My Favorite Swing Follows
edited June 28, 2004


As a follow up to the My Favorite Swing Leads article is, yes, My Favorite Swing Follows. Again random, off the cuff, and stemming from a conversation that Sheri and I had about follows that we enjoy watching and we find inspiring in whatever manner. It won't be coincidence that many of the names are or were partners of the leads in the My Favorite Swing Leads article. A lot of what I look for personally is disposition. Leads have precious egos and those follows that make the leads feel good are important to me.

I also like really good styling and playfulness. I categorize styling in three ways:

1. Hijack-the-lead styling: where the follow breaks the lead's connection and does her own styling or move. For example, say the lead is leading an underarm pass as a 6 count move. The follow starts going under, stops, and then backs right out back into the original open position.

2. Lead-gives-room-to-play styling: where the lead will purposely give the follow room to play. For example, the lead giving the follow the entire 8-count to spin around. She may choose to spin once during the 8 count and accentuate it with jazz steps. She may also spin two or three times within the 8 count. The lead has given her that 8-count to do with it what she wants. (Interesting that a common question from intermediate follow is, "What do I do when this happens? I don't know what to do.")

3. Within-the-frame styling: This is the best kind as it can be done with any level of lead. The lead will lead a move, say a lindy basic 8-count. The follow does the intended move but adds her own flourishes or styling. Connection is kept, the move is lead, but the follow makes it something more. A common example is spicing up the footwork to do non-lindy-basic footwork while keeping the body connection to complete the lindy basic move.

There are a lot of follows that belong on this list. Unfortunately due to limited exposure I don't know all their names, just their faces, so I'll just do the best I can here. There are two honorable mentions to start the list and they are Nina Gilkenson and Naomi Uyama from DC. I feel unfortunate that I've only gotten to talk to them a few times and have only danced with both of them a few times and this was again back at ALHC 2000. I was looking forward to seeing both of them this past ALHC 2003 but neither were there this year... (ah well). From what I hear they are both still dancing so hopefully soon I'll get a chance to re-introduce myself to them and dance with them. (That's what happens I suppose when we are not around much for two years).

One more honorable mention is Jenny Thomas. I have danced with her once which was great! But other than that I don't see her out dancing as much (not as much as Ryan). She definitely belongs in an article though which talks about top follows. She and Ryan are the bomb to watch!

On with the list (in no particular order ... well, except for the first one)

Top 10 Favorite Follows of Swing

1. Sheri Kang (CA): Of course I am biased! . Objectively speaking, though, she has all the elements of a really great follow both as a performer and as a social dancer. My biggest praise is that she is very talented in all three ways of styling I listed above, all the while keeping a big smile the whole time giving the lead a lot of confidence in his dancing. In fact, as many of you know, it was her smile that had first caught my eye and had prompted me to walk up to her and ask her to dance all those years ago at the Derby. Since then we've had lots of great times and laughs and she's just an awesome fun person to be around. One of the things that makes me proud is how often Jenny Thomas compliments Sheri on her dancing and her smile and that she makes any lead look that much better (heh heh.. I should know!).

2. Gina Burke (CA): She's like the female version of Charles Nainan (one of my favorite leads). She doesn't really compete or teach so many people may not know her. She does go to some exchanges and events. Just look for the happy cheery follow that looks like Snow White. She has some awesome musicality, she's a very easy follow, and she's always smiling and having fun with everyone she dances with. It doesn't get much better than dancing with Gina Burke. You'll see her most often at the venues in Pasadena (LindyGroove and PBDA). You will also see her in our Beantown Bowling Championships 2004 skit. She just rocks!

3. Debbie Gitt (CA): Her personality alone puts her on the list. I always look forward to seeing her at a dance venue and the way she enthusiasticaly greets everyone! Add to that her creative, fun, and unique dance style as well as her humbleness (or is that humility?) driving her to always want to learn more and you got a great influence on the swing dance scene.

4. Sylvia Sykes (CA): Sheri and I don't have too many mentors as we never studied extensively under one person. However, if we were to have one, I'd say it'd be Sylvia Sykes. She let us bug her every chance we could to get help on our competitive dancing. Many times Sylvia was happy to come to lunch with us and talk with us. And everyone already knows she's a fantastic and versatile dancer and a fantastic teacher. (Sheri says someday she'll get Sylvia's slides down). She's an awesome person to have in our swing scene.

5. Carla Heiney (DC/CA): She is a great example of a follow who also can do all of the above types of sytling. Add to that her pleasant disposition and she should be on the top of every "Favorite Follows" list. I remember the first time I met her and introduced myself to her and I didn't know who she was. It was at the US Open 2000 and Sheri and I were on a high from the ALHC 2000. Remember at this time Sheri and I were relatively young in the swing scene and ALHC 2000 was our first time out of So.Cal. Carla had come up and congratulated us and said we did a great job at ALHC. As is my custom when someone compliments me I introduce myself and when I asked her for her name she smiled very pleasantly and said, "Oh.. I'm Carla". Quite humble and very pleasant and months later when I found out who she REALLY was I felt like a buffooon!

6. Nathalie Gomes (NY): Known for her gravity-defying aerials and award winning choreography and art direction, Nathalie is also in my opinion a very awesome and underrated social dancer. It's certainly easy to overlook her social dancing ability because of all the performances she's known for. But any lead that has danced with her knows she has fantastic social dancing and improvisational skills. She's also a great person to ask for performance and contest critiques as she will give you her opinion but in a way that feels she's really genuinely wanting to help you get better. I just hope she starts entering some Jack and Jills because she'd do really well (if she hasn't already). Sheri and I always look forward to getting to see her as well.

7. Jenny Kim (CA): Perhaps I'm being biased here too, but I think Jenny is a great dancer and definitely one of the best social dancers in So.Cal. She's always having fun and really makes the lead feel good. It's not coincidence she has done so well in Jack & Jills. She also has a good sense about her dancing and so it shouldn't be a surprise she has placed well in contests as an individual, as part of a couple, and as part of a team.

The next three also have the subtitle of "I Miss Watching You" as I do not see them dancing much anymore and/or have been rumored to leave the social dance scene.

8. Sylvia Skylar (CA): No list would be complete with Sylvia just like in my Leads list no list is complete without Erik. Sheri and I found some old videos of Erik and Sylvia dancing way back in 1997 (before Sheri and I had even started dancing) and their dancing was well ahead of its time. Even as dancing has evolved, I think any follow today would still be happy to dance like how Sylvia did back in 1997.

9. Jenn Salvadori (CA): Before Sheri and I were exposed to dancers outside of So.Cal, there were not many dancers we identified with in So.Cal. Erik and Sylvia were one couple. Justin and Jenn were the other couple. Before we traveled to Connecticut (ALHC 2000) to compete, we started going out of our way to go the Memories to watch Justin and Jenn dance to inspire our own dancing. Jenn is so versatile and can follow anything a lead throws at her. Not just that but she's just an awesome person too. My first ever birthday dance was February of 1999 at Memories (Anaheim). My lindy still sucked pretty much at that point to give you an idea of timeline. And yet during my birthday dance out of all the great dancers there at Memories Jenn was the first one to step into my birthday dance. I felt so nervous and so happy all at the same time.

10. Thea Samuels (CA): Great disposition, fantastic dancer, always a lot of fun to be around. I miss dancing with her but fortunately see her out every once in awhile. Her mom is also really awesome too by the way!

There's my list. Hope you enjoyed it!

P.S. Yes, that's definitely more than 10 follows. But with such a gorgeous list, can you blame me for trying to squeeze in as many as possible?