I am a regional swing dance competitor, choreographer, and instructor. My professional training as a user experience designer, and moonlight experience as a fiction author, informs my desire to tell a story through dance.

I am known for my sassy dance variations and solo performances. My dance vocabulary includes Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Breakaway, Collegiate Shag, and St. Louis Shag. I studied the amazing Josephine Baker to inform my solo repertoire. As an instructor, I encourage dancers to find their personality, individuality, and musicality within the dance partnership and in solo movement.

As a competitor, I hold awards from Midwestern lindy hop events. I was a member of the competitive dance troupe Team SwingColumbus from 2012 – 2015, and taught lindy hop and balboa for the 2018 Big Red Workshop Weekend in Indiana

Bio for Event Needs

Binaebi Akah Calkins began swing dancing during the “Gap Commercial Era” in the early 2000’s. She picked up lindy hop on the dance floor in 2009, and never looked back! Over time, Binaebi expanded her dance vocabulary to include Charleston, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and St. Louis Shag. As an instructor, Binaebi encourages dancers to find their personality, individuality, and musicality within the partnership and in solo movement.

Binaebi is known for her sassy variations and solo performances. As a competitor, she holds awards from Dayton Swing Smackdown, Southern Swing Challenge, and Rocktober Lindy Hop Workshop Weekend. She was a member of the competitive dance troupe Team SwingColumbus from 2012 – 2015, and taught lindy hop and balboa for the 2018 Big Red Workshop Weekend in Indiana. She contributes to weekly and weekend SwingColumbus events as webmaster, registration coordinator, instructor, and DJ.