Dave Hayes actually didn't like country music growing up. He discovered country dancing while living in Orlando in 1995. "Watching men be able to dance together inspired me to give it a try, and I was instantly hooked." A year later he was asked to teach his first line dance class. Dave has taught every level of line dance and has learned great teaching techniques by observing instructors at gay country dance events across the country. He has served on the boards of several dance organizations including Southern Country Orlando, Texas Twisters, and The Sundance Association, where he is currently the Vice President. He is also Chair of the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs. Dave was a guest instructor at Sundance Saloon prior to moving to San Francisco, and moved right into becoming a regular addition to the teaching staff. His wit and style make learning a fun time.
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John Hoffman has been teaching at Sundance Saloon for around ten years. He’s also a DJ at Sundance Saloon and a member of the Sundance Board of Directors. John lives in San Francisco with his dog Travis and works at the San Francisco Food Bank as the Network Administrator.
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Crispin Hollings had his first country-western dance experience in 1990 at the Rawhide Bar in San Francisco. Convinced he had two left feet, he abandoned dancing after only a few weeks. Invited to go dancing at the Sundance Saloon many years later in 2004, Crispin attended a few lessons and this time he was hooked: from the dance floor to the instructors to the friendliness of the crowd, what was there not to love? Since that time Crispin has been an avid support of the Sundance Association, becoming a member, a volunteer, a poster-boy and a regular dancer. In 2009 he began teaching beginning classes on Thursday nights. “It’s a terrific volunteer gig” he says, “I love teaching and showing people the joys of country-western dancing and sharing the great fellowship of Sundance Saloon.”
e-mail Crispin

Ron Jenkins first started dancing in Chicago in 1993 when a blind date took him two-stepping. He has been spinning around the dance floor ever since, enjoying the two-step, country waltz, west coast swing, east coast swing, and line dancing. He danced with the Barbary Coast Cloggers for five years and has been competing in same-sex ballroom dance since 2008. He and his dance partner, Photis Pishiaris, won a bronze medal at the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne and a silver medal at the 2011 North American OutGames in Vancouver. Ron is also a member of Vima Vice Squad, an all-male formation team performing various styles of dance and who are currently the California, U.S., and North American Same-Sex Formation Team champions. But Ron will always be most comfortable on the country dance floor, and he really enjoys teaching at Sundance Saloon!
e-mail Ron

Michael Metzger has been country-western dancing for five years now and still isn't sated. His love for dancing is rivaled only by his love for sharing the fun with others through teaching. He has been a featured instructor here at Sundance Saloon, as well as at Gays For Patsy and Dirty Water Saloon in Boston, and the Sundance Stompede. Michael is also a member of the Sundance Bandits.
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Randy Pocius has enjoys teaching beginners the fun and satisfaction of two-step, waltz and line dance. He has had over 20 years of country-western dancing experience. He has also DJ’ed for hundreds of dance enthusiasts at Sundance Saloon, special events, cruises and community centers. Randy has performed with the San Jose Spurs, Cactus Cloggers and Jus’ County Cloggers, delighting street fair audiences and students alike. “My greatest thrill in teaching is to see someone progress from a ‘newbie’ to a ‘happy dancer’ wearing a big smile and feeling more confident about his abilities. The community support at Sundance allows me to create a rewarding experience for beginners to learn different dance styles while making new friends”.
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Sean Ray has been an instructor at Sundance Saloon since August, 2009. He has also taught at ODC Dance Commons, Vima Dance Studio and Gold’s Gym. Sean’s dance background includes jazz, ballet, ballroom, two-stepping & line dancing. In 2011, Sean was a guest instructor at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and also won first place in line dancing at April Follies Same-Sex Dance Competition. He is a member of Vima Vice Squad, the current California, U.S., and North American Same-Sex Formation Team champion. Sean has appeared Off-Broadway in Boy Meets Boy, in various regional theatres, and locally in When Pigs Fly, Tapestry, and Jesus Christ Superstar. A former member of the Orlando, New York City, and San Francisco Gay Men’s Choruses, Sean is also the creator and artistic director of several cabaret fundraisers, including the annual Cabaret to Fight AIDS.
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Cumba Siegler is an occupational therapist and country-western dance junkie. She first met the two-step in 1990 in Seattle, WA, at the Timberline Bar and hasn't looked back at wiggle-dancing since. She has been dancing for 21 years and teaching for 20, in western Massachussetts, the Timberline, and now at the Sundance Saloon.  Helping newcomers feel comfortable is her specialty and she likes to remind beginners that “as adult learners, we have to give ourselves time to learn new motor patterns and permission to make mistakes.” She sees dance as play and rejoices in people having fun.

Charles Sterck has enjoyed dancing most of his life. His background studies include tap, jazz, ballroom, two-stepping and line dancing. He was an integral player in the award-winning San Francisco dance troupe, the San Francisco Saddletramps, and served in a variety of positions including president, team captain and choreographer. Charles has taught for Sundance Saloon from the beginning and is honored to contribute to the organization. He has been a featured instructor at various dance festivals including the Emerald City Hoedown in Seattle. Additionally he has taught for numerous non-profit organizations over the past 25 years. He has enjoyed many dance competitions as a winning participant as well as a judge. When not dancing, Charles is a business development advisor and the managing director of a CPA firm. He is also heavily involved in real estate and home remodeling.

Thom Vindiola has been a part of the Sundance family since 2006 and an instructor since 2008. He has a strong background in ballet, jazz and modern. Thom has been teaching dance within the pageantry arts since 1981. He has choreographed for noted drums corps such as The Santa Clara Vanguard and Star of Indiana. He has also been part of the creativetTeam for three-time Grand National Bands of America Champions – Avon Marching Black and Gold, and for 17 years was the lead choreographer of the Official Tournament of Roses Dancers and Color Guard for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. Thom also has a background in theatre as a dancer, costumer, set designer, and director. He owns his own costume business specializing in costumes for theatre, dancers, dance teams, baton twirlers and color guard. His love of dance and his passion to teach is obvious in all his classes.
e-mail Thom