Cambridge Lindy Hoppers

Maria Andersson

Although Maria probably started dancing before she could walk, it was not until the age of 13 she started taking dance classes. She started off with street dancing and was part of a performance group for 2 years. She is very keen on learning new dances and has experience in salsa, bachata, merengue, ballet, argentine tango and a bit of modern and tap.

Maria has had the opportunity to take part of shows of various kinds, mainly as a street dancer. She has choreographed for several of these, including the CUCDW shows Elemental 2007 and Perspectives 2008. As well as dancing Maria has other experience of performing. She has competed in gymnastics with choreographed pieces to music, been a member and choreographer for a cheerleading group, and has been a part of a performance troupe in aerobics.

The swing dances lindy, blues and balboa are her favourites though, and she is one of the original members of the Cambridge Lindy Hoppers and their performance troupe. She started with lindy in France 2004, and got hooked after 2 weekends there and a week in Herräng. Since, she has made a habit of attending Herräng dance camp ever year. She is also notoriously known to prefer to spend more time in the air than on the ground…

Dancing is Maria’s life and she is very keen to spread the lindy love!

Gemma Barson

Gemma started dancing in 2001 and has tried many different styles of dance, from tap to ballroom, but swing dancing is her passion. Lindy hop and balboa are her specialities, and she also enjoys breaking down and teaching complex jazz routines. Gemma’s main focus is on relaxed connection and natural body movement. Gemma was a founding member of the Cambridge Lindy Hoppers, for whom she was president for a year, and she was involved in running the first ever Cambridge Lindy Exchange. She is a dancer and choreographer in the Cambridge Lindy Hoppers performance troupe, and also dances in the all-girl dance group “Sophisticated Ladies”. Gemma travels to swing dance events around the world whenever possible, but also takes inspiration from other styles of dance and music, and even from other activities like martial arts!

Toni Laurila

Toni Laurila began swing dancing at Swing Team in Tampere, Finland, in 2000. He started with boogie woogie and switched later on to lindy hop. In addition to boogie woogie and lindy hop, his current dance repertoire includes balboa, shag and Finnish swing dance, fusku. Toni is a keen social dancer who is not afraid to dance some social ballroom, like waltz, tango, cha cha cha, as well. Before moving to Cambridge in 2007 he was organising dance events and teaching beginners and intermediate classes in Tampere. In 2006 he played a key role in organising the Swing Spring lindy hop camp.

Lara Osmotherly

Lara studied a variety of dance styles growing up and originally qualified as a ballet teacher. Her experience is in teaching ballet to children and young adults, and training the youth chorus for local pantomimes. She started teaching with CLH in 2008 and especially enjoys the absolute beginner classes, aiming to give people the skills and confidence to enjoy social dancing while having fun in the process. She also enjoys the challenge of breaking down and explaining clearly body placement and connection technique.

Mirjana Skrba

Mirjana has been dancing for years, but not to any known rules. A couple of years ago she started lindy hop and found it an excellent way to share her enthusiasm for dancing with others. Her aim is to spread the lindy bug as far and wide as possible!

Katherine Watson

Katherine started swing dancing when she went to Edinburgh University in 2000, and has been addicted ever since. She is one of the founder members of Cambridge Lindy Hoppers, and is also responsible for the creation of a new dance form: Ceilidh hop! Lindy hop has taken her to many exotic locations around the world: Barcelona, Fukuoka, Stockholm….and Manchester to name but a few and she tries to spread her love of swing dancing wherever she goes.

Caroline Williams

Caroline flirted with various dance styles before settling on lindy in early 2007. She has been teaching since early 2008 and loves showing people how really impressive moves are actually the result of quite simple principles.

Holly Race

I began lindy hopping in April 2008. I’d wanted to learn how to dance for a while and had tried a lot of different dances (hip hop – too serious; medieval – too sedate; salsa – too sleazy). From my first Speakeasy class onwards, though, I was hooked on lindy. I love the energy of the dance and also just how tricky it can be to get right. While I enjoy going to exchanges and workshops, the Cambridge lindy scene will always have a place in my heart – it’s really friendly and fun, and of course it has some world class bakers! For my day job I work in London with an arts company, and in my spare time – when I’m not dancing, that is – I horse ride and occasionally direct theatre shows.