Tag Archives: dance

Dancing With The Stars Trophy Winner Nyle DiMarco

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One of the most remarkable dance stories in the last season of Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) is the tale of Nyle DiMarco. Born into a deaf family and deaf himself, he’s never heard a sound, never a musical note. Yet this young man exudes a musicality that defies explanation.

In one of my favorites, Nyle dances a romantic and ethereal waltz with pro dancer Sharna Burgess. Sharna wasn’t his regular partner, but in the show’s week five “switch up,” they partnered together, and the two created magic on the dance floor. Nyle’s regular DWTS dance partner Peta Murgatroyd and Sharna are the show’s best female pros, in my view.

It’s a celebratory time for DiMarco: a few months before wining the Mirror Ball trophy, he also won the final series of America’s Next Top Model.

Nyle mastered the dance basics and captured the hearts of the audience with a mix of fearlessness, emotional abandon and vulnerability. Just watch!

West Coast Swing Dance

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West Coast Swing is a dancer’s dance. It’s a slower, bluesy version of East Coast Swing or Jitterbug. Danced to classic or contemporary blues tunes, it’s built on a six-count pattern with variations of eight or ten. It’s fun and playful, fast or slow; alluring or rapid-fire. The musical breaks and beats give dancers time for creative footwork and syncopated movements.

Here’s one of my favorite performances:  Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz at the 2001 US Open Swing Dance Championships. The sheer physicality, artistry, and choreography caught the eye of talent scouts. Both dancers landed on national TV dance shows: