Stephen Sayer and Chanzie Rasputin swing dance

by Felix P: Dance

Stephen Sayer and Chanzie (Chandrae Roettig Gomez) turn a ballroom into a whole different world the moment Boney M’s “Rasputin” kicks in. Their movement pulls from swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug, but then it drops into something deeper, the low, explosive squats and sharp kicks of the kazachok and barynya, pulled straight out of Russian folk tradition. It’s not a gimmick; it’s a fusion that breathes. African American swing traditions and Russian folk dance traditions crash together in a way that feels completely natural, like they were always meant to share the same floor. Years of practice, teaching, and performing together built a partnership where every lead and follow is instant. Stephen’s footwork glides with an almost casual control, while Chanzie answers with fire and a playful power that refuses to hold back. They trade smiles, eye contact, and the occasional laugh mid-move, never slipping out of the music. That raw vitality and chemistry make the whole thing feel spontaneous and inevitable at once, mastery that doesn’t need to show off because it’s too busy living inside the beat. The “Rasputin” track itself pushes the energy higher. Its disco pulse and folkloric undertones meet the couple’s precise timing and joyful connection, and suddenly the dance becomes a living bridge between eras and cultures. This isn’t a polished, locked-down performance. It’s two people transmitting pure celebration, the kind that makes you forget you’re watching a screen and just want to move.