Growing up in a family of actors and musicians, surrounded by theatre and art, Grace has been performing since she was 4 years old. Her lifelong love of jazz music and vintage fashion ignited a spark so when she took her first lindy hop class in late 2012, she was hooked. She quickly began traveling and learning from the best instructors in the world. Ultimately, she has found her passion in her Southern California roots, greatly inspired by historic follows like Jean Veloz, Irene Thomas, Jewel McGowan, Genevieve Grazis, and more.
Grace is a natural follow, able to catch on to most everything a leader throws her way. A petite 5 feet even, Grace always maintains her own center of balance, so even if her leader is a foot and a half taller, they have an incredible dance. She strives to improve her dancing by being the best follow she can be. She loves matching the bounciness, smoothness, and playfulness of her leader creating cohesion in each social dance, and she prides herself on finding ways to insert her own musicality and style without interrupting the flow.
Grace has flexibility in many styles including Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, 20s Charleston, St. Louis Shag, Solo Jazz, and more, avidly dancing all of these on social dance floors across Southern California every week. She is a spinner, able to turn quite quickly on a dime in every style and she exceeds at a very wide range of tempos. Above all, her signature smile is the mark of the pure joy that infuses her every social dance, every class she teaches, and every performance.
Grace has won titles at competitions including ILHC, Camp Hollywood, Camp Jitterbug, and Hot Rhythm Holiday. She has performed and choreographed for music videos, short films, live events, and more around Los Angeles, sharing American Vernacular Jazz dance with the public. She teaches weekly classes at both Atomic Ballroom in Irvine and LindyGroove in Pasadena and continues to invest in her local dance scene by planning events like Fast Feet Fridays, to encourage a mix of Shag, Balboa, and Lindy all on the same dance floor, and organizing weekly contests at Atomics’ Tuesday night dances to inspire others to improve their own dancing.
Grace cares deeply about sharing the history of the dance and helping her students improve their technique as well as discover the joy of sharing momentum in leading and following. Her goal is to inspire great dancers who carry on the Southern California tradition of dancing many styles to a wide range of tempos on the floor. Additionally, she is in high demand as a DJ, playing classic songs that inspire dancers of all levels to connect to each other. She has been given the honor of being the first DJ at the new Bobby McGee’s at Atomic Ballroom, working with Nick Williams and Marge Takier to continue the music of the original venue.
Grace continues to invest herself into growing more and more into the best dancer she can be. At the end of 2022, she and her partner Blake Thiessen officially began life on the road as full-time traveling teachers. The last few years have taken them on multiple tours throughout the US, Europe, and Asia, teaching swing dance workshops in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Denver, England, Italy, Amsterdam, France, Switzerland, China, Korea, and more. She now gets to share her Southern California values with the global scene.
Accomplishments/awards/honors:
2022 Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen 1st Place, Hot Rhythm Holiday, Any Swing Goes, Hoist the Colours Team Performance – Lindy, Balboa, Shag Routine (Choreographed with her partner Blake Thiessen) Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen 1st Place, Minor Swing So-Cal Strictly Contest
2020 Grace Babbes & Jeremy Cook 1st Place, Hot Rhythm Holiday, Open Shag Strictly Grace Babbes & Joy Jing 2nd Place, Hot Rhythm Holiday, Amateur Shag – Mix & Match
2019 Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen 1st Place, Inspiration Weekend, 30 Second Showcase Three Dots and a Dash (Team, performer/choreographer), 2nd Place, Camp Jitterbug Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen 3rd Place, ILHC, Showcase Throwdown Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen 2nd Place, Lindy Focus, Advanced Lindy Hop Couples
2018 Grace Babbes & Blake Thiessen 1st Place, Camp Jitterbug, Strictly Lindy
https://youtu.be/ag8e5IdWi54Grace and Blake 2024
https://youtu.be/Fbo15eHRqmk Tribute to Jean Veloz – One Girl and Two Boys