Sylvia Sykes (Part 2)

In the second part of our conversation with legendary swing dancer Sylvia Sykes, we chat with her about her influences, how Lindy and Balboa dancers honor their history, and how they view West Coast Swing. We asked her about the issues of cultural appropriation in the Lindy community and how the global expansion of West Coast Swing resembles that of Lindy Hop. She shared why she’s not in the West Coast Swing community anymore, her views of judging swing, and her thoughts on changing the name of Jack & Jill competitions. We also discussed the struggles of swing dances to “find their soul” and how other swing dances have resolved some of those issues. It’s a very real, very honest, and very educational conversation with one of the best! footnotesSylvia Sykes