About Nathan

About Nathan

Nathan specializes in Lindy Hop, the high-energy swing dance from the 1930s and 40s. Nathan also loves to dance Charleston and jazz dance, and has dabbled in tap. He started swing dancing in 1997 and lindy hopping in 2000. A regular dancer in San Francisco since 2001, Nathan enjoys the , creativity and personal connection of social dancing as well as the challenge and satisfaction on working on and improving his dance.

Teaching

Nathan teaches regular group swing dance and lindy hop classes in San Francisco. Nathan's teaching draws on his many years of taking dance lessons and social dancing as well as his experience as a performer and competitor. Above all else, Nathan believes that dancing is about having fun and he does his utmost to convey this whenever he teaches. Nathan also teaches private lessons for individuals, couples and groups.

Performance

Nathan's earliest experience performing lindy hop was in 2002 when he was called back to be a swing dance extra for Swing the Movie, filmed in San Francisco. He received some prime screen time and you can even see him dancing in the movie trailer!

Soon after, he was snatched up by the local lindy hop troupe SF Bounce and performed with, choreographed and led rehearsals for that group until 2005. During this time, he gained plenty of experience performing at local dance venues, dance shows, and corporate events and parties. He competed with SF Bounce at the US Open Swing Dance Championship, and danced as part of the Kimball's East Speakeasy Show, He even performed at a gala event attended by Colin Powell!

Nathan was also an original member of the 3 Minute Maniacs, the premier San Francisco lindy hop troupe originally headed by international lindy hop sensations Kevin & Carla. Nathan performed with this group all over San Francisco, aboard the USS Hornet, and was part of the team that took 2nd place at the 2005 Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown.

DJing

Nathan started DJing at lindy hop dances in San Francisco. He has been a featured DJ at Cat's Corner, Swing Central, the Rhythm Lounge and Lindy in the Park. His music collection centers around the artists of the early swing era -- from the 1920s through 40s. His favorite musicians are Count Basie, Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford, Fats Waller & Slim Gaillard. Available to DJ for local swing events and private parties, Nathan's music is sure to get your toes-a-tapping!

Event Production & Community Building

Nathan has a long history of involvement in the San Francisco swing dance community. He started out volunteering with the Northen Californial Lindy Society to organize and run the annual Frankie Manning Dance Workshop Weekend & Shiny Stocking Ball, and also helped put on the 2005 San Francisco Lindy Exchange. He provided logistics and operations support for the Savoy Ballroom 80th Anniversary Celebration in New York City. Venturing into the arena of putting on his own events, he put on a successful day-long advanced dance workshop at City College, and organized a public swing dance event at Union Square that featured live music, a dance performance, and free swing dance lesson. Nathan runs Cat's Corner, the Wednesday night swing dance party at Savanna Jazz Club along with Catrine Ljunggren.

Nathan has had a variety of organizing experiences, including volunteer coordination, budgeting, working with talent, operations, publicity, and marketing. His many years of experience dancing in San Francisco also mean that he has a wide network of contacts including bands, DJ, performers, and other organizers.

Alter Ego

Outside of the dance world, Nathan is a Computer Engineer with a B.S. degree from Columbia University and has experience in hardware and software design. Upon graduation, Nathan settled in the Silicon Valley and worked on a microprocessor design team at Broadcom Corporation. While working at Broadcom, he moonlighted in web design and designed the www.sflindyhop.com swing dance calendar. Nathan left Broadcom in June 2005 in order to adjust his career path so that he could better balance his tech aptitude with his dance passion.

Nathan's web & software consulting business is located at www.natedigital.com.