“Such fun! Charming and talented, I love watching these two dance.”
– Charlotte Lily Gaspard, Artistic Director of Midnight Radio Show
The Dysfunctional Swingers
The Dysfunctional Swingers were founded in 2014 when Emily Edwards and Brendan McGlynn met through their mutual love of swing dance. They soon realized they also both had a love for story-telling through dance and thus, the partnership was born. The Dysfunctional Swingers have performed all over NYC including The Slipper Room, Cherry Lane Theater, the Way Station, Victorian Gardens in Central Park, Gene Frankel Theater, working with Dysfunctional Theatre, Over Share Cabaret, Midnight Radio Show, and in conjunction with the Bobby Oahu Band. They had a five year residency on Governors Island as part of the Dysfunctional Collective. They have a vaudevillian sense of humor with their dancing and believe that swing is a dance form that should be accessible to everyone.
Emily Edwards
Emily has been dancing for over 30 years and has been in love with swing since she discovered it in high school. She has danced with Gehring Dancetheatre, Giada Ferrone, Alternative Arts Association, and Joe Palmer and performed at venues across New York and New Jersey including Lincoln Center, Alvin Ailey, and Dixon Place, and internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe. Emily also has an extensive theater history – choreographing musicals and plays for NJIT/Rutgers University, Brooklyn College, Ensemble Studio Theater, The Flea, The Brick, and more. Emily has an undergrad degree in dance from Butler University and an MFA in directing from Brooklyn College. She is currently on faculty at Garden State Ballet and is a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University. For more info, check out her website.
Brendan McGlynn
Brendan has been swingin’ for as long as he can remember. He’s performed with Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall, with the nationally touring musical Swing Dance America, in George Gershwin’s jazzy opera Blue Monday at the Cotton Club, and in Twin Danger’s music video Sailor. When not dancing with Emily, he enjoys pearling fusion dance with his other dance partner, Arielle. He loves talking about himself in the third person, and he’s happy to share his love of dance with all comers.
