Biography
Doug Silton began dancing in 1992 and since 1999, he has been teaching, competing, and performing internationally. Doug is a three-time American Lindy Hop Champion (2001 Strictly Division, 2002 Classic Division, 2006 Blues Division), a 2-Time World Swing Dance Champion, and is a top competitor on the Lindy Hop circuit, NASDE West Coast Swing tour, and in CSA Carolina Shag competitions. Doug is the only competitor to ever be a finalist in Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and Carolina Shag in the same year at the US Open Swing Dance Championships (2002).
In the salsa world, Doug has been competing in Jack & Jills for the past few years, placing in the top 5 at the Advanced/Pro Level. He is the 2007 World Swing Dance Championships Salsa Champion and the 2007 Reno Dance Sensation Salsa Champion. In May of 2008, he competed with Espie Hernandez at the 2008 Mayan Pro Salsa Competition, the second largest street Salsa competition in the world, coming in 8th Place.
In the commercial dance industry, Doug is repped by GTA (Go 2 Talent Agency). Doug has been featured in movies, on TV shows, and in music videos. He has choreographed for Bette Midler and works regularly with featured dancers and choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, and Live To Dance. You can see him perform several times a year in Carnival: The Choreographer's Ball in Hollywood, CA; this is the venue for top choreographers from all over the world.
Doug teaches group and private lessons daily in Los Angeles (Pasadena), and has a line of over 80 instructional videos for sale. He is the proud producer of Champion's Instructional Videos (group instructor videos) for both West Coast Swing and for Lindy Hop. Click here for his Los Angeles and international travel & tour schedule, and to purchase Instructional and Event DVDs, see online store: SwingDanceStuff.com.
Doug is the co-founder of two very successful venues for the two swing dances that he loves:
1. LindyGroove
(with Lance Powell) in Pasadena, CA, still the world's largest weekly swing dance venue,
where Doug teaches his popular (and free) Connection & Musicality
class on the third Thursday of each month. We are celebrating our LindyGroove 10th year anniversary this June!
2. Where's Westie - (with Pete Green) is a roaming West Coast Swing dance venue dedicated to bringing new music and cool venues to the West Coast Swing dance community.
As of September 2011, Doug has partnered with the D'Amico Dance Studio in Houston, Texas to produce the WCS Rueda - with various calls for partner changes and patterns for West Coast Swing. Check it out online at www.WCSRueda.com
In his teaching, Doug focuses on connection, centering, and musicality, footwork, and lead/follow techniques, incorporating various aspects of his favorite dances: Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, Salsa, Hip-Hop, Blues, Bachata, Breakdancing, and Balboa.
Organizations
- LindyGroove (The USA's largest weekly Lindy Hop Venue ... going 10 years strong!)
(co-founder with Lance Powell as of June, 2001) - McDonald & Selznick Associates
(dance & commercial representation, August 2004 - June 2011) - Go 2 Talent Agency
(dance & commercial representation, June 2011 - present) - Doug Silton Productions
(founder as of June, 2005) - LAP (Lindy And Party) Dance Weekend
(co-founder with Ben Morris as of January 2009) - ScubaSwingers
(co-founder with Dax Hock as of December 2006) - Screen Actor’s Guild-e
(as of June 2005) - OCWCSDC
(member as of July, 2003) - WCSDC
(member as of October, 2001) - TEX
(member as of September, 2002) - Shaggin’ Wagon
(co-founder with Dax Hock as of September, 2001) - Jewish Swingin’ Singles
(founder as of January 2001) - SwingFish.net
(co-founder as of June, 2005) - Wedding Dance LA
(founder as of March, 2004) - Beverly Hills Ballroom
(founder as of March, 2004) - HopLindy
(founder as of January 2001) - Roscoes Rascals
(member from August 2000) - Rag Tag Swingers
(member from February 2000 – May 2000) - Diesel Doug and the Long Haul Swingers:
(founder/choreographer from Jan. 2000) - Mainiac Swing Dancers:
(member from December 1999) - 3rd Street Swingers:
(member as of November 1999) - Swing Kids:
(founder and chair, September 1999 – May 2000) - Bowdoin Ballroom Dance Association:
(member from September 1996 – May 2000, co-director from September 1999 – May 2000)
DJing
- LindyGroove
(DJ and DJ coordinator) - Where's Westie
(co-DJ, co-Podcasterino, and Live Entertainment coordinator) - SoulNBlues
(DJ and DJ coordinator) - National Jitterbug Championships / Camp Hollywood
2004-2008 (unofficial late-night blues, R&B, and WCS room DJ) - Austin Lindy Exchange
Austin, Texas, November 17-19, 2006 - Salt Lake City, UT — Utah Lindy Exchange
January 12-15, 2006, guest Blues & Groove DJ at late-night venues. - Los Angeles, CA — SwingFish
(July – October 2005, DJ and DJ coordinator) - San Diego, CA
July 24, 2005, SwingDiego Monthly WCS dance. - Atlanta, Georgia
May 27-29, 2005, Grand National Dance Championships late-late-late night DJ (4:30 AM – 8 AM Sat. & Sun). - Orange County, California
March 12, 2005, guest DJ all late-night in the “Groove/Naughty” Room at the OC Lindy Exchange. - San Diego, CA
March 10, 2005, guest DJ at the Firehouse. - Salt Lake City, Utah
January 21-23, 2005, featured late-night DJ at the Utah Lindy Exchange - Ventura, California
October 29, 2004 invitational DJ for the first “Battle of the DJs”, 4th/5th Place - Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 12-14, 2004, featured DJ - Montreal, Canada
May 21-23, 2004, featured guest DJ at the Eastern Canadian Swing Championships - Albuquerque, New Mexico
February 27-29, 2004, featured DJ - Honolulu, Hawaii
December 12-14, 2003, featured DJ - Denver & Boulder, CO
December 5-7, 2003, featured DJ - Kansas City, Kansas
November 21-23, 2003, featured DJ at the Heartland Dance Festival - Saskatoon, Saskatchawan, Canada
November 7-9, 2003, featured DJ - Santa Barbara, CA
September 5-7, 2003, featured late-night DJ at the Santa Barbara Lindy Exchange - Denver & Boulder, Colorado
March 7-9, 2003, featured early and late-night DJ at the Denver Lindy Exchange - St Louis, Missouri
featured DJ at STL Fusion, February 21, 2003 - Hartford, Connecticut
October 18, 2002 at the SwingMonkey.com benefit - Stamford, Connecticut
October 23, 2002 at the American Lindy Hop Championships - San Diego, CA
Guest DJ on various occasions at Lindy By The Bay, CafeSavoy, and the Firehouse…first
featured guest DJ at the new July 2002 location) - Santa Barbara, CA
May 31 – June 2, 2002, featured late-night DJ at the Santa Barbara Lindy Exchange - Denver, CO
February 15-17, 2002, featured early-night DJ at the Denver Lindy Exchange - Albany, NY
April 5-7, 2002, featured late-night West Coast Swing DJ at the Albany Lindy Exchange - Brunswick & Portland, Maine
September 1999 – May 2000, head DJ for the Bowdoin College “Swing Kids”
Choreography
- 2009 - present Showcase Division Routine (Doug Silton & Angel Jenkins)
Choreographer - Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball
Choreographer for July 2009 performance (Lindy Hop & West Coast Swing Fusion with Angel Jenkins) - 2008-2009 Showcase Division Routine (Doug Silton & Amber Ripley)
Choreographer (July 2008) - Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball
Choreographer for July 2008 performance (Lindy Hop & West Coast Swing Fusion with Amber Ripleyi) - National Jitterbug Championships Showcase Choreography (Doug Silton & Ben Morris)
Co-choreographer (July 2007) - Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball
Choreographer for May 2007 performance (Contact Juggling solo performancei) - Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball
Choreographer for October 2006 performance (Doug Silton, Melina Ramirez, Nick Williams, KristinSorci) - Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball
Choreographer for August 2006 performance (Doug Silton & Kristin Sorci) - National Jitterbug Championships Showcase Choreography (Doug Silton & Ben Morris)
Co-choreographer (July 2006) - NASDE Showcase Choreography (Doug Silton & Sarah Breck)
Choreographer (2005) - 2005 USPro Am Classic Division Routine
Choreographer, September 2005. - National Jitterbug Championships Showcase Choreography (Doug Silton & Ben Morris)
Co-choreographer (July 2005) - Kiss My Brass, Bette Midler’s 2004 Tour* (Choreographer - Main Choreographer: Toni Basil), November 2003.
- 2003 ALHCProAm Division Routine
Choreographer & Dancer, October 2003 - 2003 USOpen Junior Couple’s Routine (John Snyder & Amber Ripley)
Choreographer: Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag sections, Co-Coach with Wayne & Sharlott Bott for Lindy & WCS Sections, August – November 2003. - Summit View Elementary School
HipHop choreographer for special classes for Grades 5-8, September 18, 2003. - Just In Time Jitterbugs II (AKACrouching Tiger, Hidden Monkey)
National Jitterbug Competition, Team Division co-choreographer, 2002. - Just In Time Jitterbugs, National Jitterbug Competition,
Team Division co-choreographer, 2001. - Lindy Hop Routines (Doug Silton &Debbie Gitt)
co-choreographer, 2000 – present.
Flim/TV
- Telemundo's version of So You Think You Can Dance on Doce Corazones: 1st Place with Malia San Nicolas
- Poseidon (Warner Brothers)
Doug is featured as a dancer in the remake of this Hollywood classic feature film. Starring: Richard Dryfuss, Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, and Emmy Rossum. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson (Troy). Choreographer: Miranda Garrison. Other featured dancers: Murray Phillips & Cate Caplin, Desi Jevon, Aliane Baquerot, Menina Fortunato. - Cold Case: Factory Girls (CBS) — Doug is featured as a primary dancer in the premiere of the second season of Cold Case on CBS. Doug dances with Chad Morgan and Vickisia in flashbacks to 1943.
- Next (MTV) - Doug is featured as the dance instructor on the dating show.
- Swing Instructional Videos —
Primary dancer in over 80 released instructional dance DVDs. Doug is also the producer, director, and a featured instructor in 8 instructional Champions group videos on West Coast Swing and 6 on Lindy Hop. - Midsummer's Concert with the Art Deco Society Orchesta (Ford Amphitheatre): Choreographer and featured dancer.
- ABC (Channel 7) News, Sunday, July 8, 2001: Footage of a dance at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA featured music DJ’d by LindyGroove DJs Doug & Lance, as well as a swing-dancing lesson by Doug.
- Bowdoin Cable Network:
BCN is currently airing Swingumentary
(produced in May 2000), a swing documentary. This documentary includes both performances (modern and from the early 20th century), a history of swing, and teaching instruction for the Phili-Bop, Shim-Sham, Jitterbug Stroll, and the Lindy-Hop. Focus is on swing dancing in Maine and includes interviews with local Maine dancers and swing legends, such as Rockabilly star Sean Mencher. - FOX News:
a FOX Broadcasting team came to Bowdoin College to film a swing-lesson from the Bowdoin Ballroom Association (filmed on Tuesday, February 22, 2000). The segment appeared on Fox 51 on Monday, February 28, 2000 on the 10 o’clock news. Footage includes a clip of Doug teaching the Shim-Sham. - 60 Minutes:
Bowdoin College was noted on 60 Minutes on Sunday, January 23, 2000 as being one of the top 3 colleges in America to be promoting swing-dancing. - Wheel Of Fortune:
When Doug was 12 years old and quite the overachiever, he tried out for Teen Wheel Of Fortune. He then proceeded to win his episode and return for the Battle of the Champions of Teen Week. Stay tuned for footage in the video section!