Fayetteville residents Linda Robinson and Bob McSwiggan recently competed in two regional dance competitions. In April they competed in the Applause National Talent Presentations held in the Gwinnett Civic Center and the Dance Educators of America Competition in Palmetto.

The duo performed the comic two-bum piece “A Couple of Swells,” the dance made famous by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in Irving Berlin’s movie “Easter Parade.”

At the Dance Educators of America Competition’s awards ceremony they took top honors when they won First Place in the adult category winning a Platinum Award scoring 296 out of a possible 300-point system.

The night before they competed in the Applause Talent Presentation. With an average age of 69, they beat out other adult groups in the 26-39-age category for the First Place Overall Trophy. The duet was also awarded a High-Gold trophy, a cash award, and the Super Swell Award.

Both dancers are students of the Doris Russell School of Performing Arts located in Tyrone under the direction of Steven Ball and are members of the adult dance class there. Bethany Hayes Smith who joined the studio last year choreographed the award winning number.

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