Our Approach
Our Approach
Kenny and Maureen specialize in preparing students to have fun while becoming creative social dancers. Starting with a strong basis of lead and follow technique, they layer in the various rhythms, moves, and transitions that make swing dancing unique. Kenny's approach to the mechanics of the dance, combined with Maureen's improvisation skills, and their mutual love of the music makes their instruction engaging and relevant to all students. Additionally, their many years of teaching ensures that the content and pace of the class is accessible, allowing you to begin dancing socially after the first lesson.
Our Story
Meet the Team
Over the years we have taken classes from almost all of the great dancers & teachers of the current generation as well as legends such as Frankie Manning, his son Chazz Young, Sugar Sullivan, Barbara Billups and Sylvia Sykes. If we can pass on just a small amount of the joy these people have brought us we will have fulfilled our goal as dancers and teachers.
Maureen Bonnefin
Known for her feminine, yet goofy, dance style, Maureen loves helping follows discover their dance voice. On the social dance floor she enjoys dancing with all levels of dancers as both a lead and a follow. Inspired by improvisational signers such as Ella Fitzgerald, she especially loves when the shared connection of the dance allows each dancer to express themselves in new ways.
Kenny Bonnefin
Like a good Count Basie tune, Kenny's style is deceptively simple and powerfully smooth. He loves to teach students how to find the beauty in clear concise movement, providing the best frame to showcase a follow's vioce. He is most inspired by live music and has been known to have just as much fun watching a good swing band as dancing to them.
Our Story
Kenny & Maureen have always danced in small scenes. They first learned how to swing dance in the year 2000 when they took a social dance class at Humboldt State University. In this class they learned east coast swing, cha-cha, waltz, tango, polka and most importantly lindy hop. Lindy spoke to them as none of the other dances did. It was the perfect blend of structure and original crazy freedom that appealed to their sense of adventure and creativity. During their collage years they refined their abilities by attending the weekly meetings of the HSU Lindy Hop Club, monthly USABDA (now USA Dance) dances, and performing on the Lindy Hop club’s dance team. The main event for them during these years was the Redwood Coast Dixieland Jazz Festival and from 2002 to 2004 they won first place in the novice young adult dance competitions. They supplemented these outings with any other live swinging performances they could find and could often be found dancing on the Arcata plaza, the Eureka boardwalk, and in the lobbies of local hotels.
In February of 2006 they achieved a lifetime goal when they meet the legendary Frankie Manning at the Frankie Manning Workshop Weekend in Oakland. 2006 would also bring other excitement to their lives as they decided to move out of California to Moscow, Idaho. Their choice in their new location was partially made on the fact that at that time Moscow was the only city in the area that had a substantial Lindy Hop scene. Over the years they have contributed to every part of the local scene. From being on the local club's board of directors (including Maureen being event coordinator, secretary,and president), to teaching, DJing, and running workshop weekends such as Swing Out Nowhere. They now focus on contributing to the next generation of dancers by provided high quality instruction to the Palouse region and beyond.