Meet Tamara Stevens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Stevens. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Since the late 1970’s Tami and Erin Stevens have lived and breathed Swing Dancing. Almost from the first day, they opened PBDA in 1983, they’ve had large group classes and weekly Swing Dances with live bands. And they’re recognized as playing a big part in igniting the 2nd era of Swing. A year into their business, Erin traveled to New York to research the history of the Lindy Hop and is renowned for tracking down Lindy Legend Frankie Manning and coaxing him out of Swing retirement. Twice a year the sisters would bring Frankie to Los Angeles as a guest instructor for their classes—and those bi-annual workshops led to Tami and Erin producing their first Swing Camp in 1994 on Catalina Island.

“Swing Camp Catalina” featured Frankie & Erin, Tami & her husband Scott, and a number of other international instructors, and was the first and subsequent largest U.S. Swing Camp. In 1999 in the heart of the Swing Revival, the camp had 1800 camp enrollees from around the world, and 2400 in the Casino Ballroom for the Saturday Night Dance. There was television coverage of the event, and the island presented them with a plaque that year, commemorating the island’s largest event. Both sisters traveled the globe teaching and performing throughout the 1990s (when one was traveling, the other was holding down the Pasadena Classes).

In the late 90’s they were hired by Disneyland to perform Swing and to teach park guests basic Swing moves at Carnation Plaza for “Disney’s Jump Jive Boogie Swing Party” on Friday nights in the summer. For seven years, everyone entering the park was handed a schedule of events that read: “Jump Jive Boogie Swing Party hosted by The Pasadena Ballroom Dance Assoc.” (amazing publicity)

In those years their PBDA classes were filled to capacity, often with as many as 300 students in a class. Twice, in the 1990s the sisters were honored by being invited to Swing Dance “for their immense contribution to keeping swing alive” on parade floats in the New Year’s Morning, Rose Parade, and Erin was sent to The White House in the Clinton years to dance Lindy Hop with a partner on the AMC Television Special “In Performance at the White House”.

In the early 2000’s Tami and Scott, along with Erin & their dance team called “The Swing-a-Roos” were hired as weekly featured dancers on the E Channel’s Home and Family Show.

In 2011, The Stevens Sisters were contracted to write a historical reference guide to the History of Swing Dancing. The book was published by ABC-Clio and is still used as a textbook in College and University classes to this day. Because of the book, Tami is often hired to speak on the subject in college classes and at civic events.

Their classes and dances survived Covid (after an almost 2-year closure). The numbers are up again and, once again, PBDA is going strong.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Working with family has made it fairly smooth. Tami and Erin are “almost twins” (born on the same birthday day-three years apart), and they get along remarkably well. Covid might have ruined the dance business, but PBDA managed to survive it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Both Tami and Erin LOVE to dance, but also truly love inspiring others to find the joys of Swing Dancing. After 40 years, they both still enjoy teaching students of all levels the art of social dance.

They promised Lindy legend, Frankie Manning, that they would always have “live music” at their dances, so every Saturday night students and the entire community can dance to some of the area’s top Swing Bands at PBDA!

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We appreciate any and all publicity our Classes and Dances receive so that more people become aware of our “oasis of fun” in Pasadena. PBDA is truly a place that you can leave the real world behind, and step into a fun and happy Dancing space!

Pricing:

• 6-week Class Series: $100
• Single Class Admission: $20
• Saturday Night Dances: $20 (includes a swing lesson 7:30-8pm; bands play till 11pm.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pasadenaballroomdance.com
• Instagram: TamaraStevens.980
• Facebook: Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association

Image Credits
James Key