Minimums
My basic requirements include transportation, meals, lodging, and teaching/performing fees with minimums - see below. I work with various teaching partners, each with similar requirements. I'm also happy to work with a local teacher to help keep costs down for you. I will happily teach partnered Lindy Hop on my own but at a higher rate. I can teach comfortably as a follow or a lead, please specify. See below for further details and answers to most frequently asked questions, and don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions or concerns. All monetary values below are quoted in UK £ sterling. If you are a new event or a charity/CIC please ask about rate flexibility as I am always keen to help grow new communities.
This is your reminder that I am a trans nonbinary person. My pronouns are they/them/theirs, and getting this wrong on promotional material is unacceptable. If you make a mistake verbally at any point in public or private conversations the best course of action is to self correct immediately and then move on.
You are obliged to do due diligence to ensure other staff and the team on your even are not transphobic or homophobic. I expect you to have a safe spaces declaration or policy for your event, and a pre designated chain of escalation in case of something happening to myself or any of your queer attendees.
This dance and the music that came with is is a Black American art form, and this should be widely acknowledged in your marketing communications for the event, as well as the team on the ground delivering it. If your event is only staffed by white folks please note that I will be asking you about why this is. If you live in a very white area and you are bringing in Black dancers and dancers of colours especially to either work or attend, I ask you now to consider what you are doing to protect their intellectual and emotional energy.
PR Stuff
Feel free to use any material you think is suitable from this website. If you would like more, I probably have more. Please start with this stuff though as dancers will be more familiar with it.
Partners
I teach and perform with the following dancers- their primary teaching role and usual flavour of class subjects are covered after each name. Jamica is my main international teaching partner but I am happy to teach with the others on the list, solo or with someone else you have in mind. Just give me warning, ok?
Jamica Zion [no pronouns] - Follow - Lindy Hop, slow jazz, Blues [USA]
Anna Price [she/her] - Follow - Blues [UK]
Daire Mac An Bhaird [he/him] - Lead - Blues, slow jazz, Lindy Hop [Scotland]
Jenna Applegarth [she/her] - Follow - Lindy Hop, slow jazz, Blues [Austria]
Katie Cobalt [she/they/he] - Follow - Lindy Hop [UK]
Transport
If we have not worked together before you will be responsible for booking my travel and paying the up front costs. I'm sure you understand my need to protect myself against unexpected cancellations. I suggest, moreover, that you make sure there is travel insurance on those tickets. If there is a lot of travelling between where I am staying and the venue/s for teaching/performing please ensure you provide transportation or money for a cab.
Any flights from London on or before 8am will require a cab because the trains are rubbish that early.
I am happy to fly hand luggage only to save costs but I MUST have 2 cabin bags.
accommodation
I require a real bed, in a room with a door that closes. Sofa beds and air mattresses do not count! Also, my teaching partner is not my romantic partner so do not expect us to share a bed. If you need us to share a room that will depend on the dance partner and will require advance notice in all cases.
MEal provisions
I eat meat, eggs and fish. Give me meat and cheese protein, fruit and lots of healthy fresh food! I do not consume lentils or pasta as i am allergic.
If I am allowed to get hungry I am an absolute nightmare- so please make sure you have snacks nearby at all times. Also coffee and lots of water.
Rates
My maximum total number of hours teaching per day is 6 hours.
Sonnie-Spoon-Special class subjects available (correct as of Oct 2025)
Solo Jazz for Scaredy Cats [1 hour-ish, dancing and dance therapy]
Music 101 [1 hour-ish, no dancing]
Musicality 101 [1 hour, mostly dancing, a good follow on from Music 101]
Intro To DJing for Dancers [1-3 hours depending on your schedule]
Gender in Movement [2 x 1hr classes, you must commit to both]
£80/hour when teaching with a named partner above. This does not include their rates.
£90/hour when teaching as a solo teacher.
£80/hour for private classes. This can be taken by a solo dancer or a dance couple. Group privates will be negotiated on a case by case basis. Wedding couples requiring choreography will be negotiated on a case by case basis.
£30/hour for DJing. Please notify me ahead of time for either of these requirements if you have originally booked me for teaching. If you want competition DJing I need full details of the competitions at least 2 weeks in advance of me leaving to come to the event.
MC rates start from £130/night, but variables like competitions will affect this. Please note that MCing competitions does not include DJing competitions - I cannot be in two places at once! MCing competitions will still require you to have an additional gatekeeper if the format requires it.
Panel guest - Free
Panel host - £80 flat rate, includes prepping guests
Judging - Free
Payment
I will issue and invoice for you to transfer money direct to my bank account or via Paypal. You are liable for any fees incurred and responsible for giving me all the necessary invoice details for you.
floors
£15/hour extra for each lesson taught on an unsuitable floor (tile, concrete, marble, etc, or any such floor with a layer of wood laid on top). If you have to ask if your floor is a suitable dance floor or not, then it probably isn't. Please understand that my health is my livelihood, and spending hours dancing on bad floors (dense, hard floors with no spring or give) affect it negatively. You don't like how it feels the morning after either.
scheduling
Between teaching all day, social dancing at night, and potentially dealing with jetlag, workshop weekends can be exhausting. Therefore, in order to enhance the quality of my contribution to your event, I require 8 or more hours of downtime between my last responsibility of one day and first responsibility of the next day to guarantee adequate time for rest and recovery, as well as a maximum of 6 teaching hours per day. I also won't work on my arrival day unless I have agreed to do so in advance. It's also preferable to not start classes unnecessarily early - I am not an early bird!! I will always factor short breaks into lesson planning, because it's just as important to keep students' energy levels up. If you would like to discuss scheduling, let me know.
Cancellations
After we have confirmed I will be working your event, those dates will be blacked out for me. Any other gig offers that conflict will be turned down in the good faith that you will not cancel on our agreement. Therefore, in the event that you must cancel, I will require notification ASAP or else I will trash talk your event to my peers.
legalities & quibbles
Any disputes or disagreements that arise in the course of our business dealings shall be settled in accordance with UK law. Pursuant to this, your electronic agreement to these terms and conditions constitutes a legally binding contract, with no need for a written agreement outside of our email correspondence. You are liable for any breach of said contract.