Torri & Maxime Zzaoui

In the last couple of years, there has been a renewed interest in dancing to classic swing music, in large part due to two dancers whose improvisational demos have gone viral on social media. Torri and Maxime Zzaoui embody grace, elegance, and the beauty of swing, and their videos capture their musicality, their playfulness, and their love of the dance. Eric sat down with these two talented, kind, funny, and down-to-earth champions to discuss their backgrounds, their success, and their personal stories. Torri shared her experiences working with Brennar and Benji, and winning Classic and Showcase at the Open in the same year. Maxime talked about his training, why France has some incredible dancing, and his own teaching philosophy. They shared the story behind the now-famous dance at WOTP (where they danced to “Nice ‘N’ Easy” by Frank Sinatra) and what they think about how popular it was. They also spoke candidly about how they develop themselves, the brand they’ve created, and how their brand sets others’ expectations. And of course, they told the story of how they met, became a couple, and formed their partnership. Listen to this heartwarming conversation with two of the most beloved, charming, and amazing dancers and people.

footnotes
Maxime and Torri
Torri Smith & Brennar Goree – Classic Division, US Open 2010
Torri Smith & Benji Schwimmer – Showcase Division, US Open 2010
Maxime Zzaoui & Virginie Perga – Classic Division, US Open 2012
Maxime & Torri Zzaoui – WOTP 2018
Maxime & Torri Zzaoui – Norway Westie Fest 2017
Maxime & Torri Zzaoui – Budafest 2019
Maxime & Torri Zzaoui – Budafest 2020