US Champion Dancer, Natalie Mavor, is the daughter of Australian Ballroom Champions, Roy and June Mavor. She started dancing at age 5, studying various styles of dance including, modern, jazz, tap, ballet, flamenco and eventually Ballroom and Latin. She began earning national championship titles at the age of fifteen.

Natalie has performed worldwide and has been a featured dancer on such projects as the Young and the Restless, “The Swan Princess” ,The Santa Monica Film Festival and the film “Dance With Me”, starring Vanessa Williams, including a dance performance with Harry Connick, Jr. at the Belagio in Las Vegas, as well as coaching actors for the film “Shall We Dance”, starring Jennifer Lopez. More recently, Natalie has produced and performed 2007 and 2008 dance productions for Crystal Cruises, and she is a featured dancer in the 2007 Disney film, “Enchanted,” starring Patrick Dempsey.

Natalie is completely versed in the International style and the American style of Ballroom and Latin. There are few instructors that we can bring to the Upper Valley who are as accomplished as Natalie. She is an exceptional instructor, as anyone who has taken classes with her will tell you. Natalie has taught several workshops for us in recent years. She joins us this season to teach one of the many dances she loves - slow Waltz.

Taste the excitement of Salsa in the Upper Valley.

Puerto Rican dancer, Sheila Larsson, grew up dancing to the great Salsa bands. Nicknamed “Liquid” because of her amazing fluidity on the dance floor, Sheila exudes salsa in every move she makes. She is ready to dance at the first beat of a salsa rhythm, and she’s usually the last dancer on the floor. If you want to understand Cuban Motion, one of the foundations of salsa dance, Sheila can show it to you like few others can.

John Tomeny is a driving force in the Salsa dance scene of the Upper Valley, both as a DJ and as an instructor. A dance teacher for fifteen years, John brings a unique depth of professional experience to dance instruction. But he never forgets to have fun as he spreads an infectious joy for dance in every class he teaches.

World Swing Dance Champions, Ben and Gen are from Quebec City, Canada. They are showcase champions at the 2005 World Lindy Hop Championships, 2006 and 2007 National Jitterbug Championships, 2007 World Swing Dance Championships, and the 2008 Canadian Swing Dance Championships. Besides being great performers and dancers, they are wonderful and caring teachers. They have been teaching worldwide for the last few years and the success of Portoswing dance studios where they both teach is a reflection of their dedicated work.

We are considering inviting Ben & Gen back in 2010. What to you think? Let us know.

John and Sandra Tomeny are personable and engaging instructors who have been creating opportunities for dance in the Upper Valley and greater New England region for over 15 years. New students to their classes frequently remark at how their instruction is clear and easy to understand. They bring a depth of professional experience to dance instruction while infusing their classes with humor and an ever present joy for dance.

Smooth Style Swing is a style of swing dance first introduced by Dean Collins in the 1940’s. Smooth Style Swing is both a popular style of Lindy Hop today and the inspiration from which West Coast Swing emerged. Since it is one of the “roots” of modern day swing dance (both west coast and east coast swing), learning Smooth Style technique and movement will help you to master other styles of swing dance more easily.