Web site partially designed and maintained by Zeanie Yoon

Jay Byam
Director and Owner of Swing'n Dance Camp
Director and Owner of Salsa Extravaganza (aka Palm Springs Salsa Congress)

Owner and founder of People Who Dance.

Studied music and dance at CSUH, Jay is a GSTA certified dance instructor and a UCWDC certified judge. He has been in music and dance for 20 years.

Jay teaches classes from San Diego to Atlanta, Georgia and to Calgary, Canada. He also enjoys teaching special workshops in Swing, Two-Step, Salsa, West Coast Swing, Lindy, and Jitter Bug. He is also well known for his classes that are essential to dancers: Timing, Rhythm & Phrasing, Teachers Training, and Lead & Follow Technique classes.

In 1992 Jay created New Year's Swing Dance Championships Dance Camp & Summer Dance Camp. Jay is currently the director and owner of both the Summer Dance Camp & New Years Dance Camp and New Years Salsa Extravaganza. In October of 2000 Jay was the Coordinator for the Northwest Regional Swing Dance Championships and in Oct 2002 & 2003 in Spokane. In May 2003 Jay co-hosted the Instructors Training Seminars at the Los Angeles Salsa Congress.

Jay is the director and choreographer for the “SWINGMEISTERS” Swing & Salsa dance team. Through his school of dance, Jay has been teaching Swing and Salsa in Ventura County and supported dancers around the world.

In his spare time Jay enjoys tuna and marlin fishing and free diving off his small boat just off shore from his home in Ventura and in Baja. So if ya wanna catch some great fish or just fun in the sun, call Jay.

Cheryl Lyons
Event Coodinator

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Nathan Miller
Volunteer Staff Coordinator

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Zeanie Yoon
Business Operation, Administration, Accounting, and Technical Management
Web Site Management
Salsa Extravaganza Event Manager
Recruitment

Formally and classically trained in dancesports and theatrical performance, Yoon has known for her graceful and elegant style of dance. In 1987, Yoon founded non-profit dance club, Dance Xchange, now Dancer's Digest, dedicated to sharing information and resources, and to promotion of partner-dance in the community. She was a choreographer and co-director of the dance companies, Burn the Floor, Dance Disciples, and Girl Power Inc.

Her additional study in education contributed to her teaching method and curriculum development. Yoon has been referred as disciplinary teacher for last 25 years. By day she is a professional business person and by night, a dance and wellness enthusiast. Yoon has ample experience in operating events from dance conventions to presidential events and community events hosting more than 50,000 patrons. This year, Yoon is happy to join Salsa Extravaganza as Salsa Event Manager and continues her support of the partner-dance.

Yoon will team up with Jay Byam this year to teach their trademark Suave style Salsa that they have developed.

When she's not working on events or dancing, she designs web sites. She is a Business Management Contractor during the day time.

Mike and Simona
Casino Rueda Coordinator

Directors of Rumbanana Salsa Group.

From Portland to Philadelphia, to Honolulu to Houston - Mike and Simona are spreading their love of Casino Salsa.

They started Rumbanana Salsa Group in January 2000 as a way to promote Cuban Salsa dancing in the Pacific Northwest. Both have been dancing, performing, choreographing and teaching Salsa for more than 12 years. Their focus for the past 8 years has been Casino Style Salsa. By carefully studying Cuban dancers, as well as key dancers from Miami, Mike and Simona have brought true Casino Salsa to hundreds of people around the world.

Their teaching ranges from small classes to 100+ people workshops. Not only are their workshops and classes filled with meaningful information, but they also make it fun and exciting to learn.

Teaching venues have included their own classes in the Northwest, as well as workshops at national events, such as the Houston Salsa Congress, Palm Springs Salsa Congress, Chicago International Salsa Congress, Salsa Rueda Competition in Vancouver, BC, Philadelphia Salsa Congress, Honolulu Salsathon and many others.

Mike and Simona joined Salsa Extravaganza in 2005 the first time. 2006 Summer Salsa Extravaganza professional shows were opened by Mike and Simona, inspiring and opening the eyes of Salsa, Casino, and Casinor Rueda dancers. Salsa Extravaganza is proude to invite Mike and Simona as Casino Rueda Coordinator.

Tolonen, Victoria
Casino Rueda Co-Coordinator

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Pam Ford
On-Site Decoration & Set-up Supervisor

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John Koster
Stage & Ballroom Advisor
Head Master of Ceremony

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Gary Jobst
Chief Judge

Gary’s passion for dancing began in the Country Western arena in 1989. He competed in the couples division as well as on the 3-time World UCWDC Champion Midnight Cowboys Dance Team. Finally caught by the Swing dance fever, Gary pushed onward. Currently he holds 2 US Open titles (Showcase 1997, Strictly Swing 2000) and has placed and won numerous Champions level competitions over the past 8 years. In addition to teaching, competing, judging, emcee-ing and DJ’ing, he continues to pursue other avenues offered by the dance world. He has been the Chief Judge at many events the past 5 years in California, Arizona, Nevada as well as the Northwest.

Csilla Madocsai
Competiton Registration Coordinator

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David Knight
Score Keeper

David began dancing 1998 in a tiny dance studio in Bend, Oregon. Four months later, when dancing opportunities in Bend became scarce, he moved to Portland, Oregon to pursue favorite new hobby.

Shortly after the founding of the Portland Swing Dance Club, David, a computer programmer by trade, was approached by the president of the club to consider writing a computer program for relative placement style scorekeeping so that the Northwest could have a local scorekeeper. David agreed.

David’s new scoring system made its debut at Bridgetown Swing Boogie in 2001 and again in 2002. After serving as scorekeeper at BTSB again in 2003 he was approached by Cheryl Lyons to serve as scorekeeper for Monster Mash 2003. After a very successful weekend David was asked by Jay Byam to serve at New Years Dance Camp 2003-2004. Since then David has served as scorekeeper at many Northwest events including Reno Dance Sensation and Seattle’s Easter Swing.

This year (2006) David has published his own database driven website, swingscores.com, where he now posts all placement and scoring data for each event where he serves. Competitors can now visit this site to view granular scoring data by event or by dancer. Competitors have really shown their enthusiasm for this website by sending David emails expressing how much they appreciate the site. David’s desire over the next year is to expand the website to include a section for judges only and a section for event directors.

David is now working on version 2 of his scoring system that will, over time, integrate both the website for post event coverage, and a new competition registration piece that will allow him to cover all competition data needs from end-to-end.

Becky Radcliff
Registration Coordinator
Special Props

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Dee Herzog
Executive Assistant - Salsa Extravaganza

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Ricky Acevedo
Special Coordinator / Sounds and DJ Coordinator

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Mandy Gough
Field Promotion Coordinator - Los Angeles and beyond / Special Project

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