I was born in Rome. When I was 6 years old, I moved to Argentina and I came to New York (South Salem) in the year 2000 with my 2 boys. When I was living in Buenos Aires, I started “dancing” at the age of 10. It was called “gimnasia rítmica” and then “expresión corporal”(body expression) with Patricia Stokoe, inspiring teacher, dancer and creator of this artistic discipline in Argentina. We had an excellent improv dance group for years! The concept was awakening the awareness of the body by using different techniques to improve your own creative dance and movement. I also took ballet and flamenco classes when I was younger. It did not work for me! My feet were killing me! Later in life, I really enjoyed tango and salsa lessons, and belonged to a theater group for six years which added to continuing a creative process. I pursued most of my studies in Argentina. I finished college in the United States at SUNY Binghamton and my Masters in French in Paris, with Middlebury College.
I was born and raised in the Binghamton, NY area. After being tired of dancing like a robot on nights out with friends, I was intrigued when a friend of mine told me about SwingShoes. My first class was in January of 2017 and Erik's teaching style had me hooked immediately.
When most SwingShoes dancers recall their first time participating, they think of that first Thursday evening. My memory is a little different… because I started on a Wednesday evening. I was so nervous about taking the Thursday group class that I took a private lesson with Erik the night before. Yes, I began my West Coast Swing journey with a self-imposed “audition.” And before Erik and I even ventured into our first sugar push, I listed all the reasons why “this might not work” and why I might have to “try macramé as a hobby instead.”
Vijay started West Coast Swing lessons while living in Brooklyn in the 1990s. Kerstin never had a dance lesson in her life. When they started dating, Vijay sought an activity they could enjoy together, so they joined Erik's West Coast Swing classes in Norwalk. As they learned the steps, faced frustrations, began to understand the syncopation, they discovered joy. But what keeps them coming back is the strengthening of their connection through dance. Vijay attends more regularly than Kerstin and was proud to dance in the International West Coast Swing Rally in 2019.
Susan Chen is best known to many as Erik Novoa’s original “business manager” during Erik's first two years teaching classes in Connecticut. Her friendly smile and her encouraging words made many newcomers feel welcome and helped in establishing the Hustle and West Coast Swing dance community in southwestern Connecticut.
Having admired the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as a youngster, Susan was finally able to begin taking regular dance lessons after her 40th birthday to introduce some fun exercise into her low-key lifestyle. Although at the time she thought that was “old” to take up dancing, her love for those early East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop classes made her feel young at heart. She found that her asthma eventually went away and her overall muscle tone improved.
