Stephanie Taylor (née McKernan) dances, organizes, performs, judges, teaches and competes. Technically she specializes in the field of African American Vernacular Jazz Dancing; her favourite part of all that is the Lindy hop and solo Jazz dancing. Her dancing trademark is her special mix of inspiring musicality, solid social and performance dancing skills and unpredictable explosions of excitement.
Before moving to Toronto in 2008 she spent almost a decade playing a pivotal role in growing and developing the Vancouver Swing scene. Her organizational prowess made her indispensable to undertakings like the first Vancouver Exchanges (2001, 2002), regular swing nights (Swingin' at St. James and the Savage Ball) and one award-winning performance team (Hot KoKo). It also lead her to Herräng International Dance Camp where she worked as Camp Information Manager, a job that required hours of schedule juggling, list making and donning a wig and fancy dress each night. She is still known across the dancing world as "the girl with the blue hair".
She founded and for three years produced and directed the biggest and best weekend of dancing west of Montréal, Lindy Bout. With the help of Lucy Falkner and Eileen Jones, Stephanie directed Lindy Bout IV in April 2010. Due to her pregnancy and subsequent birth of her baby girl she could not attend Lindy Bout V in person. She has begun schemeing with Lucy and Eileen for Lindy Bout's 6th year!
Her mad dancing skillz earned her several awards at the Pacific Northwest Lindy Hop Champsionship and the Harvest Moon Ball Competition at the Killer Diller Ball. She has performed and taught at events across the Pacific Northwest.
Since moving to Toronto she has had the pleasure of working with most of the organizations that promote Lindy hop and Jazz in Toronto: Bees Knees Dance, Capital Dance Productions, Hogtown Swing, Toronto Lindy Hop, Toronto Swing Dance Society, Swing Toronto, Swing and Tap Academy and UT Swing. She has performed and taught at events such as Luminato, the Canadian National Exhibition and Ontario Place.
Stephanie took some time off to focus on her role as a new mother and is slowly returning to dancing. She is currently working with Toronto Lindy Hop on spreading the lindy hop love!
Stephanie (seeing no evil) with Lucy Falkner & Eileen Jones as Lindy Bout IV cleanup goes on around them.
Photo:Justin Lee