Dawn Hampton - A Special Teacher

Vol 1, Issue 1: Winter 1995


Wild Week this year was quite magical, mostly on account of a special lady by the name of Dawn Hampton. She brought joy and love to all of us lucky enough to be around her during the week. She introduced herself to us by saying, “I am not a teacher. I am here to show you the rhythm and music inside yourselves.” And that she did.

In her first class, Ensemble, we created a “Lindy Hop Opera”; we danced the story of Lindy Hopping during World War II, when many men went away to war. This left both the men and the women without partners. So the men learned to dance with the men and the women learned to dance with the women. It was a treat to recreate this story through dance, with friends, for Dawn.

In her second Class, Playtime, we did just that - we played. This class was a gift. Dawn asked us to listen to the music and to play with the music. She did not count for us (“the only count I know is Count Basie”) or even teach us new moves. She shared a few footwork variations during the course of the week and the rest of the time we played. And away we went. We forgot about moves and just danced. We also laughed and created lots of new moves (some of which we couldn’t remember right after we did them). It was the perfect class to balance and enhance all that we have learned so far. And it opened a door that we didn’t have access to prior to this class or even know existed.

Dawn did show us the music and rhythm inside ourselves. She will long be appreciated and loved in Seattle.

(Editors Note: Dawn Hampton’s been swinging her whole life as she was born with rhythm in her soul. She grew up in the midwest in the ‘40s and traveled as part of a family jazz band (The Deke Hampton Orchestra). Dawn performed for years as a jazz saxophonist and cabaret singer. And today she is still active in the New York dance scene.)

-- Kris Markewitz