Dabney Hopkins is a dancer from Mesa, AZ. His passion lies in the dance styles from the Swing Era, and he has dedicated over a decade of his life to spreading his love for Lindy Hop. Having studied under and been inspired by the legendary Frankie Manning, Dabney has also tried to garnish some dance knowledge from anyone around him. Having competed successfully early in his dance career, he focused more on teaching, and helping others discover their true dance potential.
Dabney discovered dancing when, after serving a two year mission in Brasil for his church, his friends dragged him out to a jazz club. He immediately fell in love with the music, the culture, and the connections through vernacular jazz and swing. The rest is history.
Dabney has over 14 years of experience dancing, teaching, competing in, and performing the dances from the Swing Era. Dabney has served as the secretary of the Arizona Classic Jazz Society, a 501c3 non-profit group dedicated to the preservation of classic jazz. Dabney is a national competitor and has performed with the Hollywood Hotshots, a performance troupe out of Los Angeles, has taught workshops on Carnival Cruise Lines, and in California, Florida, Utah, Nevada, Mexico, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and Arizona. He has made several television appearances and performs regularly with the 52nd St. Jazz Band, at jazz festivals across the country.
