KATJA ZAVRŠNIK (SI)

Katja Završnik at LISA 2025 Katja Završnik is a renowned professional dancer, swing dance instructor, and choreographer. With a passion for dance ignited at the age of five, Katja has dedicated her life to the art ofmovement. In 2010, she transitioned from a career in video and film editing to pursue dance full-time, a decision that has seenher travel the world teaching, performing, and inspiring others.

Katja’s dance education spans various disciplines learned throughout her childhood in multiple dance schools. She has honed her skills by attending international workshops specializing in swing dances. Her extensive training includes acrobatic rock and roll, ballet, modern jazz, gymnastics, modern dance, and ballroom dances. Since 2005, she has focused primarily on partner and solo dances from the jazz age and swing era, mastering styles such as Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, St. Louis Shag, authentic (vernacular) jazz dance,and ragtime dances.

Known for her versatility and expertise, Katja is celebrated as one of the top followers in the swing dance scene. Her deep understanding of reactivity and connection sets her apart, making her a sought-after instructor and performer. Since 2010, she has been a fixture at swing dance festivals and special events worldwide, sharing her knowledge and passion with a global audience.

In addition to her dance career, Katja is a certified pregnancy and postpartum exercise specialist, and Organizer of Wellness sevices (a graduate of Wellness programe studies, through which she gained a basic understanding of psychology, mental health, nutrition, movement and physical activity).

Her life is a testament to her love for dance and her dedication to enriching the lives of others through movement and connection.

PETER LOGGINS (US)

Peter Loggins on LISA25

Peter Loggins is a dance historian, musician, and dancer.

He has done hundreds of interviews over the past 20 years, with the likes of ragtime dancers in NY, Charleston Champions of the 1920s to National Champions 30s through the 50s, including State Champions of Swing dance. Originally known for his research of early Jazz dance in California, and the owner of Dean Collins’s archive and collection, this brought on other donors and research that led to different cities and regional areas of the United States.

Spending many years helping with the Savoy Ballroom and Lindy Hop researcher and Historian Terry Monaghan. Allowed the possibility of working on projects with Frankie Manning both for the Heritage Foundation, in London, as well as a national grant, for the University of Idaho, in Documenting Frankie’s Choreography.

In recent years the studies have been Nineteenth-century origins of jazz, from a social approach based on Lawrence Gushee’s research, with a focus on African American influenced vernacular dance.

JENNA APPLEGARTH (US)

Jenna will be teaching, judging the competitions and she is also an official MC of LISA 20225.

She has attended, coordinated, and taught various workshops and exchanges all across the globe. Above all else she believes that learning to dance should be fun, and rooted in the music and history.

With over 20 years of teaching/coaching/training experience, she loves finding new ways to connect with other dancers on the floor and in the classroom and to create challenging yet applicable lessons in the classroom.

TOBIAS KÖLBL (AT)

LISA Ljubljana swing festival

Tobias has been in the Lindy Hop Scene for over 10 years, traveling to festivals around the world to continuously learn and educate himself about the dance, the music and the culture.

Playfulness, a dialogue between the dance partners and input from both parties are key to his dancing and will always be discussed/topics in his classes.

LIZETTE RÖNNQVIST (SE)

Lizette is a dance teacher and a member of the famous swing dance company the Hot Shots. Swing dancing has been part of her life for a long time as she started dancing at the age of nine in her home town Borås.

Todays she is based in Stockholm, Sweden and travels the world to perform, dance and teach various dance styles from the swing era. Lizette puts a lot of value into personal style and a solid rhythm.

RIKARD EKSTRAND (SE)

Rikard sees himself as a lifelong student of rhythm, music, communication and culture. He couldn’t be more thankful for what jazz dancing has given him and he will always continue learning as well as sharing to inspire others to get deeper into communication, the process of jazz, and all the beautiful moments and learning it comes with.

Rikard believes the most important part of the job as a dance teacher is to inspire others to challenge themselves to learn in an unselfish way. He loves providing tools and exercises needed to grow as dancers and humans. Together we are strong!

“Dancing should bring people together and if it’s not, we are doing it wrong”. 

Besides dancing, Rikard is a passionate jazz piano player and enjoys photography, deep conversations and good coffee.

JILL DE MUELENAERE (BE)

Jill Meulenaere at LISA 2025

Jill started dancing when she was a child. She is trained in classical ballet, modern jazz and jazz dance, contemporary dance and yoga. She has been teaching these differentdisciplines for the past years, now sharing her time between her passion for dancing, her work as a contemporary danceand theater producer, a massage therapist and a yoga instructor.

Specifically inspired by the authentic vernacular dancing showed in old movies and the african roots of the dance, Jill is ceaselessly in search for a sense of freedom within the dance. She finds her happiness on the dancefloor in fast athletic lindy hop, a rythmical mambo, or a slow dragging blues, andhave at heart to stay true to the legacy of the era and the originators of the dances as best she can. In class, her goal is to create a joyful yet challenging and encouraging experience for everyone, allowing each dancer to develop their own individuality in their dancing.

ALEKSANDRE McCORMACK (FR)

Alex is Benelux multiple-time vice champion in breaking and has taught various street styles since 2006. In 2013, McCormack discovered old clips such as Hellzapoppin and the Spirit Moves and set himself on the journey to emulate the “oldstyle” in black american Jazz and Lindy Hop. Most of his inspiration comes from studying the Greats or discussing directly with elders. His motto is “Master the foundation to understand the dance and personalise to contribute to it”. He will jam for hours into the early morning to uptempo Bebop Swing, shaky Mambo and slow Blues. Back in Brussels, he trains with his group, the Old Soulz on a regular basis.

TEACHERS

One of the reasons why you should definately come to LISA 2025 are our excellent teachers! Let us present them one by one!