Fifteen Years of Bachata at the Ballroom: Alison’s Tribute to Jonathan

After fifteen years of dancing, teaching, and shaping Seattle’s Bachata scene together, Alison reflects on her partnership with Jonathan Wingard-Phillips. Here is an excerpt of her letter.

“I first met Jonathan Wingard Phillips when he walked into a beginning salsa class I was teaching, in the early 2000s. Even in a class of 40 people, his energy, his delight and his huge grin stood out. When he found Bachata, salsa disappeared and this new love became his whole dance world. He aggressively went after every opportunity available to dance and learn. I think that is the only context in which I would put “aggressive” and “Jonathan” in the same sentence.

Around 2010, I asked him to partner with me to teach bachata. I had started the Bachata Social and he was there every week. He danced with everyone in the room and on his way out the door he looked like he needed a cigarette. Every week he looked like THAT night was his best dancing night ever.

I picked Jonathan because I wanted his open, kind nature to rub off on me. His enthusiasm is effortless and consistent. He doesn’t criticize. He laughs easily. He has the rare ability to be both discerning and non-judgmental. He doesn’t look for external validation. He has little appetite for gossip and endless patience with my occasional rants. In the years we’ve been partnering each other, he has only become more of those things.

Dancing with Jonathan is delicious, safe, connected, responsive, playful and authentic. I’m sure it’s happened, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him say no to a dance. Just the other night, someone - a stranger - asked him to dance on his way out of the club. He changed back into his dance shoes just for that one more opportunity.

We’ve been an unlikely pairing from the beginning. There is a considerable difference in age, experience and temperament. I’m so grateful to receive the payoff that comes from betting on long odds. Jonathan, thank you for everything you’ve done for the dance community, for your contribution to heart of bachata in Seattle, for all you did to create what bachata at the Ballroom is, and for being my loyal friend and partner.”