Nino DeGiulio -Teaching SALSA and HUSTLE in February 06'
Nino DiGiulio is one of the most popular and versatile dance instructors in the nation. A professional, and Master, dance instructor for over eleven years, he has taught over 10,000 lessons, workshops, and seminars with lessons. He has taught for Navy Pier's Dancing Under the Stars, Chicago's Grant Park Summer & Winter Dance and numerous corporate events. Nino is the main instructor for the Willowbrook Ballroom, the largest ballroom and dance venue in the Midwest. He's a featured faculty member at national and world dance events including the Stardust Dance Production Weekends held in the Catskill Mountains of New York. In demand throughout the US and abroad, he balances his travels with plenty of time locally to share his expertise & teaching talents with all the students and staff of May I Have This Dance, Inc. where he is Executive Director. Nino has appeared and been featured on ER, ABC's New Dance Club 7, WGN Morning News, NBC News, CBS News, CLTV News, Wild Chicago, WBEZ Radio, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Magazine, Daily Southtown Newspaper, Lerner Times, Southwest's inflight magazine, Chicago Social Magazine, and several other Chicagoland and National newpapers, magazines, and television shows. Nino has won several championships in West Coast Swing, Hustle, and Salsa, and remains active on the competitive and professional circuit in these dances. But, even more importantly, Nino's background as an Educator, Corporate Trainer and Motivational Speaker makes him a dynamic and thorough dance instructor. Concentrating primarily on the social purpose of dance, he is an expert on such dances as Salsa, West Coast Swing, Foxtrot, Tango, Waltz, Jitterbug, Mambo, Cha Cha, Merengue, Samba, Rumba, Nightclub 2-Step, Hustle, Chicago Steppin' and Slow-Dancing. Nino also trains and coaches students and professionals for competitions where they win or place at the top of their divisions.

Beverly Solazzo -West Coast Swing and Carolina Shag in January 06'
'Bev' Solazzo  developed and designed the Dance Program  usedf or the past 12 years at Chicago’s Windy City Jitterbug Club as well as been a lead Instructor for the group. She also teaches swing dancing in the continuing education area for schools and organizations. She has been teaching workshops and performing dance exhibitions at a national level for American Bop Association Clubs for the past 10 years, and regularly teaches at National events in Columbus, Nashville, Orlando, and most recently at Chicago's own Swing City Chicago. She enjoys teaching all dance styles – East Coast, West Coast, Hustle, Night Club 2, and Carolina Shag. She is a dance competitor on the Swing Dance Circuit, regularly placing and winning at the Novice and  Rising Star/Intermediate level in Classic and Strictly Swing divisions. Her love of dance is evident in her performances.

Merry Chapman - Double-2, Two-Step, Polka
UCWDC World Champion dancer Merry Chapman has long been an active proponet of couples dance in the Midwest. He is a three time President of Swing N Country Dance Club, and former officer of Dance World. He has been competing in Country and Swing dancing since 1996. He placed 2nd at the World Country Dance Championships in 2003 and 2004 in the Silver Divisions with World Championships in Double Two Step, Polka, and West Coast Swing both years. His ProAm students have consistently scored well in competitions, not the least of whom is his wife Connie who placed 3rd at the 2004 World Country Dance Championships .

Don Leynes -Double-Two, Nightclub, 2-Step, West Coast Swing
Former Bootcampers will remember Don from our inaugral Bootcamp when he assisted Julie Hein, however Don has been a presence in the Chicagoland Dance Community for over a decade. He began his dancing at a Fred Astaire studio  but soon graduated to the more informal atmosphere of country dancing at local country venues. Since that time he has been teaching on a regular basis: group lessons and workshops at Swing-n-Country Cadillac Ranch, Villa Park'sBallroom City, and privately. He is a partner in DanceMasters, which sponsors ‘SwingDaddy’ Mario Robau's annual visits, and in Two by Two, which produces quarterly dance "marathons." Don is known for his quick wit, his sense of humor, his incisive analysis of dance moves, and his vast array of dance patterns.

Jim Becker -West Coast Swing , Hustle, 2-Step
There are few male swing dancers in the Midwest as hardworking, entertaining, and fun to watch as Jim Becker. He began his competitive career in Country and Western Line Dance where he captured the 1998 UCDWC World Championship. Moving to the Swing world he has garnered many titles, including 3-Time winner of the Mid-USA Invitational Championship. He is the founder and director of the Chicago based 'X-Dance Swing Club', owner of Becker Logistics, and this past year started yet another career by becoming a member of the City of Chicago Fire Department.

Julie Hein -Two-Step, Nightclub, West Coast, Double-2, East Coast
Few faces are as recognizable among the Midwest Dance circuit as Julie. An active and tireless promoter of dance in the Midwest she is a founding member  of Swing 'n' Country Dance Club, founding member of Genesis Dance Club, co-owner of Chicago's 'Swing City Chicago' event. She is Floor Coordinator for countless competitons in both Swing and Country Western, and a part of Dancemasters (a group of dedicated dancers who periodically sponser workshops featuring Top name instructors, among them 'Swing Daddy' himself Mario Robau). In recent years competing on the UCDWC event circuit she is a World Champion in Double -Two, Polka, and West Coast Swing. In both 2003 and 2004 she and her partner placed second overall in the UCWDC World Championships Silver Division. By day she is an 8th- grade teacher in the Chicagoland area, and by night teaches both group and private lessons.

Jill Popovich - Nightclub, West Coast, Waltz, Cha Cha, and more
Jill is one of the fastest rising stars in the WSDC and West Coast Swing world and is a Country Western competitor as well. In but a few short years she has reached the advanced and professional levels of competition, and her list of titles and placements reads like a travelogue; San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Madison, Atlanta, Houston, and Vegas to name a few. Jill is also no stranger to Lake County. A certified Pilates instructor and Sports Physical Therapist, she was also assisant and pitching coach to the 2002 NCAA Div III Champion Lake Forest College Women's Softball Team.

Randy Slone - Executive Director
A lifelong resident of Lake County, Bootscoot Bootcamp Founder and Executive Director Randy continues his three decade tradition of "Sharing The Gift" of Dance. As a semi-pro musician he  performed from Milwaukee's Summerfest to Peoria as a acoustic artist, and later as part the Country dance band Sierra. He began couples dancing in the early 90's, and has DJ'd and/or taught dance at many of Chicago's Country Nightclubs including Sundance Saloon, Whisky River,  and The Southern Star. He spent 8 years as a board member, and is a past president, of Swing 'N' Country Dance club. Since 2003 he has been a Swing Competitor in the Novice division. 2 time Classic Champion at Swing N Country's DA DANCE CAMP, 2005 Pro-Am Male and Jack-n-Jill Champ at the CHICAGOLAND DANCE FESTIVAL, 2006 Classic Novice Champ at the WISCONSIN DANCE CHALLENGE and 2005 MIDWEST AREA DANCE CHALLENGE Strictly Swing Champion.

Director Randy w/ Bev Solazzo
WI Dance Challenge 2006
Novice Classic Champs


Becky Evans - VP of Marketing and Operations
Relatively new to the world of couple's dancing, Becky's marketing skills have put her in People, Time, and Newsweek magazines and on The Tonight Show when she successfully developed and marketed "The Pope-Scope".  Currently she is the Market Development Director for Heartland Healthcare (Hospice, Home Care and Infuion services) as well as owner and CEO of the professional organizing company Creating Spaces.

Interested in being a BOOTSCOOT BOOTCAMP  Instructor?

If you'd be interested in teaching a Bootcamp just send a note to instruction@bootscootbootcamp.com. Please include a prioritized list of couple's dances your proficient at teaching, and a general Dance Bio.

Coming through the Chicagoland area and interested in teaching a weekend workshop, drop us a line too.