SWING INVASION STAFF
ELIZABETH AND MARK WILLIAMS
Wisconsin is not only the birthplace of both Elizabeth and Mark, but it is also where their love for dance began. Elizabeth’s parents were dancers and her childhood was filled with music, dance and the arts. With encouragement from her mother, Elizabeth joined Arthur Murray’s training program in college and the rest is history. Mark’s interest in dance was sparked thanks to the Disco craze when he visited a blues club in college. He began his dance career at the same Arthur Murray studio as Elizabeth and they eventually transferred to Atlanta where they managed multiple studios. While raising children, Elizabeth taught Ballroom, Latin, Country and Swing at local community programs, while Mark worked as a custom staircase design engineer. In 2008, Mark and Elizabeth started teaching dance lessons at the Legion, which later led to the formation of their company, M&E Dance, in 2011. The weekend dance lessons at the Legion blossomed into West Coast Swing Sunday nights when they teamed up with Suzy Filip to form Swing Invasion in 2012. What a clever name Swing Invasion is as the name ties into the military theme of the American Legion. Both Elizabeth and Mark’s father’s are veterans so they are honored to help support a nonprofit organization whose proceeds support troops and veterans services. They enjoy spending time with their 3 children, visiting family in Wisconsin, and they thrive on teaching and sharing the joy of dance while sharing a strong faith in God. When you don’t find this beautiful, inspiring couple on the dance floor, they have fun walking, hiking and enjoying the outdoors together. You may not know Elizabeth was a stellar sprinter on the high school track team and Mark played college baseball at the University of Wisconsin. Their athleticism is no surprise when you see them glide across the dance floor. Thanks to all the sacrifices they have made in their own lives, the Legion is home to a warm, inviting and supportive environment where we get to dance the nights away! Elizabeth and Mark, we adore you and all the beautiful blessings you continue to give the dancers in this community!
SUZY FILIP
Suzy’s dance journey began at age 4 in her hometown just outside of Detroit. After a few years of toddler ballet, she took a break from dance. When she was 12 years old, she caught the dance bug again after watching Saturday Night Fever. Suzy found her love for dance and would frequent the local teen disco dances. She enrolled in jazz classes, and also went back to her roots in ballet. At age 16, she landed several spots in her local community holiday Nutcracker show and performed as a soldier, a flower, and a snowflake. In high school, Suzy joined the pom-pom squad and enjoyed dancing various routines during half-time at high school games.
After high school, Suzy focused on college and work. However, she always made time for her friends, and they often found places to dance the night away. Suzy relocated to Atlanta in 1994 and enrolled in dance classes at Arthur Murray, where she fell in love with partner dancing. She quickly added the teacher training program to her schedule and trained with both Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire dance studios. After one year, Suzy decided to, once again, become a student of dance. She began studying International Standard and American Ballroom and entered various dance competitions, dancing pro-am with her Instructor, as well as competing with her amateur dance partner. Suzy spent 7 years studying ballroom and then took a break for several years to focus on other areas of life.
In 2009, she was ready to get back to dance, but this time, she decided to pursue West Coast Swing. Her goal was to learn this dance well so she began traveling to the west coast, attending numerous WCS workshops, intensives, and dance camps. Suzy studied the Universal Unit system with WCS legends Skippy Blair, Sharlot Bott, Mary Ann Nunez, Jordan Frisbee and Tatiana Mollmann. The Universal Unit system is a fabulous teaching system developed by Skippy Blair. Suzy has also trained with many other top WCS instructors over the past decade. In 2011, she studied the Golden State Dance Teacher Association (GSDTA) curriculum to become a certified GSDTA Instructor. Suzy is thrilled to have this training behind her as it brings her so much joy to share her love of West Coast Swing with others. We are incredibly blessed to have such a dynamic dancer and Director. Thank you Suzy for all your countless hours of hard work and dedication to our Swing Invasion dance community!
To watch Suzy in action dancing WCS with the legendary Robert Royston, click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-4T2pl2nN8
To watch Suzy in action dancing one of her favorite ballroom dances, the Viennese Waltz, click here:
