Mary, a tall white person with short brown hair wearing a white shirt and orange pants, is dancing with a shorter Black femme person wearing a green dress. They are looking at each other and smiling.

I teach and DJ for blues and fusion events!

An avid dancer since 2014, I have a strong background in Lindy Hop and jazz dance, and I am active in the blues and fusion scenes. Recently I’ve enjoyed getting more exposure to kizomba, zouk, contact improv, popping and animation, and modern dance. I also have a regular “contemporary solo improvisation” practice, by which I mean bopping around my living room to whatever music sounds good that day.

DJ bio

Mary Blendermann (any pronouns) brings an obsessively researched music library and a passion for interesting rhythms to the DJ booth, where their specialty is providing the soundtrack for dances filled with clowning, surprises, and the joy of being together. Mary works hard to highlight the Black musicians who pioneered the jazz and blues traditions and continue to innovate across many musical genres today. Mary is equally happy spinning for a giant ballroom or an intimate house party – their goal is always to create a celebratory atmosphere where all dancers can feel at home in the music.

teaching bio

Mary Blendermann (any pronouns) is a dancer, DJ, and student of many movement forms based in Pittsburgh, PA. They have been dancing since 2014 and teach regularly in their local scene. Mary sees the music as a teaching partner and loves to keep people moving to music throughout class. Mary’s classes center individual autonomy and expression, encourage open-ended exploration and learning through feedback, and celebrate partnered and solo movement with equal enthusiasm.

Mary is a role-fluid dancer and vocal advocate for queer and trans visibility and inclusion within dance spaces. They encourage students to switch roles throughout class to their preference and as it serves their learning.

Mary, a white person with short brown hair wearing a white shirt and orange pants, is dancing by themselves and smiling.

Images by Devon Rowland – this one is my preferred headshot currently

educational resources

I created an educational slideshow about Black and queer blues musicians and songs throughout the history of blues music. It can be set up to play continuously on a loop, so you could display it on a laptop, television, or projector at your scene or event. You can find it here:

The Black, Queer History of Blues Music

I DJ from a hard library of music I have purchased, through Bandcamp when possible, to support working artists and to make sure my music sounds great through big speakers. I wrote a guide to help other people try DJing this way, which you can find here:

how to build a hard library for social dance DJing

I use Spotify as a music discovery tool and to share playlists with tracks that I love:

contemporary blues music by Black artists

Black artists to explore – R&B, neo-soul, jazz, funk

Palestinian GEMs (gender expansive musicians) making dance music

contracts

I see contracts as a tool for facilitating clear communication and expectations. I would love to do the best possible job for you as an instructor or DJ, and contracts help me do that! I have linked two example contracts below.

Mary Blendermann