Image 1 of 9
Image 2 of 9
Image 3 of 9
Image 4 of 9
Image 5 of 9
Image 6 of 9
Image 7 of 9
Image 8 of 9
Image 9 of 9
MEET JO: Jo Hoffberg is a force of nature. She is an international choreographer, a highly decorated competitor, a thoughtful mentor, a wearer of high-waist pants, and is best known for her teaching. She has taught Lindy Hop, Charleston, Vernacular Jazz, Aerials, Competition Prep, and Weekend Intensives both nationally and abroad since 2007. Her love and appreciation for various Black American art forms allows her to bring innovative versatility to the dance floor while simultaneously respecting the roots.
Her demand as an instructor, performer, and competitor has taken her to hundreds of festivals spanning 35 countries and five continents. After having spent many years prioritizing Lead & Follow, Jo now enjoys exploring improvisation, musicality, body awareness, and self-expression, which is apparent every time she steps on the dance floor (or posts videos of herself dancing in her living room). Incredibly passionate about teaching the solo side of partner dancing, Jo is super-freaking excited about helping students find their voice in this dance! Her motto: possibilities over perfection.
She has been honored for her contributions by being inducted into the 2012 Rising Star California Swing Dance Hall of Fame, 2014 Camp Hollywood Hall of Fame, and 2022 Shining Star California Swing Dance Hall. She holds countless titles from such prominent competitions as: The American Lindy Hop Championships, European Swing Dance Championships, International Lindy Hop Championships, National Jitterbug Championships, U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, and Lone Star Championships - to name a few. Lady Hoffberg has been interviewed for Swing Dancer Magazine, "The Track" podcast, cover of Swing Magasinet om Swingdans, and guest-starred in Yehoodi broadcast of ILHC.
As a community leader, she is shining the spotlight on the next generation by consistently competing in Pro/Ams at ILHC, mentoring the next generation of instructors, and supporting deeper structural changes in the community - check out her online dance school to see this in action!! She is continuing to invest in her personal dance education by regularly challenging herself in other genres of dance, and believes to be a good teacher you must also be a good student.
MEET TIM: Timothy Christopher is first a musician and second a Lindy Hop instructor. His journey with jazz started with self-taught piano from YouTube and old recordings. He stumbled into dance years later while looking for a jazz jam returning to his hometown post-college. He found himself in a room full of people moving their bodies around to swing music, but there was one couple that was partner dancing! The next day he found himself in the couple’s house learning this lovely dance called the lindy hop! He very quickly became obsessed with this dance and the culture surrounding the dance. These days, you can find Tim competing, dancing, and teaching internationally! He most recently was a part of the Swing out Show in New York 2023 as well as a performance at the Lincoln Center, NYC.