The California Swing Dance Hall of Fame

06/01/2026

Headline: WHAT A NIGHT! 🏆 Community, Generosity, and an Incredible Turnout!
Wow! Thank you to everyone who came out to DanScene Dance Studio this past Saturday for our California Swing Dance Hall of Fame Double-Ballroom Fundraiser! The energy was absolutely electric from the moment the doors opened, and we are still riding the high from such a spectacular night of swing.
The Magic on the Floors ✨
We kicked off the night with two fantastic workshops. In the Balboa room, the legendary Sylvia Sykes treated us to a fabulous, masterful lesson, drawing a wonderful group that included a fair amount of West Coast Swing dancers eager to expand their style and try something new! Meanwhile, the WCS ballroom saw a massive turnout as our All-Star extraordinaires Rivera & Linahan brought their signature smooth and cool flow to a fantastic class.
Once the social dancing started, the floors were non-stop! A massive shout-out to our incredible musical architects, DJ Augee Freeman (keeping the Balboa room swinging) and DJ Sharlot Bott (keeping the WCS room pumping all night long)! Dancers loved having the freedom to roam between both rooms and enjoy the best of both worlds.
Raffle Madness & Pay-It-Forward Generosity 🎟️💰
The raffle drawings had everyone on the edge of their seats! Thanks to the immense generosity of our community, we had an amazing array of gift cards to local eateries and coffee shops up for grabs.
We had two big multiple-raffle winners of the night: Jannette Ly and Michele Rheiner! (We promise we thoroughly shuffled the ticket bowl first! 😂)
The highlight of the raffle drawing was a beautiful moment of community spirit: Joanne Harrold generously donated $50 in cash on the spot to add to the raffle prizes. Michele Rheiner was drawn as the lucky winner—but in a wonderful act of kindness, since she had already won a $50 gift certificate earlier in the evening, Michele immediately donated the $50 cash right back to the Hall of Fame!
A Massive Boost for the HOF
The spirit of giving didn't stop there. We are deeply moved by the incredible generosity of our artists: DJ Sharlot Bott completely donated her DJ fee back to the organization, and Sylvia Sykes personally donated an additional $100! Combined with entry fees, raffle tickets, and direct contributions, the evening was a massive financial success for the CSDHOF mission.
👉 MISSED THE EVENT BUT STILL WANT TO SUPPORT?
If you couldn't make it out on Saturday but would love to support our mission of honoring and preserving the history of California swing dance, you can make a tax-deductible contribution online at any time here: csdhof.com/donate 🔗
Heartfelt Thanks to Our Dream Team ❤️
An event with this many moving parts doesn't happen without a dedicated village. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to:
Mark Scheuffele: For planning and flawlessly executing the entire evening. From coordinating the DJs and instructors to donating the snacks, managing the timelines, and personally inviting our legendary guests and VIPs from both the Balboa and WCS worlds—thank you for being the driving force behind this success.
Mark Scheuffele & Gary Thompson: For their incredibly generous donation of over $250 in raffle gift cards that kept the crowd excited all night.
Laura Thompson: For completely taking charge of selling the raffle tickets and assisting Mark with executing both of our evening drawings.
Deanna Slusser: For being our fantastic, welcoming presence at the front door managing the intake.
Martin Parker: For generously allowing us to utilize the beautiful DanScene Dance Studio for this special 5th Saturday fundraiser.
Because of all of you, we danced the night away and ensured that the legacy of California swing dance continues to thrive. Thank you for your continued support of this 501(c)(3) non-profit! 💃🕺
📅 SAVE THE DATE: The 36th Anniversary Awards Gala!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 26, 2026! Join us for the biggest night of the year at the Mission Viejo Country Club as we officially celebrate and honor our incredible 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees. It’s going to be an unforgettable evening of dance, history, and celebration—stay tuned for ticket details coming soon!

04/21/2026

More Photos to share from April 19 Atomic Ballroom Balboa Peninsula

04/21/2026

A World Record in the Heart of Balboa!
On Sunday, April 19, the Newport Beach Historical Society and Atomic Ballroom officially made history at Peninsula Park. In a spectacular tribute to the legacy of the historic Rendezvous Ballroom—which drew thousands of dancers to this very spot in the 1940s—the community gathered to break the Guinness World Records title for the largest swing dance lesson (pairs).

The goal was 1,000 participants, and the community delivered. The record was officially shattered with 579 partner pairs—well over 1,000 participants—joining together to learn the Balboa. It was a massive win for the swing dance community and a beautiful celebration of local history.

The California Swing Dance Hall of Fame was proud to be on-site to support this monumental feat. It was a thrill to see so many Hall of Fame inductees doing what they do best:
• Instruction: HOF Shining Star Jeremy Otth and Tise Chao led the record-breaking class.
• Demo Couples: HOF Rising Star and Board Member Andrew Jose with partner Kelly Young, and HOF Multi Inductees Mikey & Nikki Pedrosa.
• Master of Ceremonies: The incomparable Shesha Marvin.
• Music: The atmosphere was electric thanks to Big Band Leader Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, featuring the soulful vocals of HOF Inductee Hilary Alexander.

The event was held in conjunction with the City of Newport Beach and received ample media coverage, including a feature by ABC7 LA, highlighting the significance of this moment for both the city and the swing dance world.

The California Swing Dance Hall of Fame extends a massive congratulations to the Newport Beach Historical Society, Atomic Ballroom, and the Atomic Ballroom owners, Shesha, Nikki, and Mikey, for the vision and production of such a feat. We would also like to thank all the dancers, supporters, and icons who showed up to make this unforgettable record a reality. You all made history!
This three-minute video captures just a tiny sliver of the amazing four-hour production and effort. Visit Atomic Ballroom for more video and for swing dance classes!

A heartfelt thank you to HOF Golden Inductee, Mark Scheuffele for the capturing the videos and making this short clip!
Sharlot Bott, President, CSDHOF

Newport Beach Historical Society and Atomic Ballroom set Guinness World Record Swing Dance Lesson

04/09/2026

01/25/2026

https://csdhof.com/news

The California Swing Dance Hall of Fame Welcomes New Director, Sharon Her January 25, 2026 Sharon Her began her swing dance journey in 2007 as a dedicated Lindy Hop dancer before expanding her passion into West Coast Swing, where she quickly became a respected and recognizable presence. Sharon lives...

12/31/2025

Looking to offset your taxes. Consider donating today to the California Swing Dance Hall Of Fame, a qualifying 501c3. Csdhof.com/donate.

05/21/2025

We are saddened to share the passing of Bob Pomeroy, a dedicated supporter of the swing dance community. Bob once served as President of the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame and he was awarded a Special Achievement in 2012.
His contributions helped strengthen our dance family, and his passion for the community will be remembered. We invite friends and fellow dancers to share their memories and celebrate his legacy.
Rest in peace, Bob.