2012 INVITED:

INSTRUCTORS, JUDGES, DJs & MC

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Listed below are the invited instructors, judges, Djs & your MC for the weekend:

Ron Bess

Ginny Carey, PA, Ginny is from Lancaster PA where she began dancing at the age of 2. Studying under Carolyn Trythall she completed her intermediate Cecchetti Syllabus ballet examinations and performed for 4 years with the Ballet Theater of Lancaster. While in Lancaster she was also part of the Ukraine’s Donetsk Ballet’s “Nutcracker” for 10 years, performing more than 10 roles including ‘Clara’. Her 14 years as a competitive gymnast have also had a great influence on her dancing career. After attending the University of the Arts, studying ballet, tap, jazz, modern and partnering, performance and choreography, Ginny now calls Philadelphia home. She currently teaches at Top Hat Dance Studio where she performs with ladies salsa company “Ahi Nama” and is professional competitive partners with owner Daniel McGee. Most recently they have placed in the top 3 at several competitions including IHSC, Mad Jam, Disco America, Miami Dance Magic, and Hooray for Hollywood.

Elizabeth Darchi & Louis Orlando (NY/NJ), Elizabeth has been dancing for many years with an extensive repertoire in Ballet, Jazz, and Ballroom with Hustle as her main love. She has taught ballroom and hustle for the Battista Dance Studio, Stepping Out Dance Studio, Sandra Cameron's Studio and Authur Murrays. Her unique style has also been recognized in front of the camera by both the film and television industries. She taught hustle workshops for the NY Julliard School of Dance, Lincoln Center Swing Fest and she was assistant instructor for the stage production of "Saturday Night Fever" in the National Theater, Santo Domingo. As a performer she has been part in many Theatrical numbers performed at many venues. As a choreograher she has been touching the realm of show productions which is attributed to Arte Phillips. She is the proud recipient of the 2009 Arte Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award. Louis' expert lead and rythym has gained him great exposure. He has judged for many events, danced for the film and television industries and has been teaching as an independent instructor. Together their teaching is fun and informative where they have a chemistry that will have you wanting more. They are top competitors in the Pro hustle divisions. Their diverse style in Hustle has been the hallmark of their career.

Joseph Kerner comes to us from Top Hat Dance Studio in Philadelphia. A dance performer, competitor and instructor for over 10 years – Joe has studied a variety of dance styles since 1989, including a mixture of street, social and ballroom dances along with ballet, jazz and modern. He is a 3-time International Hustle & Salsa Dance Champion, 2-time Disco America Champion, and Hustle USA Champion. Under the direction of choreographer Arte Phillips, Joe was the dance captain of Philadelphia’s celebrated dance troupes “Philly Dance Connection” in 2003 and “The Hustlefactor” in 2004 and 2005. Look for Joe in the Disco America dinner show as he celebrates his 7th year as a cast member and performer. When not performing, Joe teaches his unique blend of Hustle w/funk, along with Latin and ballroom dance at Top Hat’s Northeast Philly studio and competitions across the country.

Jameson Kilburn (PA),is co-owner of Top Hat Dance Studios of Philadelphia and Lancaster where he can be found teaching group classes and private lessons in Ballroom, Latin, Swing, & Hustle. For the past 10 years Jameson has continued to study, teach, compete, and perform in the arena of professional partner dancing. Recently Jameson received a score of "Highly Commended" on his certification examinations in International Standard dancing with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Jameson is also a proud member of the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and has been an active board member of the International Hustle Dance Association (IHDA) for the past 4 years. He can be seen at many different dance events throughout the country teaching, judging, performing, and competiting and is best known for the way in which he "de-mystifies" the technical side of partner dancing to make it obtainable by everyone.

Judah Lynn, has been dancing and “moving” in one form or another for over 37 years, having begun a career in gymnastics at the age of 13. After retiring as a collegiate scholarship gymnast in 1981 he went on to study and teach Martial Arts —then onto Ballet, Modern, and Jazz dance which lead to performing with several Washington DC based dance companies and choreographers. When he discovered social dancing in 1993, he began a new phase by working at an Arthur Murray dance studio and being trained in American style ballroom. He then went on to immerse himself in Argentine Tango, Salsa, West Coast Swing, and then fell in love with Hustle in which he competed successfully through 2001. Judah now teaches Hustle and other dance styles as an independent instructor, and in group classes with Joyce Szili in Washington DC.

Billy Marti, NY, teaches at stepping out studios in Manhattan. He started dancing at 18 and quickly mastered the fundamentals of dance. Within a year he realized he had found what would be his life’s passion. As his repertoire expanded to include other forms such as ballet, so did his experience with other dance studios. Billy was hired with his first dance partner, Nancy Melius, to perform in Israel as a “Fame” dancer with Robert Guillaume and Albert Hague who played Professor Shorofsky. Later Billy was inspired while watching a competition in a nightclub where he discovered his new love for Hustle Theatre Arts. He met Wanda Soto who began teaching him in the art of partnering and soon began dancing and performing with Hustle’s elite dancers of the time. He takes great pride in his ability to thoroughly prepare students for showcase and dance competitions by articulating a music and choreography mix that enhances the student’s individual style, and thus complementing their strengths.

Daniel McGee (PA), founder and co-owner of Top Hat Dance Studios in Philadelphia and Lancaster as well as Top Hat Dance Studio School of Ballet. Since its grand opening in 1995, the strength of Top Hat Dance Studio has been attributed to his abilities, both as a dancer and an instructor. For over 15 years, Daniel has continued to teach, perform and compete in the Ballroom, Latin, and Hustle dance forms. He is currently one of the top ranked competitors in the country and undefeated in the Pro/Am Theatre Arts Hustle division. Daniel is currently on the board of the International Hustle Dance Association. In addition, Daniel received his Associate certification in International Standard with a "Highly Commended" score by the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance) in 2007. In 2008, Daniel recieved, "with Honors" his ISTD Licentiate Theatre Arts certification. Daniel is also a member of the National Dance Council of America (NDCA).

Steve Neeren, (DJ) is a 3 time NASDE award recipient and was named the "Most Improved Male Swing Dancer" at the 1997 U.S. Open Swing Dance championships. He's been competing, judging, teaching and Dj'ing on the West Coast Swing circuit for the past 12 years. Some of his competition titles include 1st Place Classic Division (Boogie By The Bay) & (New Year's Dance Extravaganza); 1st Place Invitiational Jack & Jill (Jack & Jill O'Rama); 1st Place Professional Strictly Swing (Michigan Classic Dance Championships) Also, the past couple of years saw him teaching West Coast Swing in England. For the past year he's been teaching West Coast Swing and Hustle at Dancesport in New York City.

Tony & Shawn Nguyen,Tony and Shawn Nguyen met salsa dancing in 2004 and shared their love of salsa and swing with one another. They quickly realized the similarities in the two dance styles and have enjoyed teaching & doing both dances together ever since. Tony Nguyen has been dancing Salsa/Mambo since 1997. From 2000 - 2003, he performed with dance companies from all over the Washington capital region, including Stanley Nazaire's Visage Dancers (Baltimore) and Cecelia Villalobos' Salsa Fuego Dance Company. In 2001, he began instructing and co-founded a new dance team with Stanley Nazaire, the Nuevo Ritmo Latin Dance Company. Tony has performed nationally and internationally at David Melendez's New York Salsa Congress, the Puerto Rico World Salsa Congress, and Albert Torres' West Coast Salsa Congress. Shawn Nguyen began dancing at the age of 7 and has extensive training in ballet, tap, and jazz. She has taught group and private lessons and judged events in West Coast Swing since 2001. Some of her most recent placements include 2nd place in the Advanced Sophisticated Swing Division at Swing Fling in 2004 and 4th place in the Showcase Division at MAD JAM in 2004. She

Chris & Lisa Schaupp, (MD) started their dance careers in California doing Swing, Hustle & Lindy. Their combined titles include: California State Swing Champions, California Champions Division Hustle, California Swing Dance Hall of Fame, US Open Swing Dance Champions, 1st Place Worlds Jack & Jill Championships, and US Open Award of Excellence. They have judged and taught dance technique workshops at major conventions from NY City to Hawaii. Lisa and Chris ran the South Bay Swing Dance Club in Los Angeles where they attracted over a thousand new students per year. Many of their students have gone on to win major dance awards throughout the country.

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MORE TO COME.........