Event Manager

Amanda Ashcraft, NY

Chairman of Judges

Cathi Nyemchek, NY
Chairman of Judges, World Class Adjudicator and Scrutineer with the National Dance Council of America, USA Dance & the World Dance Council . Former United States Junior and Amateur, American & International Style Champion. Former
United States Professional International 10-Dance Champion. Represented the United States in many World Championships. Founding Member & Performer of the American Ballroom Company which performed world wide. Owner of Nyemchek's Ballroom and Performing Arts Centre, Pearl River, N.Y. Co-Organizer of The Yankee Classic & New England & World Masters DanceSport Championships which are held every June in Boston.

Adjudicators

Sandra Fortuna, NJ
BA in Dance
Adjudicator
Invigilator
Quintuple Fellow NATDA, US Terpsichore
Examiner Dance Visions International
US National Top Teacher
Trainer for Teacher Certifications
Lecturer USISTD Summer Congress
Former professional ballet dancer
Former professional competitor all divisions
Former organizer NDCA sanctioned Atlantic Coast Championship
Former chairman of judges, USA Dance National and Regional Championships
International Latin professional championship finalist
Original founder, artistic director American DanceWheels Foundation
Choreographer BBC’s TV show, Dancing On Wheels
Choreographer TLC’s Documentary, Dancer With the Tiny Legs
Choreographer Camden City’s Brilliance Readiness Formal
Recipient NDCA Community Service Award, 2008
Author Teachers’ Manual Wheelchair Dancing, Wheel Ease
Contributor, American Dancer, Dance Beat, Top Line, Dance Zone, Amateur Dancer, Dance Week

Bruce Hasson, NC
Former Open smooth and Rhythm Finalist
Certified Adjudicator Certified Scrutineer
Competition Organizer
Coaching of all levels of students and staff
Choreographer, showcases, exhibitions, etc.
Organizational skills for teachers, competitions, showcases, presentations training for staff certifications and professional exams.

Paul Huston, MD

John Nyemchek, NY
World Class Adjudicator with the National Dance Council of America , USA Dance & the World Dance Council. Fellow & Examiner of the N.A.D.T.A. Co-author of the Hustle Technique Book and Bronze Hustle Video Tape. Certified Wheel Chair Instructor. Dance Director for Roll Call Wheel Chair Dance. Former United States Junior and Amateur, American & International Style Champion. Former United States International 10-Dance Champion. Represented the United States at many World Championships. Founding member & Performer of the American Ballroom Company which performed world wide. Owner of Nyemchek's Ballroom and Performing Arts Centre, Pearl River, N.Y. Co-Organizer of The Yankee Classic & New England & World Masters DanceSport Championships which are held every June in Boston.

Lydia Petrigova, VA
Lydia is a top professional ballroom dancer, performer, teacher and choreographer in Ballroom, Latin, Ballet Character, and Jazz styles, from St. Petersburg, Russia. Her extraordinary rise in ballroom dance in Russia, extensive dance experience, and exceptional talent as a coach has brought her recognition not only in Russia, but also in the United States.
In Russia and later in the U.S., Lydia worked with companies to develop a new and exciting ballroom training and instruction program especially for youth and children. Lydia established the very first children's program in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has enjoyed enormous success. This was followed by the launch of a new program here in the Washington, DC area in June of 2003.
Lydia was trained by and has worked with a variety of world famous coaches and choreographers. Her competitive dance record and expertise as the Artistic Director for the children's dance schools Altair (St. Petersburg, Russia ) and InterDance (the United States ), place her in the top echelons of ballroom dance.
Source: dcdancesportacademy.com

Tatyana Rubin, MD
Tatyana is a professional ballroom dancer who started her dance career in 1970 and competed in many international competitions in her home country, Russia, and also in Europe and the United States. She has been teaching dancing since 1976.
In 1979 Tatyana turned professional after reaching the top amateur position in her home country. During her professional career she represented Russia in various international competitions held all over the world with very successful results. In 1983, she opened her own dance studio and worked with a large number of social and competitive dancers.
Source: ballroomdancemd.com

Nick Short, MD
Nick Short is a prominent American-Style coach, much in demand for his creative choreography and excellent teaching methods.  He is co-owner of Avant Garde Ballroom Dance Center and co-organizer of the Black and White Ball.  His professional qualifications include: member of the NDCA, NDATA, USA Dance, and a US National Adjudicator.  His dancing career is marked by winning both the American-Style Smooth and Rhythm Professional Championships, US Pro-Am Championship titles in American Smooth, Rhythm, and Theatrical, a Command Performance at the palace for the King and Queen in Thailand, and awarded the prestigious Feather Award for outstanding achievement.  Nick remains deeply committed to American-Style dancing through his passion for the art of dance.

Dawna Nocera, MA
Dawna Nocera is a certified World-Class adjudicator. She is registered with both the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance and Dancesport Council. She has been seen numerous times performing and teaching on network and cable television. With her husband, Mark Nocera, she has operated Studio 665 in Woburn for the past 30 years. Mark and Dawna are co-organizers of the Eastern US Dancesport Championship, which takes place in February, and the Massachusetts Dancesport Challenge, taking place in August.

Mark Nocera, MA
Mark Nocera is currently registered as a World-Class Adjudicator with both the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance and Dancesport Council. Mark is also a National Examiner for DVIDA. Additionally, Mark serves as the head coach of the Tufts University ballroom dance team. Mark and his wife Dawna have operated Studio 665 in Woburn for the past 30 years. They are co-organizers of the Eastern US Dancesport Championships, which take place in February, and the Massachusetts Dancesport Challenge, taking place in August.

Allan Tornsberg, Denmark
With over 35 years of dancing experience and several World and European championship titles under his belt, professional dancer Allan Tornsberg is today known to be one of the best and most educated teacher and choreographer in the world.

READ ALLAN's BIO

Andrea Zaramella, Italy

Master Of Ceremonies

Donna Edelstein, MN

Scrutineer

Len Diana, CT

Music Director

Dr. Peter Collins, NY
Peter Collins is an accomplished Music Director working at events throughout the U.S., Canada and overseas since 1982. He and his partner, Amy Cousins, are former undefeated US National Amateur Champions and US representatives to the World Amateur Championships. Since 1999, he has taught ballroom dancing and competed professionally with his partner and with Pro-Am students. He coached the University of Virginia Ballroom Dance Club which he organized in 2001, and founded and operated the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Englewood, NJ from 1999 to 2003.

Registrar

Andrea Ringgold, MD

Deck Captain

Silvia Foster, MD
Dance Instruction/Choreography/Dance Fitness
Dance Coach/Instructor, Avant Garde Ballroom Dance Center
Teaches Private and group Ballroom Dance Classes
Acts as social director and hostess at Special Events

OTHER ACOMPLISHMENTS/AWARDS
Silvia, with her dance partner Corey Von Ginkel, achieved Top Teacher Awards at Virginia State, Capital Dancesport, Yuletide Championships, 3 Rivers Ballroom Dance Challenge; Runners up at the North American Championships in N. J. and they were the American Smooth Champions at the European Dancesport Championships held in Barcelona, Spain in 2008
As a Professional Competitor she has won the MD Invitational Rising Star Championships as well as winning National Finalist placements at the Southwestern Invitational, Milwaukee Open, Twin Cities Championships, VA State, Capital DanceSport, Yuletide Championships, Kansas City Invitational. She ranked 2nd Top Female Teacher in the country by the National Superbowl Dancesport Series from 2002 thru 2007.
Silvia has been teaching over 19 years in the DC Metropolitan area and is a proud Licentiate member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, the largest and most prestigious teaching society in the world; having received 2 certifications with honors.
Silvia currently also teaches and performs Flamenco Shows in the DC Metropolitan Area. She is also certified with Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance, Certified LaBlast instructor and Lisenced with Zumba LLC

Ballroom Coordinator and Awards

Marianne Hallahan, VA

Graphic Design

Laura Alina Alexandru, VA