The Board of Living Legends of Dance has asked me for my Bio which means its official I will be inducted in to the Living Legends of Dance! This is not something I take lightly so I am asking for your help. First, please read me bio and tell me if its too much, not enough, or in need of some polishing. Second: this is a closed event meaning you MUST be invited. I am allowed 10 invites to the event this year so if you have any interest in going I need to hear from you ASAP. Six people have responded to me that they want to go and have been added to the list leaving me 4 more. If you want to go and dance with some of the best dancers on the planet, with no egos, and to the best music that I have ever heard, I need to hear from you. John Festa has a couple of spots as well so if I get a few extra people in my group, he has graciously offered me his extra spots if I need them (after all you only get inducted once right?). I would love to have my dance friends and students in attendance if at all possible. The event is October 30th and 31st with a sick after party on November 1st…It also looks like I will be able to DJ on Saturday afternoon (waiting to hear for sure).
Here goes Nothing!
I started dancing on roller skates at the ripe old age of 3, passing my first freestyle roller skating test at a small rink in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
In the 3rd grade my father refused to let me play football so I signed myself up for a ballet class in hopes of either shaming dad into letting me play or at the very least getting my self prepared for the grid iron if I could ever wear him down. Instead of being ashamed my father was so proud that I chose of all things, Ballet, that he took extra side work to pay for every costume, private, and choreography lesson for the next 6 years until my instructor moved away and closed the school at the end of my 8th grade year. My passion for dance and my work ethic earned me a scholarship to the school for my last 2 years and although I was the first and only boy, in the school’s 20 year history, to take class in the 3rd grade, when I graduated there were 3 full classes of just boys at the school.
That Summer, I discovered breakdancing. Instead of spinning on skates, on point, or holding a partner, I was now spinning on my head! Break dancing lead to Gymnastics and a 15 year coaching career comprised of many state, regional, and national titles for the boys team that I coached. Several of my former students have moved on to become dancers, dance competitors, and even professional dance and gymnastic coaches.
In 1997 I was asked to escort a lady friend in and out of a rough country dive bar in Methuen, Massachusetts called the White Buffalo so she could get her line dance fix for the week. It was there I discovered partner dancing. After a few months I was hooked on Two-Step until I saw a young lady I was dating dancing West Coast Swing with her competition partner. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them and when they finished I ran up and begged them to teach me how to do whatever THAT was! Her answer was “It’s going to be way too hard for you to learn, you stick to two-step and leave the swing to us!” I remember thinking to myself at that moment that that feeling was something that I needed to remember. Never in my life would I ever deny someone, who was willing to learn, a lesson based on what I thought their ability was. Never the less the gauntlet was thrown down and the stage was set for the most feverish learning spree that swing has ever seen!
At any given time over the next 5 years I had no less than 3 coaches per week assisting me with my progress in West Coast Swing. I took every group class that was available during the week and I attended every social dance within a 100 miles of my home in Southern, NH. At one of those social dances I was discovered by 2 studio owners and offered 2 jobs. One as a West Coast Swing instructor for a brand new dance studio (Papermoon) and the other as a DJ for a California Mixer at the club I was dancing at every week (Longfellow’s Club JoEllen).
Never forgetting how I felt when someone told me that the dance, I fell in love with at first sight, was too hard for me, I have never turned away a student from any class. If a beginner student happens to show up on intermediate night, I make sure they feel welcome and give them a few moments of my time to help them along. Dance is about connection with the music, our selves, and most importantly each other and no one should ever be turned away!
2007 was a game changer for my dancing. First of all I met John Festa who would become instrumental in my development as a dancer. That same year I entered and won my first swing competitions which later became the first YouTube video, that I was featured in, to hit 10.000 views. YouTube soon became the platform for many more videos and with the additions of my “Video Lesson Reviews” recorded at the end of each class I started becoming recognized as a leader through out the state, the US, and eventually in other countries and have been sought after to teach and DJ for events both in and out of the US. I stopped competing in 2010 because the music in competition no longer made me want to dance.
In 2009, a guest of John Festa’s, I attended The Hudson Swing Affair and met for the first time Ramiro Gonzales and Andrew D’Angelo. Ramiro became a huge influence on my understanding of leading, following, and dancing for the joy of dancing. Andrew was instrumental in tuning my ear to listen for music that speaks to the soul. That event set off the musical chain of events that lead me to Living Legends of Dance.
In 2010 I was invited back to the Hudson Swing Affair as both the Sound Engineer and DJ…
In 2010 I partnered for the first time with a charity organization called “Youth Storm”. Youth Storm is a faith based group of volunteers who help young adults, which are lacking positive male role models, with finding leadership skills. Several times through out the year we throw swing parties to raise money to keep the charity going. Everyone is made to feel welcome and the music played makes you want to dance. Over the short time we have been partnering we have raised over $10,000 and helped countless kids develop leadership skills through positive roll models of which I am one.
Today I am still a resident DJ at Club JoEllen as well as their Two-Step, West Coast Swing, and Night Club Two-Step instructor. I travel and dance at events that are noncompetitive and feature swing music. I coach dancers from competitors down to social dancers and everyone in between because ability should never dictate passion!
Saturday Night September 12th
Teacher Mr. Jonathan
WCS Intermediate Class 8-9pm W/Mr. J
9-12:30ish WCS Mixer w/DJ Mr. J
Longfellow’s Club JoEllen
524 Minuteman Dr off of Boston Post RD
(Rt 20) Wayland, MA
Sunday Night
$10
6-6:45 Two-Step lesson w/Mr. J (Lesson Plan Here)
6:45-7:30pm WCS w/Mr. J (Lesson Plan Here)
7:30-? California Mixer w/Steel
Longfellow’s Club JoEllen
524 Minuteman Dr off of Boston Post RD
(Rt 20) Wayland, MA
Leadership is the manipulation of energy.
Following is the embodiment of energy.
Connection is the tie that binds the two together.
Mr. Jonathan
www.MrJonathanIsMyDJ.com
603 475 1391
Dance on!