In Memoriam

Lance was one of the legends of the Swing Dance world. A champion in many divisions- he learned it from the previous generation of the ‘originals”. Robert Cordoba posted this tribute to him that says it all;

“So I wake up in Europe to the sad news of the passing of my friend Lance Shermoen. It takes me back 32 years when I first got to meet you.

“We were on our way with the Latin dance team to compete at the World Championships. You were the elder statesman I was the young punk kid of the team.

“We called you “Lance Romance” because you were so damn good looking the girls all fell for you. Now looking back I don’t know if it was because of your looks, because you could dance, because you were so nice or all of the above. Back then, for me, was when you first gave to the world the gift of your passion for dance.

“At the time I really didn’t know you. I thought you were just another ballroom dancer like me. You hadn’t even won your first of many US Opens. You were just starting on your way to set the bar, to set the standard for all of us who would follow in your footsteps in competition, in performances and in the love and passion of dance especially West Coast Swing.

“We were on the bus going to the Championships with one of the German teams because we had the same coach. I remember how excited you were to show these kids this dance called West Coast Swing. You and Melody Cochrane dancing it. You would step into the row as she would side pass down the aisle. You did a Sugar Push and a Whip the same way. My first ever experience from someone who wasn’t doing ballroom swing. You planted this seed in my brain that day which I didn’t even realize until today when I started thinking back to those days, how much of an impact you had on me. We lost track after that for a short while.

“While I continued with Latin you went and took the West Coast Swing Dance world by storm. In ’85 I went to watch my first US Open. I saw you there we talked again. By now you were the King of the hill having won the first two Opens. You were still as humble and excited as when we first met. When I finally came into the West Coast Swing fold a few years later you greeted me with warmth and kindness. You may not know it but you continued to inspire to me to try and achieve just an ounce of your greatness. Not only in competition but in how you helped spread the dance and bring the same joy you got from it to the world.

“The world will never really know how many people you touched starting with that day in 1982. To all those that watched you at the US Open. To all the kids you used to toss around like beach balls on Lynn Vogen’s ” Bandstand” team. To all those who watched you in Invitational & Champion J&Js. To all those you unselfishly helped learning the dance or lifts, like me with the pinwheel lift which became my favorite lift in Showcase. To those you helped with your scoring, doing taxes. Everything you did you did with passion. You gave the world your biggest passion DANCE!

“Just know that today this is being paid forward in great part due to you and that young punk kid you met back in ’82. I’m just one of many who were influenced by the Great Lance Shermoen. Rest in peace my friend. Oh and don’t forget to say hi to Jack and Kenny and all the other dancers that have gone before us. You guys start the party without us we’ll be there eventually.”

Passed away February 4th, 2014 and has joined many of our friends in the Ballroom in the Sky. Lance had been admitted to the hospital after he went into respiratory failure.