ABOUT US

Working to make the world safe for swing dancing...

... has been Lindy Hopping since 1996 and started Dancestore.com in 1997 (its name back then was "Hell's Lindy Hoppers" and it was renamed Dancestore in February of 1998).

... She teamed up with Andrew Kontola (a kickass dancer who has been Lindy Hopping since 1997) in 2003 and they spend their days designing new cool stuff for other incurable swing addicts like themselves. They are on the hardwood in the DC area 3-4 nights a week and sporadically teach.

Gay Santelmann - has been Lindy Hopping since 1996 and started Dancestore.com in 1997

Joss - the friendly voice you hear when you call us here at dancestore.com - seen here with her Lindy Hop instructor, Alan...

Nina - absolutely the finest swing dancer we've ever seen... she helps us make most of our buying decisions...

... and lets us borrow the best pieces from her vintage clothing collection to copy to liven up our women's line!

James - it only took 2 years for us to convince him to try a pair of Aris Allens... now he lives in them!

Jeff - scientific proof that the best dancers get the best women... he is also a fabulous footwear tester/designer.

Gretta - her attention to detail and huge vintage shoe collection (she's a size 5!!!) make her an invaluable resource when we design women's dance shoes...

Zipper - is the source of the barking you hear when you call us to order something at the exact moment that the UPS guy shows up at the office. He is not a very good dancer and, in fact, can barely Charleston on a beginner level. Given that, we can't explain why he's still got a job here as being a swing dancer is a prerequisite for working at Dancestore.