Erik Robison
Erik Robison, with then-partner Sylvia Skylar, studied hours of old movies, soundies, and vitaphone shorts, eventually finding many of the original dancers from these clips and learning from them directly. They fell in love with the Southern California Swing Dance Style of the 1940s and dubbed its revival “Hollywood Style,” referring both to the geographic area and the medium from with they learned, old Hollywood and its dancers. Their partnership took them all across the United States, and abroad, as winning competitors, performers, and instructors. Erik was one of the first people to be inducted into the Lindy Hop Hall of Fame. He now calls New Mexico home, and he is eager to bring his passion for the dance and decades of experience to the local community.
Amanda Shaffer
Amanda started partner dancing during the Swing Revival of the 1990s at the long-running Calming Four Heights Community Center dance on Tuesdays. In 1998, she headed to college in Los Angeles and immediately fell in love with the “Hollywood Style” that was popular in the area. Erik and Sylvia were some of her dance idols back then, so she still has to pinch herself sometimes when she’s teaching with Erik. Amanda loves social dancing and has danced all over the country and in parts of Europe, too. Since returning to her home state, she enjoys teaching group and private Swing and Country lessons in Albuquerque.