| Adjudicators and Officials | ||
| Amy Block_Hamilton | Adjudicator - West Orange, NJ NDCA+ISTD - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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| Amy has enjoyed a successful career as a top competitor and performer in the United States and internationally. Among her achievements are Grand Finalist in all major National Standard Championships and Champion in numerous regional competitions. Amy is a National and World Class Adjudicator, a Member of the ISTD, and holds a Masters Degree in Dance from New York University. Many top professional, amateur, and pro-am dancers credit their training to her. Currently, Amy lives in New Jersey and coaches mainly in the tri-state area. | ||
| Wayne Crowder | Adjudicator - Eden, NC NDCA+USA Dance+IDSF+ISTD - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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Wayne is a four time USA Dance Amateur Champion in Latin and a 3-time USA representative to the IDSF World Latin Championships. Wayne has won numerous Regional Standard and Latin Championship titles and was a Standard finalist in the USA DanceSport National Championships. Wayne is a National Certified Adjudicator and a Fellow Member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (the ISTD). Wayne also serves on the President of the United States Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, as well as a Dancesport Council member of USA Dance. |
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| Bill Davies | Adjudicator - New York, NY NDCA+USA Dance - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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Bill Davies Is currently celebrating more than fifty years as a dance teacher, competitor, DanceSport Coach and World Class Adjudicator. He is one of the founding US professionals of the Teacher Student competitions known as “Pro/Am” which have become the main stay of U.S. competitions in today’s world. Bill was a member of the first, as well as several other United States teams which represented the United States at the British Ballroom Championships. In 1978 he placed eighth in the World Championships held in Tyoko Japan. He has won and been a finalist in numerous overseas championships. He is a nine time "North American Champion", a three times "United States Champion, runner up in the 1973 "United States American Style Championships," and has been a finalist in many Latin Championships. He is currently teaching and coaching around the world and loves to social dance. | |
| Bonnie Diaz | Adjudicator - NY | |
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Bonnie Diaz is the first World Champion for the United States, Three Times Ten Dance Representative and Eleven Times Undefeated Basic Latin Champion. She is a guest teacher at the Joffery Ballet School, Gelsey Kirkland Ballet Academy and on Faculty at Ballet Hispanico as a coach and choreographer. Her proudest accomplishment to date is her not for profit organization www.BallroomBarks.org, using Ballroom Dance to champion animal causes. She resides in New York City. Bonnie is producing her own DVD series called Diaz Dance Dynamics to be out by the end of 2011. | |
| Andrei Gavriline | Adjudicator - Fords, NJ NDCA+USA Dance - A+ B+ C+ D+ |
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3-time United States National Professional Latin Champion World Professional Latin Grand Finalists. 2-time America’s Best Professional Champions – televised on PBS. British Open Professional Rising Star Latin Champions – Blackpool -England British Open Latin American Finalists – Blackpool, UK – England | |
| Peggy Heeney | Adjudicator - Jackson Heights, NY NDCA - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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| Ruta Ioukhnikov | Adjudicator - Sharon, MA NDCA - A- B- |
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| Eugene Katsevman | Adjudicator - Brooklyn, NY NDCA - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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Eugene, along with partner Maria Manusova, is the 11 time Undefeated US National Champion, World Games Gold Medalist, IDSF Grand Slam Winner, Professional British Open and World Championship Finalist. Owner of Brooklyn DanceSport Club opening January of 2011. | |
| Tibor Kerekes | Adjudicator - Waltham, MA NDCA - A- B- C- D- E- |
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Tibor Kerekes is co-owner of SuperShag Mega Dance Complex. He brings over 20 years of dance experience to the studio and his dance instruction. Tibor is passionate about helping people express themselves through dance.He is certified in International Standard, International Latin, American Smooth, American Rhythm and Theater Arts. Students say that his zeal inspires them to overcome their inhibitions and become better dancers. A Hungarian native, before coming to America to work at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Tibor was a member of Hungarys prestigious National Formation Team, which led him to seek a career in professional ballroom dance. Tibor was a three-time finalist in the Hungarian Grand Prix, a semi-finalist in the 10-Dance World Cup, and a three-time third place finalist in the Hungarian 10-Dance Championship. | |
| Jennifer Ford McCalla | Adjudicator - Suffern, NY | |
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Jennifer McCalla is a World Class Adjudicator and highly sought-after coach. She holds the highest levels of accreditation from both FADS and the ISTD. As a competitor she was four-time United States Amateur Champion and represented the US in Latin, Standard, and 10-Dance Championhsips. She was undefeated Fred Astaire National Champions in Smooth from 1995-1997 and won many Rising Star Championship Titles at Eastern US and US in Standard, Latin, and Smooth, along with Smooth Rising Star Titles at Ohio Star, Breakers, and the Texas Challenge. | |
| Gherman Mustuc | Adjudicator - | |
| Mark Nocera | Adjudicator - Nahant, MA NDCA+USA Dance - A+ B+ C+ D+ |
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Mark Nocera has been in the ballroom dance industry for 35 years. In that time he has competed and performed all over the world. Along with his wife Dawna, his titles include North American Champion, United States Vice Champion,and United Kingdom Finalist. They have also appeared many times on television including being featured on ABC’s 20/20 and Chronicle. Following a very successful competitive career which brought them all the way to representing the U.S. at the World Championships, Mark and Dawna continued their endeavor for excellence in the dance world. As the owners of Studio 665 in Woburn, MA, Mark and Dawna have coached many professional and amateur couples for over 25 years and have been awarded numerous top teacher and top studio awards at competitions all over the United States and Canada. Mark is recognized as a World-class adjudicator by the National Dance Council of America, World Dancesport Council and he is a national examiner for DVIDA (Dance Vision International Dance Association). | |
| Patti Panebianco | Adjudicator - New York | |
| Patti’s Dynamic Energy & Charisma make her an Electrifying teacher and performer! She is the recipient of over 25 professional titles in the International Latin Rising Star and Open Categories and has won 1st Place in the Professional American Rhythm Category. Patti is co-choreographer and appears in the movie “The Marconi Brothers”, and has performed in many other theatre & film productions. Treasurer of: The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, and is also a National Committee Member. Member of: USA Dance, USISTD, ISTD, NDCA, NADTA, USTA & Lifetime member of DEA. Licentiate Degrees in Int’l Latin, Standard, American Rhythm, American Smooth & Theatre Arts. Certified in Performing Arts. Championship & World Class Judge. | ||
| Andrew Michael Phillips | Adjudicator - New York, NY NDCA - A+ B+ E+ |
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| A native of Minsk, Belarus, Andrew Phillips immigrated to the United States in 1994. Upon his arrival, Andrew quickly became renowned as one of the country’s leading competitors in International Latin Dancesport. He gained notoriety by winning such prestigious competitions as the Northeast Open Invitational, Ohio Star Ball, Japan Open Invitational, United States World Rising Star Championship, and Blackpool where he was a rising star champion. His global standing in 2003 was number 2 in the United States and number 7 in the world. Andrew retired from competitive life in 2003 and now teaches worldwide in New York, Japan and Hong Kong. He also adjudicates numerous competitions in the United States. His greatest accomplishment was becoming an American citizen in 2005. | ||
| Igor Pilipenchuk | Adjudicator - Baltimore, MD NDCA - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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Igor and his wife Polina were Standard, Latin, and 10-Dance champions in their native Belarus. Since immigrating to the United States in 1994, Igor has won over 100 Open Professional Championships and has represented the US at the World Professional 10-Dance Championships since 1998. He is a two-time US Professional 10-Dance Champion and a three-time North American 10-Dance Champion. He and Polina own the Atlantic Ballroom in Baltimore | |
| Inez Sarah Sahlin | Adjudicator - Franconia, NH NDCA+USA Dance+ISTD - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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Inez Sahlin is a Licenciate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and a member of USA Dance, World DanceSport Federation, NDCA, World Dance Council, Dance Teachers Club of Boston and CID (International Dance Council). As an acclaimed World Championship and National adjudicator she represents the United States judging World and Continental Championships, Cups and many other International, Open and National Championships and competitions. Her dance achievements include World Championship Finals, European Cup Semifinals, US Open Semifinals and numerous Championship titles. Mrs. Sahlin works with the Star Dance (Dancing with the Stars) program in Czech Republic, appears on television as a consultant and advises and coaches other sport and art disciplines (skating, rhythmic gymnastics, theater productions). She coaches independently in the United States and regularly in Europe. Her coaching work successes include World, European and Blackpool Champions and Finalists in several age categories. | |
| Erich Staeldi | Adjudicator - Switzerland | |
| Dasha Sushko | Adjudicator - Matawan, NJ NDCA+USA Dance - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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Dasha Sushko is a National and World Class Adjudicator. She began her career at the age of six in Russia. Dasha became Five-Time Russian Champion in three different programs - "Standard", "Latin" and "Ten Dances" among Amateurs. Later on she and her dance partner Alexey were rated among 10 best couples of Russia in National Championships. After moving to the United States in 2005, she participated in numerous Professional National and International competitions and achieved outstanding results with her dance partner Vladimir Popov. Several times she was a finalist of United States National Professional Rising Star International Standard Championship. Early in 2011, she opened her very own Dance studio "Ballroom Dream" where she strives to teach, motivate, and inspire her students. | |
| Oksana Zolotarevskaya | Adjudicator - New York, NY NDCA - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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• British National Professional Latin Champion • Dutch National Professional Latin Champion • US National Professional Mambo Champion and World Vice Champion |
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| Cathi Nyemchek | Chairman - Valley Cottage, NY NDCA+USA Dance - Chair+ A+ B+ C+ D+ E+ |
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Chairman of Judges, World Class Adjudicator and Scrutineer. 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 Nyemcheks 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. | |
| Yang Chen | Emcee - New York USA Dance - |
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Yang Chen has been dancing for more than twenty years and is currently the President of the Greater New York USA Dance Chapter. Yang has extensive experience as a Master of Ceremonies of many ballroom competitions including the Manhattan Amateur Classic, NJ DanceSport Classic, National Qualifying Events in Bethesda, Maryland, Knoxville, Tennessee and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the USA Dance National Championships and numerous collegiate events, including the DC DanceSport Inferno. He lives in New York City, and yes, his first name is pronounced “young.” | |
| Paul Richardson | Invigilator - England | |
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Paul Richardson is a British National Professional 10 Dance Champion, British National Professional Latin Champion, WDC World Cup Professional Latin Champion, USA ‘Open to the World’ Professional Latin Champion, Asian Pacific Professional Latin Champion, World Professional Latin Finalist, International Championships Professional Latin Finalist and United Kingdom Championships Professional Latin Finalist. | |
| Peter Collins | Music Director - New York | |
| Peter is an accomplished Music Director working throughout the US and Canada since 1984. He is a long time USA Dance (formerly USABDA) member who has served on the Governing Council, the US DanceSport Council, and as Vice President of the Mid-Eastern Chapter. He and his partner, Amy Cousins, are former 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 his students. He organized and has coached the University of Virginia Ballroom Dance Club for the past four years. | ||
| Mark Tabor | Scrutineer - Beaverton, OR NDCA+USA Dance - Scrutineer |
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Introduced to ballroom dancing in 1993, Mark became involved in competition, and competed for over 15 years. Beginning in 2000, he organized 18 chapter competitions and Six USA Dance Regional Competitions. Throughout this experience, he developed the O2CM system for DanceSport competition management and began scrutineering. Mark moved to Oregon and began teaching at The Ballroom Dance Company in 2008. On the road nearly every other week, he works all levels of events as a scrutineer, including NDCA pro/am events, USA Dance National Championships and IDSF World Championship and World Cups. |
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