SANNA LEINONEN (Finland) & JENNIFER LEE (Usa)
Sanna Leinonen
Growing up by the arctic circle, in 2001 Sanna's childhood dreams of learning how to dance were fulfilled as she dove into Finland's lively social dancing scene. After having learned a variety of social dances she soon excelled in her skills, directing her into teaching right from the get go. Since 2007, Sanna has been focusing on Balboa, the bestest of the dances.
Her exceptional abilities in perception and her analytical mind make her a sought teacher for groups and private lessons. In Sanna's dancing you can see her love for swing music, the lightheartedness, gaiety and cheekiness of swing dancing. In 2025, Sanna will be celebrating her 15th BBW!
Jenn Lee (She/Her) is a renowned swing dance instructor with a passion for fostering an inclusive and collaborative learning environment. She emphasizes the importance of the follow's voice, ensuring equal attention to both leads and follows. Jenn acknowledges the Black cultural roots of swing dancing and encourages dancers to appreciate its rich history. As a professional follow without a dedicated partner, Jenn's versatile dance style adapts to various partners and teaching collaborations, enhancing her abilities as an instructor. Her strong music background allows her to seamlessly integrate rhythmic concepts and musicality into her classes, helping students express themselves on the dance floor. Jenn's love for social dancing and the swing community is evident in her warm approach and adaptable style, making her a valuable addition to any dance event she participates in.
Maria acuñas & luis arredondo (spain)
Maria Acuñas began dancing swing in 2014, and her love of the learning process has kept her going, adding more and more abilities and ideas to her distinctive style. She is a fan of high-energy swing music and her dancing is defined by her FUN and carefree style, with a strong emphasis on creativity, musicality, and partner communication.
In 2015 Maria started Jazz Bouncing, a dance studio in Mallorca where she is the principal instructor of Lindy Hop and Balboa, quickly becoming one of the island's reference followers. She has been dancing and competing in national and international events since the beginning of her dance career, winning various competitions, the most recent in Balboa being a second prize in Valencia Balboa and first place in the European Balboa Championships.
Luis Arredondo is noted for his energetic dance style, risk-taking, neverending smile, and detailed approach to the learning process. He relocated to Toronto in 2011, where he lived for ten years, traveling, teaching, and competing across North America. He is now back in Spain, building up the Balboa scene in Mallorca. Luis likes to keep his lessons moving by including lots of positive energy, a creative approach to partnership conversation, and a healthy dose of technique. He likes to make sure that each class gets everything it needs to succeed, and no two classes are the same!
In North America and Europe, he has won and placed in numerous national and international contests.
Grace babbes & blake thiessen (USA)
As Southern California college students, both Blake and Grace discovered swing dancing at their respective universities and were instantly hooked.
With SoCal’s rich history and dozens of the world’s best dancers and instructors, they developed a relentless obsession for Lindy, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag, and regularly social danced up to five nights a week. Both together and with other partners, they have won a variety of national and international competitions including ILHC, Camp Hollywood, California Balboa Classic, Hot Rhythm Holiday, and Camp Jitterbug. Blake and Grace share a deep reverence for history of the dance and music, especially the original dancers from Southern California, and often teach classes that focus on particular styles and techniques they used. As instructors, they emphasize beautiful basics, the joy of connected partnered movement, and how to connect the dance to the music.