Organizers

WDSF World Latin American Freestyle Champion · Runner-Up of the Professional Latin World Championship · Professional Latin Silver Medalist at the German Open Championships (GOC) · 2-time WDSF World Cup Amateur Latin Champion · European Cup Amateur Latin Champion · First ever World DanceSport Games Latin American Freestyle Champion · Multi-time Russian National Champion as an Amateur and Professional · European Amateur Latin Championship Finalist · Russian National Amateur Latin American Freestyle Champion · German Open Championships (GOC) Amateur Latin Finalist · WDSF Grand Slam Latin Finalist · Dance Legends Performer · WDSF "A" Licensed Adjudicator · USA Dance National Certified Adjudicator (A+B+C+D+) 

Katrina is a professional competitor, coach, choreographer and adjudicator and current VP of DanceSport for USA Dance. She danced competitively in Russia for 20 years and represented Russia at international competitions including the 1998 Olympic Asian Games. As an instructor, Katrina has taught children and adults all over the world, including Korea, China, Macau, and Hong Kong. In 2007 she came to United States and opened Volga Dance Academy, the most successful competitive dance program for children in the Southeast. With her focus on fitness, gymnastics, and dance Katrina has developed some of the area’s best junior, adult, and pro/am students. In 2014 she became the organizer for the amateur competition The Volga Cup, which is held each year to promote amateur DanceSport in the USA. Katrina is a WDSF International Adjudicator and USA Dance A+ B+ C+ D+ National Adjudicator.

Sami started ballroom dancing at the age of 10 in his native country Finland. During his career with his wife Karita, he achieved numerous international and national titles including 15 Finnish National Championships titles. He is also a former World & European Professional 10 Dance Grand Finalist, United Kingdom & International Professional Rising Star Finalist, and Blackpool Professional Rising Star Semi-Finalist. Sami is a professor at the University of Georgia and is a licensed WDSF and USA Dance Adjudicator and Chairman and has adjudicated several World and Continental Championships.

Season 13 Mirror Ball Champion Karina Smirnoff made her mark for 10 years as one of the featured dancers on ABC’s hit reality series Dancing with the Stars. Her success on Dancing with the Stars, the #1 rated show in its category averaging 36+ million viewers per week, has made Karina a household name and a sought after beauty, health, fitness, and fashion icon. She has been the most Googled professional dancer on the show.

What most people don’t know about the Ukrainian beauty is that her skills are not merely physical. She studied diligently at Fordham University in New York and earned two degrees – a B.A. in Economics and in Information Systems Programming. Karina is also a talented fashion designer and choreographer. She choreographed all of her own partnered routines on Dancing with the Stars and designed all of the costumes for both herself and her partners since day one.

Karina started competing in ballroom dancing competitions at the age of 11. She is a five-time U.S. National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion. She has won the title at the UK Open, is a three-time champion at the US Open, two-time champion at the Asian Open, five-time champion at the Dutch Open, and five-time US National Professional Champion. She has taken second at the British Open Blackpool Dance Festival and she is the first woman to ever make the "British Professional Final" with three different partners. Karina has been ranked #2 in the world for Latin Dance.

 • Multiple-time World Professional 10-Dance Championships Finalist• Multiple-time US National Professional 10-Dance Championships Finalist• US Representative to the World Professional 10-Dance Championships• US Professional Rising Star Ballroom Finalist• US Open to the World Professional Rising Star Ballroom Finalist• 2012 US Representative to the World Professional Ballroom Championships• Featured performers for TV networks such as ABC, NBC, FOX, TNT and CNN 

Yelena has been teaching and training champions for the past 30 years. From a very young age she studied Ballet, Character, Modern, and Contemporary dance. At age 12 Ballroom Dancing became her primary style of dance. Yelena competed in regional, national, and international competition. Her dedication and passion as a competitor helped her become one of the top dancers in Russia. Together with her partner in dance and in life, Lev Vesnovskiy she developed the curriculum for the first fully Ballroom Dance Department at the University of NOKK, where they were both head administrators.  As club owners they organized competitions and participated as judges in regional and national championships. Many of their students went on to be World and Russian finalist.

• World Class Championship Judge and International Coach. USA National Judge.

• Member and licensee: WDC, NDCA, ISTD, WDSF, DTCB, USADance.

• World Championships Finalist. US Open Professional Semifinalist.

• Former Amateur Champion and Runner-Up in Standard, 10 Dance, Team and Formation in the Czech Republic and Champion, Winner or Finalist of over 300 competitions all over Europe.

• Professional Champion or Finalist in Ohio Star Ball, Constitution State Challenge, New England Imperial Championships, New England Championships and American Star Ball among others.

• Currently Inez is teaching independently in the United States and travels regularly to coach in Europe.

• Her coaching successes include World and Blackpool Champions in Senior Latin, several National Champions of the countries where she teaches, World Standard and 10 dance Junior II and Youth Finalists and recent World Cup adult Finalists. She judges World Championships and World Cups and many of the WDSF International Championships and competitions all over the World, USADance National Championships, University competitions and other Championships and regular competitions in the U.S.A.

  Liene was born in Riga, Latvia and started taking dance lessons at the age of 4. Ever since, she has competed in national and international ballroom dance competitions in many European countries. At the age of 18 she moved to Lithuania to study ballroom dancing in Lithuanian Sports University (LSU) in Kaunas. A year later she did meet her current dance partner Martin Reinbold and formed a long lasting partnership. In 2000, after graduating from LSU with Bachelor’s degree in Ballroom Dance, Liene continued her graduate studies in Riga, Latvia and in 2002 graduated with Master’s diploma in Small Business Management. Competing with Martin as an amateur until 2005, and then as professional, Liene had represented Latvia and Lithuania in many dance competitions, including World, European, and regional championships, UK Open, British Open, International Open, and German Open Dance Championships. In 2009 Liene and Martin started competing in the United States and their performance did not stay unnoticed – they were offered a top tier dance instructor positions in the leading dance studio in Atlanta, GA and since 2011 Liene and Martin call Atlanta home. Liene is the Owner of Dance Harmony, an independent Ballroom Dance Studio located in Alpharetta, GA

Inna has participated in competitive ballroom dancing since the age of eight and has held the title of U.S. National Ten Dance Champion multiple times. She has also been ranked as high as ninth in the world. She represented the US in six World Championships. Inna participated as a professional dancer on Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars and was partnered with Ted McGinley. She also served as the choreographer for the Rutgers ballroom team performance on Season 9 of DWTS. She is presently the coach of many U.S. Preteen and Junior National Champions. Inna holds a dual degree in English and Education. 

   Ilya Barmotin is the owner of Basic Ballroom in Staten Island, New York and one of the studio’s main instructors. His trophy room houses awards from the World Cup, US Open, and South American Showdance.  He is a current adjudicator for USA Dance. 

Larissa Kerbel is a former Professional Ballroom dancer, coach, adjudicator, and choreographer whose expertise lies in International Style Standard.

Larissa and partner Alexandre Chalkevitch were finalists of the Rising Star Professional Standard Championships at the Blackpool Dance Festival and runners-up at the Professional Rising Star Standard Championships at the International Championships in England. Together, Larissa and Alexandre became the 8-time undefeated Canadian Standard Champions and 2-time Ohio Star Ball Amateur Standard Champions. After retiring from competition, Larissa now devotes her time to coaching and adjudicating. In her spare time, she also enjoys Salsa and reading. Larissa is a member of Canada DanceSport and the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) as an adjudicator and instructor.

Karita started to dance at the age of 10 in her native country Finland. During her career she achieved numerous international and national titles including 15 Finnish National Championships titles in ballroom, latin, and 10-dance in both amateur and professional categories. She is a former World & European 10 Dance Finalist, International and United Kingdom Ballroom Rising Star Finalist, and Blackpool Ballroom Semi-Finalist. Karita is a WDSF judge, and she has judged numerous WDSF World, Continental, and Grand Slam Championships. 

• World Vice Champion 
• World & European Championships Finalist
• 10 Time National Champion of Latvia 
• Member of the presidium of the Latvian DanceSport Federation
• Certified instructor and adjudicator
• Organizer of "Salaspils Cup"
• Founder and head of Skutan dance school
• WDSF Adjudicator

Oleg started dancing in Russia when he was four and continued dancing in Belarus when he moved there at the age of seven. During his early years of training, he performed in all youth events in his country and became a champion in both styles -standard and latin - and kept this title for two years. In his teenage years, he changed his concentration from the 10-Dance program to Latin-only and accepted an invite for a new partnership in the U.S. in 2010. Oleg strongly believes that dance is an art that can help people show their best colors and is always happy to help his students with it. 

RESULTS & ACCOLADES:

2013 Yankee Classic Rising Star Latin Champion

2011 Manhattan Amateur Classic Adult Latin Finalist

2010 Commonwealth Classic Youth Open Latin Champion

2010 Minsk Open IDSF Open Latin Semi-finalist

2007 Belarus Open Youth Latin Semi-finalist

Andrea Zaramella started dancing at the age of nine in the small city of Brindisi, on the Southeast coast of Italy.  He started traveling and competing all over the world from the age of 14 and has to-date a successful 27-year career in ballroom dance.  

His accomplishments include:

• 5-time undefeated Italian Ballroom Champion
• United Kingdom rising Star Professional Ballroom Champion, 
• Finalist and Runner-up in the Blackpool Dance Festival.  

Andrea is a certified World dance Council International Adjudicator for Italy and a USA Dance Adjudicator.  Based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, he currently teaches, coaches, and choreographs for top performing competitive students, as well as Amateur and Professional couples.  He also produces and manages shows, camps, and dance competitions in the United States and Europe.  Some of them include:  The Excellence Dance Festival, The Charlotte Star Ball, Dance Legends, The Masters Global Training Camp, The Chicago DanceSport Challenge, and his personal P3 Program, designed for top-level ballroom competitive couples.  

Ms. Natalya Peshkova. is a Professional ballroom dance instructor, dancer (S class), and certified judge. Member of the World Dance Sport Federation and the International Dance Council. Educated in the Academy of Arts of Kazakhstan as choreographer and ballroom dance instructor. Organizer of the International Ballroom Dance Competition 'Miras Cup' for 12 years along with Kazakhstan National Championships.

Finalist of National Championship of Kazakhstan in European program, Adults category.

Multiple medalist and winner of international Championships in ballroom dance in European and Latin-American programs among Adults.

Coach of Champions of Kazakhstan in European, Latin and 10 Dance Category, Juniors 2.

Coach of finalists and winners of Kazakhstan National Championships and Cups in Juvenile 1 and Juvenile 2 Categories.

Coach of winners of International competitions in Russia, Kirgyzstan , Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the Junior 1, Juvenile 1 and Juvenile 2 Categories.

• United States USA Dance Ballroom Amateur Finalist
• Multiple-Time USA Dance Amateur 10-Dance Finalist
• USA Dance Amateur 10-Dance Representative to the World Championships
• United States Amateur Latin Finalist
• USA Dance Professional Representative to the WDSF PD World 10-Dance, Ballroom, Latin, Standard Show-Dance, Latin Show-Dance World Championships
• Multiple-Time World Professional 10-Dance Finalist
• Multiple-Time United States Professional 10-Dance Finalist
• United States Professional Ballroom Rising Star Finalist
• Top 24 Open Professional Ballroom Blackpool Dance Festival
• USA Dance National Adjudicator
• WDSF “B” licensed Adjudicator
• Certified A+, B+, C+, D+ by North American Dance Teachers Association based on ISTD Syllabus
• Adjudicator at several USA Dance Listed Events, National Qualifying Events, and National Championships as well as Collegiate Competitions 

Van Hoang has been involved with Ballroom Dancing for more than 20 years and started out learning social dancing at a local dance studio in Calgary, AB. He was instantly hooked and after a few years, started dancing competitively, focusing on International Latin. He has volunteered in various positions at dance competitions, has been music director at dance competitions, emcee at dance competitions, organized dance competitions and is now involved with Ballroom Dancing by being scrutineer and registrar for many competitions across Canada. He has served as a Director on the DanceSport Alberta board and was involved with organizing the various DSAB sanctioned events, most notably serving on the organizing committee for the 2015 Canadian Closed Championships. Van is a certified scrutineer with CDF (Canadian DanceSport Federation) and has scrutineered CDS local and national level events, WDSF World and Open Championship level events and CDF/NDCC local and national level events that includes the DanceSport Series Pro-Am competitions. 

Daniel was  born in San Diego, CA but has lived all over the country including Minneapolis, Minnesota and Atlanta, GA. He has been dancing for twelve years, and while he enjoys all styles, he specializes in Smooth and Standard. Daniel often works as scrutineer, and taught ballroom dance throughout college. He has always had a desire to make dance more accessible, and works tirelessly to improve both his competitions and his competition management software, Ballroom Comp Express.

  Tiffany is a Georgia native and discovered Ballroom Dance in college. She has been dancing amateur for 8 years, with a concentration in Smooth and Standard. Following graduation and marriage to Daniel, they both decided that organizing a competition sounded fun. A year later they now have two competitions, and have developed a passion for encouraging others to dance, especially the youth and collegiate age groups.