Wesley Cook (Everywhere, USA)
What can be said about Wesley that hasn’t been said about Captain America and Sponge Bob Square Pants? We’re not sure, but we’ll give it a shot. A musician, dancer, writer, chef and DJ, Wesley has been in a constant state of travel around the country working and djing different dances around the US. He began dancing blues and lindy in 2003 with a community that immersed him into the wide variety of different musical styles that can be danced to. Being a musician, DJing was a logical and desired step, so in 2006 when he began throwing the blues house parties in Denver, he took up the reigns as a DJ.
Like Sting, he has a low tolerance for musical boredom and craves a variety that will take listeners on a journey of sound, texture and emotion. He believes dancing is an organic element and as it flows and changes, the music should not only flow with it, but also inspire it in new directions while staying grounded in both the variety of the unfamiliar as well as anchored in the hits people love. Blues and fusion are his passions as he enjoys mixing both styles to give each crowd a well rounded experience and variety of musical landscapes. Wesley is also the creator of the national blues event Blues It Or Lose It: House Party Weekend as well as a blues house party organizer around the country.
Jamie Leake (Los Angeles, CA)
Jamie Leake has been blues dancing for a good six years now and swing dancing since his days at the University of North Texas. He oversees a local blues dancing venue, the Blues Liberation Front, and is quite grateful to all his volunteers and all the awesome dancers that come out. Jamie loooves eclectic blues dance sets and turquoise as long at there’s plenty of potential for musicality. He shakes his fists with glee when he finds tracks he’s never heard anyone play. When he’s not dancing, he get’s creative with illustrations and has been known to create chalk murals.
A’lan Abruzzo (Los Angeles, CA)
With over 15 years of dance experience including Irish Folk Dancing, Victorian Ballroom, Lindy Hop, Tango, Blues and Contact Improv, A’lan has found a home in the fusion world. He strongly believes that amazing dancing is a blend of learning the fundamentals of dance technique exploring partnering connection.
His passion for the sensual, the emotional and the experiential fuels his deep exploration into the dance and music that moves us. When he dances or DJs, he moves us on a journey into the body, the soul, the spirit and, most importantly, the joy of being a moving human.
Lea Luna (Hollywood, CA)
DJ Lea Luna has it all. She is a singer, performer, songwriter/composer and a DJ. Her seductive vocals and lyrics are so bewitching that she has attracted producers from all over the world that are urging her to work with them. She has also established herself as a DJ that spins so diversely that she has performed to NYC clubbers at the legendary club “Limelight” to the raving masses at the notorious Burning Man Festival to the sophisticated Europeans at the Playboy TV International event in Lisbon, Portugal with a loyal following building in places like Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, Las Vegas and her hometown of Denver (where she was a favorite at blues dance house parties), as well as the rest of the country. Her style does not discriminate. If the crowd demands unheard of underground beats or the latest hits remixed by the top artists, she will give it to them. She has rocked the crowd from underground to commercial across the globe. She has performed live at many prestigious venues that include Avalon, Los Angeles along side Reid Speed recently this year.
- tentative on tour schedule
Kenny Russel (Seattle, WA)
(Bio Coming)
Carl Flores (San Diego, CA)
Originally a part-time DJ/MC since 2000, Carl started dancing Lindy Hop in 1999, Bal in 2005, Blues in 2006, and Fusion in 2010 (at SDFX). While DJing locally in SoCal since 2005 he started in Lindy [for San Diego's Firehouse, JAM, and Lindy By The Bay and regular guest spots at LindyGroove in Pasadena]; and since 2008, his DJ adventures have expanded into Soul and Blues (with a flavoring of Fusion) at local spots like Blue Bella, and JAMnBLUES, and starting in 2012 at SFFX and Atomic Blues Fusion (ABQ). His DJ style is tailored to venue’s core audience — Lindy Hoppers, Blues/Fusion dancers or Balboa/Shag dancers– starting with idea of shared inspiration:
“My goal: play what inspires me to dance —with someone or solo– and bring the folks on the floor with me for the ride.” As for rumors of a wannabe crooner lurking around the DJ booth, his only comment was: “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”