Instructors, DJs, and Staff

Steve Rockwell

Spotlight Instructor: West Coast Swing

Steve Rockwell is on the dance faculty of City College of San Francisco, and is a long time member of the World Swing Dance Council.  He previously directed the ethnic dance program at Stanford University and ran the swing dance program at San Francisco’s Metronome Ballroom.  Steve has performed on stages throughout California, directed a modern dance company for children that toured nationally for several years, hosted one of the first long-term same-sex swing dances in the country, and directed the Jump Blues Project effort to bring swing instruction into San Francisco schools.  Mostly, though, Steve just enjoys dancing!

Steve and his partner, Steve Cismowski, are hugely excited to be a part of this first-ever Emerald City hoedown and look forward to spinning round the floor with ya’ll!

Jim Drew

Two-Step, Shadow, Line Dance Standards Review

Jim Drew has been dancing country-western for eighteen years and teaching for ten.  He currently teaches and DJs for Rain Country, and he leads and dances with the Rain City Rhythm Riders dance team and with the VisQueens.  He also teaches annually at Sundance Stompede in San Francisco.  During the 1990s, he lived in the Bay Area where he performed with the San Jose Spurs and the San Francisco Saddletramps and taught at the Rawhide II.  After moving to Seattle, he co-founded the Rhythm Riders and taught at the Timberline and Timberline Spirits.

Jim has competed in line dance several times on the IAGLCWDC circuit and he took Bronze in Intermediate Line Dance at the 2006 World OutGames in Montréal.

Michael Kelson

Two-Step, Waltz

Michael has been teaching C&W dance for over ten years.  He started dancing at the Timberline in Seattle in 1992.  In 1994 he moved to San Francisco and was invited to teach at SF’s (then) C&W Dance Bar, The Rawhide II.  He later was an active participant and instructor with Sundance Saloon and danced with the San Francisco Saddletramps.

Michael is a first place winner in the California Open Dancesport Championships for Same-Sex dancers in C&W Two Step, C&W Waltz, and West Coast Swing and is now happy to be back in Seattle where he is a founding member of the Rain Country Dance Association, and is actively teaching in the GLBTQ community.  Michael teaches C&W Two Step, West Coast Swing, Line Dances, and various partner dances at Rain Country events.

Christa Erwin

Line Dance, Line Dance Standards Review

Christa has been dancing for several years, incuding as one of the original members of the Rain City Rhythm Riders.  In the last few years, she has become a devoted line dancer, even travelling to several out-of-state line dance events.

Hagan Ko

Line Dance, Line Dance Standards Review

Hagan Ko is from San Francisco, CA where he is a manager at the Sundance Saloon.  He started line dancing back in 1995 in Tacoma, WA.  He has lived in Los Angeles, where he was part of The LA Wranglers country western dance team.  He is also a 2-time line dance champion, having claimed the advanced line dance title at the 2006 & 2007 International Gay Rodeo Association’s national dance contest.  You will find him at various country western dance and rodeo events throughout the country.  He is extremely excited to have the opportunity to share his love of dance and teaching at the Emerald City Hoedown!

Terry Felts

Line Dance Standards Review

I have been dancing for going on 4 years now, having started at Timberline Spirits.  I enjoy line and couples dancing and am just learning how to teach dance.  (I already teach lots of other things!)

Terry is a member of the Rain City Rhythm Riders and excited to be a member of the new non-profit org Rain Country!

Nick Literski

Line Dance Standards Review

Nick just recently started teaching and is thrilled to be part of this year’s hoedown.  Nick is a member of the Rain City Rhythm Riders.

Ruby Luke

Line Dance Standards Review

Ruby was a principal dance for a German Oompah Band frolm Mt. Vernon.  She performed with the Onydans (folk dance group) at Folklife and other events, and the taught international folk dancing at the Seatgtle Center for 6 years.  She has designed outfits for and danced with the Puddletown Square Dancers, performed with the Timberliners country-western dance troupe, and co-founded the Rain City Rhythm Riders.  She has assisted with the teaching at the Timberline, Timberline Spirits, and Cuff Country since 1997.  Ruby currently serves as the Dance Instruction chair for Rain Country, keep all our dance lessons well scheduled.

Keith Gerhig

DJ: Saturday

Keith Gehrig began 2-steppin’ and line dancing in Long Beach, CA at Floyd’s in 1985.  He moved to the NW in 1987 and began dancing with DJ, Jim Detwiler and teacher, Maxcy Moon.  He helped open the original Timberline and also started square dancing that same year.  During the 90’s, he got distracted by other things but returned when the “new” Timberline opened.  He started attending “Cuff Country” regularly to pick up the line-dances he’d missed and hasn’t left… now in the DJ booth as well!

Jim Drew

DJ: Friday, Saturday (Line Dancing), Sunday

Jim DJs country music at the Cuff Complex, Seattle Eagle, and Swank.  He has also DJed at the Saltwater Hoedown in Virginia Beach and for Club Bolo and at the World OutGames in Montréal.

Klint Kendrick

Hoedown Committee Chair

Klint Kendrick is a newcomer to Seattle’s CW dance scene and enjoys the fun and fellowship that are a part of our community.  He’s pleased to be this year’s Head Ho, and hopes that this inaugural Hoedown will be a success we duplicate year after year.

Additional Committee Members

Jim Drew
Christa Erwin
Brett Houghton
Michael Kelson
Lipsky
Nick Literski