Meet Your DJs
Alex Yan
(he/him)
Alex Yan is a long-time Seattle swing dancer and DJ. He has helped to produce multiple events around town, including the Jazz Dance Film Fest, the Century Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap, the Battle of Swing, various incarnations of the Seattle Lindy Exchange, along with running the Lowdown Ballroom dance venue with his wife, Madeline. On occasion, Alex will also Video DJ using vintage dance and music clips.
Tony Nguyen
(he/him)
Just a guy with killer taste in swing music, Tony pours his heart and soul of Lindy Hop into every set. He curates his tunes on the fly-letting the moment's feel guide him-so you get a fresh yet familiar experience. Because when the music's right, the night swings itself!
Catch Tony behind the decks, spinning the classics and those elusive rare gems that gives you a sense of awe. It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing! doo-ah, doo-ah!
Joseph To
(he/him)
Joseph To is a musician, conductor, and jazz enthusiast based in Seattle. An active DJ across the Pacific Northwest, he has been spinning at Camp Jitterbug since 2022. With a deep love for both classic swing and contemporary vocal swing, Joseph enjoys curating dynamic sets that challenge and inspire dancers. His goal is to keep the floor energized with music that is both exciting and fun to dance to. When he’s not DJing, dancing, or conducting, he spends time with his cat, Sycamore, planning his next travel adventure.
Em Haug
(she/her)
DJ M, Em Haug, has been obsessed with music her entire life. In 2019, she began working as a DJ, playing salsa socials, and soon branched out into bachata as well. She began playing kizomba a couple years later, during a moment of panic, when Seattle had a period of a couple months with no kizomba DJs. She also loves playing at congresses, festivals, birthday parties, weddings… basically anywhere people want to come together and dance. Em works as a DJ because she is passionate about sharing the music she loves and helping to create spaces that bring people joy.
Mary Lyons
(she/her)
Originally from the Boston area, Mary was introduced to (what later became known as) kizomba music when her sister married into a Cape Verdean family in the 1990s. Later in 2012 she discovered the Angolan music and dance forms - kizomba and semba - which accompanied much of the beautiful music she fell in love with. Adopting the name, Farenji (“westerner/foreigner”), she immersed herself in this music and dance and developed as a DJ in the kizomba dance community. Mary/Farenji has since expanded her music base deeper to include playing in the Afrobeats, Haitian and AfroFranco music and dance scenes.
Ben White
(he/him)
Ben White has been addicted to all things swing since 2004, studying under original masters from the swing era and working with many of the top contemporary lindy hoppers of the last 20 years. He’s dedicated most of his adult life to connecting people through dance and music, and is renowned for his ability to create fun, welcoming classes for anyone whether they have two left feet or they’ve been dancing their whole life.
Laura Spencer
(she/her)
Laura grew up with a Lindy Hopping mama, and went on to pursue a career as an international dancer and deejay.
Despite now pursuing other life goals, swing music is forever a part of Laura’s mind, body and soul. She loves to sit in the deejay booth and watch people dance to her favorite music; what a unique and fulfilling joy.
She can’t wait to see you out on the floor!
Peter Flahiff
(he/him)
Peter Flahiff has been DJing swing music since 1998. Since then, he has become one of the most sought-after DJs in the swing world. Peter’s DJing credits include: Camp Hollywood, Herräng, CalBal Classic, The Snowball, Hot Rhythm Holiday. He has Head DJed at The Balboa Experiment, and Balorado. Past DJing included: weekly at Rusty’s Rhythm Club, ATOMIC Ballroom, and Eastside Stomp. Peter has also taught DJing workshops around the world. There is still nothing he enjoys more as a DJ than playing an evening of swing music and having the chance to, as he puts it, “dance with the whole room!“
Lauren Smith
(she/her)
Lauren Smith is a sought-after DJ at many major swing dance events, including California Balboa Classic, Snowball, Camp Hollywood, Camp Jitterbug, Hot Rhythm Holiday, The Balboa Experiment, and Balorado, as well as many other events around the world. She regularly trains up-and-coming DJs and hosts DJ workshops locally and internationally. As a professional Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag instructor, Lauren is keenly aware of how the music can influence different styles of swing dancing. With a degree in vocal music and a childhood full of jazz and classical music, her ever-growing music library is full of diverse artists, and she loves sharing jazz music history with her students.
Young Duke
(he/him)
Seeing DJ Yana at Herräng, thrashing her head to Count Basie’s Good Time Blues, was the moment that sparked the passion for DJing for Young Duke. With a deep love for jazz, swing, and Lindy Hop, he brings an infectious energy to the booth, eager to share the music that moves him. His sets span everything from big band to hard bop, featuring plenty of Basie, Duke, Erroll, Oscar, Jo, and Ray Bryant. A favorite way to close the night? Jones from Duke Ellington’s Live at Newport. His love for jazz and Lindy Hop shines through every set.
Mimi Liu
(she/her)
After randomly finding Lindy Hop in a riverside bar in Cambodia, Swing and Blues has forever staked claim to a big chunk of Mimi’s heart. She has had the pleasure to DJ at various local and regional events around the US, including Lindy Focus (NC), Trackdown Throwdown (OR), and Stormy Weather (WA). She gravitates towards songs with a strong groove and deep pockets that make you go ughhh. Whether she’s playing classic bangers or more contemporary bops, Mimi’s goal is to keep you inspired on the dance floor all night long!
Hallie Kuperman
(she/her)
Hallie Kuperman, the Owner of Century Ballroom since its inception in 1997, and Swing Girls, prior to that, was first a dancer, then a Dance Instructor and Deejay. She started playing Swing and Country music then focused on Salsa, West Coast Swing, Waltz, among others. You can find her in the booth once a month at OutDancing (the LGBTQ social dance) where she plays a wide variety, focusing on Latin, Swing and West Coast Swing. Now that Century has closed, she hopes to bring music and instruction to others with Century Roadshow!
Jo Coker
(she/her)
As a dancer of thirty years, her roots are in Lindy Hop and Balboa, but has also explored other dances such as Blues, Waltz, West Coast Swing, Bachata, and more. Bringing twenty-five years of experience in the booth, Jo is a professional DJ (EDM festivals, Burning Man events, weddings, etc.) and has been a resident Swing DJ for Century Ballroom since 2006. She craves variety when creating her sets and enjoys pushing the range of tempos to allow dancers to challenge themselves. A few of her Swing event credits include Lindy Focus, Camp Hollywood, Camp Jitterbug, and All Balboa Weekend.
