Meet the dancers! Beginning in March 2008, we have interviewed two social dancers weekly at our Friday and Sunday night dances. We are introducing them here so you can learn more about the people who attend Dance Jam Productions' classes and parties. Ask them to dance next time you see them!
Robert Harrison was born in the same hospital as Prince William and Prince Harry in London. Robert was always interested in hair styles and used to tell people he could cut hair long before attending London's Vidal Sasson Academy. After graduating he spent 5 years based in Australia traveling the world in shows performing as a platform artist. He later returned to London to work as a creative teacher in the academy. In 1986 his expertise was needed at a salon in Chicago and it was here that he met Susan, his wife of 22 years. From 1989-1999, Robert and Susan lived in Boston where Robert helped manage a salon. During that time they adopted an infant son, Adrian. Robert eventually decided to move from management back to styling so 10 years ago they moved to Rockville and Robert currently works as stylist at Sasson Salon in Tyson's Corner. Robert started dancing 2 years ago when he and Susan were looking for something new to do together. They started with a group workshop led by Debbie Lynn Tuttle and quickly got hooked. Robert still loves sports, golfing and Hot Yoga. He participated in the IronMan Canada triathlon and has ran 18 marathons with a personal best time of 2:13.
John Lindley has worked at Northrup Grumman the past 6 years since moving to New Freedom, MD. He was born and raised as a true farm boy on a rice/soybean farm in Mcgehee Arkansas. His senior year of high school John figured out girls liked cowboys more than farmers so he started Bull Riding. The next two seasons you could find John applying Rosin to his rope for an 8 second(hang on tight) whirlwind ride every weekend. John also played football in high school winning two state championships. After high school he went to the University of Arkansas where he earned an Electrical Engineering degree. John recently took up martial arts, including Kung Fu and Tai Chi. A year and a half ago john decided to learn to dance. It was something he always wanted to try. He began with ballroom dancing at the Belvedere and the Promenade and now enjoys it so much he's often out 5-6 nights a week.
Christina Ferrari is a part-time student at University of Maryland where she was working towards a degree in Aerospace engineering but has since changed goals and is pursuing a degree in Physics. She plans to become a high school physics teacher. Christina learned East Coast Swing and Lindy in high school. Her Junior year at Maryland she joined the Ballroom club where she learned American style ballroom. She also like Blues dancing. Prior to discovering social dancing Christina was a figure skater for many years. Her other hobbies include playing the flute since 4th grade and participating in church and school bands.

 
John Nye is originally from New Jersey and moved to Maryland 2 years ago. It was at this time that he started line dancing, with the encouragement of his aunt, at the Richland Ballroom and Turner Hall in Bel Air. He learned WCS about 6 months ago. John served in the Marine Corp for 5 years and now works as a mechanic and welder for Overhead Crane.  He is also taking classes at a community college in the electrician program. A huge sports fan John also played football and hockey in high school. His favorite team is the NY Giants. He is also an avid wrestler and mostly enjoys a style called grappling which he learned while serving in the military.
Roy Landis comes from a small farm in Indiana. He'll tell you that he ran away and joined the circus but don't believe him...The real story is Roy went to college briefly before joining the Army, was enlisted for 22 years and promoted to a CW4. He was trained in computer security and has been working for Booz-Allen Hamilton the past 5 years. Roy's first exposure to dancing was a WOW experience at the Cancun Cantina when he walked in for the first time and was taken aback by the line dancing "It was like watching a Broadway musical." Roy decided to learn those dances one at at time and now dances all night long to every song. He has taught line dancing at Cancun Cantuna West in Hagerstown and recently decided to learn WCS. Roy lives in Westminster and is fixing up an old house he purchased recently. He is self taught in wood-working, has his own workshop, and has also taught classes at Fort Meade. - by Heidi Batdorf.
Paul Wishnow is originally from Massachusetts. In the 90's Paul was a taxi driver in Fort Lauderdale when he decided to go into business. Within a few years he moved back to MD and started a sedan service called 24K Gold because his first vehicle was a Gold Towncar. With lots of encouragement from his parents Paul, along with his sister, started dancing ballroom at age of 8. After his divorce in the early 80’s, Paul saturated himself in country western dancing, entering weekly competitions at Bronco Billies in VA against those with names such as Ken Roesel and Dawn Garrish.  For the past 5 years Paul has been focusing on West Coast Swing and Hustle and despite the fact that his knees are not what they used to be one can find him out dancing 4-5 nights a week. - by Heidi Batdorf.
Craig Sager from Rockville began learning West Coast Swing a few months ago in search of a change of pace from Lindy Hop. By day, he works as a contracting officer at NIH. He received an undergraduate degree from Weslyan college in Ohio and a masters degree from UMD. Craig swims 3-4 days a week, is a member of a sailing club and plays softball. He volunteers NIH's children's center and the lost dog/cat rescue which helps find homes abandoned pets. He loves traveling and visited Israel on a recent trip.

 
Kelly Ann Laderoute is originally from Boston. She wanted to be a Shamu trainer but instead ended up studying business at UVA in Charlottesville, then moved to the DC area 5 years ago. She now lives in Chantilly in the house she bought last year. Kelly works for L3 Communications. She's been dancing since age 5 when she began ballet and jazz. She was part of a program called DARE that used dance to teach children about the negative effects of drugs. She's  has competed in Pro/am contests at country western dance events and now does West Coast Swing Jack & Jill and Strictly Swing contests. Some of her other hobbies include decorating her house, eating pizza and ice cream and taking a daily nap. She likes to sing and won a Karaoke contest. Kelly is fluent in French and visited Paris and London last year. She would like to visit Hawaii, Australia and Spain next. She loves animals and hopes to someday swim with a dolphin and ride an elephant.
Camilla Regina Haines "Jeanie", lives in Manchester, MD. She earned a degree in Mental Health and Human Services and worked 25 years as the recreation director for a long term health facility. Jeanie has been working towards building a business in interior design. She has a passion for Antiques, fashion and interesting pieces of furniture. She is also a gem collector and has travelled the world in search of unique pieces. Jeannie's husband performs in a classic rock band as a drummer and lead vocalist. The last few years Jeanie has been able to join him playing percussion and back-up vocals. She started dancing 15 years ago first learning jitterbug and cha
Efrain Hernandez is originally from Del Rio, TX. While in the Navy he has lived all over the country. He started dancing in the 50's while stationed in San Diego because it was the best way to meet girls. He used to enter dance contests and on some nights he would win enough to buy beer for all his friends. While stationed in New York, Efrain met his wife dancing at a club. They were married for 28 years and raised 2 children together. After his wife passed away he started swing dancing again at the Junction nightclub in Rockville. Now he dances 2 or 3 nights a week. Efrain retired from the Navy in 1977 after 20 years of service then went to work as a Navy contractor in engineering and management services. He earned a degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration. He enjoys sightseeing and  tennis.
Dan Kaminsky started dancing 10 years ago after going to a ballroom and east coast swing class with a friend. He discovered WCS and recently started competing in Jack & Jill contests. He's originally from Pittsburg, and now lives in Columbia, PA.  Dan studied Business Logistics at Penn State and has worked for Hershey Foods as a packaging buyer for 18 years. Dan takes is very serious about fitness He exercises everyday bicycles up to 150 miles a week and has participated in 5k's. Dan is a football ball fan and cheers for Penn State and the Steelers. He has been to England twice and has a cat named Sylvester.
Buzz Bunting discovered Zydeco dancing at local wineries 5 years ago. He explained that prior to that his dance experience included getting highly inebriated then doing his best to stay on his feet dancing in the bars. Recently he started learning ballroom and West Coast at the Promenade. Buzz has lived in Maryland most if his life, grew up in Baltimore and now lives in Manchester. He owns a home improvement company (Bunting Home Improvement). He's been a member of Columbia Ski Club for 6 years. He owns a sailboat and has been sailing since 13. He does snowmobiling tours in Quebec and in March he's going to try "Heli-skiing" in Canada! (off-trail - downhill skiing - accessed by helicopter)
Jim Zimmerman is originally from Delaware. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1969 with a degree in Computer Science. He attended school while working full time for US postal service. He moved to the Baltimore area for a Computer Programmer job with the Social Security Administration where he worked for 38 years. Since retiring, Jim spends time taking walks, restoring his 78 Olds Cutlass and social dancing. He's been dancing since 1988 when he started learning ballroom & Latin at Towson dance studio. In the 90s he discovered country line dancing and then found the swing and ballroom classes at the Promenade. Jim has a daughter and three grandchildren in Kentucky.

Cheryl Beecher from Arnold, MD, is an entrepreneur with many skills. She has been teaching yoga and fitness instructor for 10 years at community centers and gyms around Anne Arundel County. She became interested in Yoga after taking a class in college. She is also a licensed esthetician and massage therapist. 9 years ago she started swing and cha cha and more recently started West COast Swing. Cheryl enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her two children and yellow lab "Amber". She is working in a degree in Gerontology.

Don Brown from Baltimore joined the Army after high school. When he finished serving he went on to become a store manager for Acme over the next 28 years. Then in 1984 he bought the first of two grocery stores he owned until 2003. After his wife passed away Don discovered country line dancing. A year later he was exposed to West Coast Swing by accident when he took what he thought was an east coast swing class with Dawn Garrish. Soon after that he attended a Mario Robau workshop weekend where he was also introduced to hustle. In recent years, Don has become an active golfer on a league. He enjoys collecting coins and visiting Los Vegas. He has 4 children and 14 grand children. 

Courtney Blankenship moved from Vero Beach, Florida last summer to attend CCBC in Essex where she studies aviation. She plans to become an air traffic controller after she graduates. In Florida Courtney attended a performing arts high school and was a member of 2 performing Chiors. She studied Jazz, modern and ballet prior to discovering partner dancing in MD. East Coast Swing came first and later ballroom and West Coast Swing. She is a member of the Towson Ballroom Dance Club and social dances 3 or 4 times a week.
Steve Russell lives in Columbia, MD. His parents were ballroom dancers and introduced him to dancing at age 7. He's continued dancing throughout his life learning hustle in 1975 and West Coast Swing 1999. He is grateful to be dancing regularly again after recovering from a back injury. Steve has a degree in Business Administration and is currently working on an IT degree at Howard County Community College where he is a member of their Honor Society. He's also studying for a CISCO Network Administration certification. His other hobbies include tennis and skiing. He's played violin for 8 years and performs at churches and retirement homes.

Steven Hill is originally from New York. A friend encouraged him to try dancing less than a year ago as a way to relax, relieve stress and have some fun. He first learned Salsa, then his interest switched to West Coast Swing. He normally dances about twice a week. After putting in 20 years as a regional sales director at a large corporation he started his own company. He contracts his skills as an executive regional manager. He is excited about starting a new endeavor next year negotiating contracts with banks which will include lots of travel. Steven considers himself multi-talented with many interests. He enjoys photography. People, events and buildings are some of his favorite subjects. He loves art and enjoys creating works using charcoal and pencil. He also a sports fan.
Patrick Green is from Illinois, he lives in Arnold, MD. He started ballroom dancing 3 years and became interested in West Coast Swing more recently. He social dances 2-3 times a week. Patrick has a masters degree in Psychology and operates a practice providing counseling and consulting services. He is the eldest of 12 children and claims that's why he's decided to remain single. He plays baseball, listens to classical music and works out 2-3 times a week. In 1990, Patrick developed the Military Set-side Housing program whose main goal was to help service members obtain affordable housing in the national capital region. Since then the program has helped over 12,000 service members.
Steve Fragapane - Originally from New York, moved to Baltimore with his family in 1992. Steve started ballroom dancing 2 years ago in search of something new, challenging and that would provide a fun way to exercise at the same time. He's enjoyed training for bronze level ballroom competition. More recently he's decided to learn West Coast Swing. He often dances 6 nights a week.
Steve is a marketing executive for a financial services company. Business is his thing and he enjoys helping building companies and watching them grow and become successful. He has 3 grown children and spends many weekends watching them play collegiate sports. He loves Italian food. 
Ronald Parker was raised in Hampton, VA and now lives in Odenton, MD. He has been DC Hand dancing since 2000. In 2007 he started ballroom and West Coast Swing which now keep him dancing 3-4 nights a week. Ron retired from a federal government job as an information security auditor. He now works as an information security contractor. Besides dancing Ronald enjoys playing chess, Pinocle, bridge and he shoots some pool. He has 2 sons.
Nitaya Srisook grew up in Thailand, moved to Ohio at age 19 and attended the University of Akron. She works as a purchasing agent  for Johnson Control. She started ballroom and West Coast Swing dancing in early 2006 and usually dances 3 nights a week now. Nitaya loves traveling the globe and is currently working on filling up her 3rd passport. Her primary motivation for this travel is scuba dives which she has been doing for the last 13 years. Last month she made her 200th dive in St Martens. She has a cat named Tofu and we hear she is quite the poker player.
Howard Templehoff was born in NYC and moved to Baltimore 25 years ago. He started country western dancing in the late 90's and now does mainly West Coast Swing. He dances 2 or 3 times s a week. When he's not dancing, he works for Bank of America and says he enjoys traveling. His favorite destination is Jamaica, In 2006, Howard attend the Emmy Awards Ceremony in California at Shrine Auditorium. Howard works out 6 days a week and is passionate about cycling. 2 years ago he did the Race Across NYC, a 35 mile overnight ride. He has one cat named Mia.
Monice Sanders was born in Alabama. Her dad was a career military officer so she lived many places growing up. Silver Spring, MD is now her home. Monice studied jazz, ballet and tap dancing as a child. She continues tap dancing as a member of the "Jazz Tap Quartet" a performance tap group. She discovered West Coast Swing 1 1/2 years ago and now dances 2-3 times a week. Monice is a Human Resources Director at Verizon. She earned an MBA at the University of Michigan. She likes books, music and spending time with her family. She volunteers at her church bookstore and belongs to 2 book clubs. She teaches a Fundamentals of Math class at a local college.
Norm Bennett was born in 1936 in Pittsburg and now lives in Germantown, MD. He started Country Western dancing in the late 80's at the Country Junction in Rockville. For the last 12 years he has mainly been interested in West Coast Swing and dances 3-4 nights a week. He claims this has improved his posture and he's now 2 inches taller. Norm is a retired statistician who worked at the Bureau of Labor & Statistics. He's become very fitness focused and works out 6 days a week. Recently he's been working on earning certification as a personal trainer. He likes to read, watch movies, listen to music and spend time with family. He has 6 children including 2 sets of twins.
Peggy Frantz grew up in Pittsburgh. She started country swing dancing and later took up Lindy, Salsa and West Coast Swing after moving to this area 9 years ago. Now she goes dancing 2 or 3 times a week. Peggy taught high school math in Baltimore prior to becoming a real estate agent. She loves traveling and recently visited Greece, Turkey and Italy. Peggy loves being active and enjoys adventures. She swam with dolphins in Cancun and went zip-lining in Belize. She rollerblades and works out at the gym. She likes musicals and has 2 cats "Roxy" & "Murphy".
Kirsten Noël Whitley moved to Columbia, MD about 7 years ago from Nashville where she was a radio Deejay for 5 years. She started dancing after attending a wedding in 1998 and discovered that dancing was another way to connect with the music. She started with a group class learning Lindy, then later a variety of partner dances.  Today she mostly does West Coast Swing and Hustle but still enjoys all the dances.  She dances twice a week. Kirsten earned a PHD in Computer Science and works as a Computer Science researcher. She enjoys biking on trails and does Yoga once a week. She's done many forms of yoga and says it's a perfect way to combine posture, alignment and breathing.  Kristen's father was an exploratory geologist so she traveled with her family to many places around the world growing up.
Michael Blackburn was born at Travis Air Force base in Fairfield , CA. He moved to Dunkirk, MD 7 years ago. His dancing began in the late 80’s at Cotton Eye Joes first learning 2 step and Line Dances. He competed in Country-western and later American Smooth style Ballroom. Michael says he is a diverse social dance and now mainly does West Coast Swing. He often competes in the Jack & Jill contests and Strictly Swing. Michael served 5 years in the Navy. He earned a degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently working on a Bachelors degree in Computer Science. When he is not dancing Michael enjoys building computers, fishing and skiing. He just got his motorcycle license.
Orion Hall grew up in a military family and lived in many cities. He's currently in Annapolis attending the U.S. Naval Academy. Orion began social dancing 4 years ago. He says he always loved to dance but never took formal lessons until discovering east coast swing at a local bar. A week later he attended a Lindy dance weekend and loved it. He later discovered West Coast Swing at VA State Open. Today he frequently travels to compete at national swing events. Orion was enlisted in the Navy for 3 1/2 years prior to being accepted at the Naval Academy. After graduation next May, he plans to pursue a career as a naval flight officer flying F18s. Besides dancing he enjoys creating artwork, his favorite media is clay sculpture and watercolors. He is also minoring in Japanese and spent a few months in Japan last summer. He admits being a chocolate addict.
Dan Rogul was born in Philadelphia and moved to Columbia, MD. 7 years ago. He started ballroom dancing in 2005 to expand his comfort zone. Now he dances 2-3 days a week and competes in American Bronze level ballroom. He is a teachers assistant in UMBC's ballroom club. By day he works in business development management as a network security consultant. Dan also likes to go "Bouldering" (rock climbing without a harness) and practicing Qi Gong for mediation and relaxation. He says he is also interested in the art of communication.
Lara Deni is from Buffalo, NY and now lives in Falls Church, VA. She claims dancing is in her genes. Her mom, a dancer/singer ran a dance studio in their home where Lara started tap dancing at age 3. When she was 9 mom opened a larger studio where Lara also taught. Years later Lara earned a degree in dance from Adelphi University and today Lara continues the family tradition teaching ballroom, Latin, swing and salsa in her own home studio. Lara used to compete professionally in ballroom standard and smooth and she is currently active on the competitive west coast swing circuit with her rising star routine and in strictly swing and J&J contests. She goes dancing 4 times a week. By day she is a title agent handling commercial and residential property closings. She has a dog and 2 cats, enjoys figure skating, playing pool, singing, and playing basketball.
Sara Hilbrich comes from Northern California and now lives in Mt. Rainier, MD. She started country western dancing in the early 90’s and first learned traditional 2-step. Since moving to the east 3 years ago she has become more serious about dancing and even tried some competition. Sara works as an attorney. She is a member of the Capital Country Dance Club and has two cats named Ethel Mertz and Ella Fitz. Sara used to be a professional balloon twister and says she can make a mean balloon Elmo.

Fred Tancordo is originally from Hawthorne, NJ. He now lives in Columbia, MD. Fred started dancing 10 years ago after a divorce to try something new. Today he dances about 3 times a week.  Fred has a degree in food chemistry from the University of Georgia. He retired from a career as a consumer safety officer with the USDA and now works as a contractor for the FDA inspecting international production facilities. His other interests include massage therapy, cooking and photography. For the last 7 years he has volunteered for "Turnaround" a domestic violence center in Baltimore. Fred likes says he likes to entertain and often cooks for and hosts groups of dancers visiting our area for special events.

Connie Gauthier grew up in Columbia, MD and stays there with her mom Tracy during breaks from college. She studies Fine Art Photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. She discovered West Coast Swing 3 years ago when her mom talked her into tagging along to a local dance. Connie loved it right away and decided she wanted to get better at it. Today she social dances 3 times a week and has had some success in amateur competitions. Connie has a summer job at the Apple store selling computers and fixing I-pods. At school she dances with the National Technical institute of the Deaf Dance company where all the instruction is given with sign language.

Tom Amsbacher lives in York, PA with his wife Judy. They started country line dancing in 1992 after their children left for college. Judy said we have to do something together now so it's either dancing or divorce. They quickly progressed to couples specialty dancing then lead follow dances. 4 years ago they started ballroom dancing and learned West Coast Swing. They now dance 4-5 times a week. Tom was president of the York USA Dance chapter for 3 years. He retired from a facilities manager job with Caterpillar. He and his wife have 2 children. They enjoy also traveling and recently went on a cruise to Alaska. He has Miniature Schnauzer named Snickers and he loves to eat homemade chicken pot-pie.
Margot Schwag originally from Havertown, PA now resides in Lancaster. She started ballroom dancing in 1997. After a long break she's returned to dancing and become a regular at West Coast Swing Sundays and elsewhere. Margot graduated top 10 of her class from the University of PA school of Veterinary Medicine and runs a small animal practice for dogs and cats in Landisville, MD. She spends a lot of time working but when she does get a break she enjoys all the outdoor activities like gardening, boating and salt water fishing. She is an avid downhill skier and frequently skis at Vale. Last year she traveled to New Zealand 3 times. She has 4 Devonshire Rex cats named Riva, Inara, Joss, and me-me.

David Raab lives in Westminster, MD. He is originally from Horn, Austria (a small town an hour from Vienna). He took a ballroom dance class at high school and discovered dancing again 3 years ago. He's been doing West Coast Swing about twice a week since January. David earned a Engineering Management degree at the Technical University of Vienna and now he's working on an MBA at Towson. He is as a project manager for a company that produces the automatic doors like those used on DC's Metrorail cars. David gave us a long list of his hobbies that included mountain-biking tours, snowboarding, running and playing piano. Since coming to the US, he has enjoyed visiting a lot of well known destinations which are so far away from Europe. In the last 2 years he's been to Niagara Falls, New York City, Jamaica, Disney World and Las Vegas just to name a few.

Patricia "Pat" Thrappas from Baltimore now lives in Perry Hall, MD. She is widowed and retired which allowed her time to start social dancing about 2 years ago. She first learned Hand Dance, then West Coast Swing and has since explored Ballroom and Country. Today, she often dances 6 nights a week and wants to learn Salsa and Merengue next. She has earned the unofficial title of "social director" on Sunday nights at the Promenade where she makes sure to welcome all new dancers and keeps the teachers and DJs on their toes. She performed a fun west coast swing routine with Dean Garrish at Cherry Hill last year and is working on a Viennese Waltz for the fall showcase. Pat loves to cook. At one time she performed skits in a restaurant with girlfriends. Pat plays the drums and has been invited on stage to perform with local bands for a song or two just for fun. She enjoys attending shows. Pat has 3 sons and 8 grandchildren ages 16 months to 19 years. Several of them are following her passions by studying acting, dance, theatre, art. She owned a environmental asbestos, lead demolition construction company with her son where she earned the nickname “Mother Asbestos”.
Brian Orielly comes from Boston, MA and currently lives in Baltimore where he graduated from Johns Hopkins and works there as an IT director. He is working on Masters Degree. He discovered ballroom dancing about 3 years ago and West Coast Swing more recently. He social dances 4 nights a week and competes in American Smooth & rhythm. This year he tried out the Swing Jack & Jill at contest MADjam. When he is not dancing he spends time at the gym, checking out interesting restaurants and reading.  Brian says he enjoys traveling the world. So far his favorite destinations are Switzerland and Japan. He has an interest in personal financial planning and was recently interviewed in Money magazine for their extreme savers column. He has a kitten named Phoenix.

Laura Brown comes from a tiny "1 stoplight" town near Pittsburgh and now lives in Lanham, MD. She has been dancing for 7 years. She began hand dancing and fell in love with West Coast Swing while attending a swing competition a few years later. At first dancing was a great way to meet people but now she enjoys it more ways; the art form, the music, the opportunity to express oneself and the challenge to become a better dancer. Today she dances at least 4 nights a week and recently enrolled in a Ballet and Jazz class. Laura is single with no children, the 4th of 13 children. At last count she has 64 nieces and nephews whom she can borrow when the need to nurture comes calling. She has a Masters in Engineering Management from G.W. She started a new job with Homeland Security recently after retiring from 32 years working at Verizon as a Program Manager/Business Analyst. Laura has a passion for fashion and does part time modeling. Last year she traveled to Honolulu on a modeling assignment. She also travels for education and fun. She's been to Europe, the Caribbean, South America and many places in the US. She also loves spending time at home cooking and baking - Southern Style - Potato Salad, Fried Chicken and Pound Cake - are her most requested dishes. I love interior design and creating spaces that are peaceful, happy as well as functional.
Dave Kaplan was born and raised in Maryland. He's started learning West Coast Swing about 3 1/2 years ago. Today you'll see him out about 2-3 times a week. He competed in Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill contests at many national events and recently earned enough WSDC points to dance in advanced level. Dave works in the IT department at a satellite Imaging company and also has his own IT consulting business. Besides swing dancing he enjoys playing with his Golden Retriever "Baci" web design, action films and he hits the gym about 4 times a week. In high school he competed Tae Kwon Doe at the State Champion level and has worked as a personal trainer. He has visited London and likes to eat Italian food.

Kiona Leah grew up in Newburg, NY and now lives in Laurel, MD. At age 7 she started dancing ballet and tap. In college she studied ballroom for 10 weeks. Then In 1999 she discovered she loved swing dancing. Lindy Hop was first then in 2003 she got into West Coast Swing. Now she proudly declares that she "loves music that Swings - It just moves me!" She social dances between 3 to 6 nights a week. She met her husband Brian in dance class. They have two cats, and a small school of fish. Kiona graduated from RPI with a degree in Environmental Engineering. She works as a a Civil Engineering Project Manager heading a team that designs roads, sites, parking lots, ponds. She sings soprano in the Central Maryland Chorale and has performed at many local venues like the Pentagon, Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial. She likes to sew and designed and made her prom and wedding dresses. She also has a part time business teaching physical therapy, dance theory based exercise classes called "T-Tapp Workouts" www.healthybykiona.com
James H is a DC resident originally from Mississippi. He has always been into music and played instruments most of his life including oboe, bells/xylophone and percussions. 3 years ago a public demo by Markus Smith inspired him to learn Hand Dancing. He has been into West Coast Swing for about a year. Swing dancing gives him an opportunity to "share my love for music with another, one song at a time". He often dances 6 nights a week and travels to many competitions and conventions. He is the president and founder of an organization called the Dance Competitions Interest Group. James has a Computer Science degree from Jackson State University and works as a software/programming consultant. He is single and has two children aged 22 and 5. When he is not dancing James enjoys playing chess, piano and video editing. Why the "H"? When we asked what the H is for, he says "Hand Dance". He continued with a complete explanation: First, I have been somewhat of a musician since the 6th grade; playing instruments such as oboe, bassoon, piano, bells/xylophone and most percussion instruments. Shortly after I graduated from college, I considered getting involved in a night club band and decided that I should have a “stage name”. Kenny G. and Sheila E. were popular at the time. That’s how I came up with James-H as a name. Though I never participated in a night club band I kept the name. Now my stage is used on the Dance floor. They call me James-H and I love it.
 

Mary Alvord was born and raised in NYC and now lives in Silver Spring. She has 3 adult sons and a husband Greg. He got her into dancing more than 3 years ago, first with ballroom and later West Coast Swing. Mary enjoys it greatly now but she says "its been hard work for someone with two left feet." They go social dancing 2-3 times a week and take lots of classes and lessons. Mary earned her PHD from University of MD. She maintains private psychology practices in Silver Spring & Rockville. Currently she is finishing a book on resilience. She also enjoys cultivating a cutting garden, traveling, and swimming in the ocean. She says she loves watching the joy on the faces of the WCS junkies and really appreciates the more advanced dancers who are willing to dance with those who are less experienced.
Anthony Concalves was born in Centralia, PA and now lives in Pasadena, MD. He went dancing for the first time with one of his 3 sisters 16 years ago. He started with country line dancing and then 2-step while living in Massachusetts. Tony played soccer in high school and college. He earned a Business administration degree at the University of Nebraska and served 4 years in the Air Force where he trained as an Imagery Interpreter. Today he works as a Customer Service person at United Airlines and has a business selling silver & tin. He has a new Bishon-poodle named Sparky.

Linda Boulin is originally from Montgomery County and now lives on a 31/2 acre farmette in Carroll County. She has 3 daughters, a grandson a dog, horse and 3 cats.
She first began ballroom dancing 18 years ago after a divorce. She went back to school to earn a degree in agricultural resources and economics and raise her kids. About a year ago she came back to dancing and discovered West Coast Swing. Lately she is out 2 or times a week.
Linda was the executive producer for Miss Georgia USA & Miss teen USA pageant where winners went on to compete in the televised pageants. She met a lot of celebrities doing this. Currently she is self employed. She spends time landscaping her home, playing piano and has a diverse set of interests from attending symphony concerts to demolition derbys. Her "mid-life crisis purchase" was an all original red 1980 Camaro Z-28.
Neal Zarin was born in Washington, grew up in Wheaton and now lives in Montgomery Village. He attended Montgomery College and University of Maryland. He has been dancing more than 12 years. He first saw people doing pattern dances at a singles event and after giving this a try, in his words “I discovered I have some dance cells” and began 2 step lessons at the Junction nightclub in Rockville. At one time he was social dancing 7 nights a week and attending many national conventions, but lately he is out twice a week.      Following 8 years working the private power industry, Neal's been at the Navy for 27 years as a project engineer. He rode sea trials for 4 days on USS Jacksonville (attack sub) and 8 days on the USS Michigan (boomer). "It was awesome!"       Neal is divorced, has a brother, sister, father and 2 adult children in the area. He has 6 fresh water tropical fish tanks, 2 hermit crabs and a a green thumb for raising plants. He is a certified scuba diver and has dived Grand Caymans, Curacao, Aruba, St Marten, St. Johns, and Hawaii (Kona). We asked him what other interesting things would could share with our readers and he offered the following: Went to Russia for 12 days in 2003 and had a blast, very interesting experience. "I have Ukrainian blood"; Volunteered  6 years for Lighting of the National Christmas Tree (Pageant of Peace); Volunteered at the last 2 Illinois Presidential Inaugural Galas; Volunteers and takes pictures at all the Dance Jam Productions special events.

Jean Albaugh grew up in Annapolis, MD where her dad was an English professor at the Naval Academy. She started dancing 12 years ago for exercise during cold weather months. She first learned Carolina Shag which she abandoned when she discovered West Coast Swing, Hustle 2 step and Waltz. Hustle is her current favorite. She works is an appraisal office manager and travels to Florida a week each month to maintain two houses. She stays in shape with a many active sports. In Maryland she either bikes 20 miles, runs 5K to UB40 on a treadmill or runs up and down a very long, steep hill 20 times. She won the annual Mothers' Day Assateague/Chincoteague 5K race 5 years in a row. This year she says she is hooked on dance weekends and plans to attend 5 events in our region. Jean recently adopted two 6 month old Weimaraner puppies after her 16 year old Weim died last December.
Ken Davidson is originally from Shippensberg, PA and now lives with Gloria his wife in Reisterstown, MD. He has bee dancing 20 years, started with Ballroom then country and now swing. He dances 2 nights a week. He is a retired high school physics & chemistry teacher with a masters degree in education. Two of his students competed at the International Science Fair. He plays tennis 2-3 times a week and spends many weekends at a cabin in the woods with his wife to relax and unwind. He says he loves to eat all flavors of ice cream.

Christina Henderson is a native of the area. She lives in Colombia, MD and has danced for 12 years. She began with line country dancing, then learned 2 step and Hustle.  She joined the University of Maryland's ballroom dance club in college. Today she social dances once or twice a week. She is a microbiologist at the NIH. Besides dancing Christina likes to spend time with her family. She enjoys live rock music and follows a band called Faded Image. She has sung onstage with them a few times and plans to take singing lessons in the future. She loves all music but especially classic rock. Her favorites are the Steve Miller band and Fleetwood Mac. She recently traveled to Europe for a month and her favorite candy bar is a Zero bar.

Michael Bruno originally from New York now lives in Baltimore. He learned waltz 10 years ago in Florida and soon discovered Hustle. When a work contract brought him to Baltimore 6 years back, he discovered West Coast Swing and Kirsten, his girlfriend of the last 5 years. They normally social dance twice a week. Michael served in the US Air force where he trained as a pharmacy tech. Today he works as a software engineer specializing in avionics. Michael has been playing ice hockey since high school. He plays several times a week on a team called Hook & Ladder. In 1981 he was a winner on TV's "The Newlywed Game". He has 3 sons and a grandson. He rides a motorcycle. On a recent vacation Michael & Kirsten rode in a hot air balloon over the grand canyon. 

Joel Halsband is from Pittsburg, PA. He recently bought a townhome in Gaithersburg, MD where he has lived for many years. His first dance experience was Cha Cha in eighth grade. He went on to choreograph dances in his high school's musical Oklahoma. After school Joel discovered Hustle and entered many radio sponsored dance contests. Today he still competes in social Hustle competitions and with a choreographed routine. He's been a member of DC's Just Hustle dance team for 7 years. He dances 5 nights a week and also enjoys Hip-Hop, and West Coast Swing. He was recently featured in a Washington Post article about the 30 year anniversary of Saturday Night Fever. Joel earned a BS in Psychology and runs a video store. In high school he played on the football team and he joined the golf team in college. Today he enjoys golf, tennis and playing bridge. His favorite food is grilled chicken. Joel has a son, an older sister and an identical twin brother 15 minutes older than himself.

Robin Stocksdale is a native of Baltimore. She has been dancing 9 years. She began with East Coast Swing and later became a serious competitor in the country pro/am divisions with her coach Dean Garrish. She also social dances 2-3 nights a week. Robin has degrees in sociology, Spanish and social work and is the manager of counseling services at hospice of Baltimore. She lives with her dog and 2 cats, enjoys gardening and street festivals. She likes to travel and says Hawaii is her favorite destination. She lived in South America while in college, has been horseback riding in the Andes Mountains and loves Mexican food. She works out 5 days a week doing Yoga, weights and ellipticals.

Shawn Brennan was born in Baltimore and now lives in Bel Air. He started dancing Hustle and Ballroom more than 30 years ago. He stopped dancing when he got married and returned years later in the mid 90’s after he divorced. Today he dances about 4 times a week mostly Hustle, Salsa and West Coast Swing. He competes in J&J, Strictly and Pro-AM contests. He has been a member of several swing dance teams and competed at the US Open. Has been dancing with on the Capital Swing team for 6 years. When he's not dancing he operates a dental practice in Rising Sun, MD. He likes to travel to the Eastern Caribbean. We discovered that he played clarinet in 5 piece German band called an Oompa band" and that he has played Saxophone for 30 years. He owns a Sax autographed by Kenny G. You can usually find Shawn cruising very fast on I-95 in his corvette headed to all the DC & Baltimore dance venues.

Donna Lee Archer was born in Lebanon, PA and now lives in York. She discovered country line dancing in 1995 in search of a place to show off her red cowboy boots. There she saw West Coast Swing and has pursued that ever since. Today she dances once or twice a week, often at Baltimore & DC venues. She is an expert seamstress and loves to cook and bake. Her baked goods have won awards at the local fairs. She makes stained glass and is currently remodeling her home. She is married with two grown sons. Donna majored in art in college and she traveled to Italy to enjoy the art. She was especially taken with the statue of David. It brought her to tears when she saw it.

Jason Henry from Latrobe, PA now lives in Westminster, MD. He started 2 Step lessons  two years ago. 6 months back he discovered west coast swing which he says is his favorite. He's normally dancing twice a week. In between he works as a mechanical engineer and is completing a masters degree in Business Administration. Jason enjoys all types of outdoor activities including rock climbing, playing tennis, and riding motorcycle. He is also very proud of his superfast 2004 yellow Mustang Cobra. He takes it road racing and drag racing. Jason loves to eat Sushi.   

Tracy Gauthier a MD native from Silver Spring, now lives in Colombia. She was a serious figure skater in her teens and then discovered the Hustle and later Ballroom dancing. She took a long break from dancing to raise a family then returned to social dancing a few years ago when she had more free time. West Coast Swing has become her current dance passion. She has recently competed in strictly swing and Jack & Jill contests. Tracy’s youngest daughter Connie is also an active WCS dancer and competitor. When she is not dancing Tracy works as an operations Coordinator for the Masters of Engineering program at Johns Hopkins. She holds a Masters Degree in Education and can communicate fluently in sign language. Tracy has traveled to many parts of Europe, has a motorcycle license and loves to eat Baskin Robbins Jamoca ice cream.

William Hopkins originally from Rockville, now resides in Colombia, MD.  He began dancing more than ten years ago for a social outlet.  He first learned East Coast Swing, then Zydeco and eventually found Shag & West Coast Swing. Lately he is dancing 2 or 3 times a week. Bill has competed in strictly, jack and jill and Pro-Am in both the Shag and WCS circuit. When he's not dancing he works as Psychologist. Since college he has remained active in sports playing softball and football. He also enjoys working out, reading and eating at ethnic restaurants. He told us his favorite food is Indian. 
Lisa Jane Sanderoff is originally from Bethlehem, PA now lives in Baltimore. She started dancing to help get through a difficult time in her life and try somthing outside of her comfort zone. She started with Salsa then discovered West Coast Swing. She told us she has made some fabulous friends in the classes and at social dances at the Promenade. Lisa works as a pharmacist. At home she shares her life with her 3 children and their 170 lb Newfoundland "Griffin". On the nights she isn't dancing she likes to workout and see Indie rock concerts. She also like to ski, travel, and complete crossword and sudoko puzzles. She has taken up rock climbing hopes to climb in Sedona National Park oneday. 
Keith Allen Stremmel from Spring Grove, PA now lives in Hanover. He started line dancing 10 years ago to meet women. He has tried many styles of social dancing since. In 2006 he received a Certified Dance Junkie Award at MADjam. Lately he dances about twice a week. His favorite is West Coast Swing. He is a successful competitor and is currently rehearsing a choreographed routine to debut this spring. By day, Keith makes cutting dies for a living. Besides dancing he told us he enjoys disc golf, fishing and writing fantasy. He has two books in progress and takes part in Civil war re-enactments. Keith studied karate, kickboxing and Iron Tiger Kung Fu. Last fall Keith spent 3 weeks in New Zealand.
Holly Lynn Kirby originally from Pittsburg, now lives in Parkville, MD with her husband and children ages 3, 5, & 6. Holly did ballet & tap as a child, then studied and competed Irish Step dancing as a teenager. Now she social dances about twice a week, her favorite is Cha Cha. She recently learned and performed a 2-step routine in 3 weeks. Besides dancing and being a mom, Holly occasionally works as a respiratory therapist. She competed as a body builder for 3 years and told us she can still bench 185 lbs…twice.  She loves sushi, funnel cake and scrambled eggs (not necessarily in the same meal). We asked about her accomplishments and she told us in 1991 she ran the fastest mile in her high school (4:58). For an interesting hobbies she told us about auditioning for American Gladiators and racing mountain bikes on the the Dirt Rag team in Pittsburgh. She also claims to speak fluent "Pittsburgheeze"
Nick Frigo moved to Annapolis 2 ˝ years ago. He is originally from Chicago. His first dance experience was east coast swing as a high school junior. Later he tried line dancing and country couples dancing while living in NJ. His first taste of West Coast Swing was mid 80's when he saw Hutch in action at the Spanish ballroom. Now it's become his favorite and he's out dancing 3 nights most weeks. Nick earned a Ph. D. at Cornell and works as a Physics Professor at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. His Optics research has led to 38 patents. When he's not working or dancing he enjoys reading and hiking. He is a 3rd level black belt and has coached three students to 1st level Black Belt. Every summer he travels to Italy to indulge a passion for Renaissance art. He spends hours museums and is learning Italian. His favorite food is sushi. He makes a fantastic Biscotti and claims he can makes a convincing galloping horse sound. Nick asked us to to pass along his thanks to the followers in our west coast swing community for being so patient with him as he works on his “7” count moves. 
Gloria Davidson is originally from Hanover, PA and now resides in Reisterstown, MD. She took up dancing with her husband Ken. They began with social Ballroom, then county where they discovered West Coast Swing. She and Ken go dancing 2 or 3 times a week. Her favorite dance is the Waltz. She also spends time at the gym twice a week and likes to read historical fiction and plays bridge. She is a retired elementary school teacher with a Masters degree in Education from Shippensburg University. She says teaching has been a very rewarding experience for her. She also shared with us that her favorite food is crab and she is a huge fan of actor Matt Damon.   
Lorraine Louise Rohlik Originally from Cleveland, OH. now in Jessup, MD is the oldest of four siblings, 2 sisters and a brother. As a child she learned square dancing. In college she tried Modern dance. She started ballroom dancing 15 years ago and competed with her husband in Open International Standard. Today she goes social dancing 2 or 3 nights weekly and rehearses with the Capitol Swing team. Her favorites are West Coast Swing and Shag. Lorraine is a regular competitor in Jack & Jill and Strictly Swing contests. Besides dancing she is interested in Geneology and works as a budget analyst for the labor department. 5 years ago she went on an opera tour with her husband to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest and saw two operas in each city. The best lead is nothing more than an irresistible invitation.  A pause, or a step, or a subtle turn of the hand that says “please, come this way…”  Who could refuse? - Lorraine Rohlik
Clyde William Wright Originally from Tulsa, OK. moved to DC 4 years ago. A friend invited him to a Swing dance last September. Afterwards he watched dance videos on Youtube and became immediately hooked. Today he social dances at least twice a week. West Coast Swing is his favorite and he also enjoys Argentine Tango. At his first competition MADjam 2008, he entered the Jack & Jill contest, strictly swing and pro/am. Besides dancing Clyde has a Computer Science degree, plays guitar, piano and has a passion for acting. He is a member of the British Players organization in Maryland and performs in Operetta singing Tenor. In 2005, Clyde won the lead role in an Opera Festival in England. He also wrote a novel in one month. He is currently rehearsing for 2 shows: “Act of the Imagination” which opens April 10th at the Kensington Armory and “Patience” opening in June. Clyde has a younger sister who also lives in DC.   
William ”Greg” Alvord of Silver Spring has lived here most of his life. In college he competed in Springboard diving and went on to coach. He's led a men's reading group for over 10 years and his favorite food is Filet Mignon (medium rare with fine red wine). By day he is the Director of Statistical Services at the National Cancer Institute. He and his wife Mary started ballroom dancing 4 years ago in search of hobby to share after their youngest of 3 sons left the nest. Greg discovered West Coast Swing which quickly became his favorite. Now he dances 3-4 nights a week. Excited by his first Po-Am competition at MADjam 2007 has went on to compete in several recent Jack & Jill contests. Having studied philosophies and religions of the world, he proudly claims to having discovered the real secret to life - West Coast Swing! In his words he is "well-balanced having both feet planted firmly in the air". After his 60th birthday, he decided to start counting backwards so when he gets down to 20, he says, "they can wheel me into Cherry Hill or Promenade, with drool coming down the side of my mouth and I’ll still be working on a perfect under-arm-turn".
Dinah Elashvili has lived in Baltimore all her life. Her first dance experience was in High School doing Irish Step dancing. While attending Johns Hopkins University, she tried ballroom dancing. After graduating she returned to dancing and after a few more ballroom classes chose to focus on West Coast Swing. Nowadays she's out dancing almost every night of the week, competes as an amateur and is rehearsing with a new dance team. Besides all that dancing, she works as a medical journal editor. We asked her about other hobbies and discovered she's played violin since age 3 and studied Kung Fu in College. - Watch Out! 
Liza May Born in Boston, now lives in Gambrills, MD. When asked how long she has been dancing she replied "grmfrmumblebrgoogleseventy" (many) years. She's been active in DC's swing dance scene intermittently since the 80's. She and husband "Genieboy" have been competing on the national west coast swing circuit since MADjam 2006, where they started with Jack and Jill contests. It was so much fun they did it again in Boston, then Seattle, then Liberty, then Phoenix. Including competitions, local dances and practice at home, Liza admits to dancing every single night. Before 2006 Liza was a great cook, played first chair flute in a symphony orchestra, founded Local 1000 of the American Federation of Musicians union (traveling musicians and singer/songwriters), organized the Women's Pentagon Action, traveled the country giving speeches to important people, raised children, sewed things, lived on farms and communes, taught music, led wilderness canoe and skiing expeditions, refurbished an abandoned one-room schoolhouse on a remote Vermont hilltop, grew olives on the West Bank, had a SAG card, taught rock-climbing, delivered singing telegrams, kept bees, and maintained a respected private practice as a clinical nutritionist. In her recent words "Now, all I want to do is dance, dance, dance. Who could want anything else when there's Friday's at Cherry Hill!" - We agree, but suggest that a balanced and diverse social life including lots of dancing is best.
Brad Anderson originally from Richmond, he now resides in Arlington, VA. He spent eight years in the Army as a Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal (Bomb Squad) Specialist. After the military, he earned a degree in Information Systems at VA State University. Brad has traveled often throughout Europe for work and pleasure. His other interests include pretty much anything with friends, running and biking. Brad’s favorite dance is West Coast Swing. In his words "If I had to describe West Coast Swing in a word that word would have to be Connection”. I really enjoy getting to know fabulous, talented people with good hearts. That connection adds purpose and happiness to my life. 

Janet Elizabeth Kenney originally from Philadelphia moved to DC 3 years ago. She started ballet at 10 years old and studied and performed through her early twenty’s. She also did some flamenco dancing. Her first partner dance experience was with Hustle before moving on to ballroom and West Coast Swing. Between ballet classes and social dancing she is often out 5 nights a week. She makes a living working for an insurance underwriter. When she's not dancing she likes reading, movies and French food. Janet has one son. She has traveled the world while pursuing a Masters degree, visiting China, England and her favorite destination is Mexico where the people are warm and friendly. 
Brian Scott Linacre originally from Morgantown, PA now lives in Perry Hall, MD.  He started country line dancing at bars for social reasons. His first dance was the Tush Push and has been dancing ever since. Now current favorite is West Coast Swing. He usually dances 3 nights a week. He works as a service manager for a forklift company and is working on dual bachelors degrees in business management and e-business. He also enjoys reading, playing golf and spending time with his girlfriend Kimmy who he credits with keeping him out of trouble. He has a cat named "Junior". 

Belinda Decastro is originally from the Phillipines. She now resides in Baltimore, MD. Belinda started ballroom dancing 3 years ago and caught West Coast Swing Fever when she attended the Promenade's Spring Showcase and was immediately hooked. West Coast Swing has become her favorite. Belinda dances at least once a week. She has 3 children and a music degree in Piano performance.  She would love to play the keyboards with a band someday. 

Jody Moscaritolo originally from Randolph, NJ now in Pikesville, MD started jazz dancing in high school and performing music theatre. He started ballroom dancing 2 years ago doing Foxtrot and East Coast Swing. He learned West Coast Swing at dance junkie weekend in December of 06 and now dances 4 nights a week. When we asked what he does when he’s not dancing he replied “I don’t understand the question.”  (This is a sign of a true "Dance Junkie"). To earn a living he manages software trainers. He has a BS from Towson in communications and computer systems. His other interests include performing with the Baltimore Improv, playing guitar, juggling. He loves to cook and enjoys music, art, movies and books. Jody has two cats Lucky and Domino.
Alina EntinAlina Entin originally from Kiev, Ukraine now resides in Rockville, MD with husband Dave Kaplan and their Golden Retriever Pup "Baci" (kisses in Italian). She discovered competitive ballroom dancing 9 years ago and worked her way through those ranks with her first and only ballroom partner. They now compete in the Pre-Champion International Standard.  She also competes in West Coast Swing. She often dances 6 nights a week. Her favorites are Foxtrot and West Coast Swing. She earned a law degree at Georgetown University and practices litigation law. When she's not dancing she reads fiction, watches TV, exercises and loves to eat sushi. She speaks fluent Russian.
Phil BradfieldPhil Bradfield originally from Lebanon, OH now lives in Rockville, MD. Phil started dancing “A scary looooong time ago” in college to fulfill a Phys Ed requirement. “I heard that the class needed guys and I thought, what better way for a Physics major to meet women!” - We agree! With the goal of learning 2-step he began country dance competitions several years back. In 2005 he earned a Worlds Champion title in pro/am division with Dawn Garrish. Phil dances 3-4 nights a week. His favorite dance is West Coast Swing. When he's not dancing he works as a “daylight seller”, enjoys visiting friend and plays racquetball. His unique talent is things he can do with his lips! - Just ask him to show you!