Erin Morris is a champion solo jazz dancer, celebrated lindy hop artist, and a working jazz musician.  She is a formidable improviser and spirited partner, able to draw upon a wealth of musical knowledge and vernacular dance movement.  Her strongest influences are Katherine Dunham and Leon James and, of course, the music itself. In the classroom she is renowned for her depth and clarity, and she strives to develop artists and individuals.  She is very proud that none of her students ever look like her. She has taught, performed, and competed around the world.

 

Erin began teaching dance in 1999 for the University of Michigan swing club.  She invested more than a decade in her home lindy hop scene and spent four years teaching primarily as a lead to meet the unique challenges of that scene.  In 2011 she founded Michigan’s first chorus girl troupe, Erin Morris & Her Ragdolls, to explore her voice as a choreographer and to become an ambassador for women in jazz.  She choreographed more than 40 original routines for the Ragdolls and worked closely with local band leaders, including the acclaimed James Dapogny, to present revues and performances that featured live music.

 

Erin moved to St. Louis in 2016 to continue her journey as a working musician and dancer.