Providence Swings
PO Box 9372
Providence, RI 02940

Providence Tango Mill
99 South Bend St.
Pawtucket, RI 02860

Jennifer Stout

I started ballroom dancing in 1996 and have been swing dancing socially in the Providence area and throughout New England ever since. I discovered Lindy Hop in 2003 and quickly became addicted. I've been working on my following technique and experimenting with different styles of Lindy, as well as revisiting some of the ballroom dances I learned years ago. I've also been learning how to lead and how to teach, and I've tried my hand at some of the area competitions. (I placed 1st in the Intermediate Lindy Jack & Jill and the Intermediate Lindy Strictly Swing competitions at Swingin' New England 2004.) All in all, I simply LOVE to dance...swing, ballet, jazz, ballroom, latin, hip hop...it doesn't really matter what kind of dancing it is...it all makes me very happy. When I'm not dancing, I work as an environmental engineer for the State of Rhode Island.

Jason Arenburg

When I was in middle school, all of the mothers in the neighborhood conspired to enroll their children in an etiquette & ballroom dancing class. Yup, I was one of the lucky few! While it was torturous at the time, it taught me skills that I would later value. (Thanks, Mom.) As an adult, after a long hiatus from dancing, I met Mary Farnsworth, the beloved founder of Providence Swings. Wow, can she dance! With her encouragement, within a few weeks, as a total rookie, I attended Hop to the Beat's Beantown weekend, where I saw competitors in the New England Lindy Hop Championship. I said to myself, "I gotta learn how to dance like that!" Lo and behold, many years later, I have! Providence Swings is fortunate to attract a wonderful group of friendly people who show up regularly. If you want to make fast friends and improve your dancing, then this is the place to come. Weekdays, I wear many hats at a small family-owned jewelry manufacturing company. (If you ever need a pair of sterling silver cuff links, I can hook you up!) Hobbies include football, croquet, and singing.

Tara Weinstein (www.taraweinstein.com)

I took ballet for years as a kid and loved it, but the joy that I've found in swing dancing is unparalleled. I got into it because a friend of mine invited me to go to a swing dance benefit with her, and while there, I ran into another friend who had been going to Providence Swings for several months, and she encouraged me to try it. On a whim, I decided to go, and have been addicted ever since! The only hard part is deciding whether I enjoy Lindy, Charleston, or Balboa the most. Let's just say that it depends on the song and on my partner. :) The dancing is exhilarating and the community is one of the friendliest I have ever encountered. It's also a great outlet for those of us with an excess of energy... :) When I'm not dancing, I teach high school physics, knit, act, and play in the snow.

Amabel Sgambelluri

In seventh grade, I wanted to be a “Fly Girl” on the show “In Living Color”. However, my dreams were quickly crushed when the show was cancelled a few years later. All those hours of mimicking Janet Jackson were lost. In addition to Hip Hop and some great 60s dances, I also practiced East Coast Swing with a piece of rope and a doorknob. I was my best lead. When I wasn’t dancing by myself in my room, my parents took me out East Coast Swing Dancing, where I still thought I was my best lead. You can’t blame a 13 year old for believing in her self. In 2004, my husband and I started taking classes at Providence Swings, where we got hooked on Lindy Hop. They can’t get rid of us now!

Adam Dau

Sandra Aguiar

Brian Kinnane