Slawek Sochacki and Marzena Stachura

Thomas and Izabella Lewandowski

Artem Plakhotnyi and Inna Berlizyeva

Artem and Inna Berlizyeva are world class professional dancers and dance instructors.Both orignally from Ukraine were they started dancing at an early age. In 2005 Inna and Artem moved to sunny Arizona were they have become two of the best dance instructors in the the Arizona valley.They have been dancing together since may 2009.Currently Inna and Artem are one of the top professional couples in the USA,in the last year they have been winning many competitions all over the US.Including USA Open Professional International Standard finalist and North American Championship finalist at the Ohio Star Ball.In the last four years Inna's and Artem's students have been showing great results on the National and International level in the Pro-Am division winning competitions all aroud the US.As well as achieving titles of National,World and Open to World Pro-Am Champions.

Donald Johnson & Katarzyna Kozak

Donald, born in the United States, became interested in dance at an early age since his mother ran a ballroom dance studio. He started teaching dance at the age of seventeen and shortly afterwards became interested in dance competition. He began to compete in the Latin American style and also competed in American smooth and International Standard. He moved to Torrance, California to continue his professional competitive career and enjoyed considerable success with a series of partners, reaching the national semi-finals in both American Smooth and International Standard styles.

Katarzyna Kozak was born in Warsaw, Poland. She first became interested in dance after responding to a local newspaper advertisement announcing social dance classes. She quickly became attracted to the competitive side of dancing, found an amateur partner, and became a serious 10-dance competitor. After deciding to concentrate on Latin American Dance, she rose to become the Polish national amateur junior Latin dance champion.

Following the relocation of her family, Katarzyna immigrated to the United States and continued to dance in amateur competitions.

Donald had terminated his existing professional partnership at the Emerald Ball in California. At that competition a mutual friend introduced him to Kartazyna. His Latin coach later suggested that he consider dancing with her and after a short period, they decided to begin a new partnership together.

After dancing together for a relatively short period of time, Donald and Katarzyna became a dynamic and highly successful dance team and have appeared twice as Professional Latin Finalists on the popular and nationally televised PBS series “Championship Ballroom Dancing”.

Some of their major competitive accomplishments include:

In October of 2000, Donald and Katarzyna retired as a competitive dance team. Today, Katarzyna continues dancing with a new partner.

Felipe Telona, Jr. & Carolina Orlovsky-Telona

Carolina Orlovsky-Telona and Felipe Telona have been devoting their lives together in developing the ability to touch, move, and inspire both audiences and students of all ages thru the art of dance.

Carolina knew from a young age when she began studying ballet under the direction of Ms. Bella Kovarskya that she would grow up to be a dancer. At Eighteen Carolina boarded a bus bound for New York City. She went on to study at the Alvin Aliey American Dance Center, become a recipient of the Richard Ellner Scholarship and apprentice for two consecutive years in Ann Reinking's Broadway Theatre Project.

However, it was not until she met Felipe in the basement of a Dance Studio in New Jersey did she realize her true calling, the World of Dance Sport. Shortly after their introduction two things began to blossom, both her love for him and her love of Competitive Dance Sport.

A year later, Carolina and Felipe formed a partnership in both marriage and dance. They have since gone on to become 3-time United States Bronze Medalists, World Mambo, World Salsa Champions, and most recently United States Silver Medalists in the Professional American Rhythm division.

A 3rd Degree Black Belt, Felipe was offered both a football and baseball scholarship but his heart was set on dancing when he decided to turn professional after only three years of dancing as an Amateur, during which time he won the 1999 Blackpool Latin Formation team title.

He began his professional Career in New Jersey where after only three months with his first partner he placed Fifth in the U.S. American Rhythm division. A day after returning from the U.S. Championships he asked Carolina out on a date. And so began their courtship and shortly after their partnership.

Soloists with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops orchestra live at the Kimmel Center

Jim & Jenell Maranto
Jim and Jenell met in Phoenix, AZ in 1983. Jim moved from Chicago, IL, and Jenell from Reno, NV.

Jenell, already an accomplished professional, taught Jim, a stockbroker at the time, social dancing on and off for about a year. Jenell's enthusiasm for dance and competition soon rubbed off and they began to compete in Nov. 1984. Jenell's background in Tap, Jazz, and Ballet combined with Jim's training discipline from high school and college athletics made a winning combination.

They married in September 1986, after the U.S. Championships of course, and opened their school, the Academy of Ballroom Dance in 1987.

With the training of some of the top coaches in the country, and a bit of luck, they won the U.S. Professional Rising Stars American Smooth title and every major International Rising Stars Standard title in the U.S.

The highlight of their career was winning two U.S. Open Professional American Smooth Championships in 1993 and 1994.

They have represented the United States in two World Showdance Events and were Semi-finalists in both.

They are licentiates of the Imperial Society Ballroom Branch, and have trained a number of U.S. Pro-Am and Amateur Champions, including the choreography of the U.S. Youth Formation Team Champions in 1996 and 1997.

Jim and Jenell are retired from American Smooth Competition and are busy teaching, demonstrating, lecturing, and pursuing their competition goals in the International Standard.

Toby & Harmony Munroe

Toby Munroe is the 2004 & 2005 UCWDC World Champion in the Classic Masters division. In January 2006 Mr. Munroe was voted "Best Male Couples Dance Instructor" at the Star Awards Gala held in Stockholm, Sweden. Toby began his dance career in 1990 after being dragged, kicking & screaming to a Country & Western Dance Festival. Since then he has gone on to become one of the most sought after coaches, choreographers & instructors in the World. His extensive background in dance includes Country, Swing, Hustle, Latin, Ballroom and Salsa. He has won countless titles in Swing, Hustle and on the UCWDC circuit. Toby won his first World Championship title in 2002 for ABC Choreography. He has been nominated for 9 Star Awards, taught at Stanford University and has been featured on the TNN and GAC television networks. Toby is also a four time Colorado State Swing Champion and a UCWDC Master Certified Judge

Harmony Munroe began dancing at the age of 8 and currently co-owns Denver's premier school for Ballroom and Latin dancing, Colorado Dancesport. She has won numerous titles in American Rhythm, American Smooth, and International Latin dancing. Harmony has been a representative at the World 10 - Dance Championships and the World South American Showdance Championships as well as being a finalist at the World Mambo and the World Salsa Championships.

Alain Doucet & Anik Joilcoeur

Alain and Anik had a lot of success as Canadian representatives at the world 10 dance, placing among the best three couples since 1995. Their devotion in dance- sport brought them to achieve their goals and become world champions. For the first time in the Canadian history, a Canadian couple is crown World Champion.

Professional Titles