Gottaswing

Tom Koerner and Debra Sternberg met in 1987 and soon became dance partners. They performed as featured dancers with Doc Scantlin’s Imperial Palms Orchestra at Joe and Mo's Restaurant in Washington, DC, during the late 1980s and early “90s. Among their awards, they are the 6 time Virginia State Lindy Hop and Jitterbug champions, 1994 United Kingdom Lindy Hop champions (airsteps division) and 2010 inductees as National Living Legends of Swing.

Creating their own swing dance curriculum, they began teaching regularly scheduled classes in 1994, and were the first to offer DJ dancing and live music following class every week. With the great Swing Dance Revival of 1998, they were perfectly positioned to expand. They currently offer classes in 15 locations throughout the greater DC-metropolitan area and a licensee in Charlotte, North Carolina, teaching over 4,000 students each year and presenting the best in live and recorded music at swing dance events.