Hep Jen

FI and I took swing dance lessons in a group format (at UCSF) with Jen and loved them. We thought of having her DJ and went to check her out at one of her gigs in the City. She was great--kept the dance floor moving and the music segues were flawless. I don't know how many weddings she's done and I don't know how she'll do as an MC, but I'm not too worried, since there's not a lot of that I want done. Bonus--she's going to give a half-hour group lesson at the start of the reception!

Jen is great! we loved her energy and enthusiasm. She helped choreograph our wedding dance. We took 10 lessons with her. It was the biggest hit!

Hep Jen was so great at our winter wedding!!! She did the ceremony music as well as the reception music and was a joy to work with. My husband and I took dance lessons at UCSF with Jen and they were very well organized and moved at a great pace. Those lessons really paid off when we danced our first dance at the wedding! Jen was totally flexible with the selection of music and was very reasonable priced. I recommend her to all couples getting married! Thanks, Jen!!!

My wife and I met Hep Jen through Lindy in the Park and the classes she teaches at UCSF. I've had bad experiences with dance in the past, but I had a great experience with Jen! I really picked up the basic moves fast, and by the time we were planning our wedding it seemed natural to ask Jen to help us pick some music and practice the first dance. She helped us put together a little number to practice, suggested a good song to go with, and rehearsed with us several times. At the wedding reception, there were a million things going on at once, but one of the things that went super smooth was the first dance. I know a lot of grooms do stress about that, but for me all the coaching paid off and it went great without any worries. Made the first dance all the fun it should be.

My husband and I decided to take swing dance lessons for our wedding. After basic lessons at City College, we then started at the Verdi Club for Lindy Hop lessons and that's where we met Jen. Right away, we loved her energy and enthusiasm. She's so super down to earth - even the timid seemed to really ease up around her and do well with her guidance. After struggling to come up with a routine for our first wedding dance song, we enlisted in private lessons. She was great about incorporating some of our favorite moves and also suggesting things that were a bit more challenging - but definite show stopping moves! What I loved most is that she really took the time to review our form and had the patience as we worked through them. But most of all, it was just fun. My husband and I couldn't stop laughing - and what otherwise could have been a very stressful endeavor (hey, getting most soon-to-be-grooms to dance is like pulling teeth!) turned out to be a real blast.

We performed our big routine at our wedding reception - and I have to say, it was probably the biggest hit at our wedding! People couldn't stop talking about it. We're really thankful to Jen for helping us put it all together.

Hep Jen gave a dance lesson and DJ'd at our wedding. If you want to avoid the usual wedding DJ shtick (YMCA, Love Shack, Brick House, ugh), but you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a band, Hep Jen is the perfect choice for you! Her music selections blended classic and more contemporary swing music that guests of all ages could relate to (we have some great footage of the groom's grandma getting down!). The lesson got everyone up on their feet early on, plus the lesson format of switching partners every couple of minutes was really fun for people to get to know each other a little more. We were a little worried that people would feel like they had to take the lesson in order to dance later on, but the music was really accessible enough that you could dance swing or just wing it. Our guests had a fabulous time!

Jen is awesome! She DJ'd and gave a lesson at my outdoor wedding. If you want great music but don't want to spend the big bucks for a band then Hep Jen is your answer. Her music selections keep everyone happy from kids to adults with contemporary swing to the good old standards. I highly recommend the group lesson she gives- it guarantees that everyone will dance at least once. It was a wonderful way for people to meet eachother (rather than just dancing with the person they came with).
Everyone loved her and I still have people telling me that was the best idea yet- FYI my husband and I didn't do a signature dance but it didn't seem missing since everyone else was enjoying the lesson.

Jen is a dance instructor in the bay area. She does lessons at UCSF and in GG Park on the weekends. We did a 1-hour private lesson in her apartment for $50, which was fine. She showed us a few moves and slightly improved our form (maybe). Email me for more info.

Hep Jen helped choreograph our wedding dance. We transitioned from a slow waltz into west coast swing, with our swing steps matched to the music of "Into the Mood" by Glenn Miller. We had several private lessons with Hep Jen where we first settled upon the music,and then on the different dance steps we wanted to use. Since we planned on having a live band perform our song, Hep Jen made sure we practiced to different tempos and facing different directions so that we'd be ready on the Wedding Day. She was great in guiding us through the moves and making sure everything turned out great. I'd highly recommend her to help with your wedding dance; it was a hit of our wedding! She is a great instructor, very patient and helpful in teaching both the male or female lead, and worked around our hectic schedules to fit in the lessons.