Instructors
MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS
Damon Stone
Damon has been dancing his entire life, starting with vernacular Jazz/Blues first taught to him at the tender age of six by his grandmother. After nearly a decade of learning at the heels of his elders, he went on and eventually studied numerous dance forms until coming full circle in 1995 to focus primarily on the history and styles of partner dances as his family danced them with a special focus on the Southern Blues styles from the Mississippi Delta region. He has studied the development of vernacular Jazz/Blues dance across the United States learning from a number of the original dancers.
He is largely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Blues idiom dance and has been interviewed as a dance historian in documentary, dissertation, podcast, radio, and newspaper. Damon has been a featured instructor at camps, festivals, and workshops around the world.
Kelsy Stone
Kelsy brings her lifetime of dance training, a passion for vernacular dance, and a sharp eye for technique to the Blues dance world. She has brought her joy and knowledge of Blues idiom dances to some of the most important and high-profile events in the USA and across five continents, including but not limited to: bluesSHOUT!, The Experiment, Muse, Hearken the Blues, and Seoul Blues Dance Festival-serving as faculty, mentor, competition coordinator, and judge.
Kelsy's critical eye and love of deep technique are tempered by her love of "dad jokes," getting lost in the music, and embracing of the ridiculous. She shows her appreciation of African American culture by speaking of the history of Blues idiom dance and taking her craft seriously, but never herself. She believes every mistake is an opportunity to learn, every class an opportunity to challenge, and every dance an opportunity to pay respect to those who came before.
Julie Brown
Julie Brown (any/all pronouns) is a Boston-based blues dance teacher, DJ, choreographer, competitor, organizer, and enthusiastic student. She has been participating in blues dance since 2004 and has since gone on to teach blues dancing around the globe and won many national competitions.
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As a teacher, Julie aims to help students connect with and understand blues dance’s deep roots, find their own voice, and connect to themselves & others authentically, joyfully, and respectfully. Julie has taught blues dancing in Austin, Boston, San Francisco, Seoul, London, Chicago, Zurich, and many places in between. They are grateful to have won or placed in many solo & partnered blues competitions, including at bluesSHOUT!, Blues Muse, Mile High Blues, Steel City Blues, Northstar Blues, and more.
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Julie is continually reconnecting to their love of solo blues dancing, working on Chicago-style Stepping, headstands, & leading blues, as well as continuing to learn about blues history and its connections to later and present-day Black social dances & music.
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For dance videos, pictures, and more info, check out https://www.julie-brown-blues-dance.com/
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Krystal Wilkerson
Krystal loves living in Huntsville, Alabama, although she is originally from southern Ohio. She has an uncanny energy and enthusiasm for blues music and dancing, and can often be seen at events all over. She's been partner dancing various styles since 2007; Blues stole her heart, however, in 2010, and has never let go. She loves traveling to teach all over the world, ranging from small community-focused events all the way up to Large-Scale International events. She brings her passion for connection into all of her dancing and instruction. Her love of the dance is contagious, and she believes in injecting fun into all of her classes.
Adam Wilkerson
Adam is proud to call Huntsville, Alabama home, but he's originally from Mississippi. He's been partner dancing since 2004, starting in Ballroom, Latin street dances, and Lindy Hop, 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 instruction and setlists. He strongly believes in teaching the context and history of the music and the dance, focusing on research in the Mississippi Delta in his spare time. His analytical approach to connection and value for intuition in dance provides a unique classroom environment that promotes self-awareness and improvement beyond the classroom. He believes in learning through experience and experimentation, so expect a LOT of getting up and dancing in classes.
Kenneth Shipp
Kenneth Shipp hails from St. Louis, MO as an instructor who grew up dancing hip-hop and DJing breaking comps before jumping into blues. He has spent the past few years passionately studying the family of blues idioms, incorporating his nerdy personality along the way. Kenneth’s life experiences inform his dancing and teaching style so that students walk away with a better historical and contextual understanding. With every class and practice, he'll encourage you to approach social dancing with coolness, relaxation, or in other words “Chill The F$%& Out.” When he’s not dancing, you can likely find him ranting about the latest blockbuster movie, game, or nerd convention, or desperately trying to dismantle toxic institutions.
Cynthia Menos
Cynthia has been active in the dance community since 2016, balancing roles as a teacher, DJ, and organizer. Over the years, she has helped found two blues dance scenes, the most recent being in her home scene Pittsburgh, PA.
Cynthia enjoys teaching and has recently been featured at regional blues workshops and the national festival Steel City Blues. In her classes, she blends historical and modern context, helping dancers to have a deeper understanding and connection with the dance as well as the community surrounding it.
Competitively, Cynthia has finaled or titled at Stompology, Montreal Bagels and Blues, Flying Home, Bean Town, and Blues Muse. Outside of Blues, you'll often find Cynthia dancing or competing in Solo Jazz, Lindy Hop, Salsa, Bachata, and Urban Kizomba.
Mike Legenthal
Mike Legenthal became a full-time blues dancer in 2007. She has taught at events all over the world, from Boston to Milan, and Seoul to Sidney. A teacher's teacher, she often serves as head judge, teaches the instructor-training tracks, and pushes dancers to learn more about the roots of the dances and music we love so much. Yet while her resume may look intimidating, her classes are full of creativity, warmth, and laughter. Her classes are incredibly welcoming, and are a perfect place for those with a natural groove or with two left feet. In her dancing, she seeks to be distinctive and creative, and to alway drive towards the heart of blues aesthetic and culture. She immerses herself in the music and in playful, dynamic partnership. As an instructor, she offers both detailed technical descriptions and imaginative metaphors, to reach a wide range of minds. She is clever and respectful, and hopes to leave her students engaged in nuanced critical thought- and to get them out onto the dance floor.
Dan Legenthal
Dan Legenthal is a blues idiom, vernacular jazz, and swing dancer currently living in Atlanta, GA. He specializes in early-to-mid 1900’s era African American improvised partner dances done to Blues and Jazz-Blues music. Dan’s classes draw inspiration from his background in classical guitar, as well as from lessons and conversations with Blues historians (Elijah Wald) and legendary Blues players - Phil Wiggins, Daryl Davis, and Rich Delgrosso, just to name a few. Since 2012 Dan has taught, DJed, and performed around the world at events like The Blues Experiment (USA), Seoul Blues Dance Festival (South Korea), and Spoonful of Blues (Scotland).
If you are passionate about African-American dances and would like to give your support, please consider donating to a charitable organization such as the Ujima Foundation (https://ujimablues.org/) or the International Association of Blacks in Dance (https://www.iabdassociation.org/).