Baloween Bands
Zazu West
ZAZU West is Phoenix's premier ensemble dedicated to French Swing, the style devoted to the legacy of guitar legend Django Reinhardt. Started in Arizona in 2004 with the same unforgettable ingredients: irresistible swing, melancholy dark and moody highlights, and improvisation with reckless abandon. Zazu West will be gracing our stage Friday night.
You can show support for our musicians by following them on social media and buying their music!
Baloween DJs
Ashley Cohen Conner
Warden of the DJ CircleDJ Ash has been swing dancing for over a decade, focusing on Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag (Collegiate and Carolina!), and Solo Jazz. She started DJing at local venues in 2016 and quickly learned that she loved sharing music she finds and enjoys with fellow dancers. She particularly enjoys Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, and Aretha Franklin.
Ashley has DJ’d all over the southwest - the list includes SWINGdepenDANCE, Phoenix Lindy Exchange, BadAZ Balboa, LA Jitterbug’s Swingin’ Soul Night, Big Sky Weekend, Salt City Stomp, SwingDanceVegas, 505 Swing, Stormy Weather, Summer Swing Fest, Hot Jazz Jamboree, LindyFest, Boise City Swings, and Breaking Bal. She is very excited to add Baloween to that list!
Ross Blythe
Ross Blythe (Santa Fe) thinks music is great, and that you should dance to it. Often, he’ll be dancing in his seat while selecting the next song. Slide some bourbon over and chat with him about what’s playing! He currently spins for Santa Fe Swing Society and local Santa Fe Events. Sure to bring the party, Ross has DJ’ed for The Get Down, Sweet Molasses Blues, Steel City Blues, Toronto Blues Battle, Backwater Blues, and other regional and national events. He was a staple at Chicago’s monthly event Bluetopia, as well as weekly and monthly swing and Balboa dances in the city.
David has been DJ’ing since he started dancing in 2012 back in Cleveland, OH. He started learning Lindy, but transitioned full-time to Balboa in 2017. David strives to find music that is a blend of familiar and deeper cuts so that dancers get a variety that keeps them coming back.
David Aghassi
Ian Dawson
Along with his love of balboa, shag, and Lindy Hop dances, Ian DJs regularly in the Bay Area. He’s inspired by Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Cannonball Adderly, and Jo Jones. He likes to keep the floor going well into the night.
Jason Hamons
Jason hails from Southern California where he regularly plays music at Atomic Ballroom, LindyGroove, and other local events. He loves classic swing tunes and keeping the energy high at late night so no one sleeps. He has played at events like California Balboa Classic, Hot Rhythm Holiday, Camp Hollywood, Bal Love, The Snowball, and Valencia Balboa Festival. His favorite songs to dance to are Scuttlebutt by Artie Shaw and Back to the Apple by Count Basie.
Sarah Stembridge
April hornbuckle
Overseer and Alchemist of the Baloween Realm
Phoenix’s favorite Georgia transplant, DJ Peach, fell in love with swing dance after being thrown into a class while in college. It became a way to connect movement to the music she had been introduced to and admired from an early age. Over the last eight years, she has been actively involved in the swing dance community, organizing and DJing on both coasts, hosting workshops, and leading community events to support local DJs and encourage new talent.
She’ll be spending the majority of Baloween weekend running the event, but has cut out time to DJ the open practice session and DJ Saturday’s late-night slow bal power hour. ("Hollywood, 1939. Amid the glitz and the glitter of a bustling young movie town at the height of its golden age…”)