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Sylvia Sykes is a swing dancer, instructor, judge, and choreographer. She is known for reviving the swing dance style balboa.

Career

Sykes and her dance partner Jonathan Bixby started dancing together when she was fourteen years old. They were staff dancers for the television show Shebang during the 1960s. From 1981–1984, they studied with Dean Collins, who recommended Maxi Dorf for learning balboa. They were students of Dorf from 1984–1987.^[1]

Sykes has performed with Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Les Brown. She has appeared on the television shows American Bandstand and Gotta Dance.

She and Bixby represented the U.S. in the World Boogie Woogie Championships in Grenoble, France. She has been head judge for many national swing events as well as being a teacher on how to judge. Following the retirement of Bixby, Sykes taught in Santa Barbara, California, and at workshops around the world. In August 2008, she joined Nina Gilkenson and Tena Morales in founding the International Lindy Hop Championships.

Awards and honors

She is an inductee into the National Swing Dance Hall of Fame and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. She is a U.S. Open champion, was the NASDE top point winner, two time California Balboa Champion, took third place in the National Carolina Shag Dance Championships, and won many Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill dance contests through the U.S. in Lindy Hop, balboa, and West Coast Swing. She was twice voted Swing Dance Teacher of the Year and is a four-time Feather Award winner as Best Female Lindy Dancer in the U.S.

References

^ Stevens, Tamara (2011). Swing Dancing. ABC-CLIO. pp. 151–. ISBN 978-0-313-37517-0. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

[Stevens2011-1] Stevens, Tamara (2011). Swing Dancing. ABC-CLIO. pp. 151–. ISBN 978-0-313-37517-0. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

[1]

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-{{BLP unsourced|date=May 2016}}
+{{BLP sources|date=November 2017}}
-'''Sylvia Sykes''' is a [[Swing (dance)|swing]] dancer, dance instructor, judge and choreographer.  In particular she is considered by most to be the leading authority on the dance [[Balboa (dance)|Balboa]].
+'''Sylvia Sykes''' is a [[Swing (dance)|swing]] dancer, instructor, judge, and choreographer. She is known for reviving the swing dance style [[Balboa (dance)|balboa]].
+==Career==
-Sykes and her long-time dance partner [[Jonathan Bixby (dancer)|Jonathan Bixby]] met and started dancing together when she was 14 years old.<ref>{{cite book|title=Swing Dancing|author=Tamara Stevens|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2011|p=151}}</ref> She studied with [[Dean Collins (dancer)|Dean Collins]] and was a member of his last dance troupe. She also studied balboa with [[Maxie Dorf]] 1984–1987 and spent years learning from the greatest [[Southern California]] balboa dancers. Sylvia is an inductee into the [[National Swing Dance Hall of Fame]], as well as the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. She is a U.S. Open champion, was the [[NASDE]] top point winner, two time California Balboa Champion, took third place in the National Carolina Shag Dance Championships, and has won many Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill dance contests through the U.S. in [[Lindy Hop]], balboa and [[West Coast Swing]]. She was twice voted Swing Dance Teacher of the Year and is a four-time Feather Award winner as Best Female Lindy Dancer in the U.S.
+Sykes and her dance partner Jonathan Bixby started dancing together when she was fourteen years old. They were staff dancers for the television show ''Shebang'' during the 1960s. From 1981–1984, they studied with [[Dean Collins (dancer)|Dean Collins]], who recommended Maxi Dorf for learning balboa. They were students of Dorf from 1984–1987.<ref name="Stevens2011">{{cite book|last=Stevens|first=Tamara|title=Swing Dancing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sk1PMHxRHAgC&pg=PA152|accessdate=21 November 2017|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-37517-0|pages=151–}}</ref>
-She has performed with [[Count Basie]], [[Glenn Miller Orchestra]], [[Artie Shaw]], and [[Les Brown (bandleader)|Les Brown]], and she has appeared on many television shows such as ''[[American Bandstand]]'' and ''[[Gotta Dance]]'' for the [[American Movie Channel]]. She also represented the U.S. in the World Boogie Woogie Championships in [[Grenoble]], [[France]] with her original partner [[Jonathan Bixby (dancer)|Jonathan Bixby]].
+Sykes has performed with [[Count Basie]], [[Glenn Miller]], [[Artie Shaw]], and [[Les Brown (bandleader)|Les Brown]]. She has appeared on the television shows ''[[American Bandstand]]'' and ''Gotta Dance''.
+She and Bixby represented the U.S. in the World Boogie Woogie Championships in [[Grenoble]], France. She has been head judge for many national swing events as well as being a teacher on how to judge. Following the retirement of Bixby, Sykes taught in Santa Barbara, California, and at workshops around the world. In August 2008, she joined Nina Gilkenson and Tena Morales in founding the International Lindy Hop Championships.
-She is best known for reviving Balboa, which is rapidly gaining popularity around the world, and is a regular guest at the balboa dance camps.
+==Awards and honors==
-Sykes has been the head judge for many national swing events as well as being an expert teacher on how to judge.
+She is an inductee into the National Swing Dance Hall of Fame and the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. She is a U.S. Open champion, was the NASDE top point winner, two time California Balboa Champion, took third place in the National Carolina Shag Dance Championships, and won many Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill dance contests through the U.S. in [[Lindy Hop]], balboa, and [[West Coast Swing]]. She was twice voted Swing Dance Teacher of the Year and is a four-time Feather Award winner as Best Female Lindy Dancer in the U.S.
-Following the retirement of Bixby, Sykes continues teaching in Santa Barbara, CA and leading workshops around the world.
-In August 2008, Sykes joined [[Nina Gilkenson]] and [[Tena Morales]] in founding the [[International Lindy Hop Championships]].
 ==References==