Instructors

Hallie Kuperman is a beloved Seattle dance instructor, producer, and community builder with over three decades of experience in social dance.  She founded and owned Century Ballroom from its inception in 1997 until the brick-and-mortar space closed in 2025.  Today, Century lives on through Century Ballroom Roadshow, where Hallie and her dance partner Alison continue to teach, DJ, and produce dance events throughout the community.

Since 1991, Hallie has taught nearly every form of social dance, working with dancers of all levels and backgrounds.  She currently teaches all levels of Salsa at Reverie Ballroom, and DJs and instructs for OutDancing, the monthly LGBTQ+ social dance at Reverie Ballroom.

In addition to teaching, Hallie produced, choreographed, and performed in Century Ballroom’s acclaimed cabaret shows.  Since 2010, she has co-produced Seattle Dances, a “Dancing With the Stars”-style fundraiser benefiting Plymouth Housing, combining performance, community engagement, and philanthropy.

Her teaching and choreography experience spans an impressive range of institutions, including Google, Microsoft, Team Survivor Northwest, EMP, the University of Washington, Cornish College of the Arts, Northwest School, Folklife, and countless schools, private lessons, and community programs.

At the heart of Hallie’s work is a deep passion for her students.  She is dedicated to creating inclusive, supportive, and joyful learning environments where dancers feel welcome, confident, empowered, and inspired — on and off the dance floor.

Alison Cockrill
Seattle — Century Ballroom

Alison (she/her) began formal dance training at age 4, and a professional performing career in 1987.  She has performed works by and toured internationally with modern dance choreographers Wade Madsen and Pat Graney.  She fell in love with salsa after a trip to Guatemala in the mid-nineties and has been teaching it since 1999.  One of her favorite parts of teaching is when beginning students get hooked and say what she said her first time in a salsa club, “I can’t believe this was here all this time.”

Barb Buys
Seattle — Rain Country / Rhythm Riders

Barb’s (she/her) first dancing love was folk dancing, starting at age 9.  She started teaching folk dancing to family and friends and as a professor in a local college.  Barb caught the line dance bug at the Timberline.  She has performed with Cascade Cloggers, Women Who Clog Too Much, and the Rhythm Riders.  Barb has been teaching Country Western Two-Step, Waltz, West Coast Swing, and Line Dancing for the past 10 years.

Barb loves the excitement she sees in others when they can use their instrument, their bodies, and be part of a line dancing group as it moves and stomps.

Emily Kessler
New York — Stud / UEVR Line

Emily Kessler (she/her) is a dance-based artist living in Brooklyn, NY.  She has been dancing professionally in and around  NYC since 2017, working across film, stage, opera, site-specific, and  touring dance works.  Her own choreographic work has recently been performed at Mark Morris, Arts on Site, PAGEANT, and Issue Project Room.  She holds a BFA in performance and composition from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance.

Emily found line dancing in early 2023 and started teaching and choreographing line in early 2024.  She instructs classes and events for Stud Country and has also had the pleasure of teaching events and classes for UEVR Line, Collina Strada, Unisex, and Honky Tonkin’ in Queens among others.  She is so excited to be teaching her choreography for ECH!

Ever
Seattle — Rain Country / The Reverse Cowboys

Ever (they/them) is the Co-Director of Programming for Emerald City Hoedown 2025 and is thrilled to be supporting the event this year.  They are excited to be gathering with a diverse and inspiring group of instructors from all over the country this year.

Ever holds a BFA in Dance Pedagogy, Composition, and Performance from Ohio University and has over 15 years of professional teaching experience, working for organizations such as The Yard, Velocity Dance Center, ImpulsTanz, Dublin International Dance Festival, and New York Live Arts.  With a long list of varying instruction lineage, they are thrilled that this now includes Line Dancing and Two Step after finding their way to a Rain Country event at The Cuff in early 2022.  Since their extensive performance career in NYC and Europe, Ever now joyfully teaches for Rain Country Dance Association, Century Ballroom, Emerald City Hoedown, and other events in Seattle.  They co-spawned The Reverse Cowboys (@the_reverse_cowboys) in June 2024 and organize parties, lessons, and choreograph their own line dances and performances for the group.

Flynn Bickley
Seattle — Rain Country / Rhythm Riders

Flynn Bickley (they/them) is a freaky trans queer line dancer who has been dancing with Rain Country Dance Association since 2019.  Flynn loves building community through dance, and while it’s hard to get them off the dance floor, they love making new friends.

Flynn enjoys teaching dance, learning new dances, and being "flynnboyant."

Forest
Seattle — Rain Country / Rhythm Riders

Forest (they/them) started dancing classical ballet at 5 years old and has been teaching dance since middle school.  After high school, they discovered Lindy Hop and fell in love with partner dancing.  They have also been a yoga instructor since 2006.

Forest began line dancing in 2019 and now teaches regularly with Rain Country Dance Association.  They love creating and being in a space where gays and queers can be in their bodies, moving together in joy and expression.

They are co-director of Programming for Emerald City Hoedown.

Janaye
San Francisco Bay Area

Janaye (they/them) is a passionate line dancer with two years of experience, bringing rhythm, energy, and community spirit to the dance floor.  They have taught at dance events around the Bay Area over the last year, sharing their love of movement and making line dancing accessible and fun for all.

For Janaye, line dancing is more than just steps — it’s a way to foster joy, connection, and celebration within the queer community.  Grateful for the opportunity to teach at Emerald City Hoedown, they can’t wait to hit the dance floor with you!

Jim Drew
Seattle — Rain Country / Rhythm Riders

Jim Drew has been dancing country-western for over 35 years and teaching for nearely 30 years.  He is a regular instructor and DJ for Rain Country, and he has taught workshops at the Emerald City Hoedown, Sundance Stompede, and at several IAGLCWDC annual convention hoedowns.   He has performed with and choreographed for several dance teams, including the Rhythm Riders.   He competed in line dance at the World OutGames in Montréal, Copenhagen, and Miami, winning two gold medals in Copenhagen.

He is co-director of Programming for Emerald City Hoedown and has served on the Rain Country board of directors and the Emerasld City Hoedown committee since day one.

Léo (he/they) –
Seattle — TQPiD / Reverie Ballroom / Rain Country

Léo (he/they) is a queer, Filipinx, neurospicy dance instructor and the Co-Director of Programming for Emerald City Hoedown 2024 & 2025.

They taught and performed professionally in Ballroom dance from 2019 to 2023 before shifting their focus to queer- and trans-centered instruction.  In 2024, Léo began teaching Queer Bachata and OutDancing at Century Ballroom, while also co-organizing Baila Latinx.  Their teaching extends across Seattle’s dance community, including events like Weekly Thursday Fusion, Queerchata Seattle, and supporting OutCountry.  Inspired by the inclusive spirit of OutDancing and OutCountry, they founded Trans Queer Partners in Dance (TQPiD) to expand queer and trans visibility and access within partner dancing.

For Léo, dance is more than movement — it’s a joyful act of community care, connection, and growth, ensuring that dance remains accessible and inclusive for all.

Lindsey
Seattle — Rain Country / The Reverse Cowboys

Lindsey (they/them) fell in love with country dancing in 2022 through Rain Country.  For them, dance is more than movement — it’s a powerful form of resistance, expression, and joy, especially within the queer community.

As an instructor with Rain Country, they are passionate about sharing this joy with others.  They also organize outdoor line dancing through their performance group, The Reverse Cowboys, and founded 253Step, a queer country dance night in Tacoma.

In 2024, Lindsey expanded their love for dance into choreography, creating dances that embrace all skill levels.

Rob Ollander-Krane
Palm Springs — Dance Ranch

Rob (he/him) grew up hating country music until one day, he walked into a gay bar and saw a group of men doing the two-step.  Country music and two-stepping have been his obsession ever since… and he has the cowboy drag to prove it. Rob joins us from Palm Springs where he is the Director of and teaches at Dance Ranch Palm Springs.  He also teaches at Sundance Saloon in San Francisco and has taught here at the Emerald City Hoedown for many years.

Sarah
Chicago —   Second City Dance Association

Sarah (she/her) is a choreographer, instructor, and dancer in Chicago, Illinois.  She is the current Chair of the International Association for Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs and President of the Second City Country Dance Association.  She has over a decade of teaching experience and believes line dancing should feel fabulous and have plenty of room for embellishments and modifications.  Sarah is particularly committed to elevating trans and lesbian instruction and community-based country dance spaces.

Sye (he/him)
Oregon — Landline

Sye (he/him) began casually 2stepping at The Cuff in Seattle  back in 2005.  After a life-changing event in 2022, he became motivated to dance ALL the time.  Over the past few years, Sye learned that he loves all styles of partner dancing, and discovered that line dancing is not as mysterious as he thought.  He now dances as often as possible while living rurally, and hosts queer country dance events in Portland and Vernonia under the name Landline (LinkTree) (Instagram).

Wayne & Jae
San Francisco — Mussel Rock / Barbary Coast Cloggers

Wayne (they/them) and Jae (they/them) are two trans kings with a love of dance and being gay.  They began their clogging journey with Mussel Rock & Barbary Coast Cloggers in San Francisco and are excited to share an introductory lesson to this historical and special dance form with Emerald City.

Laurie
Seattle   —   Rain Country

Laurie started dancing with RCDA and has been DJing recent OutCountry nights.  You may also find Laurie at 253step! 

Mickey Carfora
  

With 15 years of experience, I teach, mentor, and create spaces where dancers connect and grow.  As an organizer of Starlight Strut and Hotline SF, I am dedicated to fostering inclusive communities through movement, music, and collaboration.  If you have a question or want a dance, I’m your Cowboy on Call.

Jim Drew
Seattle —   Rain Country

Jim has been DJing for Rain Country for 19 years and has a massive library of country CD’s he hasn’t even looked at yet for great dance music!  He has also DJ’ed for IAGLCWDC hoedowns and clubs in several several cities across the US and Canada.

mr. kate
Seattle — Rain Country / OutDancing

mr. kate was talked into DJing for Rain Country over a decade ago (thanks, Dave!) and for the last three years has been co-DJing OutDancing at Century Ballroom.  They were raised on 90s country and have a soft spot for country music by independent queer artists.  When not DJing you can find them knitting, reading fantasy novels, or doing the bidding of, Lily Floofindottir, their 18lb cat.

Jae Cripe (aka DJ Virgo Cowboy)
Oakland/Atlanta — Stud Country / The HeartStompers

Jae Cripe (he/him), is a Bay Area-based DJ and dance enthusiast with deep roots in the south.  While he doesn’t have any formal dance training, he has always been obsessed with cowboy boots and leather.  His passion for country music and dance was sparked many years ago in Atlanta at the Three Legged Cowboy and Log Jam at Mary’s.  Jae is a resident DJ at Stud Country, and you can catch him dancing as often as possible at places like Sundance Saloon & Starlight Strut in the Bay Area, or DanceOut in Atlanta.  He is also a proud member of the HeartStompers and has recently started learning to clog with Mussel Rock and Barbary Coast Cloggers.  Jae is thrilled to share his love for historical dances & tradition and of course, having a gay old time with ECH!

Shana

Shana has been dancing with RCDA for over 15 years and has been DJing for the Hoedown for over 5 years.  She enjoys West coast swing, two step and line dance. 

The Heartstompers

The Heartstompers are a brand new queer country western dance group from the Bay Area.  We love to dance with our friends and are thrilled to be debuting at Emerald City Hoedown 2025!  Follow us @the.heartstompers.

The Reverse Cowboys

The Reverse Cowboys are a queer  country western  dance  performance group  that formed out of the  group’s desire to be  out,  freaky, loud, and  uninhibited  in their  unwavering love for  queer and trans  people.

The Reverse Cowboys host parties and lessons and  envision their events not as a form of escapism from the realities of oppression, but  as part of the long history of queer nightlife as a place to build resilience and power.  They believe that gathering and dancing together for fun, pleasure, and joy as queer and trans people is a revolutionary act and invite their communities to move this energy towards dreaming, organizing, interruption and connection.

The Reverse Cowboys are very excited to perform at Emerald City Hoedown 2026!  You can follow them on Instagram @the_reverse_cowboys.