Ryan Boz hails from Raleigh, North Carolina while Alexis Garrish is originally from Damascus, Maryland. When they won the Young Adult Division of the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships in Burbank, CA in 2015 they had only been dancing together for a year.

Swing dance is more popular than ever in the U.S., with people of all ages taking part. The championships began in 1983 and is open to dancers who partake in any type of swing dancing that is performed anywhere in the world. That leaves the field open to a variety of dancers, even though there is a long list of rules of what swing dancing is NOT on the competition’s website (no excessive acrobatics, lifts, or splits, for example).

Boz and Garrish seemed destined for victory since they both started dancing at the age of 5 and won multiple awards before that.

According to the video’s caption, Boz’s background is in hip hop, Shag, and West Coast Swing and he once placed 3rd in the Cabaret Division at the U.S. Open. At the time, he was also a member of the U.S. Open Swing Team Champions.

He’s also a professional actor who appeared on TV shows including “Revolution,” “Sleepy Hollow,” Secret and Lies” and “Powers.”

As for Garrish, her dance background includes tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, and hip hop. At the time of their performance in 2015, she was competing in both swing and country dance competitions. She had previously won world championships in the two-step, polka, triple two-step, nightclub, cha-cha, waltz, and East Coast & West Coast Swing categories.

Both dancers were in high school at the time of their win, but these days they travel the world teaching swing dance to people of all ages and abilities.

In their award-winning routine, danced when both were just 15 years old, they emerge from backstage in glittering costumes with great poise and big smiles.

After showing off some flexibility and spins, they begin their fancy footwork.

It’s clear that both have a background in hip hop from the way they move their bodies and there’s no doubt they brought something fresh and new to the swing dance championships.

Executing flawless twirls, side-by-side moves, pivots, and patterns, the two teenagers glide across the floor and make it all look easy.

Their chemistry makes it clear that the duo is close off the dance floor as well – and their Facebook statuses indicate that they’re now a couple outside the competitions as well.

Even in other competition performances, it was clear to viewers that the two were made to dance together. When they took 3rd place in the All-Star Jack and Jill category of the Tampa Bay Classic in 2017, commenters went wild over their performance:

“This is an amazing partnership!! Alexis shows us how to trust your partner beautifully, a wonderful thing to see. Ryan makes sure Alexis is the focus while making this improv look easy!” one said.

But this is no improv performance – the choreography is inspired as well even if the song “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon doesn’t sound like your typical swing dance fare.

It’s clear Boz and Garrish both have long careers ahead of them in the dance world both performing and teaching.

Be sure to scroll down and see their glitzy award-winning performance.

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Source: Debbie Ramsey Boz via YouTube