Scott Cupit
Here is the swing story of Scott Cupit, son of a preacher man and the proud leader (with Claudia) of the Swing Patrol family.
Name: Scott Cupit
Born: Papua New Guinea (parents were Baptist missionaries)
Star sign: Leo (well that's obvious)
Favourite movie: The Mission w/- Robert Di Nero
Favourite thing (outside swing): Friends & all sports
Best joke: The WING WING joke (famous on SP road trips)
Football team: The Bombers & the Fulham Football Club
Favourite food: Paw Paw and sweet potato
Favourite musician: Depends on the mood..can range from Lou Rawls to ZZ Top to Dire Straits to Fletcher Henderson
Family: Love em...dad, mum, sister and brother.
Passion: Travelling, adventures and Anzac biscuits
Motto: Embrace it all
Scott is one of the driving forces of Swing Patrol and more than anything loves just being a dancer and dancing in front of live musicians. He also loves driving Swing Patrol and has been pivotal in supporting and guiding Swing Patrol Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Devonport & Launceston. Scott is now London based with his young team of seven and currently building Swing Patrol London.
Scott has a real passion for sharing the dance he loves. He thinks he has the best job in the world.
Scott is mainly focussed on teaching his London students and working with the teaching team but does get asked to do the occasional workshop abroad or around England.
Scott is currently on a BUPA and a Heineken advert on TV. Clip of the BUPA advert for a laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9e5-afYo-w&tracker=False
Schedule as follows:
2011
June Highland Swing
July Manchester
October Australia
Scott recently gained an amazing amount of media attention with his interactive and swinging hour on the "empty Plinth" in Trafalgar Square. Voted by many commentators as the best hour of the whole project Scott bought 100 of his London dancers to be involved and the footage is spectacular. The story gained global attention with articles popping up in Texas, all over Australia, Germany and Britain. Even the Fiji Time ran a story. A few links here of the hour:
Read about the Antony Gormley live art project.
http://www.oneandother.co.uk/
The whole hour:
http://www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/Scottie800
Official Plinth video footage
http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_j_b/3772564605/
ABC Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/31/2642112.htm?section=entertainment
Channel 9
Under news headlines and then midpage there is a video section. One of the videos is "dancer in trafagar square"
www.ninemsn.com.au Direct link: http://video.ninemsn.com.au/video.aspx?uuid=7ceead94-7628-4fc4-8532-d659c8f35f0d
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOhCLVACDdE
SKY TV interview with Clive Anderson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBZ79_ZKN8U
Photos from Richard Hemming
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109999&id=566891715&l=b408a4bf01
Scott was recently on National TV on an SBS TV show called "Road Trip Nation" where three people looking for answers were traveling around Australia interviewing people that lead interesting lives and that had taken risks. The footage gives you a small insight into Swing Patrol and it's culture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUFohLqZN-8
Strictly Come Dancing ( Australian Show )
Scott was the main swing chorographer for the Australian version of "Strictly Come Dancing." Here is a clip of some of Scott's choreography (but remember the celebrity was a footballer who had never danced before :)
The link also has footage of Frankie Manning and this was shown to 2.5 million viewers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytPYAeBXfRQ
Some You Tube links:
Scott and Fi were the first Aussies to compete at the American Lindy Hop Championships (in 2002.) A terrifying but exhilarating Saturday night in New York in front of all of Americas finest they placed a 3rd and a 4th in two divisions.
You Tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em-AlgtI2bA
Scott & Naomi – First Place…2004 Australian Jitterbug Championshops –Strictly Lindy. This is the event where you have a chosen partner but you don’t know what music you will get so your musicality is really important. Dancing with Naomi “the spin kitten” was such an honour.
You tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyc4z29pGdU
Some random swing highlights:
Century Ballroom - Camp Jitterbug Seattle USA
Scott's greatest swing highlight was when a packed ballroom gave Fi Daff, Scott's dance partner and himself a standing ovation. It was particularly special, as his idols -Tip, Jason and Kevin St Lauren were the first to come and say congratulations.
Ballroom Camp Catalina - Catalina Island California USA
Erin Stevens advised Scott and dance partner Fi that Steven Mitchell requested they perform after the Swedish performance troupe "Shout & Feel it". It was a wonderful experience for them to perform in a place where Benny Goodman had spent many a night playing for the dancers. Once again, the American crowds were very generous. But it was Steven Mitchell who was their guardian angel that night as he jumped up and down and cheered them from at the back.
Frankie Manning was also there, he went up to Scott and Fi and said, "See, I told you that you Aussies should come over and show the Americans what you can do." It was cool that he remembered his time in Melbourne in 2002, when he had encouraged them to compete in the States.
Spending 2 hours with Frankie Manning in my car
Wellington Festival New Zealand with Claudia Funder
Jazz & Blues Festival Brisbane QLD (2001 & 2002)
Feature dancer for Disney re opening of Pearl
Original member of Melbourne's first performance troupe, The Boogie Stompers
Every Air Patrol performance was a total high
Performing with Claudia at the Showroom at Crown Performing Nosey Joe in Prague for drunken revelers with Jade
Performing at the Zoo with so many faces loving swing for the first time
Spontaneous jam session at the St. Kilda Festival
Spontaneous jam session at first CD launch for Pearly Shells at Continental
Teaching at the Osaka Swing Festival in Japan
Performing at the Frankie Manning Ball in Melbourne 2002
Dancing at amazing dance events in Montpellier, Barcelona. London, all over the USA and all over OZ.
Meeting so many inspiring people thru dance.
Working with talented dancers
Making friends for life.
Competition Results
People describe Scott as the guy that paved the way for other Australian dancers. His 3rd and 4th at the 2002 American Lindy Hop Championships was a huge result for Australian swing dancing which was reflected in the applause they received when they arrived home by dancers in both Sydney and Melbourne. Have a read of his American journey.
Here are just a few competition results:
3rd Place American Lindy Hop Champ'ships
Showtime Division New York USA 2002
4th Place American Lindy Hop Champ'ships
Open Showcase New York USA 2002
1st Place Best of the Best (won trip to USA)
Swing Sydney 2001
1st Place National Championships
Lindy Hop Pro - Sydney 2001
1st Place Pan Pacific Championships
Lindy Hop Pro - Sydney 2001
1st Place Pan Pacific Championships
Lindy Hop Pro - Sydney 2002
1st Place QLD Championships
Lindy Hop Pro - Caloundra 2002
1st Place Victorian Championships (VRRDA)
State Title Geelong 2001
1st Place Victorian Championships (VRRDA)
Triples - Geelong 2001
1st Place Victorian Championships (VRRDA)
Lindy Hop Lifts - Melbourne 2001, 2002 & 2003
2nd Place Best of the Best
Rock & Roll - Sydney 2001 & 2002
2nd Place Victorian Championships (VRRDA)
State Title - Melbourne 2002 and 2003
2002 American Lindy Hop Champ'ships (New York, USA)
Swing dance lessons London
First & third photos taken by and used with permission from Scott Mclean. You can see more of his photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8173343@N04/sets/
