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Debbie Ramsey Boz started dancing when she was six years old, adding competitive country western with her brother in 1978, and swing in 1983. She still performs, coaches, teaches multiple dance styles, judges, DJs and choreographs. She developed her Diamond Technique for teaching WCS, initially created for visually impaired students.
Choreographer and dancer for TV, commercials and films since 1980 (featured dancer in movie with Donald Sutherland)
Dance USA magazine article on her Diamond Technique and other articles in top swing magazines
Humanitarian Award from US Open Dance Championships
Humanitarian Award from American Lindy Hop Championships (ALHC) for contributions to swing dance community
California Swing Dance Hall of Fame
World Swing Dance Council Hall of Fame
Feather Award for Top Teacher (3 times)
Debbie Ramsey Boz has been on the stage and dance floor for most of her life. With a broad dance background, she has taught tap / jazz since 1975, country western since 1978, and swing since 1983. Debbie is versed in all forms of swing, including Lindy Hop, east coast swing, WCS, Carolina Shag, blues and Charleston. In addition to judging and DJing, she has been a professional choreographer and dancer since 1980.
Debbie ran “swing nights” at local bars in CA (starting in 1978) and in NY, viewing them as a great source of growth for the swing community. With her husband Wesley Boz, she runs the largest weekly swing dance in Raleigh, NC and teaches for the Triangle Swing Dance Society. She and Wesley hosted Boogie in the Mountains in upstate NY for 3 years.
Debbie has been involved with fundraisers for sick / injured dancers, including providing dance instruction for a Los Angeles Downs Syndrome children’s group annual fundraiser. With her son Ryan Boz (2-time US Open Swing Dance Championships Junior winner), she founded Carolina Youth Dance Academy, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, to teach partner dancing, hip hop and line dancing for free to all youth and young adults, inclusive of those with disabilities.
Debbie was one of the first instructors to teach a “lead back, stay back” WCS style. At the time, WCS had a “rock step” and Debbie found that visually impaired followers feared “the leader was going to run into them.” Changing the leader’s footwork to provide a better body lead for the follower, Debbie refined this style into her Diamond Technique.
Personal statement:
“I love teaching. When I started teaching full time, my fear was to become ‘burned out’ by doing it full time. My greatest joy has been realized – just the opposite has happened. I love the way people change as they grow in dance and I have seen terribly shy and unconfident people come out of their shell and experience confidence in what they can do on a dance floor, changing their lives. As far as dancing, I hope I can continue dancing until I’m called home! I see many folks in the dance community who helped me and danced with me when I first started, who continue dancing throughout their golden years. It gives me great pleasure to see and dance with some of these great dancers even today; and so many of those continue providing inspiration to each new generation of swing dancers. I hope to continue in their footsteps and to keep swing dancing growing.”
