Dance
Couple knock the socks off crowd when they take improv dance to a whole new level
These two move as if they were one person!
D.G. Sciortino
01.20.21

I’m not sure if Ben Morris and Tessa Cunningham had ever danced together before they won 2nd Place Improv West Coast Swing dance in the Champions Jack and Jill at Summer Hummer in 2011. But they looked like they were dancing together for years when they did.

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Morris had no idea who his dance partner would be when he was called to come on to the dance floor.

But when Cunningham was chosen, the two completely hit it off when they danced to Kurt Hunter’s awesome slow downed version of Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel.”

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Both Morris and Cunningham had several years of dance by this point.

Morris has been swing dancing since he was 12.

He began dancing East Coast Swing and eventually learned Lindy Hop.

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In 2003 he performed at the West Coast Swing Dance US Open and also received the Spirit of Lindy Hop award during that time.

He and his partner Melina Ramirez won the Young Adult division in 2003 and 2005.

Since then Morris won the 2006 US Open Swing Dance Championships with Carla Heiney, which was the first time a vintage style swing routine won the division since the early 80s.

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He appeared in the movie Love-n-Dancing, was in the Leann Rhimes video Swingin, and has also dabbled in Tango, Salsa, Mambo, Hip Hop, Jazz, ballroom, and Country.

But swing is definitely his favorite. Cunningham is a Champion West Coast Swing dancer ranked number one in Canada and second in the world in her division.

Cunningham is one of the highest-ranked international dancers on the NASDE circuit who placed second at the US Open Swing Dance Championships the past three years in a row.

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She regularly tours the world teaching, competing, performing, coaching, and judging.

All that talent combined made for an incredible improv performance between the two in 2011.

It took Morris and Cunningham mere seconds for their energy to gel and move as if they were one.

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These two had some seriously incredible impromptu dance moves.

It seemed as if each of the dancers knew exactly what their partner was about to do next.

As if the two of them rehearsed their dance. But they didn’t they just improvised.

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They were sexy, technical, and just straight-up impressive.

It’s shocking to think that these two won only second place.

I can’t imagine what the first place winners’ routine looked like because Morris and Cunningham’s routine was nothing short of spectacular.

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The judges and the audience were seriously wowed by this routine. Apparently, the internet was wowed too because more than 3.2 million people watched the video of Morris and Cunningham’s performance.

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“This is in my top three favorite Ben improvs… I can watch it again and again and never get tired with its originality! You always dance in the music and with the words which makes no two dances alike… Superb job!” one YouTuber commented.

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Many people on the internet found their spontaneity to be inspiring.

“I love this so much. Wonderful talent on both parts to be able to dance so well together on the spot like that. Both of them looked like they were truly enjoying themselves. I hope I can get close to this level of talent someday,” another commented.

Watch the inspiring performance in the video below.

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