Smooth & EZ Hand Dance

Smooth & EZ Unlimited is the oldest, largest and best hand dance performing arts troupe in the Washington, D.C. area. Established in 1994 by Lawrence (Brad) Bradford, the troupe was renamed Smooth & EZ Unlimited (SEZU) following Brad's passing. The organization is committed to dance education and performance, with a mission to teach, promote, and sustain the art of hand dance while serving as a cultural resource to the community.

SEZU has performed locally and nationally for government and private organizations, with performances ranging from Washington, D.C. to Las Vegas, Nevada, and from Massachusetts to Atlanta, Georgia. The troupe and its individual members have competed in numerous dance competitions. This unique style and teaching method has been so widely received that SEZU was solely responsible for having hand dance declared the official dance of Washington, DC.

Classes are taught at three levels at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier. The beginner hand dance class meets Thursdays at 6:30 pm and covers fundamentals including the six count basic step, turns, swings and footwork. The intermediate class follows at 7:45 pm on Thursdays, building vocabulary into new combinations and exploring how music shapes the dance. The advanced class meets Saturdays at 10:00 am for those ready to apply musicality and learn new amalgamations.

Beyond classes, SEZU organizes regular social dance parties at venues across the DMV, including Hand Dance Parties at Fire Station 1 and Friday Night Hand Dance Parties at VFW Wheaton. These events are described as "the DMV's BEST dance party by hand dancers for hand dancers, line dancers, and those that love them." The troupe also offers workshops and intensives and maintains a network of affiliate classes taught by instructors at locations including American Legion posts and churches throughout Maryland and DC.

Drop into a class at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier for $15. Beginner classes on Thursday evenings teach the fundamentals of hand dance and DC swing step by step. You'll learn the six count basic, turns, swings and footwork in a 15-week progressive series, with social dance parties regularly held across the DMV if you want to practice what you've learned.

The troupe was founded by Lawrence (Brad) Bradford in 1994 and continues under SEZU leadership. Affiliate classes throughout the DMV are taught by instructors including Kermit Banks, Novella Campbell, Kevin Murray, Marion Ennis Jr., Kevin Fitzhugh, Markus Smith, Tren Veal, and Justin Spencer.

The beginner class is a 15-week progressive series teaching fundamentals from scratch, with the source promising "you dancing in weeks."