Thanks to her mom’s love for old movies Nikki was introduced to Swing music and dancing at a young age.  She would steal her mom’s Glen Miller CD and listen to it over and over. After learning a few moves from her mom Nikki and her girlfriends would perform them for the family.  Growing up in Victorville, CA there was no Swing dancing to be found. While the Swing craze was huge in Orange County Nikki was seventy miles away following it’s progress on the internet.

Before Nikki became a dancer she was an athlete. Not only did she play soccer as a child she continued her passion for the game through college. Many of the skills she learned on the soccer field she would apply to her dancing later. Everyone knows that soccer players make the best Lindy Hoppers. Nikki began her first steps as a Lindy Hopper back in 2001 but time and distance made it almost impossible for her to continue to dance.  She tried to create a Swing Dance Club at her community college hoping to bring the dancing to her but no one was interested.  It wasn’t until 2003 when Nikki moved to Orange County that she was able to continue her passion.  The first thing she did was sign up for Swing Dance classes.  Three years after Nikki began taking classes she married her Lindy Hop teacher, Shesha Marvin.

A first place win at the National Jitterbug Championships jump started Nikki’s dance career after only one year of dancing. Since then she has gone on to win or place at many national competitions such as the US Open Swing Dance Championships, World Swing Dance Championships, Boston Tea Party, Camp Jitterbug, Swing in the Colony, Lindy and Party Weekend, Rhythmic Arts Festival, Reno Dance Sensation, California Girl Jam, and the National Jitterbug Championships. In 2007 Nikki was a featured performer on ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars and in 2008 she was a featured dancer in Katy Perry’s music video for Thinking of You.

In 2008 Nikki and her husband Shesha Marvin purchased ATOMIC Ballroom in Orange County and turned it into the most popular place to dance in Southern California. Together Nikki and Shesha also run one of the most successful Lindy Hop scenes in the country, organize the 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon which has raised over half a million dollars for the City of Hope, and host Inspiration Weekend a Lindy Hop dance camp. Nikki is also the founding member of Southern California’s premiere all-female vintage dance troupe the ATOMIC Cherry Bombs.

Nikki continues to travel the world teaching, competing and performing with her partner Mikey Pedroza and her team Hot Club Stomp. She hopes that her students will grasp new ideas from her lessons but continue to grow and form their own ideas about the dance. When she is not traveling, training, competing or performing Nikki is Mommy to a beautiful two year old named Anjali. Even though she’s only two Anjali already loves to dance! It wont be long until you see the name Anjali Marvin in lights.

Member list

Shesha Marvin

Laura Keat

Nick Williams

Adrienne Weidert

Jeremy Otth

Mary Freitag

Mikey Pedroza