Scott Cupit has the rare skills of having a banking and finance background as well as a love for swing dancing. He has combined the two skills and created what is now considered the largest swing dance school in the world.
Summer 2014 saw Scott secure investment from Deborah Meaden via the BBC’s Dragons’ Den. Strictly Come Dancing’s primary charleston choreographer, Jenny Thomas, recruited Scott as assistant Charleston choreographer for the show in autumn 2014.. Scott has built an incredible Swing Patrol team composed of first-class teachers, two dazzling troupes that perform around London each week and committed administrators. Scott’s drive and personality has helped to build a very large community of swing dancers. The community element of Swing Patrol is the solid business foundation which supports all the fun.
Have you always wanted to be involved in dance?
I have always loved swing music and grew up playing the saxophone in big bands. I stumbled across dance while backpacking across the USA in 1997 and fell in love with it.
Did you train in dance? What was it like?
I trained hard and loved it. I loved the focus, the sense of accomplishment and the physical fitness of it all.
How did Swing Patrol come into being?
I just wanted to share my passion as almost no one was dancing the Lindy Hop in Melbourne back in 1998. A small group of maybe six dancers were dabbling in it only.
What is a typical day like for you?
- Coffee
- Training
- Meeting my teaching team
- Lunch with my wife
- Planning classes
- Venue appointments
- Teaching
What’s the best part of dance for you?
The music. For me it’s all driven by the great swing music that this dance is driven by.
How have you found the event organisation side of Swing Patrol?
It’s far more challenging and hard work than people realise. Hall hires and rents in London make many of our events financially crazy but one day we will have our own space!
What is the hardest part of the job?
I can’t think of anything but Dragons’ Den resulted in an avalanche of attention and it felt hard to breathe. Summer was a stressful time for myself and my team as we had so much attention.
Do you have any advice for aspiring performers?
Rehearse as if this was the actual moment. Don’t shirk full dress rehearsals.
What are you most looking forward to about the events?
I love the Swing Patrol community. Standing back and watching a full room of Lindy Hoppers always gives me a buzz. I never take it for granted as five years ago I couldn’t pay my rent and it was tough.
Thousands of dancers – from professionals to absolute beginners – are set to join Swing Patrol’s Swing Dance balls across the UK from late October to the end of November. The balls celebrate the first tour of the UK from lindy hop legend, Frankie Manning, in the UK’s biggest series of swing dance events. “Swing”, “jitterbug” and “lindy hop” are all synonyms for the street dance style popularised by Manning and other dancers in New York City from the late 1920s to late 1940s as they fused style, energy and fun.