Deborah speaks my language. As a professional ballet dancer, swing dance has challenged me to embrace a new palette of movement and partnered communication. Because of Deborah’s extensive experience in both fields, she has been able help me bridge the gap between these worlds. She has the perspective, technical understanding, and vocabulary of a classically trained dancer, while also embodying the street style, teamwork, and communication elements of swing dance. One of the biggest assets to my partnership and swing dance growth has been Deborah’s routine coaching. Her direct “Do it again…5,6,7,8” approach speaks to the kind of precise, detailed work that I am accustomed to in the classical dance world. Simultaneously, her passion for dance is an infectious motivator in the studio. She pushes us to relate artistry and technique from the start of the rehearsal process. She reminds us that one element cannot shine without the other. She has expressed this quality throughout her entire dance career. Whether in Showcase, Classic, Jack and Jills, or just late-night social dancing, Deborah always pours her heart out onto the floor. She is inspiring and motivating, and I feel lucky to have her as a coach and mentor. - Chantelle Pianetta
Deborah has been one of my favorite people to work with for our routines! She has a keen eye for technique and she has helped us tremendously with the look and feel of our swing. Something Deborah does that I find particularly effective is she really aims to accentuate the existing choreography and clean it rather than replace and re-choreograph completely new sections. This is especially useful because, instead of causing us to scrap some of our previous training, it allows us to improve upon our existing muscle memory. Also, another one of her strengths is her realistic and practical feedback. She makes sure that her modifications fit you and your partner as dancers rather than just suggesting a nice idea for the music. Whether I'm running the same 8 counts over and over and she's correcting my stretch or she's helping us add the finishing touches on our lines and emotions, our coaching sessions with Deborah are always productive and helpful. She is someone I absolutely must have see my routine before I perform it, and I recommend you do the same! - Dillon Luther
The top five reasons Rose City Swing LOVES Deborah Szekely:
1. She is professional. Her quality shines through in everything she does. She makes communication easy and she is eminently trustworthy.
2. She has her students at “hello”. She easily commands the room with her humor and her innate love of dancers and dancing.
She has the ability to readily identify what a class needs and provide it.
3. Instead of 100%, she gives (at least) 150%...without being asked.
4. Her talent and skills as a dancer, performer, teacher, and judge are exceptional. She does it all and brilliantly.
She brings an extensive knowledge of dance as a discipline to her teaching and judging, which is incredibly valuable.
5. She is a TON OF FUN to have at our event. She makes herself available and approachable and treats everyone warmly.
Adding Deborah to our staff in 2017 was one of the very best decisions we at Rose City have ever made.
She always has a home with us.
Trudy Thatcher
Co-Director
Rose City Swing