It's Always Lindy in Philadelphia Artist Bios

Here at Jazz Attack, we've put together an artist lineup that we couldn't be more excited about. They're incredible dancers, DJs, and archivists, not to mention incredible people. Get excited -- it's going to be a great weekend. To learn more, visit the It's Always Lindy page.

PC:

AJ Howard

AJ Howard is a NYC based Lindy Hop instructor and performer with nearly a decade of experience. His upbeat and energetic teaching style creates a fun and supportive environment for students to learn and grow. In addition to teaching and social dancing, AJ loves to compete and has placed at local and international competitions. As a proud member of the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame, he is committed to sharing his joy of the dance with all, and helping dancers of all levels develop their skills on their own individual dance journeys.

PC: Jerry Almonte

Hannah Lane

Hannah Lane is a dancer, researcher, and historian from Baltimore, Maryland. Alongside her appreciation for jazz music, and dances like Lindy Hop, snake hips, and Charleston, Hannah is passionate about her research, which centers jazz and nightlife histories of African American communities in her home state, of Maryland, and throughout the U.S. She is also passionate about uplifting the stories of Shake Dancers through her project, Queens of the Nightclub.

Currently Hannah serves on the board of Collective Voices for Change and is a participant in the Al Minns Next Generation Project. You can learn more about her work via instagram at @hannahpilarrr and @Queensofthenightclub. Stay tuned for her upcoming Queens of the Nightclub Substack!

PC: Jerry Almonte

Hanna Yanello

Hanna has been teaching, performing, and competing in Lindy Hop for about 8 years and fosters a profound love and respect for the dance. With deep roots in her local community, she is enthusiastic about cherishing the integrity of the foundation of lindy hop and honoring the roots of the dance. In her classes, she is passionate about encouraging dancers at all levels of experience to become acquainted with their own creative expression through movement. As a teacher, Hana loves generating thoughtful engagement, and connects with her class attendees not ONLY as teacher but also as an active learner within jazz dance. Positive reinforcement in both the classroom and social dance floor setting is incredibly important to her. Both in teaching and in her personal training, she leans hard into excellence in movement choices and in cultivating personal creativity and connection.

PC: Jerry Almonte

Nii Attoh Okine

Joining us from Baltimore, we’re excited to welcome Nii Attoh Okine. At the suggestion of a friend, Nii discovered Lindy Hop at the University of Delaware in 2016. Known for always having his headphones on, he quickly fell in love with the sounds of big band swing. Now based in Baltimore, he DJs locally at Mobtown Ballroom and has also staff DJed at events both nationally and internationally. As a DJ, Nii’s goal is to create a night filled with a variety of moods and themes that dancers will regret stepping away from. While his favorite bandleader is currently Duke Ellington, he has recently been exploring the works of Earl Hines, Francis Panama, and Charlie Shavers.

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Molly Meng

Molly Meng is a vernacular jazz dancer. Inspired by the empowerment and freedom found in jazz, she brings a unique blend of rhythm, groove, and flow to every dance.

Her early years of dancing took her across cities around the world, shaping both her movement style and her multi-faceted perspective on the dance. Now based in NYC, she performs with local artists and has had the privilege of training and performing at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Molly’s classes focus on texture, groove, body awareness, and finding creativity in movement. She believes that as artists, we train for the craft—and let the soul find its outlet. Whether you’re just stepping onto the floor or looking to deepen your groove, Molly is all about helping you discover the inner dialects that let your groove speak.

She holds multiple titles from prestigious events including Camp Jitterbug, Lindy Fest, Lindy Bout, the International Lindy Hop Championships, and Snowball.

When she’s not dancing or teaching, Molly can often be found researching groove in urban space. As an urban designer, she sees cities as living organisms of improvisation—just like jazz. If you ever catch her not dancing, ask her about it!

PC: Samantha Kunz

Aaron Jones

Aaron Jones began dancing Lindy Hop at his college’s swing dance club in 2009. Shortly thereafter, he began teaching, competing, and performing in local events around central Pennsylvania. In 2016, he became involved in the Lehigh Valley’s swing dance organization, currently known as Lehigh Valley Lindy. Today, Aaron continues to teach in the area, as well as learning and competing in national events. He loves encouraging his students to listen to the music, their partner, and their own bodies to make every dance special.

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Samantha Pincus

I was introduced to Lindy Hop in 2015 taking classes at TCNJ, Princeton University and Jazz Attack in Philadelphia. I've placed in competitions around the mid-Atlantic and teach in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. I am a part of the performance groups: The Harvest Moon Hoppers, Groundwerk and The Hodge Podge. Lindy hop changed my life, and I do my best to bring forward the values dancing and jazz has taught me: community, respect, education, presence, improvisation and creative freedom. Working as a high school art teacher in real life, I love teaching and growing with all those around me.

Event Info

It's Always Lindy in Philadelphia is put together by Jazz Attack. The 2025 edition will take place from October 4-5 primarily at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. To learn more, visit the It's Always Lindy page.