Ishaaq Jiffry

Toronto, ON

Ishaaq (he/him), based in Toronto, is a passionate dancer and teacher of Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz and Collegiate Shag. He discovered jazz at a young age, spending his childhood playing sax at home alongside his brothers on trombone and trumpet, jazz music simply woven into everyday household life. That early love of the music found a new home in 2016, when a friend brought him to the Ottawa Swing Dance Society, and he discovered a whole community dancing to the sounds he'd loved his whole life.

​

Affectionately named "iShag" by friends, Ishaaq adores Collegiate Shag and has spent the last several years creating and building shag communities across Canada. In 2017, he learned Collegiate Shag in California from Steve Sayer and Karine Hermes and was completely absorbed by the dance, drawn to its ability to glide calmly across the floor one song and turn explosive and high energy the next. Back in Ottawa in 2018, he started a Collegiate Shag scene from scratch, then did it again in Quebec City in 2022, running 10-12 week teaching sessions, coaching a shag troupe, and teaching workshops for two years. Building community has always been at the center of this work for him, and today he supports his local shag scene and travels to teach wherever the opportunity arises. He’s very excited to share this passion with you.

​

Alongside his Shag journey, Ishaaq has spent the last four years deep in competitive swing dance. He was a member of Quebec City's Les Ambassadeurs, a pro troupe with podium finishes, and has placed at numerous events himself, including 1st place at CSC 2025. In his teachings he invites dancers to play, to find real confidence in themselves, to develop their own personal enjoyment and connection to the music and their partners, and to leave with a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Black American dances that he participates in.