"The
Bees Knees" - 1920s slang used to describe a terrific dancer - aptly sums
up the feelings of all those inspired by Mandi Gould, one of the founders
of The Bees Knees Dance Study.
Mandi started The Bees Knees to celebrate authentic Swing Era social dances, particularly the Lindy Hop. The Lindy Hop is the original form of swing dancing, which evolved in the 1920s and continued right through the Great Depression into the 1940s; it is free spirited, creative, and joyful, and its current revival is taking Toronto and the rest of the world by storm.
Mandi Gould has been dancing the Lindy Hop since the beginning of 1998.
Her passion for original swinging jazz is closely tied to her dancing and teaching. Though her primary focus is on the social dance, she is also dedicated to performance Lindy Hop, Charleston, Black Bottom and Classic Jazz Dances.
In addition to her teaching base in Toronto, Mandi has taught in Zurich, Switzerland, Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, and Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. In North America she has taught in Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal.
Recently Mandi has been an administrator for the Herrang Dance Camp
http://www.herrangdancecamp.com as well as having organized two North American
tours for the Harlem Hot Shots http://www.harlemhotshots.com
Mandi is also a choreographer, talented event organizer and DJ.
Erin & Devon Winn began as Mandi’s students but have excelled far beyond her classroom. Erin has begun teaching and event organizing in Toronto, and Devon Winn has spent most of the past year training and performing with the Harlem Hot Shots in Sweden. They are both gems in the Toronto Lindy Hop dance community.
Classes with The Bees Knees Dance Study are always innovative, relaxed, and infectious, providing individual attention to each student and appealing to beginners and experienced dancers alike.
