Encounter #6: West Coast Swing with Brian
This week's Encounter is with 9 to 5'er artist, Brian Sforzo. Brian works as an IT professional in California. Outside of his job, Brian is a competitive West Coast Swing dancer with a background in salsa. For his Encounter, Brian has chosen to share a West Coast Swing routine that he choreographed and performed at the U.S. Open Championships for swing. If you would like to learn more about Brian and his passion for dance, please check out his bio on The Characters page of this website.
I Encountered Brian’s passion for dance last year at my best friend’s wedding. As is tradition in most weddings I’ve been to, my friend’s reception was kicked off by a bridal party dance entrance. Our role was to get the crowd pumped up for the grand entrance of the new Mr. and Mrs. This tradition is great in concept but I find in reality it usually translates to the bridal party nervously coming onto the dance floor attempting outdated moves like “The Sprinkler” or awkwardly shimmying. As the Maid of Honor, I had this experience and admittedly was one of those awkward people. While I was in the middle of calculating how many drinks I would need to forget what I had just done, in steps Brian, the Best Man. He puts the rest of the bridal party to shame as he glides down the aisle pulling the most suave dance moves I have ever seen. Brian was the one to pump up the crowd because his euphoric excitement when dancing and performing was contagious. For the rest of the night, Brian remained on the dance floor busting out his moves, whether it was in a partner dancing style that looked so smooth and effortless or an occasional hard hitting popping and locking solo.
This was my introduction to Brian and his passion for dance. Brian is the truest embodiment of passion and dedication to his craft. Outside of his 9 to 5, Brian spends countless hours dancing - socially, choreographing, and in competition at several events throughout the year in West Coast Swing. The balancing act is never easy (I can attest to that!) but I admire how Brian’s passion for dance and his determination to improve his craft drive him to continuously pursue his goals no matter how difficult. I encourage you all to learn more about Brian and his fascinating “double life” as a competitive West Coast Swing dancer by visiting his bio on The Characters page of this website.
I am so happy to have Encountered someone like Brian whose dedication and love for dance I find truly inspiring. Now, without further ado, I introduce to you our Encounter with the West Coast Swing dancer, Brian Sforzo:
