BIO

Corey & Susan Manke

Corey and Susan Manke are Balboa and Swing dancers from Nashville, Tennessee. While Lindy Hop was their first passion, they soon discovered their true love of Balboa in 2004 fascinated with its connection, rhythms and partnering. They have spent over a decade studying the dance with many international instructors. Corey and Susan are particularly drawn to the aesthetic, connection and feel of the original dancers. They strive to implement these elements into their own dance style and reference these dancers in their teaching to preserve the original dancers’ contribution to the dance floor. They have been participants of The Balboa Experiment every year since 2010, where they have been students, served as Guest Mentors, awarded “Honorary Fellows” in 2014 and became "Distinguished Fellows" in 2016. Corey and Susan have been instructors at All Balboa Weekend, Bal-ast Off, Barcelona Balboa Festival (Spain), California Balboa Classic, Eastern Balboa Championships, Edinburgh Balboa Weekend (Scotland), Great Lakes Balboa Escape, Northwest Bal Fest, Minor Swing (Sweden), NuBalboa (Spain), Thames Valley Balboa Festival (UK), Zaragoza (Spain) and invited to teach at other regional, national and international events. Corey and Susan have received placements at All Balboa Weekend, Bal-Ast Off, Northwest Bal Fest and are regular finalists in several national competitions. However, they enjoy the aspect of social dancing the most.