Pinar Erciyas

Pinar's dancing career started in 1st grade with ethnic Turkish dancing. Growing up she was always interested in partner dancing. After trying Viennese waltz and ballroom dancing, she moved to San Francisco and accidentally started dancing Lindy Hop in 2001. She was hooked from day one. She has been studying Lindy Hop and other swing dances with a variety of instructors while performing with many groups, most recently the Three Minute Maniacs, all around the Bay Area and New Mexico. She placed second with them in the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in 2005.

Pinar teaches regularly at Swing Central. She has also taught all around the Bay Area, including the Frankie Manning Weekend, The DogHouse, & The Sacramento Swing Jam. She is genuinely interested in seeing her students grow. Even though she performs regularly, her first love is social dancing. She loves the Zen of following.

Teaching is a true passion for Pinar. As an instructor, she is very approachable and fun. In her classes, she puts a lot of emphasis on partner connection, technique, as well as musicality from the beginning levels; at the same time she keeps it light & energetic. Her analytical nature allows her to break down the mechanics of dancing for her students in a very digestible manner. She believes that dancing should be fun; in addition, a further emotional expression as a form of art. For that, she values working on technical skills to widen the ways of expression & body movement.