Sharlot Bott has been a champion dancer for 4 decades. As one of the longest running champion dancers on the West Coast Swing circuit, she is known for her classic, sophisticated, and elegant west coast swing style. Today, she serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. She served 8 years as Chief Judge for Atlanta Grand Nationals. She is a Master teacher and Judge. More recently, because of her love of music, she DJ’s clubs and events. She is married to Mark Scheuffele, together they continue to dance, teach, judge and serve on Swing Dance Boards and committees. Together they traveled to Australia, assisting in the GSDTA certification of dancers in Adelaide. Early on, inspired by the movie, Saturday Night Fever, Sharlot studied and competed on the Hustle circuit in 1978, 79, and 80. She began swing dancing in 1982, at Sundance Studios in Downey. She began her competitive partnering career in 1984. She began training with Aerial coaches, while taking other dance disciplines including Jazz and Ballet. With only 2 years of swing dancing, in 1985, Sharlot and her partner, Jim Fisk, won the U.S. OPEN SWING DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Showcase Division. Sharlot studied the elements of teaching in the early 90’s with Skippy Blair. She received teachers and judges certification through GSDTA Golden State Dance Teachers Association. She and her partner and husband, Wayne Bott, began their dance career in 1992. As partners they competed and won numerous National Dance Championships. In 1993 they began to travel the US dancing, competing, performing, judging, teaching, and influencing the masses. Wayne and Sharlot produced 13 West Coast Swing videos. These videos have received wide spread interest and praise throughout the world. Sadly, Wayne Bott passed in 2008. In 2012, the videos were retired and are now offered on Sharlot’s YouTube channel to allow the west coast swing community a means to learn from the past. Sharlot social danced for 8 years outdoors at Disneyland’s Carnation Pavilion to live Big Bands. It is here where she began understanding and implementing her own creativity into her dance. 1986 to 1991, Sharlot partnered with Lance Shermoen. With Lance, she often went to Bobby McGees for social dancing, watching the likes of Hall of Famers, Dean Collins, Hal & Marge Takier, Bart Bartolo, Natalie Esparza, Ed and Inez, Jonathan and Sylvia, and more. She got to know the swing dancers from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s who kindly welcomed she and Lance. Lance and Sharlot perfected the art of aerials, and were known for the ability to achieve 12 continuous rotational shoulder aerials at a jam in Dallas. They performed at Country Clubs, on Cruise Ships, Company Parties, Swing Events, Parades, Retirement Communities, at local charity events, and at the Feather Awards. Together, they achieved 2 US Open Showcase titles and a Feather Award for Best Showcase female. Sharlot was part of the early influence of the crossover of Swing Styles; West Coast and Dallas Push. In 1992 Sharlot partnered with Wayne Bott. They were well known for being West Coast Swing innovators. They traveled to to New York bringing their West Coast Swing style to the East Coast Swing community, along with adding Atlanta to her travels in the early 90’s contributing to the merging of Shag and West Coast Swing styles. During this decade, Wayne and Sharlot were competing throughout the States, and training, mentoring, coaching, and influencing the stars of today, such as Jordan and Tatiana, Kyle and Sarah, Jessica and Parker.
Notable Accomplishments: 1985, 1986, 1990, 1st place Showcase Division, US Open Swing Dance Championships. 1990, Feather Award Recipient, Best Showcase Female Dancer. Inductee, California Swing Dance Hall of Fame, Rising Star/Shining Star/Couples Inductee. World Swing Dance Council Hall of Fame Inductee. Performed Aerials with Lance in the movie “Shout” staring John Travolta. 1993, with Wayne, 1st place Classic Division New York American Swing Dance Championships. 1997, with Wayne, 2nd place, Superstar Division, U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships. 1994, Certified GSDTA teacher. Multiple 1st Place Jack and Jill and Strictly Swing Professional awards. 1995 – 2005, multiple 1st place awards U.S. Swing Circuit’s Classic Division. Year 2000 became a Shareholder/Board member US OPEN Swing Dance Championships. 2008 -2018 Strictly Swing first place awards with Mark Scheuffele, and Muti-Champion JJ awards.