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Kurt,
with his teaching assistants, instructs in
Swing Dance, Ballroom Dance, and Latin Dance at Ithaca College,
in the Physical Education Department. He also has an exclusive arrangement
teaching dance at the Island Health and Fitness Center. Kurt taught
dance at Cornell University for 13 years, created the original Cornell
PE website, and was its webmaster for 7 years. he is the founder of
ithacadance,
and his Wedding
Dance DVD has been riding at the #1 spot on Amazon.com
for most of 2010. . He and his teaching partners offer private dance
lessons in Kurt's Cayuga Heights studio. Kurt is an avid club dancer,
and competes in West Coast Swing. Our complete philosophy of social
dance: "FUN!"
Kurt competes regularly in West Coast Swing. He has studied West
Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Shag in classes, workshops at
national competitions, and private lessons dance with many top USA Competitors
and instructors, especially in Swing Dance: Frankie Manning, Steve Mitchell,
Ryan Francois, Skye Humprheys, JoJo Jackson, Ramona Staffeld,Nathalie
Gomes, Mario Robau, Robert Cordoba, Angel Figeroua, John Festa, Deborah
Szekeley, Bill Cameron, Blake Hobby, Charlie Womble, Jackie McGee, Ellen
Taylor, and that is just the beginning. He has learned ballroom
from the Cornell Ballroom Club, and in classes and workshops with pros
in the field, including Eulia Baranovsky, Tom Eurieck, Andy Proudy,
and more. His main salsa teachers include Edie "The Salsa
Freak", Jorge Elizando, Henry Herrera, Nedim Catal, Brian Bromka,
Felipe Rivera, and others. He learned merengeue and bachata from Domincans
both in NY, and in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He feels that
his continuing learning of the Spanish language is essential to a deeper
appreciation of Caribbean music and dance. He has attended numerous
large-scale dance events such as Boston Tea Party, American Swing Dance
Championships, Summer Hummer, Swing Into Spring, etc.
Born in Highland Park NJ, Kurt graduated Cornell '70 B.A., Ithaca
College '82 Masters Degree in Music Education (Voice,Piano). He brings
the perspective of a musician, composer, and professionally trained
educator to dance instruction. He led the retro-rock band THE
CORVETTES for 10 years, and has been couples dancing since the
early 1990s. He was founder/ producer/ DJ for 93.5 WVBR
SATURDAY SWING radio show, now on temporary hiatus after
12 years on the air. He also founded the CSMA (Ithaca Community School
Of Music & Art) WHITON CHORALE, and directed it for four years.
Let's not forget ten glorious years giving hundreds of workshops in
songwriting at Central New NY public schools, and writing a whole lot
of songs. He DJ's weddings and events: CAYUGA
PRO DJ.
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