Biography
KEN ROESEL (All-Stars/Champions)
Ken first saw WCS at a C/W Event in Reno, NV in 1984. Ken originally learned the dance by watching the videotape from the 84 Reno event of Mike Lucus and his partner Gloria, who were the only couple performing West Coast Swing at the event. It was love at first sight. He studied a secured videotape of the competition with fellow dancers Dawn Blorstad and Tiffany Maxwell to help figure out how to do the dance. Ken first competed West Coast Swing in the spring of 1986 at a country event in Denver Colorado. From there, Ken went on develop his skills as Westie swing dancer in preparation to compete at U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships in Anaheim California. In 1994, Ken and his partner Jennifer Cheadle became finalist in Classic division. Over the years from 1994 to 2004, Ken established a successful career in the Jack and Jill division in the Pro, Champions and Invitational level competitions. In 2000 Ken was honored with an invitation to participate in the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships Invitational Champions Jack and Jill. In addition to his mini personal awards as a dance competitor, Ken has coached several UCWDC world champion Pro/Am’s and champion WCS amateur dancers. He was the lead choreographer and creator of the award winning dance team Swinging West and Strictly Swing and was a 7year member of Barry Durand’s legendary dance troop Dance West.
Over the years, Ken improved his knowledge and skills as a dancer and judge working with many of the greats of the WCS world including, Mary Ann Nunez, Skippy Blair, Mario Robau, Craig Hutchison, Robert Cordoba, Phil Adams, Lance Shermoen, Michael Kiehm, Robert Royston, Kelly Casanova, Jordan, Frisbee and Tatiana Mollman.
As a judge Ken has over 25years of experience judging competitions from the lowest to the highest skill level in Teams, Strictly, J&J and Routine dance competitions all across the country at regional and national events.
In 2011 Ken was inducted into the National Living Legends of Dance Hall of Fame along side WCS legends Robert Royston, Mario Robau and Blake Hobby.
