Meet Amy

Amy Barnes works on marketing projects for ZeDiamond Dance Method.  She is responsible for the website, facebook group, and twitter feeds for ZeDiamond Dance Method.  Though you do not see her on the Learn the East Coast Swing DVD, Amy has spent many hours creating the support needed to bring such a DVD to the market place and into people’s homes.

From Line Dancing to Ballroom Dancing

Amy, like many people in the 90’s, befell the free line dance lesson at a local country bar and never looked back.  She spent the rest of the summer racing to the Neon Cactus to take the free dance lessons.  Cary Pettit and Scott Blevins were dance instructors at the Neon Cactus.  They both attracted lots of dancers to their lessons.  Luckily for Amy, they attracted college age ballroom dancers.  They were members of the Purdue Latin & Ballroom Team.  Soon after meeting them, Amy was a member of the team as well.  By the time Amy graduated from Purdue, she had learned hundreds of line dances, plus East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Country Two-Step, Night Club Two-Step, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, Cha Cha and Waltz.  Purdue gave Amy a B.S. degree and a background in American Style Ballroom dancing at the Bronze and Silver levels. 

Amy Graduates from Ballroom to Strictly Swing

After graduation, Amy moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and eventually joined the Indy Swing Dance Club.  ISDC is a not-for-profit organization that promotes swing dancing in the Indianapolis area.  Amy worked to organize and promote the Indy Swing Classic (a swing dance competition and workshop weekend) from 2003 until 2006.  She even sat on the board of directors of ISDC as their Activities Director.  After moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, Amy joined the Twin Cities Rebels, another organization that promoted swing dancing to the local community. 

Life brings her back, full circle – Country, Line, Ballroom and Swing

Amy and her husband, Jason Barnes, moved to Asheville, North Carolina to teach country, swing and ballroom dancing at the Asheville Ballroom and Dance Centre.  It was there that Amy and I met.  When we talked, I learned that she was in a drum line in high school.  Not only did she have a background in dance, Amy understood drumming.  This allowed her to easily understand the ZeDiamond Dance Method.

Amy has been with ZeDiamond Dance Method since May.  I hope you look forward to getting to know her and her take on dancing through these blogs.

 Deborah-Marie Diamond