About

Jim Guglielmo
With a background in Country Western dance, Jim began dancing West Coast Swing in 1997 and currently competes in the Advanced division. Jim has studied with Skippy Blair and Blake Hobby. He has also studied theatrical lifts with Tom Slater, the renowned lifts choreographer of the movie Dance With Me. Jim lives in Connecticut where he works as an insurance appraiser.

Jim began dancing and competing nationally with his former partner Abigail Reed in 2002. Their first routine took first place in the Rising Star division at Summer Hummer 2005, and second place at Dallas Dance 2005. They quickly moved up to the Classic division. Shortly thereafter, they began competing in the Showcase division with a new routine, placing second at Swingin’ New England 2006. Jim and Abbie trained under Mario Robau Jr. and Robert Royston, and were coached by US Open Champions Bill Cameron and Barbara Haller.

The Vision

Jim has a vision of a community where all dancers are welcome, no matter what skill level, to share their passion for this dance we call West Coast Swing. He hopes to build a family that works as hard together as they play together.

The community is westcoastgroove. The people currently involved are a warm and inviting crowd and have bonded together, through their love of dance, as they struggled through the many dance lessons, as they traveled on the ventures they’ve organized and traveled to, and at social gatherings enjoyed by everyone!

We hope westcoastgroove will have a welcoming effect, not just in the immediate area, but also in the surrounding dance communities in New England and beyond. So come visit us… or we’ll come to you!