✨Balboa ✨ Lindy Hop ✨ Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 🌶️⛰️
All information provided is subject to change.
Overview
Breaking Bal, episode 3, is a swing dance weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Santa Fe Swing Dance Society (SFSDS) is excited to welcome guest instructors Jenn Lee and Blake Croxdale from Seattle, WA. There will be workshop lessons, and social dance parties for Balboa and Lindy Hop dancers featuring live music!
This is Santa Fe’s biggest annual swing dance event! Enjoy 3 nights of social dancing, 2 nights of live music, 2 full days of workshop classes with 2 class tracks, performances and contests, history talks, late night festivities, and more. This year, we’re joined by legendary guest instructors Jen Lee and Blake Croxdale, two of the most talented, experienced, entertaining, and fun-loving swing dancers of our generation! Classes and dances will cater to Balboa enthusiasts and Lindy Hop lovers alike, with a healthy dose of neighboring dance genres like blues, soul, and tango.
Santa Fe is known for its scenic beauty, its delicious green Chile, and its incredibly friendly and welcoming dance community. Come visit us in the Land of Enchantment for an unforgettable weekend!
Sponsors
Lise Knouse & Associates Real Estate
Lise Knouse & Associates Real Estate is a proud sponsor of Breaking Bal 2026, and we’re deeply grateful for their support of our dance community. Their team brings the same care, clarity, and professionalism to their real estate services that we strive for on the dance floor—helping individuals and businesses feel grounded, confident, and well‑supported in making big decisions. If you’re looking for expert guidance in real estate with a personal touch, we highly recommend Lise Knouse & Associates real estate experts as partners that you can trust.
Guest Instructors
Jenn Lee
Jenn Lee (She/Her) is a renowned swing dance instructor with a passion for fostering an inclusive and collaborative learning environment. She emphasizes the importance of follow voice, ensuring equal attention to both leads and follows.
As a professional follow without a dedicated partner, Jenn’s versatile dance style adapts to various partners and teaching collaborations, enhancing her abilities as an instructor.
Her strong music background allows her to seamlessly integrate rhythmic concepts and musicality into her classes, helping students express themselves on the dance floor.
Jenn is deeply aware that jazz, including swing dance, is a Black cultural art form, and she strives to honor its roots by teaching with respect for its history and the community that created it.
Jenn’s love for social dancing and the swing community is evident in her warm approach and adaptable style, making her a valuable addition to any dance event she participates in.
Blake Croxdale
As a New Mexico native, Blake (he/him) learned early that there are two things you don’t mess around with in the Southwest: Walter White and balboa basics. He started dancing in 1997 when The Gap swing commercial made khaki-clad Lindy Hoppers visible to the mainstream. His teaching is focused on technique, musicality, and having fun with the dance (silly antics welcomed). He began competing and teaching in 2003.
A few years later he moved from The Land of Enchantment to Land of Seasonal Affective Disorder, Seattle, where he remains today. Blake’s Balboa rap sheet includes suspiciously strong finishes at comps across the US. Authorities have yet to determine whether this reflects actual talent or simply an alarming willingness to enter contests.
Adonye “A.D.” Jaja
Adonye Jaja is a lindy hopper to his core. With an emphasis on social dancing and technique; Adonye has been teaching Lindy Hop since 2002 and his love and vigor for the dance continues to grow. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria and raised in South Georgia, Adonye feels deeply connected to the rhythms and spirit that bring this dance to life. He is one of the founders of the Denver swing dance club and you can find him dancing weekly in the Mile High City!
Local Instructors
Schedule
Overview schedule. subject to change without notice
Detailed schedule coming soon.
Friday, October 16th
evening social dance, instructor demo, and contest prelims
Saturday, October 17th
daytime workshop lessons, evening social dance and contest finals
Sunday, October 18th
daytime workshop lessons and evening social dance
Monday, October 19th
Consider sticking around after the weekend for our weekly swing social dance: Monday Night Swing! Start times below are accurate.
- 7:15PM all-levels Lindy Hop lesson
- 8:15PM social dance
Class Descriptions
Balboa and Lindy Hop workshop lessons. More details to be announced.
Pass Prices
We ask you to choose your own price tier, either Sponsor, Standard, or Discount. We do not want cost to be a barrier to entry, so we offer financial assistance upon request.
Prices until online registration closes on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
- Sponsor : $225 all-access pass, $120 day pass, $65 dance pass
- Standard: $200 all-access pass, $110 day pass, $60 dance pass
- Discount: $175 all-access pass, $100 day pass, $55 dance pass
- Financial Aid: register with intention to provide volunteer hours and/or pursue a scholarships
- applications close on Thursday, October 1, 2026
During the weekend of October 16-18, 2026, at-the-door prices:
- $225 all-access pass
- $120 day pass
- $65 dance pass
During the weekend of October 16-18, 2026, à la carte purchases for lessons and dances are only available at the door on the day of.
- Each drop-in lesson: $20
- Friday night social dance w/ live music: $25
- Saturday night social dance w/ live music: $30
- Saturday late-night social dance: no additional charge
- Sunday night social dance w/ DJ’d music: $20
T-shirts
Preorder in the registration form for $20 each. Purchase at the event for $25 each. Preorders must be submitted prior to September 21st, 2026.
Competitions
Breaking Bal is not a competition focused event, but we will hold a Mix & Match contest and a Switch & Match contest this year. “Any Swing Goes,” but with a fast foot element! Be prepared for fun and silly challenges. There will be sweet prizes, including free passes to other regional dance weekends. Register through the link below:
https://forms.gle/6puG4UgL57tDGvq49
Venues
Odd Fellows Hall, Lodge #2
1125 Cerrillos Rd. Santa Fe, NM 87505
Saturday & Sunday workshop lessons
The Hut – Santa Fe
1285 Clark Rd Unit 1 and 2, Santa Fe, NM 87507
Saturday & Sunday workshop lessons
Saturday night social dance
Bands
Burque Jazz Bandits feat. Lauryn & Ryan Gould
Amado, rhythm guitar; Racquelita, vocals; & Arthur, violin featuring Lauryn Gould, clarinet/saxophone; Ryan Gould, stand-up bass.
Based out of Albuquerque, NM, the Burque Jazz Bandits bring fun danceable music inspired by 1920s-40s swing jazz, with toe-tapping rhythms, sizzling instrumentals, and passionate vocals. Formed in the local swing dance community, their shared love of jazz brought the Bandits together. The band has three core members and lots of musician friends. They will form a quintet or sextet for this event. Visit the Burque Jazz Bandits’ website for more information.
Golden Hour Heptet
Led by Lauryn & Ryan Gould featuring several spicy New Mexico based musicians
The Golden Hour Heptet plays swing music inspired by the great jazz artists of the 1930’s and 40’s, such as Don Byas, Slam Stewart, Lester Young, Mary Lou Williams, Johnny Hodges, Billie Holiday, Teddy Wilson, et. al. With a mix of original arrangements and fresh interpretations of classic tunes, this ensemble has become a favorite with the swing dance community in Austin, TX and nationally.
The Heptet’s instrumentation of saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, drums, and bass, inspired by groups like Count Basie and the Kansas City 7, allows for a blend of small group spontaneity and harmonized riffs and arrangements sure to delight dancing and listening audiences alike! Visit Lauryn Gould’s website for more information.
DJs
Guest DJs
Jen Delk (she/her) a.k.a. DJ Battle
At age 3, Jen started her DJ career in the basement, on a Fisher Price record player, before an audience of dolls. She spent countless hours listening to funk, disco, soul, jazz, R&B, and pop music throughout her childhood and went on to study music from elementary through high school. After moving to Austin, the “ live music capital”, she fell hard for dancing in dive bars to gritty blues, jazz, and swing music. She started DJing for a live audience in college when she ran a small swing dance club on campus and started teaching classes. Jen started learning blues dances in 2004 when they crossed over into the lindy scene. She joined the bluesSHOUT! Team in 2010 when it came through Austin. As years passed she became more involved in driving the mission and vision of the event by working on content curation and eventually the curriculum and lectures.
Jen lives in Denver now, teaching and DJing blues at the local level and events out of town. Drawing on her vast musical knowledge to help dancers find grounding, a voice, and a better connection with the music.
Ashley Cohen Conner (she/her) a.k.a. DJ Ashley CC
Ashley Cohen Conner has been dancing for almost a decade, focusing on Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag (Collegiate and Carolina!), and Solo Jazz. She started DJing at local weekly venues in Mesa, Arizona, and quickly learned that she loved sharing the music she enjoyed with fellow dancers. She particularly loves Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Roosevelt Sykes, and Helen Humes.
Ashley has DJ’d all over Arizona, most notably at SWINGdepenDANCE, Phoenix Lindy Exchange, and BadAZ Balboa. Additionally, she has DJ’d across the southwest for LA Jitterbug, LindyFest, Downbeat Swing, Salt City Stomp, Breaking Bal, SwingDanceVegas, 505 Swing, Summer Swing Fest, Hot Jazz Jamboree, and Boise City Swings. She is excited to be back at Breaking Bal and share her sets with you!
April Hornbuckle (she/her) a.k.a. DJ Peach
Phoenix’s favorite Georgia transplant, DJ Peach, discovered her passion for swing dance when she was pulled into a class in 2016. It became a meaningful way for her to connect movement with the music she loved from a young age. Over the past nine years, she has been deeply involved in the swing dance community. Locally, she is organizing and DJing weekly events and hosting workshops and community gatherings to support local DJs and nurture emerging talent. Nationally, she has DJ’d and organized events on both coasts, including DJ Coordinating Summer Swing Fest (AZ) and Swing Out Savannah (GA). She loves uncovering fun hidden gems to share with fellow dancers.
Local DJs
Emma Thunderkill (she/her) a.k.a. DJ Thunder
Emma hails from Boston, MA and now lives in Santa Fe, NM, where she is a founding member of the Santa Fe Swing Dance Society and a deeply involved member of the local dance community. She regularly teaches and DJs for local swing dance events and adores lindy hop, balboa, and soul dance styles with equal enthusiasm. Having studied music performance with a focus on jazz and ethnomusicology throughout her youth and undergrad years, Emma’s passion for dance is rooted in 3+ decades of musicophilia and geekery. She spends most of her free time falling into music and dance related rabbit holes, organizing Santa Fe dance events like Breaking Bal with her partner, and trying in vain to teach her dog the Balboa uphold basic.
Mike Garcia a.k.a. DJ Mike (he/him)
DJ Mike Garcia is a long-time Santa Fe based swing dance scene leader, dance instructor, and DJ. We’re blessed to have him in our community and on our team.
Staff
Email our event staff at breakingbalboa@gmail.com
- Emma Underhill
- Josh Pritts
- Silke Maietta-Hatch
- Bandi Chorh Khalsa
- Elli Hindmarch
- Mike Garcia
Cancellation & Refund Policy
If you registered for Breaking Bal 2026 but cannot attend, we offer the following options:
- You may transfer your registration to another person at no cost for Breaking Bal 2026. The last day to transfer your pass is Monday, October 5th, 2026*. They pay you, we just change the name in our records.
- You may transfer your pass to Breaking Bal 2027. The last day to transfer your pass is Monday, October 5th, 2026*.
- You may request a refund. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis by emailing breakingbalboa@gmail.com and telling us about your situation. The deadline for refund requests is Friday, October 9th, 2026*
* If you become sick or another illness within 7 days of the event, please contact breakingbalboa@gmail.com to transfer your pass in order to protect the health and safety of others.
All information provided is subject to change.
