West Coast swing Instructors

Elizabeth was raised in Seattle and moved to Bend in 2018. She’s been dancing since middle school: Irish, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and now West Coast Swing. She loves spending time outdoors with her dogs and bringing her passion for dance to Central Oregon! Her and James travel to WCS conventions to grow as dancers and expand the community. Elizabeth is excited to teach dancers of all skill levels how to grow in technique and in their own personal style.

Born and raised in Bend OR, James was always interested in dance from a young age. Most recently started learning country swing and quickly discovered West coast. He currently competes at events with his partner and wife Elizabeth, and loves attending and hosting workshops to expand his knowledge of this dance. He also DJs regularly for social events.

Olivia started partner dancing in 2005 when she took her first Ballroom class at Chico State, followed by Lindy Hop and Blues. She fell in love with WCS in 2007.  Over the next 5 years Olivia danced and attended events as much as she could and started teaching WCS.  She competed her way up to the All-Star division.  In 2010, Olivia partnered with Ben McHenry and debuted a Classic routine at the US Open.

Olivia’s favorite things about WCS are using movement to express musicality and being able to create a new dance with each new partner.

 Sara Lee Connors is new to Bend, but not new to dance! She has been dancing for almost 10 years and LOVES to share her joy of social dancing. She teaches and competes in West Coast Swing, plus Lindy Hop, Blues, and Balboa with Bend Lindy Hop!  

James has been dancing west coast for about 5 years, after learning a bit of ballroom, country swing, and line dancing before that. He loves West Coast because of the partnership and how you can express yourself while seeing the joy on your partner's face. James loves teaching and sharing that joy with his students. "Come dance with me!"

After taking her first dance fitness class years ago, Lisa Robbins was hooked. She eventually taught classes as a substitute instructor until teaching her own classes this past year. She believes exercise should be fun, inclusive and effective. She is certified to teach SHiNE™  Dance Fitness.

 Lindsey has been a ZIN™ Member/Zumba Instructor in Bend Oregon since Sep 2008 and absolutely loves teaching Zumba classes. The reason is simple: the variety of music and dance styles that Zumba embodies, creates a party atmosphere that swirls throughout the room and brings people together. Lindsey has been committed to building a supportive Zumba community for over 10 years. Dancing together is a joy to experience and and to share with others.  This is what feeds her soul. 

 We are Abraham and Yelina, founders of Smarana Yoga Bend. We are originally from Miami, Florida and now full time Oregonians! Yoga has been a part of our journey for over 5 years both individually and as a couple. Our dream is to create our own practice where we can help people experience the deep transformational affects of yoga that we have experienced. We have recently returned from Bali, Indonesia after getting our 200 hour yoga teaching certificates and knew we wanted to plant our personal and professional roots here in Bend. We hope to share our love of yoga with you!