MORE ABOUT HEP JEN
Swing Dance & Lindy Hop Instruction
Hep Jen specializes in Lindy Hop, a high-energy form of swing dancing emerging out of Charleston in the late 1920s, and wildly popular throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Hep Jen began her teaching experience in Seattle in 1997, energizing and establishing new venues promoting the growth of Lindy Hop. Over the last 10 years, Hep Jen has taught regularly throughout the Northwest, Western Canada, Florida, and California. Hep Jen has been based in San Francisco since 2004.
Today in San Francisco, Hep Jen is the regular instructor at Lindy In The Park on Sunday afternoons. In the same neighborhood, Hep Jen teaches Swing & Lindy Hop classes on Fridays at UCSF. For a complete list of current class schedules, and to register for upcoming classes, refer to Hep Jen's Swing & Lindy Hop Class Schedule.
Hep Jen also offers private, fast-paced instruction to individuals and couples. Whether you are a novice dancer or an advanced Lindy Hopper, the individual attention and pace of private lessons will quickly push your dancing to a new level. Contact Hep Jen for private lesson scheduling.
Choreography
Hep Jen is a choreographer in demand for her expertise in Lindy Hop and historical jazz dance. Hep Jen's choreography is displayed in numerous dance and theater performances. Her signature style is at once original and authentic, exploding with the energy of the swing era and celebrating the diversity of styles within swing dancing. Hep Jen was the featured Lindy Hop choreographer in the 2002 "Dance This..." show at Seattle's Paramount Theatre, where her choreography was performed for an audience of 2,800. Jen is dedicated to new work, innovating with each new project.
Performance
Hep Jen is known nationwide as a Lindy Hop performer. Hep Jen has performed from Seattle to New York to Florida to California, coupling with a variety of partners and in company with professional groups. Hep Jen was an original cast member of Swing This!, in which she performed Lindy Hop and Salsa for three years in four full-length dinner theater shows at the Century Ballroom in Seattle.
As an actor, Hep Jen's talent for inhabiting a diverse range of characters make her a favorite performer among audiences everywhere. From the glamorous diva in "Two Knocks & A Whistle", to the fierce road rage driver in the film "HONK", to a studious bookworm in "Day of Music", to the portly chef in "The Eternal Vaudeville", to a wide-eyed innocent in "Wearing On The Green", Hep Jen surprises audiences again and again with her ever-changing characters. In vaudeville shows, Hep Jen's bag of tricks includes silent acting, tap dancing, singing, 1920s Charleston, clarinet melodies, and peculiar props.
Hep Jen is the Lindy Hop dancer from the popular Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 software package, available for download and in computer stores worldwide.
In July 2003, Hep Jen and 40 other Lindy Hoppers broke the Guinness World Record for longest dance party, dancing for 52 hours continuously at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Here's Hep Jen's first-hand account of the Swing Dance Marathon.
Hep Jen organizes performances for senior citizens and the mentally challenged. Hep Jen's performances have enriched thousands of lives in underserved populations, spawning inter-generational friendships, understanding, and connection through swing dance.
DJ Hep Jen
Hep Jen is well-known as a swing DJ across North America. Hep Jen's club experience is extensive, and her music is enjoyed by dancers and non-dancers alike. In San Francisco, DJ Hep Jen spins monthly at Le Colonial, and makes DJ appearances at Cat's Corner, Julie's Supper Club, the Doghouse, Lindy In The Park, Swing Central, the 9:20 Special, and Tuesday Night Jump. In Seattle, DJ Hep Jen has hosted weekly dance nights at the Fenix Underground, the Century Ballroom, Vito's Lounge, and many other venues. DJ Hep Jen has been featured around the country at events such as Camp Hollywood, Swing Out Northwest, Swing Camp Catalina, Camp Jitterbug, and the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown.
DJ Hep Jen was the winner of the Century Ballroom's "World Series of Swing DJs" competition in Seattle. By popular vote of dancers over months of competition, Hep Jen beat eleven other DJs for the title.
Hep Jen also DJs for private events, including weddings and corporate functions. Hep Jen can even spin at your private event.
