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Denis' Story
I was introduced to the world of partner dancing when my friend
Frankie,
who was hooked on ballroom dancing, came into work and announced that
she was
hiring a band for her wedding and she wasn't going to be the only person
there
that knew how to dance. We (her invited co-workers) were going down to
the
dance studio to sign up for group classes starting the next month. And
so we did. That's how it began.
That introduction to ballroom dancing lasted about six months before
falling by the wayside. But years later while listening to a band (The
Blues
Jumpers) playing raucous Swing music, I knew that I had to get up and
dance. I just
didn't want to get up and dance badly. Sooo....it was back to Sandra
Cameron's
to learn how to really swing dance, and this time around I was hooked.
Swing classes happily became ballroom classes until it was 5 nights
a
week learning 11 different dances. I went to my first swing dance
competition
(American Swing Dance Championships) all excited to see the Lindy Hop
competition, which was great. Then something happened that changed
everything. Late at
night when the ballroom had thinned out, the crowd was in the second
ballroom
where they were doing a slower, sexier dance to blues, R&B, and funk.
Music I
actually liked. I didn't know what dance they were doing, but I knew it
was the
dance that I wanted to do. So began my wonderful obsession with West
Coast
Swing.
In the years since I have had the opportunity to study the dance
with
many of the finest dancers and instructors in the country. Starting with
the
great instructors at Stepping Out dance studio and continuing at Dance
Manhattan,
where their monthly guest instructor program gave me the chance to learn
the
dance from many different instructors with many different perspectives.
It
would take a long list to name them all, but the short list of those
that have had
the most influence includes John Festa, Dianne Lachthrupp,
Angel
Figueroa and John Lindo. I continue to take lessons, and attend events locally and
around
the country where I experience all of the latest and greatest trends in
the
dance.
Lee's Story
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After seven years of childhood ballet classes, my dancing lay dormant
while
life happened. Then one Sunday afternoon sitting on the deck of a local
restaurant after a long bike ride, my girlfriends and I were wondering
what else is
there to do out there. Someone suggested line dancing and the next week
we went.
I was immediately hooked by the variety of the rhythms and patterns set to
country music, which I began to listen to avidly. After a while I
realized that
I was good at it, and being a teacher by profession, I began to instruct
my
own classes in the area. Over six years, many bonds of friendship were
formed,
fed by the exuberant energy of individuals coming together on the dance
floor.
My natural progression led to two step, waltz, cha-cha, east coast
swing
and a dance called West Coast Swing that I could not get. One night in
April
1998, I was at a dance event in the Catskills where I saw how West Coast
Swing
is really done. A month later I was in dance class in Manhattan. I gave
up
line dancing to devote myself to becoming a West Coast Swing dancer
because I
love it. Pursuing lessons and social dancing in NYC, NJ, and around the
country,
I gained the confidence to express the music while maintaining a
connection
with my partner. Over the last ten years I've realized something....Why stay home
when you can be out dancing?
Our Story
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We met in a dance class at Stepping Out dance studio in 1999. We saw
each
other dancing socially, especially at the North River Bar. Classmates
turned
into dance buddies which grew into friendship, dance teammates, dance
partners
and life partners. We share a home in upstate Newburgh, NY.
We continue taking lessons, attending workshops and competing
together
regularly, keeping our partnership fresh. We don't know where the
ceiling is on
our dance ability, but we love to continue stretching ourselves in new
directions.
We began teaching together at Strictly Ballroom in March 2004. Our
goal
is to nurture a community of friendly, social West Coast Swing dancers
in the
Hudson Valley. We want to share the joy that we experience when we're connected to our partner and moving to the music together. This dance is a
conversation
between two partners, and we want to talk with everyone!
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