Miles Hamby
I teach:

• Tango
• Viennese Waltz
• Swing
• Social Ballroom
• German & Celtic
  Folk Dance

Private Lessons

My Dance Bio

Dance Calendar

The Spotlight

Miles Hamby
6505 HIllside Lane
Alexandria, VA 22306
(703) 768-1353
atcmiles@aol.com

Miles Hamby
Dance Biography

• Medal winner in competitive dance and music. Instructor of the Quarter (Winter 2000) for Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, Fairfax County Parks & Recreation. Authored article on Viennese Waltz published in Washington Post, January, 2000.
• Produced programs and performed in Tango, Swing, Ballroom, Waltz, 18th Century and Scottish Country Dance, Highland Dance, Clogging, Scottish Fiddling, Figure Skating and Ice Dance, and Fencing for Gadsby's Tavern Museum, American University Alumni Relations, Yorktown Festival Park, Sully Plantation, City Of Raleigh Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, United Services Organization (USO), City of Alexandria Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Maryland Capitol Parks and Planning Commission, Washington Opera, Chamber Ballet Ensemble, Chesapeake Strathspey and Reel Society and The Andre Rieu Johann Strauss Orchestra!
• Ph.D. in Adult Education, University of Maryland -- I know how to teach!

I am a dancer! But, I am first a teacher! I only truly realized this avocation recently, after years of following a career in aviation. I suppose I got my start in social dancing, way back when in USAF pilot training in Oklahoma. Starving for a release from hitting the books each night, I enrolled in a series of Western Square Dance lessons. I instantly took to the team spirit and the satisfaction of meeting the challenge of successfully negotiating the figures dictated by the caller. I continued enthusiastically with Square Dancing, which has a well developed culture of its own. Even during my assignment to Japan, I learned American Square Dancing is quite popular. The Japanese seem to take to all forms of western dancing with great gusto, witness the success of the recent film "Shall We Dance?"

While in Japan, I taught fencing (having been a varsity fencer at the United States Air Force Academy) and started the Yokota Fencers club. Our greatest achievement was sparring against the Tokyo Fencing Club, coached by the Japan Men's Fencing Champion -- and broke even! A sports enthusiast, I also studied figure skating and ice-dance under Higori Yakamishu, the 1975 Japan Men's Champion. Higori and I became friends. He taught me the importance of posture.

Shortly after my return to the States, I moved to Dallas, Texas, where I attended the Dallas Highland Games. I had a kilt, so I put it on, trooped down to the games, and met some wonderful people demonstrating Scottish Country Dance. Very much a spirited social dance, I signed up! Today, I attribute my capacity for teaching dance to my first teacher in Scottish Country Dance, Avril Vestal. Being schooled and fully certificated by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS), Avril taught me the importance of phrasing. Combined with posture, I call these the "two 'Ps'" of dance. But, perhaps Avril's greatest contribution to my development was she taught me how to teach. (It has always been a desire of mine to give a workshop on How to Teach Dancing. Perhaps some day!)

I remained very active in Scottish Country Dance, and even began learning Highland Dance, including the three classic Highland dances -- Fling, Sword, and Sean Triubhas -- and also the Hornpipe. I even competed and won a few medals!

Returning to my parents home in Williamsburg, VA, I met Dr. John Turner, ten times U.S. National Scottish Fiddling Champion, who taught me to play the violin in the Scottish fiddling style. I so enjoyed this music that I started the Chesapeake Strathspey and Reel Society, passing on the tradition and richness of the Scottish fiddle music to local area youths. In this, too, I competed, and won a prize or two, including a medal -- always a nice affirmation!

Of course, while in Williamsburg, one cannot be isolated from the 18th century. I made an "outfit" and threw myself into 18th Century English Country Dance, being mentored by dance master and historian John Millar, and in minuet by Diana Freedman, dance instructor for Colonial Williamsburg. While living in Williamsburg, I indulged myself in the popular music and ballads of the era, mostly while visiting my favorite watering hole Chowning's Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. Already having some skill with the guitar, I collected a fairly rounded repertoire of songs. After moving to the DC area in 1989, I met John Douglas Hall who invited me to perform with him in Gadsby's Tavern Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria. Gadsby's is an 18th century building that houses a fine restaurant in the 18th century motif and a museum, Gadsby's Tavern Museum, which interprets its original mode from the time of John Gadsby in 1796. I began a delightful association with the Museum and was privileged to teach many classes in 18th century English Country Dance in their elegant, 18th century candlelight ballroom.

Today, I and other very capable masters and mistresses of the English Country Dance offer instruction in this wonderful form at Gadsby's. Having a penchant for waltz and Argentine Tango, and recognizing the interest in the area, I have developed a program of 20th century social dance forms at Gadsby's, including Argentine Tango, Viennese Waltz, Vintage Dance, Swing, and even Rock n' Roll'.

One of the greatest influences on my dancing, certainly in the metro area, has been the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. (Tune in to Glen Echo's website.) At the Spanish Ballroom, every weekend, you can meet and dance with literally hundreds of wonderful people of a remarkable variety of skill, interest, and talent, all gathering at a common place to share the joy of dancing! From my associations with these fabulous people, my dormant proclivity for couples dancing, waltz and swing in particular, burgeoned forth. I started taking group and private lessons and finally began realizing my own potential as a dancer!

However, my all-time favorite dance is the Argentine Tango. I began learning the steps several years ago from local area teachers and continue to learn from visiting maestri or while on the road myself. I soon discovered that I have a certain flair for it and tend toward the show style, as opposed to the club or Milonguero style. Even so, in club, there is nothing like the connection one feels when you and your partner are dancing to the beat if your hearts -- something Astor and Piazzolla understood well. Indeed, I'm one of the very few who not only dance to Piazzolla's music, but prefer it.

Today, my calendar takes me to a host of venues including Gadsby's Tavern Museum, Fairfax County Parks, Alexandria Parks, American University, and private lessons. Have fun exploring my website and please send me an email of what you think. I would love to share with you what I have learned. We need more dancers! - fin.