Dance is more than just a form of art, it represents people, countries, and history. It tells a story from the past and it’s been a part of our lives, and even more so for those who came before us.
Swing dance, in particular, is a group of dances that have been developed with the swing style of jazz music back in the 1920s to 1940s, also called the “swing era.” In fact, the term “swing dance” was not usually used to identify a group of dances until the latter half of the 20th century.
“Historically, the term “Swing” referred to the style of jazz music, which inspired the evolution of the dance. Jitterbug is any form of swing dance, though it is often used as a synonym for the six-count derivative of Lindy Hop called “East Coast Swing.”
Swing dance is an old dance style that never actually gets old – and never will.
The style is being danced in some prestigious dance competitions such as The US Open Swing Dance Championships. This style incorporates a dance routine along with a lively type of jazz music.
Back in 2017, Sam West & Ellen Taylor wowed the crowd and were hailed 1st place winners.
It was during the USA Grand National Dance Championship when this powerhouse duo dazzled the crowd with their ageless dance movements and propelled them towards grabbing the 1st place award.
They grooved along to Bill Pinkney’s “Gonna Move Across The River” and their performance was nowhere near what you would expect from dancers of their age.
They proved to everyone they’re someone to be feared, despite their age, and that they can still put younger performers to shame when it comes to swing dance.
West and Taylor have been partners through the years.
As it turned out, they joined the US Open Swing Dancing Championships back in 1999.
That alone proves the level of dancing prowess these two have, and if you want to talk about experience, these two sure have it!
According to West’s bio, he started dancing when he was just 9 years old. He’s also got quite a list of achievements in the field.
“In 1994 Sam and partner, Melissa Calabrese, won the Non-Pro National title on their way to becoming the Overall National Shag Champions. Then in 1995 Sam partnered up with his sister, Sarah, and they went on to capture 8 Professional Division titles and 4 Overall titles. Sam also won the Pro and Overall Shag titles in 2001 with Jackie McGee, again in 2006, 2007 and 2008 with Jessica McAlhany, then in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017 with Leslie Jennings, and in 2014 and 2016 with Krystal Taylor Davis.”
While Taylor, on the other hand, began dancing when she was 10. She’s been teaching dance for ages, according to her bio…
“She has traveled throughout the southeast teaching shag workshops for over 30 years. Ellen judged the National Shag Dance Championships for many years and has judged at the USA Grand Nationals Dance Championships.”
There’s no more wondering why they are so good.
The way they dance to the lively music only proves age is just a number. They still have it! Their decades of experience simply show and we see no way of stopping or even slowing down these high-caliber dancers.
The video of their winning performance was uploaded on YouTube and gained over 11.6 million views since then.
With tens of thousands of likes and over a thousand comments from online viewers who have nothing but praises for the elderly swing dancers.
And when they say that dancing is about the connection between partners, this comment from a Youtube user saw it in West and Taylor.
“That was great . I loved how they looked in each others eyes while dancing . They are great dancers . I love it . :)”
Watch the video below to see their winning swing dance performance.
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