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 to be performed at many venues. She is the 2009 recipient of the Arte Phillips Lifetime Achievement Award.

Louis has been dancing hustle for over 25 years. His 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 at Stepping Out Dance Studios.

Both Elizabeth and Louis' approach to teaching is fun and informative and they emphasize a strong and solid foundation in hustle technique. When teaching their workshops, they have a chemistry that will have you wanting more. They are top competitors in the Pro hustle divisions. They have judged and taught workshops throughout. The Hip-Hop, Rumba, Cha-Cha style in their Hustle has been the hallmark of their career. They teach privates in New York/New Jersey and throughout all dance events.

Carlo DeJesus,

Bio to come.

Brian Gallagher, PA, Brian Gallagher, the nation's long time hustle champion, is based in Philadephia, Pa, where he helps to promote and teach Hustle dancers and competitors. Brian has an ability to break down dance patterns to help you understand the four major components for a comfortable lead and follow: movement, framework, footwork, and timing. It doesn't matter whether you are a beginner learning your basics or the advanced dancer learning travel, shaping, and/or syncopations.

Having been trained in Ballroom and Latin prior to coming into Hustle, Brian incorporates a variety of dynamics: travelling, shaping, syncopated rhythms, creative combinations, and let's not forget - speed. Brian is well known for travelling moves, creativity, and burning up the floor at a 130 bpms without hesitation. Being a part of one of the most celebrated Hustle teams of the decade..." Brian Gallagher is our current "2004 US Professional Theater Arts Hustle Champions" and our undefeated "Professional Just Hustle Champion". He has won every major Hustle competition over the last decade. Brian offers workshops, privates, as well as videos to help your Hustle progress.

Jameson Kilburn (PA), Jameson is co-owner of Top Hat Dance Studio 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 the International Standard dancing in 2007 and also received a score of "with Honours" on his certification examinions in Theater Arts in 2008 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 5 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.

Jameson's dance career started in the theater where he was featured as a dancer in 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', 'Anything Goes', 'La Cage aux Folles', and most recently 'Evita'. Jameson has since enjoyed choreographing for competitive routines, shows throughout Pennsylvania, and most recently for 2008's installment of 'Dance Theater' in Hempfield, Pa. Jameson has placed in the Top 3 both in the Professional and Pro/Am divisions in numerous competitions; including the International Hustle & Salsa Competition, Mid-Atlantic Dance Jam, Big Easy Dance Classic, Dance Seattle, Philadelphia Festival Championships, North American Dance Championships, and the World Hustle Competition.

Jameson has always said, "Dance should be fun! And most importantly, it should be what you make of it". That statment can be seen in his approach to teaching, performing, and dancing in general. His greatest reward is helping a student achieve a goal; he views it as the best way of returning the favor to all of the wonderful coaches and teachers who have, and continue to help him, on this journey we call dance.

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

Choreographic credits include: International Hustle and Salsa Competition 2006, Stephanie Sands presents...2000, 2001, and 2002; Hempfield High School Dance Theatre Program 2001, 2002 & 2008; "La Boutique Fantasque" at the Fulton Opera House; "Oklahoma", "The King and I"," Fiddler on the Roof", "Little Shop of Horrors" & "Annie" at Garden Spot High School; excerpts of Top Hat Dance Studio’s "Spirit of Dance" 2003, 2004, and 2005; Ephrata Performing Arts Center: "Evita" in 2005 and "Gypsy" in 2006 and excerpts of "Voices of Christmas" at Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA.

Steve Neeren, DJ, Bio to come.

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 placed 1st in the Open Classic West Coast Swing division at the Virginia State Open in 2003 and 2001 and 1st place in the Advanced Jack and Jill at Swing Fling in 2002.

Tony and Shawn have judged dance competitions and taught workshops at various dance competitions including the U.S National Dance Championships, Easterns Dance Challenge, Swing Fling, Virginia State Open and Disco America.

Erik & Anna Novoa (CT) Erik and Anna have worked hard to develop and maintain West Coast Swing and Hustle at some of New York City's major dance studios. Erik has been teaching and competing in Hustle and West Coast Swing since the mid 90's. He is a 2 time national Hustle champion and finalist on ABC's 2003 revival of Dance Fever. Erik has won 1st Place in the Professional Classic division at MADjam, Pacific Hustle & Salsa Dance Classic and Hustle USA in past years. He has extensive training in ballet, jazz, tap and musical theater. Anna uses the discipline of classical ballet with the creativity of partner dancing. She trained and performed with Minnesota Dance Theatre & School and Minnetonka Dance Theatre. She has also competed in ballroom and Latin while at University of Wisconsin-Madison. They are recent newlyweds and now reside in Connecticut. Erik will also be DJing during the weekend at Disco America

Roberto Pagan has been a U.S. American Rhythm finalist, U.S. Rising Star Theater Arts champion, top Cabaret couple of the year, Blackpool Theater Arts finalist. Two- years Canadian Theater Arts Champion, and World Hustle Champion. He has won over 200 titles in five professional divisions.

In the last two years Roberto has won top hustle instructor in the country by DanceTalk. During the last year Roberto partnered up with Rosa Guiliana. They have placed 1st at the Disco America triple threat, Classic Hustle and open Hustle Theater Arts. They placed 3rd in Open Hustle Showcase at MadJam. They placed 2nd in the Open Hustle Theater Arts at the World Hustle Championship and 1st place in the Strictly Hustle.

Stephanie Risser (PA), began her dance training with Carolyn Trythall at what is now Lancaster School of Ballet, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There she studied the Cecchetti Method of ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Stephanie was a founding member of the Ballet Theater of Lancaster, as well as performing in the Donetsk Ballet’s The Nutcracker. After graduating from high school Stephanie attended the University of Hartford/School of the Hartford Ballet (now Dance Connecticut) BFA program, where she had the opportunity to perform with the Touring Ensemble, a performing group that toured Connecticut, and work with the Hartford Ballet. After graduating with a BFA in Dance Pedagogy Stephanie returned to Lancaster where she taught for Lancaster School of Ballet and worked with Ballet Theater of Lancaster. Stephanie also began studying ballroom dancing with Top Hat Dance Studio. She continued her ballroom training after she moved to Connecticut to teach at the School of Dance Connecticut. There she taught students from ages 3-15 and was the children’s rehearsal co-coordinator for Adam Miller’s production of The Nutcracker. In 2002, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she was the Director and main instructor of Top Hat Dance Studio School of Ballet and a ballroom instructor for Top Hat Dance Studio for 3 years. Here she began competing professionally in hustle, winning 2nd place at Disco America in 2004, 1st place at Dance America Seattle in 2005 and 3rd place in the Van McCoy Professional World Open Hustle Championships in 2005. Stephanie has also performed in many dinner shows at various competitions, including Disco America, International Hustle and Salsa Competition and New Year’s Extravaganza.

Mark Routzahn, DJ, has been a DJ for over 20 years in the Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. His experience ranges from nightclubs to private affairs (weddings. parties, corporate affairs); He is currently playing at Michael's Café in Bensalem, PA for “Hustle Night” providing contemporary and classic hustle, Latin, swing, and ballroom. His private affairs provide Oldies, Motown, Classic Rock, Modern Rock, Top 40, 70s and 80s, Country, Big Band/Standards, Hip Hop, Funk/R&B.

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.

Mark Sakowski, DJ Mark brings over 15 years experience spinning tunes for dancers across the country and is fortunate to have worked the largest swing and hustle competitions in the nation. Some of these include: the Grand National Swing Championships in Atlanta, GA; Swing Fling in Washington, DC; Virginia State Open Swing Championships; Boston Tea Party; Dallas DANCE in Texas; International Hustle and Salsa Competition in Miami, Phoenix 4th of July Swing Convention in Arizona; World Disco Classic Fort Lauderdale, FL ; Jitterbug Jam, Thousands Oaks, CA and for 10 years he ran the "Swing/Hustle Room" four times a year for Stardust Dance Productions in New York State for over 800 dancers a weekend! This year at Stardust Mark moved from the "Swing Room" to DJ the authentic Buenos Aires Style Milongas and has met with great critical success for his tango music. Need an Argentine Tango DJ ... Mark's your man! Mark also DJ's for ballroom dancers regular at the Promenade Dancesport in Baltimore and Hollywood Ballroom in Silver Spring, Maryland

He is also a graduate of the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland, one of the top rated broadcasting schools in the country and has worked "on air" many times. He was also a music consultant for the Emmy nominated PBS program "A Rock and Roll Tribute to Buddy Dean." Away from the dance scene Mark has a broad range of interests such as fishing, travel, gardening, spirituality and loves to ride his Harley Road King Classic.

Mark is looking forward to DJ'ing at his 5th Disco America Competition and hopes all the competitors and dancers have a great weekend!

Erica Smith

In 2007, TV Guide Magazine coined Erica the “Disco-Dancing Lawyer” after she performed a Just Hustle that led her all the way to Vegas on the nationally syndicated television show, “So You Think You Can Dance.” Thereafter, Erica was pictured alongside Shane Sparks in the July 2007 issue of US Weekly.

Erica’s knowledge of Ballet, Salsa, and Swing has greatly influenced her Hustle style. Erica trained extensively with the Washington School of Ballet for almost 10 years and performed with ballet companies from all over the world including, but not limited to, the Joffery Ballet, the Royal Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, and the Washington School of Ballet. In 2005, Erica performed with Rica Sensacion at the 7th Annual West Coast Salsa Congress. In 2008, Erica became a US Open Swing Dance Champion.

Erica can be seen at numerous Hustle and Swing competitions throughout the country competing, teaching, judging, and performing. Erica currently resides in Silver Spring , MD. For more information please check out Erica's website at www.thehustlingattorney.com.

Smitty, MC, Smitty has been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. He is one of the most recognized performers in show and dance industries with both customers, peers and friends. He has also been dancing hustle for many years. With flare and charisma which he carries on the dance floor, you cannot take your eyes off him.