Catrine Ljunggren (from Sweden) started dancing as a child: Tap, Modern Jazz and Ballet. At age 14 she added Jitterbug to the list of dances, and that was the beginning of a long relationship that has lasted until today.

She learned her first Lindy Hop steps from the legendary Al Minns from Whitey’s Lindy Hoper’s and a year later Frankie Manning became her teacher and mentor.

In 1985 she founded, together with five other members, the dance group “The Rhythm Hot Shots”. Along with the group, she specialized in Lindy Hop but also in other dances from the same era as Tap, Charleston, The Shim Sham, The Big Apple, Black Bottom and Cake Walk. During the next 15 years she traveled across the world teaching and performing these amazing dances.

Some of the artists she has worked with include Count Basie Orchestra, Nicholas Brothers, Albert Minns, Frank Manning and Norma Miller. She was also part of TRHS own productions, musicals, commercials and TV appearances. As a member of the group she also received awards as the:

• Winner of the legendary Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem (New York USA, 1992).
• Winner of the Feather Award for Most Outstanding Global Swing Dancers (Beverly Hills USA, 1994).
• Winner of the Frankie Award for everlasting work to preserve and spread the African-American dance culture (Munich Germany, 1996).

Catrine was a previous owner and organizer of Herräng dance camp from 1989 – 2002 and in 2006 and 2007 she was the co-organizer together with “Happy Feet” to produce the first Lindy Hop Festival in Argentina.

After moving to San Francisco in 2000, Catrine partnered up with Elliott Donnelley who she did many international workshops with and since 2009 she also teaches with Mr. Chazz Young.

While living in San Francisco she started a swing club called Cat’s Corner, where she taught regular classes together with her partner Nathan Dias. The club is on pause due to the pandemic but will return soon.

In spring 2010 she worked as a dance teacher and choreographer at the George Lucas movie ”Red Tails”. Catrine also has lots of experience teaching children, while living among palm trees, coconuts and warm beaches on St. Maarten she taught tap dance to children from 6 years of age. She is now back in the States, New York teaching and performing.

Catrine is a frequent guest teacher at workshops across the world including in Sweden, Norway, Prague, Italy, Luxembourg, Turkey, Switzerland and the USA.