Most modern swing dancers are "normal" people, not full-time dancers who have been training all their lives. For example, I'm 35, a doctor and an amateur photographer, and I run this website. My wife Sommer (who I met at a swing dance event!) is 29, a professor at the Naval Academy, and an aerobics instructor. The beauty of modern swing dancing is that you get to meet a cross-section of society. The thing we all have in common is a willingness to get off our asses and put some effort into something we enjoy.

I recently sent out a survey to area swing dancers, asking for age, profession, and other information. Here are the first few responses I got, just to give you a sense of who is doing this here in town...

Gayle, age 26, is a reporter.

Maria, age 22, is a construction estimator.

Sarah, age 27, writes mathematics assessment tests.

Paul, age 29, is a web designer.

Mike, age 30, is an emergency medicine resident.

Nikki, age 26, is a graduate student.

Marty, age 33, is a surgeon and was named one of Baltimore Magazine's hottest singles!

Ben, age 28, is a high school teacher.

Jeff, age 29, is a computer programmer.

Charlie, age nobody knows, is a contractor and rehabs houses in the Baltimore area.

Becky, age 31, is a business professor.

Kelly, age 27, is a lawyer.

Diane, age 30, is a speech pathologist.

Susan, age 33, is a law student.

Magda, age 25, is a Naval officer.

Laura, age 34, is a graduate student.

Tom, age 30, is a special ed teacher.

Kristin, age 23, is a senior economic associate.

Angela, age 37, is an art director.

Dave, age 23, is a soldier.

Kevin, age 46, is a computer specialist.

Shannon, age 34, is an office manager & stage manager.

Andi, age 22, is an elementary school teacher.

and the list goes on, and on, and on.