The world-class West Coast Swing competition in Budapest, Hungary brings in dancers from around the world.
It is affectionately known as “Budafest” – not to be confused with the techno festival held in the same city every year.
This year was the 10th anniversary, and the winners brought home trophies and prizes up to 1000€!
Maxime Zzaoui and Torri Zzaoui were two of the top dancers, dancing as a couple in the Pro’s Show.
The couple start out in a slow, casual embrace, then quickly jump into fancy swing footwork!
Complete with impressive spinning and unique dips.
Torri is American and started dancing at just 3 years old! Her partner Maxime started dancing in France… much later in life, at age 5.
Torri has always been a West Coast swing dancer, while Maxime first studied contemporary. They’re both now some of the best West Coast swing dangers in the world!
They make a pretty cute couple!
You can tell they’re having a lot of fun on stage, and they make their complicated dance moves look like nothing.
I could only dream of looking this cool on a dance floor. I am swooning.
Torri is even dancing with glasses on, and with all those swift spins and twirls surely they should be sliding off? Are they clipped into her hair? Is this sorcery?
“Just a Gigolo” is a song from the early 1900’s – a pretty racy title for it’s time! But it’s not what it sounds like (Magic Mike comes to mind…), it’s a smooth jazzy tune. It’s perfect for their sensual yet high-energy routine.
You can really tell that these two have a connection! If I didn’t already know they were married I’d be screaming for them to date.
There’s such electricity! They seem to have a lot of fun together.
Part of what makes the routine so fun to watch is that they don’t stick to the traditional swing moves.
They incorporate some fun personal touches, including a couple nods to country square dancing.
A little tango.
A little booty shakin’ – surely channeling their inner Beyoncés.
Don’t we all have an inner Beyoncé?
And even… I think this is the can can. Does this count? French cabaret? Maxime is French after all.
These two would be such good fun at a party!
Just imagine them cutting absolute shapes on the dance floor at your birthday.
I will be enrolling my boyfriend in swing dance classes, effective immediately.
Torri and Maxime’s technical skills are shown off when they effortlessly pull off what I tried to count and could only estimate as ten consecutive spins across the dance floor.
Smiling the whole time! Torri doesn’t even look a little dizzy – a true miracle.
It seems like Maxime goes a little off-script if you will, during a moment for a quick solo. Torri certainly seems to think it’s hilarious and unexpected!
They end their fun filled routine by walking off opposite sides of the stage. When they come back to take their final bow… the audience throws a plethora of red pillows at them!
I’ve never seen this tradition before, maybe it’s a Hungarian thing.
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