Hi, I’m Jenn Lee

I’m a swing dance educator, performer, and community builder—and at the heart of everything I do is a deep belief that dance is how we remember our humanity and each other.

I came to dance after a long career as an eye surgeon, a profession rooted in precision, discipline, and responsibility. Dance offered something radically different: connection, improvisation, joy, and a place to belong. Over time, it became clear that what I loved most wasn’t just dancing well—it was creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and brave enough to try.

That belief led me to found the Swing Arts Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to using swing dance and jazz culture as tools for connection, equity, and community wellbeing. Through performances, classes, free public events, and youth and community programming, the foundation centers arts and culture as essential—not extra—and prioritizes access for those who are too often left out of traditional arts spaces.

Swing dance is a Black American art form rooted in resilience, creativity, and joy. I feel a responsibility—and a deep gratitude—to honor its history while helping it live vibrantly in the present. My teaching emphasizes musicality, rhythm, collaboration, and personal voice over perfection. I care deeply about representation, about making room for older dancers, dancers of color, queer dancers, and anyone who has ever wondered if they belong on a dance floor.

I’ve spent years teaching and performing around the world, collaborating with incredible dancers and musicians, and learning—again and again—that community is something we actively practice. I believe competition can be generous. I believe play is serious work. I believe joy is not frivolous—it’s a form of resistance.

When people leave my classes or events, I hope they feel a little more connected—to the music, to each other, and to themselves. If that’s something you’re curious about, you’re in the right place.