Dylan Sisneros isn’t afraid to show off his moves — whether it’s on the basketball court or the dance floor.

As a 6-foot-5 power forward for Doherty, Sisneros doesn’t shy from physical contact. His 61 rebounds are  among the leaders for Class 5A players and the junior leads the Spartans in blocked shots.

As a dancer who specializes in the West Coast Swing, Sisneros doesn’t mind adopting a finesse approach. He won the novice division at the Colorado Country Classic, finished runner-up in novice at Swing City Chicago and was third in the intermediate class at Swing Time in the Rockies.

The connection isn’t obvious, but Sisneros has found success in both.

“To me, there are not a whole lot (of similarities),” he said. “Dancing does help me get into the rhythm of basketball.”

While dancing has led to some good-natured ribbing from his coach, Sisneros is anything but bashful. He’s performed in front of the student body and is quick to point out that “girls love guys who can dance.”

West Coast Swing, often recognized for the partners’ connection and elastic look while dancing, can be performed to any type of music. Sisneros — along with his older brother, Manuel, and younger sister, Cheyenne, — adopted the dance when he was 15.

But it wasn’t love at first step. In fact, James Sisneros recalls a time when his children were reluctant to give it a shot. A trip to a Denver dance changed that.

“On the way back, they were like ‘Dad, we got to learn more moves!’” he said.

Dancing quickly became a bonding experience for the father and his children.

“It’s been awesome for me, as their dad, for us all to want to do something,” he said. “It’s hard with teenagers; they usually don’t want to interact with you.”

Dancing is more than a fad for the Sisneros family. Their love for West Coast Swing has led to the installment of a dance floor in their basement, and they often travel to Denver on Sundays to perform at the Turnverein, a cultural center that hosts dancing events.

“My favorite part (of dancing) is meeting new people and coming up with new moves,” said Dylan, who hopes eventually to compete at the advanced level and perhaps teach West Coast Swing locally.

But he’s not about to give up on basketball. That’s good news for coach Dan McKiernan and the Spartans, who face unbeaten Rampart next Tuesday.

“He’s a very good kid and a very good athlete,” McKiernan said. “I think part of that is because he’s a good dancer — he has good footwork.”

With the majority of his basement made into a dance floor, Spartans forward Dylan Sisneros displayed some of his West Coast Swing moves with his sister, Cheyenne, as a partner Sunday. Photo by MARIAH TAUGER, THE GAZETTE

Photo by MARIAH TAUGER, THE GAZETTE

Photo by MARIAH TAUGER, THE GAZETTE