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Portrait by Greg Bottali

  • Alison Bert

    • I'm a writer who used to make my living as a musician. And somewhere along the way, I developed a passion for photography.

    Whatever I do, I try to make it meaningful. The best training I ever had was as a reporter The Journal News, covering everything from 9-11 to education and business. Now, as an editor for Elsevier, I try to bring the same journalistic integrity to corporate communications.

    In the previous century, I was a classical guitarist and music professor. I will always be grateful for the opportunities it gave me. While working on a doctorate at the University of Arizona, I was a Fulbright Scholar in Spain and studied with Andrés Segovia in a master class. I performed with wonderful musicians in places I will never forget, like Berlin, Krakow, Jerusalem and Caracas. And was able to share what I learned with with some incredible students.

    But ultimately I decided to return to my roots as a writer. When I was on the music faculty of Syracuse University, the Newhouse School was right across the street. I signed up for a few courses, but a professor there convinced me to get a master's in journalism and make it my living.

    Many people ask me why I changed careers, but I don't see it that way. For me, art in any form is about finding what is fascinating and building a technique to express it to others. Which is what I hope to do here. I hope you will join me.

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    What is West Coast Swing?

    Alison Bert on April 15th, 2007 | Filed under Dancing, West Coast Swing

    I get asked that a lot when I tell people I do West Coast Swing. I tell them it’s a playful, sexy style of swing, one that’s been evolving since the Swing Era, that’s so versatile you can do it with big-band music, blues, country, pop, R&B and hip-hop. I might send them a link to an article about its history.

    But there’s nothing like experiencing it. So check out these videos of some of my favorite dancers. (And for the WCS dancers among you, feel free to include links to your favorites.)

    The first is of John Lindo and Deborah Szekely from a video submitted to YouTube by Silkath. John Lindo teaches and deejays in NYC and New Jersey. This dance won them a Jack and Jill competition at the North Atlantic Dance Championships. In a Jack and Jill, contestants are paired up randomly. You might end up with a partner you’ve never danced with, so the ability to lead, follow and improvise is crucial. While I suspect John and Deborah weren’t total strangers on the dance floor, this performance is on the fly — not choreographed.

    Next is a video of Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz when they won first place in the West Coast Swing Showcase Division at the 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships. This is a video submitted to YouTube by Brickster3072. Last summer, Benji won the Fox hit show So You Think You Can Dance, and Heidi (his cousin and dance partner) finished fourth. They’re from California, and Heidi now teaches in NYC.

    Here’s Kyle Redd and Sarah Vann Drake from California, the youngest couple to ever win the U.S. Open.

    And here’s Tatiana Mollman and Jordan Frisbee.

    If you’re interested in doing WCS in the NY metro area, I highly recommend joining the Gotham Swing Club. My first experience with this organization was a workshop with John Lindo, who is its president. Also, StrictlyWestie.com is a must to find out what’s going on and connect with other dancers. They hold great dance parties and have discounts for classes.

    4 Comments »


    4 Responses to “What is West Coast Swing?”

    1. Krumhorn Says:
      April 16th, 2007 at 8:46 am

      Hi Alison

      That Lindo is a big boy and he moves well. He was a perfect balance to her petite and compact movements. Their video was fun.

      I’m trying to picture you in the role. It must an exhilarating way to spend time. And I can well imagine how boyfriend: the concept could develop from that environment.

      I’m afraid that the only swing I have on my mind is the golf swing. And there’s nothing sexy about it.

    2. Alison Bert Says:
      April 16th, 2007 at 9:43 am

      Krumhorn wrote: “I’m afraid that the only swing I have on my mind is the golf swing. And there’s nothing sexy about it.”

      I disagree. Doing something well can be as sexy as it gets.

    3. Krumhorn Says:
      April 16th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

      I’ll remember you said that the next time my ball careens off into the lake….which based upon pattern, shouldn’t be too long from now.

    4. Alison Bert Says:
      April 19th, 2007 at 9:27 pm

      For Ken, who asked me if I knew of any WCS instruction videos on the Internet: So far I found just one I would recommend:

      Here it is. Dancin’ David is not the most dynamic teacher you’ll ever find, but his explanation of the fundamentals of leverage and compression is excellent.

      If any of you know of other online instructional videos, please tell us about them.

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