Ask the Pros
The ASK THE PROs forum is designed to promote a positive, constructive dance dialogue between the the West Coast Swing community and the Pros. It should be a safe, relaxed environment to ask questions and receive answers.
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Ask the Pros Forum
Chuck Brown
Chuck Brown has been dancing for over 12 years and is recognized as one of the top instructors, judges, and competitors throughout North America (and teaching soon in Asia and Europe). He competes at the champion level and has won numerous national awards, including placing four times at the US Open Swing Dance Championships and making finals in the 2004 Pro Strictly Swing. He is known for his incredible "feel for the music", creativity, versatility, and precise leads. Chuck loves to spread his infectious “love of dance” to everyone he teaches. He is known to be a tough teacher that focuses on technique, music, creativity, and most of all, fun. You often find his workshop students laughing as he interjects comedy while teaching difficult concepts.
His dance training includes West Coast Swing, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Carolina Shag, Hustle, Salsa, Lindy, Native American Dance, Country, and many others. He has been accepted into the Masters of Dance program at California State University, Sacramento and will complete the program by the end of 2007.
Chuck is the current president and event director of the Reno Dance Sensation - Swing and Salsa Championship and Show (April 20-23, 2006) and his new event, the Hawaii Dance Sensation coming in 2007.
Bill Cameron
1997 U.S. Open Swing Dance Champion
1998 American Swing Dance Champion
Board Member of the National Dance Dynamics
Certification Board
G.S.D.T.A. Certification
10 Year Member of the World Swing Dance Council
N.A.S.D.E. Event Director
Arjay Centeno
Arjay Centeno expresses himself in many forms of art - dance, music, graphic design, and photography. Before dance, Arjay's main acheivements were playing the violin for 17 years winning as many if not more awards as a musician than as a dancer. Introduced to Hip Hop dancing at a young age Arjay did not waste time integrating his musicality into a unique dancing style. Power, control, and speed were gradually developing as he began competing in International Ballroom and Latin.
It was in ballroom dancing that Arjay met his partner and girlfriend Melissa Rutz and began competing together in 10 Dance Competitions(all international ballroom and latin dances). Arjay began dancing West Coast swing no more than 4-5 years ago and has been one of the fastest dancers to climb to the rank of Champions with his partner Melissa.
Known for his musicality and innovative dance style, Arjay with his partner Melissa have won many awards in Invitational Jack & Jills, Champion Strictly Swing, and Classic Routine Divisions. Their most recent achievement was winning together at Phoenix's Champions of Champions Jack and Jill 2005.
Myles Munroe &
Tessa Cunningham
Myles is a natural born dancer who was fortunate to have recognized his talent at a young age and has trained and developed it ever since. He has extensive experience and credits in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Martial Arts, Country, Latin, Ballroom, and Swing. He is able to draw on multiple sources of training and experience for unique dancing and teaching strategies. Myles has the amazing ability to observe a dance he's never seen and after only 5 minutes be able to replicate it perfectly with the technique and style it normally would take years to develop.
Tessa has a natural kinesthetic ability and musical sense which she used in her youth through sports and music. She only recently discovered her talent for dance and has enjoyed making up for lost time with an intense learning curve. She has 2 Bachelors degrees: one in Human Kinetics which gives her a deep technical understanding of body movement, and one in Education which enables her to breakdown and explain those movements to learners.
Based in Vancouver, BC, Myles & Tessa travel every weekend to teach, perform and compete at the Champions level and in the NASDE Showcase division. Both love the spotlight and live to perform. They are passionate about dance (Swing in particular), improving and progressing their own dancing, and about sharing their gifts and expertise with eager spectators and learners.
Debbie &
Angel Figueroa
Debbie and Angel have received national acclaim for their performances, choreography, and dance instruction. Angel's choreography and dancing have been seen on film, video, television, in print and on stage. He holds over 30 titles in American Style Rhythm, and has represented the United States at the World Cup in Switzerland. Angel is also the 1998 ASDC, 1997 SOS Grand National, and the 1996 U.S. Open Cabaret Champion. Debbie is the 2000 Professional Classic Two-Step World Champion. She holds 9 professional country and western titles and is a regular in Invitational Jack and Jill competitions across the country. Most recently, she won the Champion of Champions division at the Phoenix Invitational. She also has 2 Hustle titles to her credit. Together, they teach, judge and compete, doing workshops and events across the country.
In 2003, Debbie and Angel are competing the National Swing circuit in the Showcase Division. So far this year they have many first places in the Showcase Division at NASDE events including the USA Grand Nationals, NADC, Swingtime in the Rockies, Swing Fling, Dallas Dance, and Boogie By The Bay. Angel and Debbie have also won many first places in the Classic Division at national swing competitions in previous years including the Seattle Easter Swing, The North American Dance Championships, The Swing Fling Dance Championships and are the Grand National Classic Champions. Currently, Angel and Debbie live and teach in Austin, Texas, and continue to teach, judge, perform and compete at events all over the world.
Tami Harris
Tami's son Zander is 1 year old...stay tuned for her dance bio.
Libbat Shaham
Libbat Shaham, a nationally acclaimed West Coast Swing dancer, is known for her brilliant smile and the inspirational warmth she brings to the dance floor.
Libbat began performing in theater before 1990, including leads such as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. She segued into ballroom dancing in 1996, and in 2001 dived into West Coast Swing. She has enjoyed tremendous success, rising rapidly to debut with partner Edwin Li and their Shambala routine, and winning the U.S. Open Strictly West Coast division in 2003 with Kyle Redd.
She has since been competing nationally in Invitational and Champions divisons, regularly placing in the top five. Based in New York City, Libbat is a professional West Coast Swing instructor, teaching classes, training private students, starring in instructional videos, and teaching at invited workshops and conventions across the United States.
Best kept secret? She is at heart the biggest social dancer imaginable!
Edwin Li
Edwin has danced, studied, competed, and taught WCS since 1992 , and he is currently a Champion-level competitor with many awards from national competitions.
He has taught workshop weekends as an invited teacher from one end of the U.S. (Seattle, WA) to the other (Hartford, CT), and is hightly recommended for both group and private instruction.
While he does travel to teach, his first love in WCS is to dance, and, at most of the events he attends, he can usually be found social dancing till the ballroom closes.
"I am not a dance teacher. I am a dancer who sometimes teaches."
Cody Melin
CODY MELIN has an extensive dance background spanning over 25 years and comprising of over 30 dances. Career highlights:
Performed at the 88 World Expo (both opening and closing ceremonies), Performed at 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Featured performer at Grey Cup halftime show, 2 years with Alberta Ballet and 1 year with Ballet North (Soloist-Nutcracker), Danced with such diverse music acts as Paul Brandt, Ian Tyson, Michelle Wright, Charlie Pride,, Neil McCoy, Candyman, MC Hammer, and Vanilla Ice, danced on the TNN Dance Invitational for 3 years, Over 250 paid shows, Swango-Off Broadway (original cast)
Kolamenka Grand Champion (out of 3100 competitors), Received 4 year scholarship to Veersky (an ethnic dance academy, the only time this scholarship was ever awarded outside of Russia before or since. 1 of 1 per year.), Certificate in R.A.D. to teach up to Pre Professional level, 4 year scholarship to Royal Winnipeg Ballet (1 of 4 per year), 2x Star Awards Nominee, I.S.T.D certificate, NDCA certificate, Certified Professional Gold Bar & Gold Star in American Style, Winner of 25 Competitions in 1 year (C&W), 2 competitions in same weekend on opposite coasts (C&W), 4 X World Champion, 16 X Masters Champion , 2 X Hustle Champion, 14 X Ballroom Champion, 4 X Theatre Arts Champion, 5 X Cabaret Champion, 4 X Mambo/Salsa Champion , 2 X Break dance/Lock & Pop Champion, 2 X Hip-Hop/Funk Champion, 4 X Showcase Swing Champion, 3 X Strictly Swing Champion, Variety Category Winner on "Destination Stardom" in Honolulu Hawaii. (Pax TV)
Winter Wonderland (2 hour figure skating special for TV), two movies (with a third starting this fall), routines for world class figure skaters, an HBO special, and three music videos. His students consider him the premiere coach in the business. The reasons they give vary from; an amazing ability to read people and treat them as individuals, to crystal clear articulation of what he wants, from what seems like an endless number of different ways to convey ideas, to his belief that he can teach anyone to dance. Having been nominated more than 6 times for best teacher, and with so many of those students reaching the pinnacle of so many different dance forms, they seem to have been proven very right.
Jim Minty
With his passion for dancing and teaching, Jim has been focusing on helping people to “feel” their dance vs. learning to dance a pattern ever since he came to the U.S.A. . Using innovative techniques and teaching tools, Jim’s desire is to help dancers of all levels learn how to feel and move with their partner on the dance floor by creating a better connection.
Jim started dancing/Teaching American Social Ballroom and C/W about the same time in 88'. He moved to Victoria in 92' and was teaching West Coast Swing and ballroom for 4 years while working and going to school. After moving to Seattle in 96 Jim started training a lot harder in West Coast Swing, by becoming a certified G.S.D.T.A instructor, competing and traveling all he could. In his busiest years he taught and/or competed at over 40 weekend events/workshops. Jim has competed in Jack n Jills, Strictly Swings, Classic and Showcase. He has a few top five placements in Classic as well as a multitude of placements in Jack and Jills and Strictly Swing competitions. After training as a Judge and starting to Chief Judge at many events in U.S. and Canada, Jim has found a balance by enjoying other hobbies and doesn't travel the 40+ weekends anymore although is now back on the floor in 06' competing in Showcase with his new partner Katie McCaslin.
Jim still lives and teaches in the Greater Seattle area, he teaches because he really enjoys watching people excel at something they didn't think they could do. Jim works other jobs to pay the bills and teaches because it provides energy and makes him and others happy.
Mary Ann Nunez
1983 & 1984 Won the WS Open Swing Dance Championship, Showcase Division
1984 Finalist on Dance Fever (2nd Place)
1987 Started teaching West Coast Swing part time while maintaining a full time job in the secretarial field.
1990 Inducted into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame for the “Best Female Swing Dancer” in the Nova Division.
1992 I quit my secretarial job and started teaching West Coast Swing full time.
Received Feather Award for three consecutive years in a row (1995, 1996, & 1997) for “Most Outstanding Female Swing Dancer in the Nation.
Three Time Dancers Choice Award (1997, 1998, & 2000) 2002 Inducted into the World Swing Dance Council Hall of Fame.
2005 Won 1st Place in the Champion's Strictly Swing Division and also 1st Place for Best Couple in the WCS and Lindy Swing Dance Challenge at the US Open Swing Dance Championship.
Has accumulated one of the top highest points in the Jack & Jill’s World Swing Dance Councils Registry.
Doug Rousar
Douglas grew up on the stage. For a majority of his life, musical theatre and dance has been a major passion of his. In his early college days, attending VanderCook College of Music Education, Douglas started choreographing and directing productions for the stage and show choirs. Four years later he found himself getting involved in all facets of production from stage work to music editing to promotion and advertising. All the while he was still dancing, performing, directing and doing choreography.
His days on the stage exposed him to a number of different dance styles. It was West Coast Swing however, in 2001, that took hold of Doug’s passion and made it his life. Douglas has been competing in WCS since and started teaching beginners right away. He now has his own studio and business, Spotlight Dance and Performing Arts, LLC.
Doug’s focus of education is to understand the fundamentals, movement and technique of the dance and applying them to patterns, using patterns as a way to practice the technique.
Dancing is a great passion of his and that passion is fueled when he has the opportunity to share his knowledge and gift with students.
Hazel &
Tybaldt Ulrich
Hazel and Tybaldt teach and compete on the West Coast Swing and Hustle circuits and have a combined teaching experience of over 20 years.
With an emphasis on partnering essentials, they bring joy and confidence to your dancing, whether through patterns basic or advanced, complex or elegant, with groove and flow throughout. Together they will help you understand the fundamentals and add a creative edge to your Swing and Hustle dancing.
Most recently Hazel and Tybaldt have placed 1st in the 2005 World Hustle Championships, 1st in Classic WCS and Cabaret at the 2005 Dance America Seattle, 2nd in Classic WCS, Hustle, and Cabaret at the 2005 MADJam, where Tybaldt won the Invitational Jack and Jill, and 2nd in Classic WCS at the 2005 America’s Classic, where Hazel won the Invitational Jack and Jill, to name a few. They also tour the country, performing and teaching in small towns and major cities.
Hazel and Tybaldt work part time at Stepping Out studios in NYC directing the West Coast Swing and Hustle departments. Their remaining time is spent independantly teaching private lessons, coaching, and choreographing for other competitive and performing couples.
In addition they direct the NYC Shag Team and have been working hard to create a Carolina Shag scene in New York.
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