"Alex and Catherine are great fun and energetic teachers... Yesssss!!!!!" 

                               - CaSandra Konopacki, Lindy Hop Student, March 2003

"The instructors were great!  They made swing dancing shockingly easy to learn."

                               -  Sara H, Swing Student, January 2003

"Very good instructors, and a very friendly and positive atmosphere."

                                 - Pete from Milwaukee, aka "Trace"  CC Swing Forum

Alex Pfeiffer & Catherine Walton 

Catherine & Alex have been teaching together in Madison since July of 2002.  They've come together under a basic philosophy of keeping each dance idea digestible, useful, and rewarding for every student in the class.  Catherine spent many of her young-adult years practicing for long hours in Tap, Jazz, & choreographing (as well as performing) for community show choir.  While these dance forms provided much excitement, it was swing dancing (lindy, blues) that eventually won her heart.  She feels that the fun in dancing must never be lost, and adds, "To follow is not to be led around from one place to the next, but to dance in the space where the lead invites you to move."  Alex, on the other hand, has no prior dancing experience to Lindy Hop and is positive that he is proof that, "Anyone can learn this stuff.  I couldn't even tap my foot in rhythm when I started."  Alex's exploration of dance (among other limiting factors) led him to take up Yoga.  He has since become a certified yoga instructor and uses his deep knowledge of the human body to propel his teaching of dance.  He believes that the goal of dance technique is not to instill formal rights and wrongs, but to distill out our natural simplicity which leaves room for and encourages shared spontaneity.  He adds that, "a great leader uses his entire self to build dynamic and structure that allows his follower to flourish."

Our purpose is not to get you to dance to particular rules, but to guide you to your own dance voice.  The first step in that journey is learning some of the basic steps and then taking off from there.  Every principle we teach is aimed toward this journey of further personal expression.  If a dance idea isn't making the dancing more joyful, a deeper experience, or promoting self-expression, we don't teach it.  

"I highly recommend dance classes taught by Alex and Catherine.  I find what they teach and how they teach to be incredibly inspiring.

Alex unveils details of how the dance 'works' that I find fascinating.  His in-depth understanding about swing, lindy hop, & blues allows him to communicate why each subject is being taught, not just the ordinary what.  Alex’s humble outlook, his approachability with questions, and his sensitivity to the challenges of learning something new made the classes truly a joy.

Catherine’s teaching, too has been incredibly helpful.  There have been times when I know I am having problems with an aspect of the dance yet don't really know exactly what.  Her insights have helped me to easily see what I was missing.  Catherine is very warm, empathetic and shows amazing patience with the greenest of beginners.

I have been delighted by the creative methods they use in their teaching.  This has been particularly evident in material concerning the "interior" or "mental game" of dancing.  They used some 'skit' based activities that greatly illuminated this profound ("subject" or "aspect of dancing").  Through Alex and Catherine’s teaching, I began to find a simple joy in being connected to both my partner and the music.  Dancing now makes sense to me.  It has become immensely fun and deeply enriching.

I hope my experience will motivate you to give Alex and Catherine a try.  You won’t be disappointed."

                               -  Brandon Schendel, March 2006