Patrick & Natasha
Patrick and Natasha founded their dynamic partnership in 2007, while training with the distinguished team, the Swinging Air Force and working at Studio 88-SWING in Montreal. They have since acquired extensive performance, competition, teaching and coaching experience and now live in Paris, France.
While in Montreal, they coached many of the Swinging Air Force teams and had the chance to work for the Cirque du Soleil training dancers from their show “Banana Shpeel” in the art of Swing aerials.
They have appeared in several Canadian television shows; La Vie est un Cirque, La Culture pour ou Contre, Ben et Jarrod, Relève en Folie, L’heure de Gloire and have also been featured in the Sam Roberts video clip ”Them kids” and very recently in ”Dramophone” from Caravan Palace.
The challenge of competition is something they have always enjoyed and they are proud of their numerous podium titles from such events as ILHC, ALHC, Camp Hollyhood, CSC and ESDC.
They have traveled all around the Americas, Europe and Asia to teach this wonderful dance and have taught at world renowned events such as Camp Hollywood, ESDC, ILHC, Lindy Shock and Camp Jitterbug. In class, you’ll surely enjoy their enthusiam, humour and their clear and detailed teaching methods.
Helping to build the Swing Dance community is very important to Patrick and Natasha. They like to contribute with their free online instructional videos and their event coverage. Check out these videos at http://BuildingTheCommunity.PatrickAndNatasha.com
Well known for their gravity defying aerials, they also have free online instructional videos covering some of those.
Check it out at http://AroundTheBackAroundTheWorld.com
get to know them more at http://PatrickAndNatasha.com
Natasha Ouimet
Having danced in a variety of styles (such as ballet, flamenco and tap dance), Natasha discovered Lindy Hop and joined the Swinging Air Force, a Montreal based Swing Dance team, in 2005. Natasha coached several of the Swinging Air Force teams and with her partner Patrick Szmidt (whom she started working with in 2007) has also coached artists of the Cirque du Soleil show Banana Shpeel.
She has appeared dancing in several Canadian television shows; La Vie est un Cirque, La Culture pour ou Contre, Ben et Jarrod, Relève en Folie, and L’heure de Gloire and in a couple of music videos; Sam Roberts ”Them kids” and Caravan Palace’s ”Dramophone”.
She is proud of the many titles she holds won at events such as ILHC, ALHC, Camp Hollyhood, CSC and ESDC.
Now she tours the world with Patrick, her dance partner and husband, to spread the love and knowledge of Lindy Hop and when at home lives near Paris, France.
In class, Natasha focuses on clear and detailed teaching methods while adapting to her students and making it fun for everyone.
Patrick Szmidt
In 2002, Patrick moved briefly from Paris to Montreal for his studies in organic chemistry. While looking for way to make new friends, he discovered Lindy Hop. He immediately got totally hooked and when he got back home to Paris, he started spreading his knew found passion.
In 2006, he spent several months in Israel starting up a local scene there. Later that year, Patrick wound up moving back to Montreal to teach at Studio 88-SWING and join the Swinging Air Force (S.A.F.). It’s at this time that he met and partnered up with Natasha Ouimet.
Since then, they have won many titles at ILHC, ALHC, Camp Hollyhood, CSC and ESDC, to name a few. Their talent and reputation as dancers and teachers earned them the opportunity to work with the Cirque du Soleil in 2009, who hired them to train artists from “Banana Shpeel”. They have also appeared in several Canadian television shows and a couple of video clips; Sam Roberts ”Them Kids and Caravan Palace’s ”Dramophone”.
In his effort to spread Swing Dancing worldwide and build the community, Patrick not only travels all around the globe to teach the dance but also frequently films and uploads on-line, free instructional and event coverage videos.
In class, his high energy and enthusiasm is contageous and his clear and detailed teaching methods are always very much appreciated.