Daniel Newsome & Gabriella Cook

Daniel has been a professional dancer, DJ and historian for the last 12 years. He is considered a preservationist and an innovator in Lindy Hop, Aerial Dance, Blues, Tap and more. In addition to teaching tens of thousands of students at Denver’s Mercury Cafe, Daniel has also travelled to learn, teach and compete. He’s won at major national competitions such as the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown,  Reno Dance Sensation, National Jitterbug Championships and the Rhythmic Arts Festival. He also co-founded, choreographed and coached 23 Skidoo, Denver’s nationally recognized Swing team, which placed 1st at every competition they entered in 2006 and 2007. He currently runs a dance team out of Seattle, is dedicated to sharing the history, artistry and music of the Jazz era, and recently choreographed a number for an off-Broadway show. Daniel’s lifelong pursuit is touching as many lives as possible with the beauty and artistry of Lindy Hop, Shag, Balboa, Blues, Solo Jazz Dance, Ballroom and Tap. Daniel believes that the best dancer is the one having the most fun and aims to make his students the best dancers out there.

Gabriella has a broad-based professional background in dance, music and theater. Gabriella’s classical training comes from San Francisco Ballet where she performed in professional shows for nearly 10 years. She also danced with other institutions including Lines Ballet Company and Interlochen Center for the Arts, exploring dance styles from Ballet, to Modern, to Contemporary Jazz. Over the last 5 years she has integrated this training into Tango, Lindy Hop and Balboa. She has been a dedicated performer, teacher and choreographer in Seattle, Portland and Providence. Gabriella teaches a core-centered approach to dance and balances the “zen” of following with historically-informed musical expression.

Gabriella and Daniel’s style is rooted in the classic modes of Swing, but adds forward thinking movements, aerials, and theories which are the basis of their commitment to keep Swing dance history alive, while keeping it interesting and evolutionary. Their dance values center around versatility, partner connection and honest expression of the moment and the music. They strive to always feel the joy and magic that Jazz music embodies, and to share that with their audiences and students. They are personally invested in the success of each of their students and bring an equal balance between lead and follow with their belief that each dancer should have a voice in the partnership.