About Laura Jeffers
In addition to being the director of The Big Apple Lindy Hoppers, Laura is a nationally recognized judge at major dance events, most recently at the American Lindy Hop Championships. She has taught swing in locations both near and far including Sandra Cameron Dance Center in NYC and at camps and competition weekends all over the Northeast. Students and workshop participants enjoy Laura’s energy and enthusiasm, as well as her focus on partner interaction, musicality, self-expression, and having fun. To quote one event organizer: “It seems as if everyone who took your classes thought you danced on water!”
Her classes offer valuable experiences for everyone from the beginner dancer who can’t wait to get out onto the social dance floor to the experienced Lindy Hopper looking to explore Savoy Style more deeply.
She trained with Frankie Manning for several years when he was coach and chief choreographer for the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers, which Laura went on to direct. She has also studied extensively with Steven Mitchell, RyanFrancois and Jenny Thomas, and other contemporary Lindy Hop greats. In addition to her dance credits, Laura has produced and co-produced a number of swing events, including monthly dances at the 92nd Street Y and Frankie Manning’s 85th Birthday Celebration at the Roseland Ballroom.
Since meeting in 1997, Laura and Matt have collaborated on a number of projects. They worked together as members of The Big AppleLindy Hoppers, for instance, and helped bring Lindy Hop to children in New York City’s public school through Arts Horizons. They have also appeared together at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and in the PBS documentary Swingin’with the Duke, a 100th anniversary tribute to Duke Ellington.
Laura comes by her affinity for jazz naturally- her father is a prominent musician who has played bass trombone with the likes of Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, and Ray Charles, and currently co-directs the Duke Ellington Orchestra; her mother had a behind-the-scenes role in the first ever Newport Jazz Festival with George Wein. Laura herself is a singer with a particular interest in jazz standards and big band arrangements, so it was no surprise when she discovered Lindy Hop and fell instantly in love.
