About Us

Miles Cohen
BluesProgressions Instructor
Director of Back Alley Blues
Editor of SeattleBluesDance.com

Miles discovered partner dancing in 2002, the same year he moved to the Seattle. Immediately he was taken by it. Abandoning a normal sleeping schedule, other hobbies and the bulk of his vacation time, he has since emerged himself in a life of late nights and achy feet. With the remainder of his energy Miles works full-time as a developer at Microsoft.

Miles began teaching in 2007, getting his start as a tango instructor for the8thstyle.com. In 2008 he created the entity now known as BluesProgressions, where at first he taught Blues to couples living in the Redmond area. In 2009, he moved his classes to Seattle and focused his teaching on social Blues dancing, hoping to give something back to the community that has helped feed his dance appetite for so long.

miles@bluesprogressions.com

Karissa Lightsmith Blues Progressions Instructor Director of Burn Blue One enchanted New Years five years ago, Karissa found herself blues dancing in a steamy Seattle kitchen. Very shortly after, she began DJing blues music, teaching blues dance, and organizing blues venues and events. Blues + Karissa = Perfect Match.
Karissa is one of the four directors of Burn Blue. She teaches national and local workshops and is a regular teacher at every weekly blues venue in Seattle. Karissa particularly loves to solo dance, listen and respond to her lead, and contribute subtle and sexy additions when partner dancing. karissa@bluesprogressions.com

Karen R. Smith
Blues Progressions Instructor

Karen has been dancing since 2001, with her main emphasis in swing and blues. With a background in juggling instruction and massage therapy, she brings a high degree of body awareness, playfulness, and over ten years experience of teaching movement to her dance instruction. Karen has taught as a full time instructor for the notable Go Dance Studios in Austin, TX; weekend workshops in San Francisco, Seattle, and Austin; and is pleased to regularly host, moderate and teach at Seattle's own Burn Blue and Back Alley Blues.

karen@bluesprogressions.com

John Lozano
Blues Progressions Instructor

John Lozano was first introduced to the Detroit dance scene in 1998, however his journey began much earlier than that. Some of his fondest memories are of he and his family singing along with Detroit's "oldies" radio station which included a special blend of Detroit's own blend of motown, soul and early rock and roll. Within his first year of dancing John was learning east coast swing and lindy hop (with a dash of latin and ballroom)and by 2000 was teaching classes and small workshops. Around 2001 he was exposed to blues dancing and has ever since be dancing, djing and teaching swing and blues side by side.

Over the years he has continued to grow in his dancing and musical knowledge, and taught workshops throughout the midwest, parts of Canada, and after a brief "pause for the cause" (a volunteering stint/spritual journey which may take a couple cups of tea to even begin to explain) has resurfaced on the west coast to spread joy and love through music and dance. John prides himself on his artistry on the dance floor, and in being able to reach out and share his embodied knowledge of the technical, expressive and creative sides of dance with his students. He is always on the lookout for live music to dance to, and loves to pay homage of those bands that have most moved him by djing their music with dancers who may have never otherwise heard them. Quite often you'll hear him refer back to his favorite former Detroit public radio dj Gene Elzy, saying that he too delivers "the bluesy side of jazz, and the jazzy side of blues."quot;

john@bluesprogressions.com