Sonny Watson

When it comes to understanding the history of our dance, few people bring a breadth and depth of knowledge like Sonny Watson. A dancer, teacher, judge, and historian who has been in our community for decades, he’s experienced the dance and its many ups and downs firsthand. In this episode, we sat down with Sonny to chat about his own journey into the dance, who influenced him when he started, and how he got involved in the Southern California community. We asked him to share a bit about Kenny Wetzel and his role as an emcee, and what makes Southern California such a hotspot of swing dancing. He chatted at length with us about his views on adjudicating swing content, the changes being made by The Open, and how it all ties to NASDE. And he shared his own opinions of the swing community today, the role of WSDC, and why he’s no longer active on the national circuit. Enjoy this informative, insightful, and honest conversation with one of the most knowledgeable people in our community. footnotesstreetswing.com