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Meet the Dance Instructors
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Sean-Christopher |
Dear Friends,
My name is Sean-Christopher De Guzman, I’m the person who was an I.T.
professional by trade turned dance instructor!
I wasn’t born a natural dancer but was introduced to the world of Swing,
Latin and Ballroom which become a passion of mine and eventually lead me
to creating Dancing4fun and bring to you the joy of dance one step at a
time.
I've been dancing for roughly 14 years and teaching for approximately 6
of those years. |
Learning is a never ending process and this is what makes dance so much
fun and exciting to me. The different styles of dance and different
genres of music where people can express themselves, have fun and share
with others and staying fit doesn’t hurt either. Since my humble
beginning working for a local ballroom dancing studio here in Atlanta. I
now share with you the exciting world of dance such as Swing, Waltz,
Tango, Salsa & Merengue to name a few.
I’m living testimony that anyone can learn how to dance and that you can
take it as far as you want to. If you were to tell me 14 years ago that
I’d be teaching salsa & cha cha classes and doing dance exhibitions &
entering local dance competitions someday I would’ve thought you were
crazy!!
So guys, just give it a chance I promise, you won’t regret it.
I want to show you that dancing is not only fun but a great way to meet
new friends, a pastime you enjoy with others and with your special
someone and that dance isn’t just a hobby but something more in life.
I started Dancing For Fun so I can share with you the joy of dance like
I've experienced and still experiencing in my life and with so have many
others around the world, Ballroom, Swing, and Latin dancing is for all
people of all ages.
See you on the dance floor!!
Sean-Christopher De Guzman |
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Reginald Beason
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My name is Reginald Beason. I’ve been
dancing for about 5 years now. I started off Freeform Dancing, doing a
mixture of hip-hop, liquid dance, and rave.
After two years of that I went
off to college, when I signed up for classes, I saw Social Dancing as a
Kinesiology class, and so I decided I wanted to broaden my dancing.
The first day of dance class, the swing dancing
president, Heidi, and her partner Ed, came in and performed for us.
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also showed how you can dance east coast swing to your more modern day
music.
That was also the first time I saw Lindy Hop. After that I was hooked on
swing. Thus swing is my favorite type of dance. I was lucky that I already
had rhythm prior to getting into social dancing.
At the end of the Social Dance, I decided that I
wanted to continue to help in the class, so I freed up my schedule to
allow myself to continue attending the class to help all the other
people learn, thus started my time of teaching people. For three hrs on
Mondays and Wednesday I would help the Social Dance class, and I did
that for 1 ½ years.
After I left college I went on to continue teaching
dance at Ballroom Studios. This way I can become a better teacher and at
the same time continue to increase my dancing; which will always be a
constant learning experience. |
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Chester Payne
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Chester began dancing on a whim in May of
2002, and performed his first public showcase piece that September. In
the years since, he has danced in many different performance pieces,
showcasing dances from Samba to Quickstep, Waltz to Jive.
Chester ’s greatest love of dancing
comes from sharing what he has learned with others in the effort to help
everyone to become the greatest dancer they can be.
With that in mind, Chester seeks to
balance in his instruction the simple fun that everyone experiences in
dancing with actual technical explanation that assists a dancer in
becoming a better dance partner and more beautiful dancer. |
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Matthew Johnson
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One late October Sunday of 1998, I finally accepted the
invitation of a roommate of mine to go to a swing dance at the
Masquerade in downtown Atlanta , Ga.
I had been thinking about going for a few weeks, but
never built up enough courage. He convinced me by informing me of the
pretty ladies that I would behold that evening if I went with him. Of
course when I got there he was right.
I was finally on the dance floor learning how to swing
dance. It was the basic single count version of swing dance that was
being taught. Not only was it fun, but I made a connection between the
"Big Band Era and the dancing that went along with it.
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It was a revelation that was unwrapped in front of my eyes. I had always
heard the music of that era but never connected the dancing to it. I
always wondered why the music was so moving. When I saw the dancing with
the music, I was hooked. I never looked back once I got the swing
dancing itch. I engulfed myself into the world of big bands, dancing,
history and fashion of the time periods. In the spring of 1999; I
began to learn, what is now my dance of choice, known as the Lindy Hop.
I particularly dance the Savoy Style, which was made famous by the late
and legendary Frankie Manning.
I was a student of Jim and Marcy Pett; the first instructors to teach
the Savoy Style in Atlanta . I was instructed from beginning to advanced
Lindy. Later the same year I auditioned for the amateur dance troupe
squad " The Southern Fried Lindy Hoppers". I made the team. We had an
incredible group of dancers on the squad.
In late November of 1999, my former dance partner (Andrea Fowler) and
I auditioned for the Pre-Game Show of Super bowl XXXIV. We made the
squad. I was elated!! I had always envisioned myself as a player in the
NFL, but obviously never made it past high school. But by stranger
fortune and a blessing from above, I was still able to be apart of the
biggest game of the year for football. I think of that moment as if it
were yesterday, but I realize it has been 9 years since then.
Since late 2002, I have taught beginning group lessons in the single
-count form of swing dancing and beginning and intermediate Savoy Style
Lindy Hop. I have the privilege of teaching at places such as the
Marriott Hotel, 57th Fighter Group, Nemoe's Restaurant, Trilogy, the
Gwinnett parks and recreation centers, and Knights of Columbus.
I now have a private studio at my home in Marietta, Ga. I have had
the privilege to collaborate with people like DJ Alan White, Kevin
"Notepad" Stanley , and last but certainly not least Sean-Christopher
(Dancing 4 Fun). I enjoy our collaboration and look forward to future
success. |
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