This event is by Balboa dancers, for Balboa dancers, and we know that the music, whether live or DJ'd, is key to a great event. We will be serving up only the finest Bal-tastic tunes for your shuffling pleasure! For 2025, we are pleased to welcome back the full Riffer's lineup on Friday & Saturday night, plus a special Keenan small group combo for our Sunday afternoon farewell dance.
If you've seen Keenan play, you know that the live music will be 🔥!
Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers
Check out live music from IHB 2022!
----2025 DJs ----
Head DJ: Michael Quisao (he/him)
After growing up as a wallflower at school dances, Michael went to his first swing dance in 2006 and has been captivated by social dancing ever since. His love of swing music and social dancing has taken him across the country to dance, compete, and DJ swing music; he strives to share the joys of swing dance and swinging rhythm with everybody he meets.
Michael believes that the music is the heart of the dance and that attentive partnership and comfortable technique are the keys that unlock the door to exhilarating and creative dances.
Ann Sychterz (she/her)
Ann began swing dancing in 2008 in Waterloo, Canada (not far from Toronto) and now lives in the US. Since getting her first songs, she has DJed in her home scenes including the one she founded in Switzerland called Swingtime Lausanne. She has had the fortune of playing swing jazz including head and competition DJ for events around the world. Digging through old stuff and new (soft spot for the original stuff), small group to big band to Newport, North American and European, she aims to create an atmosphere worthy of creativity and playing around with the dance.
Qui Nguyen aka DJ Qui-J (she/her)
Long before setting foot on her first dance floor, Qui has always been in search of good music. From scouting out local shows, to digging through dusty record store crates, her motto has always been "if it moves you, it's good music". So it was quite natural for her to fall in love with swing music and dancing. A lover of the music first, and the movement a close second, you can always catch her listening to and dancing close by the bandstand at any number of swing, balboa or blues events. You might even find her behind the DJ booth, spinning tunes at local dances and at various events throughout the region. She is super excited to be representing Richmond at I *Heart* Balboa again this year.
