Meet our team

Carol Fraser

Lead Instructor & Choreographer, Creative Director

A professional swing dance instructor for over 20 years, Carol holds numerous titles in solo, partner and team competitions worldwide including American Lindy Hop Champion, US Open Swing Dance Champion and North American Dance Champion.

Carol has extensive dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, ballroom, and all forms of swing dancing. She choreographs for individuals, couples and teams of all skill levels as well as age groups from Junior High to Adult. You can find some of her award winning choreography on her YouTube page.

Carol focuses on teaching body mechanics, body motion and movement, connection, partnership skills, and overall dance technique. Her focus in these areas draw novices and professionals alike to seek her guidance and coaching. She has choreographed partner and team routines throughout the United States and was commissioned for the World War II Memorial dedication in Washington DC to assemble a Lindy hop routine for the President and attendees.

Charla Lambert

Instructor, Operations & Finance

A dance nerd through and through, Charla has been partner dancing since 2005 and began focusing on swing in 2013. Her love for dance began while going to weekly salsa events in Seattle's Century Ballroom and from there, it's progressed through Long Island ballrooms and national swing dance camps.

Trained in both Latin and ballroom social dancing, an integral part of Charla's teaching style is making connections and distinctions between all the partner dances. She has a talent for translating Jazz music theory and rhythms into numbers, counts, and steps. Charla enjoys nerding out with fellow dance geeks, building a community of swing dancers, and in general sharing her love of Jazz Age and Big Band era dances with all of Long Island.

Kathleen Crayne

Instructor, Marketing & Promotions

Self-identifying muppet and oft-mistaken for Lucille Ball, Kathleen is the expressive swing promoter for the LISS team. She has been hooked on swing since early 2007, when she began learning the basics and social dancing regularly through the following years. Seeking out swing scenes at home and abroad, Kathleen has swung-out in Boston, the Big Easy, Baltimore, Britain, and Beijing before settling into serious swing-study since 2014.

Fluent in scatting and kinesthetic communication, she contributes to lessons by focusing on connection, frame, and momentum. Contact Kathleen with any questions related to marketing, promotion, performances, community events, and social dancing across greater Long Island.