Stewards of Your Celebration

Five women dressed in cowgirl attire sitting on a bench outdoors.

Five people in festive western attire posing on hay bales.

Five women in coordinated western attire posing cheerfully outdoors.

Two women in cowboy attire doing high kicks on a street.

Three women dressed for a night out, smiling together indoors.

Woman joyfully balancing on one leg in a cozy living room.

Two women smiling and leaning close at a table in a cozy setting.

Four women sitting around a table enjoying drinks and smiling.

A maroon sign with white text reading 'CHAOS'.

Dark maroon background with faint, barely visible shapes or patterns.

✪ Armed with a Snappy Comeback and quick 2-step ✪ Jennifer Workman Aka: Red

Jen Workman (Marzolf) is a Four-time World Champion in line dance, teams and in choreography. Jen is also the captain/owner of West Coast Country Heat dance team; Washington's original country dance team established in 1998, who also have a World Champion title. Jen Also has the honor of being the Director of Sweethearts Jamboree, an annual dance convention held in Bellevue WA, for the last 34 years on Valentine’s weekend!

Jen started dancing when she was 11 on the “Jeans and Queens” square dance team. Square dancing is where she was introduced to line and couples dancing. At the age of 16 she started teaching and DJING at Dakotas in Kent. At the age of 18 she helped start the Young Country Dancers for 96.5 FM. The team traveled to Nashville and performed on the T.V. shows “Club Dance” and “The Wild Horse Saloon”.

By the age of 21 she was DJING and teaching at McCabe's, JR Phinickeys, Loco Billy's, The Austin, The Amarillo and Lazy Boys Brewery. After 11 years she still runs her own event in Everett at the Son's of Norway every Tuesday night.

You will find her team performing all over the country and for the last 26 years at the Evergreen State Fair with the country music singers. Jen finds joy in teaching and performing and loves spreading that joy through dance!

A pair of brown cowboy boots with decorative stitching and initials.

✪ Wanted for spinnin’ fire and stompin’ dust.✪ Marisa Knowle AKA: Miss Maris

Marisa began dancing at the age of 16. In October of 1998, she joined the West Coast Country Heat dance team and soon became the co-captain and instructor to fellow dancers.

In 2002, Marisa began DJ'ing at Dakota's South in Kent, WA. Over the years, she DJ'd and taught lessons at Bourbon Jacks in Kent, The Austin in Everett, Big Whisky Saloon in Puyallup. She is currently a DJ and Dance Instructor at Steel Creel Whiskey Bar & Kitchen in Tacoma, WA, teaching line dance and partner dances like the cowboy cha-cha, sweetheart schottische, horseshoe shuffle, sidekick, memory lane, and young lovers.

Marisa also DJs and teaches at private events and weddings as Music & Dancing w/Miss Maris.

In 2021, Marisa and West Coast Country Heat started competing in dance. West Coast Country Heat is the 2022 UCWDC Team Line Dance World Champions and the 2023 ACDA Team National Champions.

Marisa’s favorite quote is “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass … It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Partial view of a vintage-style sign with the letters 'STRA'.

Partial sign with the word 'VOLUNTEERS' on a teal background.

A stylized turquoise whale tail in water with a circular background.

✪ Where's the Beef ✪ Deana Makinson AKA: Moose

Deana has been a dancer for West Coast Country Heat dance team for the past 10 years. She cannot imagine life without the gift of enjoying dance. Deana is a founder and director of a nonprofit organization, which she and her best friend started together six years ago. Coordinating volunteers, keeping the nonprofit business running smoothly and fundraising to keep electricity on and trash service paid has been the applied-education beyond the B.S. and M.S. she gained while in formal education. She frequently thanks her volunteers for being a huge part of her meaningful-life! Being passionately curious from the very beginning, Deana pursued higher education in the sciences which taught her discipline and a love for the topics of nutrition and the art of longevity practices.

Line art of a perfume bottle and lipstick on a teal background.

✪ Boots, beats and pure country heat ✪ Heather Caldwell AKA: Sweet Face

Heather was first introduced to line dancing at the age of 16, and it was love at first step. When she returned to Washington, dancing quickly became her greatest passion—it was all she wanted to do. That passion opened doors for her to become an instructor, a DJ, and a proud member of Seattle’s longest-running dance team-West Coast Country Heat.

With more than 29 years of dancing experience—and over 25 years dedicated to the team—Heather has had the joy of learning, performing, and sharing a wide variety of dance styles. Her love for dance continues to grow, and she is always excited to explore new styles of dance!

Partial view of a turquoise sign with brown text reading 'MARK'.

✪ Business savvy, western sassy ✪

✪ From New Mexico roots to rhinestone boots ✪ Taffy Frost AKA: Cracker Jack

Raised in New Mexico, Taffy has loved country music and all things country western her entire life. Growing up, she spent her time in dance and gymnastics and later was a cheerleader for the Seattle Seahawks during their early years. After attending Washington State University, Taffy began her career in the cosmetic industry, where she quickly rose through the ranks. Her career eventually took her to Southern California as a regional manager for Christian Dior, overseeing the company’s largest territory. When she returned to Seattle to start a family, Taffy discovered yoga and developed a deep passion for it while raising her young children. She became an instructor and purchased her own yoga studio, which she successfully ran for 22 years.

In time, Taffy was introduced to Jennifer Workman, dusted off her cowboy boots, and fell in love with line dancing. She joined West Coast Country Heat in 2014 and hasn’t looked back. Taffy competed at the 2023 UCWDC World Championships where she became Line Dance Gold Novice World Champion. She continues to compete in teams division.Now, Taffy is delighted to bring her skills to the Sweetheart Jamboree. With a head for business and an eye for design, she loves collaborating with the team to bring big ideas to life—and she truly adores the Sweetheart Jamboree community she gets to work with.

✪ Head of Sound Systems ✪ Brian Workman AKA: HOT SHOT

A partial close-up of turquoise fabric with dark brown text.

Ken Goolsby

Ken has been dancing, instructing, judging, and competing for more than 30 years. He took hisfirst partner and line dance classes in 1987 with the Black Hills Shufflers dance club in Olympia, Washington.

In 1988, Ken and Amanda Drake became partners on the Black Hills Shufflers performance and competition team. They enjoyed competing at the United Country Western Dance Council’s sanctioned events. They were one of only two Division 3 couples from Washington State to qualify to compete at the UCWDC’s 1st Worlds event held in Nashville, Tennessee. The BHS team also competed and were awarded 1st, 2nd and 5th places. Ken and Amanda placed in the top 10 in Division 3 Two-Step.

Ken has traveled across the United States performing and competing at events such as Sweetheart Jamboree, Portland Dance Festival, Spring/Fall Fling, Winterfest, South Bay Dance Fling, Las Vegas Dance Finale, New Mexico Dance Fiesta, and multiple Worlds events.

In 2020, Ken along with Amanda became the Event Directors of the Sweetheart Jamboree. This event has always been one of his favorite events!