How -chriscoxey got into swing
I'd tried to learn on several occasions from ballroom dance classes, but they weren't teaching what I wanted to learn. I'd been in occasional jazz / modern / ballet classes since I was small, but more importantly I danced at every club I came across. My "brother" Jeffrey, a family friend, knew how to swing, loved it, and wanted to teach classes. I appeared in his life just as he needed a partner to teach with. I learned each move before classes, then taught them an hour later.
At the end of those eight months, we had taught hundreds and hundreds of people, five or six lessons a week all over the island, were throwing dances, had a popular swing dance troup organized "Sooke Swing Kids", and were doing demonstrations and shows all around Victoria, BC. It was a blast! We learned and made up tons of aerials and cool steps. It was a very creative time.

What has happened since then
Eventually, I wanted to come back home to Anchorage. I spent the first couple of months learning new swing moves so that I was on the same page as everyone else. It also took me a little while to stop taking flying leaps at people when they gave me leads they didn't know they were giving me.
Going down to the Swing Camps has been an absolutely wonderful experience too. The history and reality of it is a movie come to life! The ballrooms, the outfits, the attitude, ...it's a very surreal "I can't believe I'm seeing this" kind of feeling. And then there's that "I can't feel my legs" feeling after you get through a day of classes...

Quotes Christine lives by
Work smarter, not harder. Focus on the goal, not the obstacles. Don't worry, just close your eyes and go for it. Whining makes people hate you. You're given all the ingredients, what you do with them is your own fault. Question everything, but not everybody. Certain people are toxic personalities. Send them to their own planet, don't let them put a toe on yours. Negativity is a cop-out for not putting effort into being happy. Don't tone yourself down for others, if you live loud, you allow them to too.

Hobbies
Fishkeeping, plants & african violets, rock watching (sport where you sit around and watch men rock climb), my parakeets (4, wings clipped, take them on weekly hikes and let them hang out play in the trees, grass - different, but in the human world if they throw you in a cage for ten years, it's usually because you killed someone). Photography, drawing, writing, anything artsy. Get togethers, girls night out, outdoorsy stuff.

Favorite swing websites
This one. I wanted one where I could see what was going on and it sounds like this will be it.

Favorite general swing CDs
The fast ones.
I like dramatic, big, loud songs that make you want to emote or jump around.

Swing performances
Dancer during the closing ceremony performances at the 2001 Special Olympics.