The Killer Dillers

Juan Villafane hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been a leading proponent in the revival of vintage jazz dances in South America. Juan brings to The Killer Dillers a wealth of talent, known internationally for his stylish Lindy Hop, Charleston, Vintage Jazz, softshoe Tap, Cane and Acrobatics. His background in gymnastics and martial arts strongly influence his dancing, giving him a unique perspective on body movement and awareness, and a distinct - and often spectacular - personal style. Known for his high-flying aerials and eye-catching slides, Juan is a consummate performer and a creative dancer.

Juan holds first place titles at the International Lindy Hop Championships, National Jitterbug Championships, Canadian Swing Championships and other competitions internationally. He  has performed in Sweden, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Czech Republic, UK, Canada, USA and Argentina. With his dance partner Sharon Davis, he has performed with renowned Swedish swing dance company The Harlem Hot Shots, and has taught Lindy Hop across the globe.

Read more about him at www.juanvillafane.com.ar and at www.sharonandjuan.com

Sharon Davis originally hails from Perth in Western Australia, and is today an award-winning Lindy Hopper and Charleston champion, well-known in the international dance community. She is known for her passion for the jazz age, and her dedication to the history of vernacular jazz dances and the music they evolved to. In Lindy Hop, 1920s Charleston and Blues Dance, she is admired for her unique and feminine style, and vibrant personality that shines through her dancing.

She  has performed in Sweden, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Czech Republic, UK, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. With her dance partner Juan Villafane of Argentina, she has performed with renowned Swedish swing dance company The Harlem Hot Shots, and has taught Lindy Hop across the globe.

Sharon holds 1st place titles in Lindy Hop and solo Charleston at the International Lindy Hop Championships, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Canadian Swing Championships, National Jitterbug Championships and Camp Jitterbug, and has claimed numerous other awards in Australia and internationally.

Sharon is also a founder of Australian burlesque troupe Sugar Blue Burlesque, with which she has delighted audiences with her graceful feather fan dances and sassy showgirl antics, in Australia and around the world.

Visit www.sharondavis.com.au to find out more about her.

Kevin St. Laurent (USA) is internationally recognized for his energy and innovation as a Lindy Hop dancer, instructor, performer and choreographer. Over the past decade, Kevin has performed and taught swing dance around the world, across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. He holds many major competition titles, and has been a World Lindy Hop Champion, American Lindy Hop Champion, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown Champion and US Open Swing Dance Champion many times over.

His expertise is sought after by both amateur and professional dancers world-wide. Known for his creativity and innovation on the floor, this stems from his command of partner connection and musicality. Admired for his spectacular slides, spins, and high-flying airsteps, he is also a favourite on the social dance-floor.

Find out more about Kevin at www.kevinstlaurent.com

Jo Hoffberg is one of the most celebrated Lindy Hoppers on the global scene today. With her dance partner Kevin St Laurent, she holds 1st place titles at the US Open, Canadian Swing Championships, National Jitterbug Championships, American Lindy Hop Championships, and Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. She has performed around the world, including at Universal Studios in Japan, and has traveled throughout the USA, Asia, Australia, South American and Europe as a master instructor.

Find out more about her on her website and from her videos page.

Click on the main photo to view the next one, or navigate through the album using the thumbnails below. Click on “Link” to be taken to the original image, hosted at Flickr.

Photo credits:
Allison Michael Orenstein
David Woolley
Bryant Gover
Marcell Bendik
Ana Luz Crespi

Bring the spectacular style of song-and-dance entertainment from the golden age of show business, to your show, event or venue! The Killer Diller’s fusion of authentic vintage dances, elegant retro costumes, classic burlesque and cabaret, vaudeville and crowd pleasing theatricality make The Killer Dillers ideal for any venue or event.

The Killer Dillers travel around the world throughout the year, and are available for bookings internationally.

We can customize a show to perfectly suit your format, be it a full theatrical show, a 20 minute floorshow spectacular, or even a single show-stopping number. Performances can be arranged with solo performers and/or full company performances.

Spectacular and daring, classy and elegant, sexy and glamorous, zany and hilarious - we have acts to suit any event. Choose from our many memorable numbers, or we can tailor a piece to perfectly suit the theme and mood of your function.

Email info@thekillerdillers.com today to book The Killer Dillers and add a dash of old school glamour and sophistication to your event!

For bookings and enquiries, contact The Killer Dillers on…

Email: info@thekillerdillers.com

Phone: +1.415.225.8979 (Kevin St Laurent, USA)

The Killer Dillers are a company of professional dancers drawn from across the globe, specializing in performance artforms of the jazz era. Aiming to bring back the spectacular style of song-and-dance entertainment from the golden age of show business, the Killer Dillers’ repertoire includes Lindy Hop, Charleston, Tap and a variety of other authentic vintage jazz dances, as well as comedy, acrobatics and classic burlesque.
 

The Killer Dillers all share an affinity for the dance, music, fashion and history of the Swing era. Their shows and performances showcase Swing as it was danced, bringing the past to life with authenticity and class, and transporting you to The Cotton Club, the Savoy Ballroom or the Apollo Theatre as it was in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

 
The Killer Dillers are: Evita Arce (USA), Jo Hoffberg (USA), Juan Villafane (Argentina), Kevin St Laurent (USA), Nathan Bugh (USA) and Sharon Davis (Australia). » Click here to read more about the artists

 
The Killer Dillers travel the world throughout the year and are available for shows and performances internationally. » Click here for booking information

 
The Killer Dillers can be contacted on info@thekillerdillers.com

 

As dance instructors, The Killer Dillers’ expertise is sought after by both amateur and professional dancers world-wide. The members of the Killer Dillers have travelled across Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and South America, as master instructors. Classes are available in Lindy Hop, Charleston, Acrobatics, Vernacular Jazz and a variety of other vintage jazz dances, both partnered and solo. The Killer Dillers teach as individuals, as couples with their respective dance partners, and also in a variety of combinations when together. Contact us to find out rates, availability and booking information.

Here are some of the festivals and events around the world which have featured the Killer Dillers as dance instructors:

Herrang Dance Camp, Sweden
Rock That Swing Festival, Germany
Summer Jamboree Festival, Italy
Camp Jitterbug, Seattle USA
Swing Out New Hampshire, USA
Boston Tea Party, Boston USA
Camp Swing It, Seoul Korea
Great Southwest Lindy Fest, Houston USA
Barswingona, Barcelona Spain
Waterkant Jam, Hamburg Germany
Grenoble Swing Dance Festival, Grenoble France
Wicked Lindy Weekend, Boston USA
Camp Hollywood, Los Angeles USA
Beantown Camp, Beverly USA
Swinglandia, Kiev Ukraine
American Lindy Hop Championships, Stamford USA
Swing Crash, Como Italy
Swing Brother Swing, Genoa Italy
Swingin’ in the Rain, Liege Belgium
Goodnight Sweetheart, Hertfordshire UK
Montpellier Swing Dance Festival, Montpellier France
Inspiration Weekend, Orange County USA
Boogie By The Bay, San Francisco USA
Lindy on the Rocks, Denver USA
Sving du Nord, Minneapolis USA
Virginia State Open, Richmond USA
Hullabaloo, Perth Australia
Lismore Dance Camp, Australia
Harlem Dance Camp, Vilnius Lithuania
Prague Spring Swing Festival, Prague Czech Republic
Swingin’ Spring, Gotenborg Sweden
Swing Spring, Turku Finland
Crep’ Swing Festival, Rene France
Hop The Castle, Herefordshire England
Tononto Open Swing Dance Championships, Toronto Canada
Sugar Swing, Alberta Canada
Studio Hop Summer Camp, Eauze France
Melbourne Swing Festival, Melbourne Australia
Lindy Hop Argentina International Festival, Buenos Aires Argentina
New Year’s Dancin’ Eve, Boston USA
La Santa Swing, Lanzarote Canary Islands
Grenoble Lindy Exchange, Grenoble France
Boogie Swing Toulouse, Toulouse France
Les Fou de Swing, Paris France
Swing Blast, Perth Australia
Reno Dance Sensation, Reno USA
Rockin’ in Rhythm, Dublin Ireland
Rocktoberfest, Columbus USA
Jumptown Jam, Canberra Australia
Margaret River Summer Camp, Margaret River Australia
Lindy 500, Baltimore USA
Vienna Hot Swing Jam, Vienna Austria
Halloween Swing Camp, Stockholm Sweden
Be-Lindy Zena Camp, Genova Italy
Lindy Focus, Asheville USA
Southern Belle Swing Bash, Atlanta USA
Stompology, Rochester USA
Provence Swing Festival, Provence France
Lindy and Blues Weekend, Philadelphia USA
Northwest Girl Jam, Seattle USA
Followlogie, Quebec Canada
Swing Camp Oz, Adelaide Australia

The term “swing dancing” is an umbrella term for any dance done to swinging jazz music, from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. The most popular (and spectacular) of these dances was the Lindy Hop.

Lindy Hop is a partnered swing dance, that evolved out of the Charleston in the late 1920s, in the ballrooms and on the streets of the African-American district of Harlem in New York City. The dance evolved alongside swing music itself, emerging in the late 1920s when hot jazz (born in New Orleans) was transforming into swinging jazz, and died out (as we know it) in the late 1940s as the swing era gave way to bebop and rock ‘n roll. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, as swing music spread across the USA and the world, Lindy Hop spread with it.

Legend has it that Lindy Hop earned its name in 1927 when one of its original dancers, George “Shorty” Snowden, was asked its name by a reporter, and dubbed it Lindy Hop after aviator Charles Lindbergh and his famous solo flight across the Atlantic that year (newspaper headlines read “Lindy Hops The Atlantic”). It is sometimes simply called The Lindy, and some parts of the world knew it as The Jitterbug.

While the acrobatic aspect of Lindy Hop is perhaps most familiar to many people, Lindy Hop has many characters. Though it can indeed be danced wild and fast, with spectacular airsteps, it can also be slow and smooth, elegant or sexy.

Lindy Hop is the mother of a variety of other dances, that evolved out of Lindy from the 1950s onwards, including Rock ‘n Roll, Boogie Woogie, Jive, Ceroc and West Coast Swing. Lindy Hop is the original swing dance!

While The Killer Dillers don’t require a live band to perform to, the excitement and energy of live jazz music simply can’t be beat! The Killer Dillers have performed with many live jazz and swing bands around the world. Here are some of our favourites, who not only play the hot and swingin’ jazz music we love to dance and perform to, but also capture the style and glamour of the jazz age. These bands often tour nationally and internationally:


The Nine Pennies
Location: Bologna, Italy
Website: http://www.myspace.com/theninepennies
Email: classjazz@libero.it


Bratislava Hot Serenaders
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Website: http://www.serenaders.sk


Ondrej Havelka & His Melody Makers
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Website: http://www.melodymakers.cz


The Carling Family Band
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Website: http://www.carlingfamily.se


Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Website: http://www.campusfive.com


Michael McQuaid’s Red Hot Rhythmakers
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Website: http://www.redhotrhythmakers.com


The Boilermaker Jazz Band
Location: Pittsburgh, USA
Website: http://www.boilermakerjazzband.com


Mora’s Modern Rhythmists
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Website: http://morasmodern.com

The Charleston was the dance that captured the spirit of the 1920s. It was danced with wild abandon by a new generation of independent young Americans, to the new hot jazz that was flooding the country.

The dance began in Charleston, South Carolina, the city from which it takes its name. In 1923, The Charleston was featured in the Broadway show Runnin’ Wild, one of the biggest hits of the decade. The song from the show - James P. Johnson’s tune ‘The Charleston’ - spread the fad across the nation and onwards to the rest of the world.  Josephine Baker became famous for performing the Charleston in Paris (clad in nothing but a skirt made of bananas) in the 1920s.

The Charleston is both a solo and partnered dance, both wildly exuberant and exciting to watch. As the hot jazz of the 1920s gave way to the swingin’ jazz of the 1930s and 40s, the partnered version of Charleston evolved into Lindy Hop.

Many members of the Killer Dillers are international Charleston champions, representing some of the finest Charleston dancers in the world today. The Killer Dillers are also expert in a number of related solo dance styles, including Black Bottom and The Big Apple.

Some of the greatest dance acts of the jazz age were what we call “flash acts”. These performers were not only masters of their dance, but also incorporated astonishing acrobatics and crowd-pleasing physical feats into their acts. The most famous flash acts were featured in nightclubs, ballrooms and theatres, on Broadway and in Hollywood films.

There were Lindy Hop troupes, like the legendary Shorty Snowden Dancers, Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, and The Congaroos, plus tap-dancing flash acts like The Berry Brothers, The Nicholas Brothers, The Three Chefs and The Four Hot Shots.

In their spectacular homage to the flash acts of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, the Killer Dillers will impress you with their high-flying aerials, astonishing splits, and never-ending energy.