Teachers 2026
Jacob Wigger and Shani Brown (USA)
Over 20 years Shani Brown has social danced and spent time honing her pure bal and slow bal skills with Dean Raftery, whose Slow Bal dancing forms the very roots of the dance we know today. Over this time Dean offered guidance and feedback for greater understanding of his approach to dancing and the feeling he wanted from a partner. Unsurprisingly, Shani is an absolute mine of information about Slow Bal as it was danced by him, as well as various tidbits of history and technique theorems. So if you love Slow Bal this event is not to be missed.
Together, Jacob and Shani have received direct feedback from Dean on their classes.
Jacob Wigger started swing dancing in 2003 and has been hooked ever since, with his first love being social dancing. As a teacher he uses a mix of humorous (in his opinion) analogies and serious instruction to create a fun and exciting learning environment.
Jacob has taught at numerous national and international events. He has also won numerous awards at major competitions. He is famous for his fast Pure Balboa footwork and his large repertoire of unique spins and turns when he’s in the spotlight.
From sunny southern California, Shani is best known for her fast, syncopated Balboa foot-work and her soft connection – which has been said to feel like a ‘warm hug’. As an instructor, she strives to make dancing simple and effortless with a strong emphasis on combining foundational basics with the soft skills of connection mechanics and partnership to develop smooth flow and personal style.
Shani has dedicated herself to learning, preserving and sharing her love for Balboa and other vernacular jazz dances. She began swing dancing 1998 and is honoured to have honed her social dance skills and footwork under the guidance of legendary dancers Willie Desatoff, Hal and Marge Takier, Bart Bartolo, Jack Carey, as well as Dean Raftery and many others. And although she has competed, placed and won several major competitions, she mainly enjoys social dancing and inspiring others to love balboa and swing.
