Sarah started swing dancing her first week of college at UT Austin in 2007 and has been exploring all of the varieties of swing dance ever since. With a background in ballet, modern dance, and classical music, she highly values technique and mastering the fundamentals, but delights in the joys of collaboration and improvisation that are core to social dancing. 

Sarah moved to the Twin Cities in 2018, after hearing about how friendly both the lindy hop and west coast swing scenes are, eager to find a way to give back to the dance community. She then helped to found and currently runs Twin Cities Balboa Connection, where she also teaches and DJs regularly, and she volunteers and DJs at Rhythm Junction. As an instructor, she enjoys helping students think about dancing in new ways in order to create comfortable and fun dances that provide outlets for creative self expression. Sarah is most passionate about growing and fostering the balboa scene in the Twin Cities!

Gabi’s swing dance journey began in 2016 when she was seeking a new community to replace the Scottish Highland dancing of her childhood. In her college town, Athens, GA, Gabi soaked up a variety of dance content, learning many social styles, ballroom, contemporary, modern, and ballet. Soon, she was traveling for Lindy/Bal and teaching in the local college scene. Once she moved to the Twin Cities in 2018, her love for Balboa grew, and she now helps teach and DJ for Twin Cities Balboa Connection while volunteering and DJing at Rhythm Junction. 

Gabi's goal as a dancer and teacher is to have fun, be creative, and grow an inclusive space where everyone can connect with the feel of the music. Valuing playfulness, comfort, and joy, Gabi’s teaching integrates technique to strengthen dancers’ connection to both the music and partnership.

Dylan’s dance journey started with hip hop in school and college. His swing dance journey started in 2017 right after moving to Minnesota. He also has a classical music background and loves encouraging creativity and taking risks. 

He is an active DJ in the local scene and enjoys supporting local artists.

As a scene builder, Dylan focuses on building a supportive and encouraging environment to further the art form and keep people motivated to move forward. 

As a teacher, Dylan enjoys focusing on musicality, connection and comfort along with building individual aesthetics.

Griffin started dancing with the Colorado School of Mines Sliderulers Lindy hop team in 2018. He was introduced to Balboa in 2022 just before moving to Baltimore and sought out every opportunity to get more Bal, ultimately transitioning into a primary Bal dancer over the next year and a half.

Griffin moved to the Twin Cities in 2024 and is totally jazzed to contribute to the awesome Bal scene that Twin Cities Balboa Connection has cultivated.

When dancing, Griffin loves exploring internal rotation and the limits of communication through listening to his partner’s momentum.

Aidan stumbled through his first Balboa basics around 2004, and has been seeking opportunities to play with Balboa ever since. He started dancing in Southern California, and moved to Minnesota for the sole purpose of foisting more Balboa upon the Twin Cities. Aidan does Lindy Hop sometimes, too – you might see him rolling up to Rhythm Junction on his bike, a half an hour before closing. As a Balboa teacher, Aidan enjoys emphasizing comfort, flow, and musicality.