In the 1940s and 1950s, swing dance was one of the most popular forms of dance in the United States.
For those who don’t know, swing is a musical style similar to jazz which encompasses a wide range of dances. There’s Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag and the Charleston. Although the main methods of dance these days are often hip-hop oriented, these older styles remain popular in certain areas, specifically when it comes to dance contests. One of the biggest of these is the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships.
Though the event is held annually, one performance, in particular, has been sweeping the internet recently.
The clip from the 2015 Championships shows dancers Ryan Boz and Alexis Garrish.
Though Boz and Garrish are only 15 years old in the performance, the two have undeniable chemistry and smoothness in their moves. Boz is from Raleigh, North Carolina and Barrish is from Damascus, Maryland. As the video begins, the host announces them and they emerge confidently, with a little twirl. A moment later, the song “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon begins and Boz and Garrish get ready.
With that, the two begin their performance—and the crowd is in awe.
As the song begins, Boz takes his place behind Barrish.
The two don’t waste any time—almost immediately, Barrish pulls off some impressive twirls and a kind of cartwheel move. As it continues, the two move their hips, entwine with one another and pull off lots of twirls. Through it all, the two move with a balance of precision and elegance. There are some daring stunts towards the end—one where Barrish drops to the ground as if lovestruck! At the end of it all, the couple strikes a pose.
Once they’re finished, the crowd stands and applauds.
The viral performance won Boz and Barrish the first place prize in the young adult division.
After seeing these two teens dance together, it’s not hard to see why swing dancing has lived on throughout the years. Throughout their own performance, Boz and Barrish reach across the history of the form, pulling out all kinds of different moves while still incorporating a modern sensibility into the entire thing. As it turns out, their impressive choreography and hard work ended up paying off—big time!
Congratulations to Boz and Barrish for an amazing performance!
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