About DCLX

Alicia Crittenden

Alicia Crittenden has been dancing for most of her life. While ballet was her first love, swing dancing has stuck the longest of all the dance styles she’s tried. A Southern California native, Alicia moved to the DC area mid-pandemic and is excited to be part of a thriving dance community. Please ask her to dance: particularly Balboa, blues, Lindy, or Charleston – you can even throw in a waltz or some West Coast Swing and she’ll happily follow.

Alicia is currently DCLX’s secretary and works on promotions.

Allegra Thatcher

Allegra Thatcher moved to the DMV in 2024 but has been dancing at DCLX for many years. A native of Oregon (west coast best coast), she fell in love with Lindy Hop in Cincinnati, where she lived for five years and attended her first dance exchange. Since then, she has delighted in connecting with others on the dance floor. This includes finding community in solo travels abroad – shout out to the dance community in Amsterdam! She’s passionate about creating welcoming and fun spaces where others can feel welcome.

Amanda Gerken

Amanda got her first taste of swing dancing in Austin, Texas, but became obsessed after moving to DC and finding its vibrant scene. In addition to teaching with New Columbia Swing and being President of DCLX, she has run practice groups for Lindy Hop and Balboa and travels to events around the country to experience as much swing dancing as possible. She is primarily a follow, but enjoys the challenge of dancing the lead and follow roles for Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag. She is continually seeking a better understanding of the history of jazz dance and ways to infuse it into her teaching and organizing. Though she may hide shyly in the corner, she really would like to have a dance with you.

David Soltysik

David’s first swing dance lesson was so long ago that he had to learn to triple step uphill. Both ways. He has lived/danced in Gainesville (Florida), Milwaukee, Seattle, and Washington, DC. He has been a member of the DCLX committee since 2010 because they haven’t found a reason to get rid of him yet. You’ll often see him taking photos and videos in an attempt to document this magical world of lindy hop.

David works on promotions.

Eddie Costeira

Duarte “Eddie” Costeira was introduced to swing dancing in 2019 at a fateful wedding for two dancer friends of his, where “I should take a beginner class so I can dance at the reception…” turned into a life-long obsession.  Having danced in Minneapolis and Houston, he is delighted to now be involved in the wonderful DC scene.  While Eddie has dipped his toes into Blues, Tango, and Contra, his main loves will always be Balboa and Lindy Hop.

Emma Hardin

Emma was vaguely aware swing dancing existed and it looked like fun, so she went to a small weekly dance once in 2015 and now somehow all her free evenings are dedicated to the dance floor. If there was a never ending dance event she’d probably buy an early bird pass. She’s enjoyed every social dance she’s learned, but her first love will always be lindy hop. She’ll still tell you to come with her to contra, though.

Erin Stephenson

Erin tried out a swing dance class in college to satisfy a single elective credit and spent the next four years maxing out the rest of her electives–and much of her spare time–on the dance floor. Life led her away from dance for a while, but in 2018 her search for a community in DC brought her back into the swing of things. An introvert at heart but practicing extrovert by choice, she started taking classes and volunteering so she’d have a reason to talk to people. She joined the DCLX committee in 2019. Now some of her closest friends are fellow dancers and she’s back to spending most of her spare time on a dance floor. She’s primarily a follow but she’ll try to lead if you can put up with her, and she can’t resist if you throw a collegiate shag finger into the air.

Erin works on design and promotions for DCLX.

Ju Dechanupong

Once a self-proclaimed non-fan of jazz music and dancing, Ju’s life took a joyful turn when she finally caved in to her friends’ invite and gave Lindy Hop’s drop in beginner lesson a try. Now, the social dance floor is one of her happiest places, and she’s been hooked since that first class. Now she dances Lindy Hop, Collegiate Shag, Balboa, Heel Shag (is that even a real dance? *wink wink*), and is trying to dabble her toes in St.Louis Shag.

She has danced in Thailand, Massachusetts, and has recently permanently moved to the DMV area to properly bother all of you on the dance floor.

Kimberly Marquette

Kimberly started dancing in Michigan in 2012. She moved to DC in 2016 and attended her first DCLX. The following year she joined the DCLX committee to help herd the cats. She’s dabbled in multiple dance styles, but blues is her true love.

Kimberly is currently President of DCLX.

Marque Sterling

Marque is pretty sure he started dancing some time in 2017…no, wait, make that 2016. This chill human with an appreciation for style and a spotlight is always down to dance to an uptempo song; Balboa or Lindy Hop, it’s your choice! He’ll travel just about anywhere for a good dance scene and quality gummy candy after a late night on the floor, if he isn’t already off on another adventure somewhere. Marque is also a member of the Fidgety Feet dance team, who perform throughout the DC area. When he’s not dancing, you can find him practicing and performing circus arts all over the DMV area while dreaming of running away to join the circus.

Marque is currently Treasurer for DCLX.

Omar Myers

Tony Vergara

Tony started swing dancing [redacted] years ago in Philadelphia and now lives in Baltimore. He joined the DCLX committee in 2018, inspired by both the energy and fun at the previous year’s event and the tales his friends had brought back from the years before that.

His time bringing that joy to others as a member of the committee has been an absolute blast. These days, you’ll often catch him in the DJ booth at the Mobtown Ballroom or some regional event, playing some tunes to keep you dancing through the night.

As an organizer, he strives to create a comfortable atmosphere for dancing where people feel encouraged to share in the fun of Lindy Hop with one another and is constantly looking for ways to build community in the lindy hop scene, both in DC and beyond!

Tony is currently Vice President of DCLX and manages the DCLX.org website.

Valerie Cox

Valerie’s favorite aspect of dancing is the magical power it has to bring people together across time, space and culture.

Valerie started dancing (ballet) when she was about eight years old, but kept getting distracted with other activities. Then in 2008, she was coping with some free time on a Friday evening, and decided to take a swing dance class. She instantly loved the openness of the dance community, and over time, became fascinated with the history, music, friendliness and freedom of self-expression that she found in swing dancing. Ever since then, she has been showing up at classes, dances and events around the DC area, and traveling for dance events whenever possible.

Although her first dance love will always be Lindy Hop, she also enjoys Balboa and every other dance she has ever met.