About Our Board
Our board meets monthly, on the first Wednesday at 8pm. Members are welcome to observe. If you would like the meeting link, please email rebelsmember@gmail.com prior to the meeting.
Kenneth Gauen, President
Jon Plotkin, Vice President
Kerry Dickey, Secretary
Kerry began dancing with the STL Rebels in late 2017. She enjoys helping wherever she can to support the STL Rebels and has served on the club's board as a member at large (2020-2021), vice president (2022) and currently as the club's secretary.
Kerry enjoys learning and dancing a variety of dance styles including west coast and Imperial east coast swing, cha cha and nightclub two-step to name a few. She also spreads her love of dance by inviting others to come to the STL Rebels' dances and learn to dance west coast swing.
Karin Gauen, Membership Director
Crystal Auclair, Dance Director
Crystal began swing dancing in 1999 with Suzy Nyemchek as her first instructor. Dance came naturally to her, due to her background in gymnastics. At 15 Crystal traveled nationally and internationally teaching workshops and private lessons, judging and competing for the next 15 years. She partnered with several professionals competing in the Classic and Showcase divisions, working events around the world. During this time, she also helped foster and teach the St. Louis junior dancers group, in which her daughter, Lily was also raised. Lily now competes at a national level. Crystal has been around since the Rebels inception, and has event directed Meet Me in St. Louis with Katie Hicks in interim years past and they are now back and running it together. Crystal looks forward to working more closely with the Rebles in the coming year.
Katie Hicks, Marketing Director
Katie’s love for West Coast Swing is deeply rooted in St. Louis, but her love of dance began at age 4. She was a very successful competitive studio dancer, when at the age of 16 she was introduced to country dancing. At a country dance, she was introducted to West Coast and a new spark was found. Katie has been competing in WCS since 2005. As a founding member and past President of the St. Louis Rebels, she is thrilled to be a part of the board once again. Katie is a long time competitor and lover of the social dance. Her favorite music to dance to is blues, with great covers of classics coming in a close second.
Katie lives in Defiance, MO with her husband Ron and two sons. Please connect with Katie on Facebook at facebook.com/ktslater and follow the MMISL event at https://www.facebook.com/MMISTL.
Mitch Gegg