Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Cohen Conner
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Born and raised in Arizona, I started dancing when I was 5, and got into swing dancing when I was 15. I absolutely loved Lindy Hop, and also picked up Balboa, Collegiate Shag, Charleston, Solo Jazz, and any other vintage dance styles I could find!
When I was 17, I discovered Carolina Shag from a workshop taught by Alan Stokes and Natalia Eristavi. After this, I was hooked. I learned as much as I could through YouTube and instructional videos. Unfortunately, there was no Carolina Shag scene in the Southwest for me to explore. It was hard for me to travel at the time (since I was still in high school) and had no dance connections in the South.
A few years and a pandemic later, I was finally able to travel to my first SOS event in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. After that – I made it a point to attend every SOS event 3 times a year – a promise I have kept for the last few years!
In 2023, I launched my event – Summer Swing Fest – a swing dance workshop weekend with live music. In 2024, I brought out professional Carolina Shag dancers Jada Bannen and Grayson Free to teach Shag to our Arizona scene! I had taught a few classes leading up to this, but this workshop really helped excite our scene about the dance!
Now, in 2025, I’m doing it again, and doing more Shag! I look forward to seeing everyone on August 15-17 in Mesa, AZ at Summer Swing Fest III!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are definitely times of struggle and smooth times! It is always a struggle when things initially launch, and setting it up. I never know if dancers will like what I’m bringing to the table, if they’ll return for more classes, or if it impacts them at all. Once the event or class is rolling, it’s pretty smooth – that’s the easy part for me! It is much easier to gauge interest, engagement, and enjoyment once things are in motion.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in teaching Lindy Hop and Carolina Shag, but I also am trained in Balboa, Collegiate Shag, St. Louis Shag, Charleston, and 6-Count Swing. When I was 16 and 17, I gained 1 international and 2 international swing dance titles, which put me on the map. The special part about this was, it was with my sister, and we choreographed our routines, which is one of the things I am most proud of in my journey. After this, we taught, performed, and ran local events, up until the pandemic shut everything down. Post-pandemic, I started really exploring the world of Carolina Shag and bringing it to my home state of Arizona.
In regards to teaching, I really try to bridge other dance styles together. I want students and dancers alike to see the similarities and differences between the styles (particularly swing), and know WHY they are different. One of my favorite things is discussing the evolution of dance, and how certain regions developed different styles. That is, I don’t like to teach that there is “one way” to dance swing. I prefer showing basic rhythm patterns and how they are used to create certain dances + how the music affects how we move. I believe this sets me apart from more traditional ways of teaching one dance. I also like to play around with these ideas when I am DJing, and like to tailor my sets based on the group of dancers I am playing for.
In regards to organizing, I always make sure I allow myself to learn from others and not get too stuck in my ways. I’ve found this to be super beneficial in the quality of my event and better overall experiences for guests and staff.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Mostly just Excel and Google Drive to keep everything organized!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.summerswingfest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/summerswingfest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556376145233
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A9BHFntyr/
