balboa to human anatomy to create classes accessible to a broad range of students. Learn more at www.laurachieko.com!
Check out their various websites and youtube channels for extra inspiration!
