Workshops
Standard Workshop with Emanuel Valeri
Workshop
Sunday, March 18 @ 2:30-3:20pm
$30 at event (limit of 30 spaces)
Sunday (March 18) Private Lessons: $175 (limit of 10 lessons)
Thanks to a sponsor the following eight workshops are free to all collegiate students who are attending the National Ballroom DanceSport Championships.
All others attendees: $15 per workshop
Saturday, March 18
Smooth
Smooth
Instructor: Damian Pataluna
Damian Pataluna is a 6 times Amateur Adult 9-Dance champion while dancing with his two partners Irina Morozova and Nadia Andrusiv. He has been dancing as an amateur competitor since 1999. He has danced Adult Smooth and Rhythm from the beginning with several appearances in Adult Championship finals in both styles. He is a past member of the USA Dancesport council (2018-22) and is currently working with students in Louisville KY teaching and dancing for local DWTS fundraisers.
10:00AM-10:50AM – Waltz-Rise & Fall (Bronze/Silver)
focusing on weight transfer, center work, and flow.
11:00AM-11:50AM – Foxtrot-Floor Movement (Gold/Open)
focusing on foxtrot dynamics.
Rhythm
Rhythm
Instructors: Gene & Elena Bersten
Gene and Elena Bersten met in 2008, when they both joined the world renowned dance show “Burn the Floor”. Shortly after, they fell in love and got married. They now have three beautiful children. They are currently the reigning 2022 USA Dance Professional Rhythm Vice Champions, USA Professional Rising Star Rhythm Champions, and Blackpool Rhythm Bronze medalists. They own Dance with Us America, one of the top ballroom schools in the country where they have trained 13 USA Dance champions, 3 dancers on Fox’s hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”, and 1 dancer on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”.
1:00-1:50PM – American Rumba: Footwork and Fundamentals (All Levels)
We will talk about different types of foot and leg actions and how they create different types of movements.
2:00-2:50PM – Cha Cha: Rhythms and Musicality (All Levels)
We will explore different timings and accents which will create different types of dynamics.
Latin
Latin
Instructors: Mishiko Bregvadze & Alena Khoroshevtseva
Mishiko Bregvadze & Alena Khoroshevtseva are Professional Latin Dancers and coaches based out of Dance with US America in Minnesota. Mishiko is originally from Georgia where he was a winner of many national and International competitions in the Latin Division. Alena is a student at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and spent 9 years as part of the Academy of Russian Ballet. Together they are the reigning Professional Latin Vice Champions and World Team Members. In 2022 they represented the United States at the WDSF Professional Latin World Championships in Leipzig, Germany placing 9th in the world.
3:00-3:50PM – Rumba (All Levels)
focusing on weight transfer, center work, and flow.
4:00-4:50PM – Samba (All Levels)
focusing on samba rhythms and bounce action.
Sunday, March 19
Standard
Standard
Instructor: Ruslan Wilder
Ruslan started dancing at the age of six in St. Petersburg, Russia. Had a successful dance career as amateur in Russia with a few other partners prior to moving to US in 1997. After getting married to Katusha in 2002 they continued their amateur and professional dance career together. Since than they have acquired numerous and various top titles as amateurs and professionals in the United States and around the World in the DanceSport Industry today. Ruslan and Katusha are Owners of Championship Dance Camps and Organizers of Independence Day Ball Dance Camp which takes place annually on July 4th weekend in Washington, DC.
12:30PM-1:20PM – Main Principles of ‘Swing’ Dances (All Levels)
1:30PM-2:20PM – Quickstep-The Importance of Footwork (All Levels)
