Elena Iannucci
Elena Iannucci’s [Class Schedule] [Event Calendar]
After 22 years, Elena Iannucci and business partner Teddy Kern closed Dance Manhattan's NYC studio in November 2014. Since then Elena continues to promote Dance Manhattan's talented staff by producing custom dance classes and performances for special programs and events.
You can currently find her once again running her popular in-person Tuesday night Swing classes as well as a monthly Beginner's Swing Crash course at You Should Be Dancing..!! (37 W 26th St, 2nd flr NYC).
(Call YSBD..! @212-244-0011 for info or to register for her NYC classes.)
From time to time, you'll also find her at your local library on Long Island, her home, teaching the basics of a variety of social dances as well as line dancing!
BIO
Elena Iannucci is a teacher, coach, choreographer and owner of Dance Manhattan, whose popular NYC studio closed its doors in 2014. Although Elena has come to specialize in Swing/Lindy Hop, she's studied, performed and taught the basics of all forms of social ballroom dance for 30 years.
For eight years she was well known as a dancer with The Big Apple Lindy Hoppers (BALH), the performance arm of the New York Swing Dance Society, at the time under the direction of Tony-award winner, Mr. Frankie Manning. Frankie, her mentor, was a Lindy Hop legend and one of the original innovators of the dance! As a performer with BALH, Elena performed at local events and jazz festivals as well as special extravaganzas such as the Smithsonian's Tribute to the Swing Era, Lincoln Center's Midsummer's Nights Swing, Merv Griffin's Resorts Hotel, New York City's First Night, Frankie Manning's 80th Birthday Gala NYC, and the Museum of New York's tribute to Frankie Manning. She counts among her credits: choreographer of the winning Lindy Hop team at ASDC,'95 and coach of the Lindy Hop Division winners at ASDC, '98.
Elena moved from corporate America into the dance world to open and run Dance Manhattan in October 1992... the rest is history! All who entered its doors were made to feel at home and the studio quickly grew to be one of the largest and most well respected social dance studios in NYC! It gained global recognition as it boasted one of the most talented and acclaimed rosters of dance experts in NYC, both resident instructors and international guests.
Although Elena found performing and the spotlight sweet, her true love and passion is for the playfulness, freedom and spontaneity of the social dance floor. She takes pride and joy in scanning an event and seeing the many generations of dancers who have started in her classes. When you see her on the dance floor, please be sure to make her day and ask her for a dance!
She continues to spread the love of dance and looks forward to helping create many more generations of dance enthusiasts!
Videos:
Elena's Dance Jam at Dance Manhattan's Final Guest Night, 2014!
Elena dancing with the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers in the (OMG!!!) late 80's!!
A clip of Elena dancing West Coast Swing w/ the DM competition team! (1994!!)
Shim Sham @ Elena's Big Birthday Bash, 2018!
Elena dances a Social Swing with one of her favorite partners, Andrew D'Angelo! (2011)
