"Those Who Paved My Way" with Naomi Uyama
I'm happy to announce the newest installment with our very own Naomi Uyama… - Editor (Andy)
My Name: Naomi Uyama
Year I Started Swing Dancing: 1997
Where I Started Swing Dancing: Washington DC
Current Location: Washington, DC
Sing Lim
About 3 months after I started swing dance lessons I saw my first "clip", a taste of the dance world outside DC. Someone was playing the video from Can't Top the Lindy Hop and event that coincided with Frankie's 80th birthday, held in NYC '94. That's when I saw Sing dancing with Ryan Francois in the opening sequence and a guy standing next to me said "That's Sing Lim. She's the best follow in the world. They say she can follow anything." Boom, my dance universe exploded and I thought, 'that's what I want- to follow anyone doing anything at anytime." It really shaped my priorities during the sponge phase of learning to dance, and I think her influence, not so much as a literal teacher- I never took a class from her, but as an ideal really shaped my following and the focus I've always put on it. Aaaand her jam with Ryan towards the end of the vid totally stands the test of time, its amazing.
(See Sing with Ryan Francois at about 2:00 above. - ed)
Sylvia Skylar
Sylvia and Eric taught the first big workshop I ever attended (Coincidentally I believe it was the first big workshop they had taught). Before then I had just been learning the basics from local teachers. When I saw her what blew my mind is the way she was doing what she was doing. I hadn't yet realized there was more than one way of doing things, and that your basics could look stylish, with lines and grace. Not only that but their presence opened my mind to scenes outside my own, and gave me the desire to travel and dance in other places which proved invaluable in my first years of learning. Plus she's a funny lady and sews pretty things, who can beat that?
Sylvia Sykes
I remember when the lindy hoppers all adopted Sylvia as their own second mom. She had been doing her thing for years, keeping the flame alive in the shag and west coast scenes and right around 2000 came this rush of rag tag kids who all claimed her as their own. Her dancing was smooth and understated. She could do bal, west coast, shag, and goodness knows what else. She was a classy and very versatile follow which I looked up to immensely. Plus she's been dancing for decades, sometimes with a partner, sometimes without, when her style is in, or when no one had heard of it. She's a strong dedicated lady and she still shows me a path I would like to take.