About the Nanaimo West Coast Swing Collective
The Nanaimo West Coast Swing Collective provides and promotes opportunities for West Coast Swing dance in Nanaimo and surrounding areas. We are not a dance school or a business, we’re just people who enjoy this fun and interactive style of partner dancing. We arrange weekly dance classes and practices, and monthly social dances with workshops on West Coast Swing.
The collective is managed by a small volunteer committee. We arrange weekly dance classes and practices, and monthly social dances with workshops on West Coast Swing. We also encourage visits to and from other West Coast Swing organizations in our general area.
Everyone is welcome at our dances and practices. There’s no discrimination based on age, gender, race or size. No partner required.
We usually have a fairly good balance of leads and follows, sometimes even extra leads – which is great! The rules for lead and follow are not based on gender, but by choice. Anyone can lead, anyone can follow and you can switch roles.
Volunteers
Your Nanaimo West Coast Swing Collective is run by a team of dedicated volunteers. We can always use more help. If you would like to join us, let us know, we’d love to have you.
Interested in Volunteering
2026 Volunteer Roles and Volunteers
- Chair – volunteer welcome
- Secretary – volunteer welcome
- Treasurer – John
- Sound Tech – Brian – more welcome
- DJ Coordinator – volunteer welcome
- Instructor Coordinator – Hillary – more welcome
- DJs – Brian, Mark, John, Heather – more welcome
- Door/Adimission – Regina, Corinne, John – more welcome
- Class Registation – John, Corinne – more welcome
- Communications
- Newsletter – Hillary, John – more welcome
- Social Media – Hillary and Corinne – more welcome
- Website – Colleen
Instructors
Brianne Podritske
Brianne loves her teaching and dancing life! She has been line dancing for 18 years and is a Top 3 Worlds Champion with experience in all genres of dance. The challenge of West Coast Swing intrigues Brianne and has drawn her into elevating her ability in both lead and...
Pamela Podmoroff
Pamela Podmoroff began in ballet at the age of 2 1/2 and continued with jazz, contemporary and tap dance. Pamela’s long list of dance training includes many forms of social dancing as well as Ballroom/Latin teacher training. This dance path led to her passion for West...
Kaitlyn Kraatz
As an adult learner of dance, Kaitlyn believes technique can become a dancer’s freedom. Kaitlyn’s career as a dance learner spans from New York to Tennessee to Montreal to Nanaimo; Kaitlyn facilitates dance learning from a drama-informed and anti-oppressive stance....
Sara Raymond
Sara Raymond is a dance studio owner, choreographer, instructor and UCWDC Advanced Line Dance Competitor. She has been an instructor for 20 years, starting at just 18 years old through Parks and Rec in Nanaimo. From there Sara opened up a dance studio and has done...
Dean Stroeder
A.K.A. Dancing Dean, he has been a DJ and dance instructor for more than 25 years.Dean is professional, charismatic, energetic, friendly and well respected in the dance community. He has worked on cruise ships around the world and has appeared on Slice Entertainment,...