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Sylvia Sykes is an American swing dancer, instructor, judge, and choreographer. She is known for reviving the swing dance style balboa.[1]
Career
[edit]Sykes and her dance partner Jonathan Bixby started dancing together when she was fourteen years old. They were staff dancers for the television show Shebang during the 1960s. She has studied with many of the dance greats, including Frankie Manning, Dean Collins (1981 to 1984), Maxie Dorf (1984 to 1987),[2] and Willie Desatoff.
Sykes has performed with Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Les Brown. She has appeared on the television shows American Bandstand[3] and Gotta Dance.
She and Bixby represented the U.S. in the World Boogie Woogie Championships in Grenoble, France. She has been head judge for many national swing events as well as being a teacher on how to judge. Following the retirement of Bixby, Sykes taught in Santa Barbara, California, and at workshops around the world including Herräng Dance Camp. In August 2008, she joined Nina Gilkenson and Tena Morales in founding the International Lindy Hop Championships.
Awards and honors
[edit]She is an inductee into the National Swing Dance Hall of Fame[4] and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame.[5] She is a U.S. Open champion,[6] was the NASDE top point winner,[7] two time California Balboa Champion, took third place in the National Carolina Shag Dance Championships, and won many Strictly Swing[8] and Jack and Jill dance contests through the U.S. in Lindy Hop,[9] balboa,[10][11] and West Coast Swing.[9] She was twice voted Swing Dance Teacher of the Year and is a four-time Feather Award winner as Best Female Lindy Dancer or Teacher in the U.S.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "SYLVIA SYKES | 2002". World Swing Dance Council. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ Stevens, Tamara (2011). Swing Dancing. ABC-CLIO. pp. 151–. ISBN 978-0-313-37517-0. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ Ryan Swift (2016-03-22). "Sylvia Sykes". The Track (Podcast). Retrieved 2019-06-05.
- ^ "World Swing Dance Council, Hall Of Fame". World Swing Dance Council. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
- ^ "Sylvia Sykes - California Swing Dance Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2019-06-04.
- ^ "All First Place Awards – The Open Swing Dance Championships". Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ "NASDE TOUR WINNERS - NASDE: 1995". 2022-04-15. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
- ^ "USA Grand National Dance Competition". michaelandleann.com. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
- ^ a b "Boogie by the Bay Results, 2004" (PDF). Boogie by the Bay, Competitions, Previous results. June 24, 2014. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
- ^ "2003 Results | All Balboa Weekend |". www.allbalboa.com. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
- ^ "2004 Results | All Balboa Weekend |". www.allbalboa.com. Retrieved 2024-03-04.