James Heath
Country Western - Swing - Wedding - Line Dance
Full Time Instructor
Several years ago while I was in college, some friends of mine decided to take ballroom dancing classes. It sounded like fun, and dance had always been a favorite pastime of mine, so I decided to join them. Being a singer my whole life, I had developed a pretty grand ability to catch a beat and find rhythm, so dance classes were a pretty easy sell for me. I immediately fell in love with the way dance creates a relationship between two people and what they can do to music. And, it was such great fun! Now here I am, seven years later, with a certification as a qualified competitive ballroom dancer, working towards my full DVIDA certification.
I grew up in and around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and have always had a tendency to really throw all of myself into anything I do. When I was a junior in high school, I sang at Carnegie Hall with the jazz choir, as the bass singer in a quintet. In addition to teaching dance, I am a licensed massage therapist specializing in deep tissue & therapeutic massage; and, I still sing in the Capitol City Men’s Chorus here in Austin. Life has worked out pretty well since moving here in August of 2007 – had I not found Go Dance, I’m almost certain I’d be stuck in a sales job or working for the U.S. Transportation Department; a profession that would probably not allow me the freedom of artistic expression that I crave.
Since I’ve always loved country music, it came as no surprise that Country Western quickly became my favorite style of dance – most of all the Two Step. I have also developed a secret love for Tango and Waltz, because of the passion that they display. Another thing you may not have guessed about me is my musical taste. In addition to a bevy of country western music, most people are surprised to learn how much techno, bagpipe and classical music I own; a pretty diverse musical range. Also, most people don’t know that I have a twin sister as well; she is truly a friend of mine.
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