Jason Colacino & Gina Brown - 1st Place Street Swing - 1996 US Open

Winners of the 1996 US Open Street Swing Division. The “Street Swing“ Division was somewhat like today’s Strictly Swing division. Back then it was open to all levels and had, I believe, only 15 spots open. They never knew the music they were going to get, but they did choose their own partner. These videos show how much practice, skill and effort this highly competitive division required. Notice how many of the breaks they hit, without jumping off beat, despite not knowing the music ahead of time. For more West Coast Swing history & videos: Katherine’s Dance Website: Katherine’s Blog: