Bio full — Pauldances

Paul's first finals

Paul got in to finals in Phoenix Lindy Exchange’s “Inter-City competition.” Dancing with Skeeter!

Cancer Danceathon

Paul’s inspiration for the stream danceathons. Put on by Atomic Ballroom in Irvine.

Dancing in a Music Video

Dancing with Chelsea in a music video shoot for “The Jive Aces.”

The Bobbysox Brigade

Team picture for the Bobbysox Brigade, the first dance team Paul joined.

Team Competition at Camp Hollywood

Performing in the team competition with the Bobbysox Brigade

The Rose Parade

Dancing in the Rose Parade with “The Hollywood Hotshots.” (Paul is wearing a wig.)

Camp Hollywood "Classic Lindy"

Competing in Am Classic Lindy with Sam

Intermediate Finals at Lindyfest

Intermediate Jack and Jill Finals at Lindyfest with Elizabeth

Jam Circle

Entering a jam circle in Utah with Gabriel.

Visiting Frankie

Stopped by Frankie’s grave while celebrating what would have been his 100th birthday in New York.

Dancing with Kelly

Kelly was there when Paul started dancing.

FAQ

Q. When did Paul start losing his hair?
A. Paul’s hair started thinning when he was 19 years old.

Q. How long has Paul been dancing?
A. For almost 20 years

Q. What is Paul’s pant size?
A. Thicc

Meet Paul

Hi, I’m Paul! I’m a 40-year-old dog dad, swing dancer, streamer, actor, singer, and casual gamer. I’m the oldest of six kids and was raised in southern California. I enjoy dancing, coffee, traveling, hanging out with my dog Athena, board games, musical theater, and hanging out with friends.

Paul’s Dance History

In 2004, a year after I graduated from high school, a friend of mine joined a neo-swing band called Phat Cat Swinger. She was playing keyboard for the band and thought it would be fun to learn to swing dance. I volunteered to learn with her, and before long, we were dancing in front of the band during gigs and performances. She eventually moved away to take a job in NYC, and I continued to dance in front of the band. I enrolled in a few dance courses at the local community college and met a girl whom I would partner with for almost six years. My exposure to the greater swing dance community was somewhat limited until I met a couple of girls at a “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” show that invited me to Camp Hollywood.

Camp Hollywood was the first place I saw Lindy Hop, and I was equal parts excited and devastated when I discovered it. Up until that point, I considered myself a proficient dancer. I was already teaching locally, performing in front of a live band almost weekly, and I could even throw my partner in the air! I didn’t know this new dance at all, and it was far more impressive than anything I had ever done.

Camp Hollywood inspired me to start making weekly trips down to Riverside, the closest place I could learn to lindy hop. From then on I was hooked. I danced regularly in Riverside and ran a few different venues in my local area over the years. I discovered a passion for teaching and taught lessons locally and eventually in Riverside as well.

In 2010, I started competing at Camp Hollywood. Dance improvement is slow without dedicated personal rehearsals and partnership training. My six-year dance partner eventually stopped dancing, and I danced somewhat inconsistently because of my involvement with school and local musical theater productions. I did, however, start to travel more for dancing.

The Lindy Hop community hosts a lot of weekend dance events like Camp Hollywood that consist of lessons, competitions, and live music. You can finish a dance event with over 30 hours of dancing in one weekend. Dance events drove my improvement for a few years. I also formed lasting friendships with other dancers due to the quality time spent carpooling and rooming together. I joined a dance team in Fullerton and trained with them on a weekly basis. After a year on “The Bobbysox Brigade,” I left that team and started one in Riverside called “The Lindy League.”

I started working with a 9-year-old student who was passionate about Lindy Hop. I had the opportunity to take her to Texas one year and competed with her in an amateur competition. The organizer of the event was moved by this and offered me the position of Youth Coordinator for the International Lindy Hop Championships. I was able to bring my little dance partner to Washington, DC, and later perform my first showcase with her at Camp Hollywood. This is one of the highlights of my dance career.

In 2016, a friend started a new dance venue in Pomona called “Metro Swing.” I decided to stop teaching locally and reallocate that time and energy into growing the Metro Swing community. I continued to compete and practice, and after a particularly frustrating year of competing in 2017, I made the decision to start streaming as a way to motivate myself to practice.

I had been thinking about streaming for about a year due to getting a new computer and having the capability of streaming computer games. I was browsing Twitch (a popular streaming service) one day and realized no one was streaming dance. Out of the 2.2 million monthly broadcasters, there was hardly any dance presence on the platform. I soon started my Twitch channel, with the priority of becoming a better dancer. I would stream my solo dance rehearsals, practice with partners, social dancing (so I could go back and review footage of my dancing), and more.

One of our regulars at Metro Swing had been improving very quickly, and I asked her if she would be willing to partner up and train to compete at Camp Hollywood. Laura and I started working in December 2017, and she soon became a regular part of the stream broadcasts as well. I also started dancing regularly with Ioanna, who became a competition partner for Camp Hollywood as well.

In September of 2018 I realized a goal set in 2010 to become a finalist at Camp Hollywood. This was in large part due to the stream, practices with Laura, and all the love and support of friends and family. In 2019, I quit my job as a financial advisor to pursue a career in dance. Unfortunately, this was incredibly poorly timed as the pandemic hit six months later. At home with nothing to do, I started streaming a weekly hangout session for dancers called “The Global Online Social.” I also produced Virtual Camp Hollywood and received the Spirit Award called the “Golden Budgie” for my work in the virtual space.

I’ve recently (2023) moved away from my Southern California scene, and I’m now living in Sacramento, California, and dancing and teaching in here. Competing has continued to be a successful and rewarding venture, and I’m now competing in more advanced divisions when possible. I’ve also started to teach regionally with Laura, and that is incredibly rewarding. Ultimately, I love discovering new ways to bring people together through dance.

-Paul