International Ballroom

Coach Spotlight: Tony Meredith

We are excited to welcome Tony Meredith to our studio! In case you don’t know who Tony is…take a look at his credentials!

United States Professional Latin Champion
Represented the United States 12 times in the Professional World Latin-American Dance Championships
Over 100 first place trophies
North American Latin Champion
American World Swing and Cabaret Champion
Latin World Cup Champion
DanceSport World Cup Champion
Latin World Trophy Champion
First place in the “Dirty Dancing Championships”
3-Time Winner of the Championship Ballroom Dancing competition sponsored by PBS
Choreographed for competitive dancers and celebrities including:
- Pierce Brosnan
- Renee Russo
- Vanessa L. Williams
- Tim Robbins
- Cameron Diaz
- Megan Mullaley
- Matthew Morrison
- Susan Sarandon
- Jessica Biel
- Lisa Lampanelli
- Steven Dorff
- Patrick Stewart
- Leslie Caron
- Jennifer Beals
- Campbell Scott
- Rob Schneider
- Barbara Walters

Currently, Tony Meredith serves as a Ballroom Dance competition adjudicator, coach, and choreographer and possesses a wide range of versatility: from Cha-Cha to Swing, Tango to Hustle, Mambo and Salsa to American Rhythm, Blues, etc.

If you are looking for choreography for a showcase, preparing for a competition, or just looking to improve your fundamentals in your dancing, then talk to your instructor about the benefits of coaching and we can get you scheduled! We have many coaches coming in with world renowned reputations like Tony coming into the studio!

Coach Spotlight: Linda Dean

We are excited to welcome Linda Dean to our studio! In case you are not familiar with this legend in the industry, take a look at what all she has accomplished.

Linda Dean has spent a lifetime dancing and, almost just as long, with Fred Astaire Dance Studios.

Learning ballet, tap, and jazz when she was five years old, Linda entered the world of ballroom dancing when she was twenty. At that time, staff members at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Philadelphia persuaded her to enter the studio’s training class. From that point on, it wasn’t long before she was on her way. With partner, George Hendrix, Linda competed in the first USDSC in 1971. Placing in the finals that year, Linda and George came back in 1972 to win both the Theatrical and American Style divisions.

In 1975, Linda began her partnership with Vernon Brock. Linda and Vernon won the USDSC’s International Latin division for the next four years. From 1975-1978, they represented the United States in the World Championships, making the finals for all four years.

They continued to do shows until 1984. Presently, she is an adjudicator at major United States and world championships. When judging, Linda looks for timing, characteristics of the dance, and control.

Linda also coaches and is a member of the Fred Astaire Dance Board. Currently based in Arizona, she has been with Fred Astaire Dance Studios all over the United States, including New York, Texas, New Orleans, and Florida.🗺

Some of her accomplishments include:

Former U.S. American Style Champion
U.S. Theater Arts Champion
U.S. International style Latin Champion for four years
Four times a finalist in the World Championship in International Latin
Member of the Fred Astaire Dance Board 25 years
Galaxy Dance Festival, co organizer

If you are interested in getting some good quality coaching, talk to your instructor and get on her schedule!

Coach Spotlight: Rufus Dustin

Rufus Dustin, a World Dance Council (WDC) professional, provides coaching and choreography for some of the best Professional and Amateur competitive dancers in the world. He routinely acts as an adjudicator at some of the most prestigious dance competitions around the globe. Rufus has been certified as an adjudicator by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA), the World Dance Council (WDC), and Fred Astaire Dance Studios Inc. in International Style Standard, International Style Latin, American Smooth, American Rhythm, and Theater Arts. As a Professional dancer, Rufus competed nationally and internationally, attaining titles in International Latin, American Rhythm and Theater Arts. He has performed all over the world, including special presentations at the Blackpool Dance Festival.

Dustin’s roots lie in ballet. It was only during a summer break from a ballet company that Dustin ran across an opportunity for a teaching gig at a local Ballroom Dance studio. Never did he imagine this summer fling would soon become the love of his life. Dustin went from dancing ballet in Boston to winning the first American Style DanceSport Championship in 1974 in just a few short years.👍

Dustin kept with ballroom over ballet throughout the rest of his dancing career. “In the other performing dance arts, modern, jazz, ballet, the subject is about your own sort of absorption as a dancer. It’s just about you, just your dancing. I was so excited about the idea in the Ballroom world… to recreate mythically what Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly did in the movies, who I always admired greatly. The dancing came from such a different place, because you had to be concerned not only about yourself, but also about this woman in your arms. I found that, and still to this day, find that magical. It’s what’s kept me Ballroom Dancing for all these years.”

Some of his many accomplishments:

2-time World Exhibition/Cabaret Champion
2-time United States National Professional American Style Champion (Rhythm and Smooth) (1974 – 1975)
North American Latin Champion
North American 10-Dance Champion
United States Champion
Blackpool Dance Festival Champion
Multi-time Lecturer at the World Ballroom Dancing Congress in Blackpool, England

Cuban Motion and Hula Dance…how are they similar?

Hula dancing is a very unique style of dancing. According to Hawaiian culture, the Hula dance was considered a gift from the gods, yet it is unsure of the exact timeframe of when this dance originated. During the 1800s, differing styles of hula evolved and began blending not only native Hawaiian styles together, but also those of foreign countries; mainly Japanese elements. Hula is also vastly inspired by the elements they live by; from the ocean waves, to the wind in the trees.

“Just as the tree does not anticipate that the wind is coming and therefore lay down in preparation for its arrival, but responds to the touch of the wind.”

As far as Hula dancing is concerned, it is not much different from the Cuban motion we teach in rhythm dancing. Hula dancing, just like the rhythm dances, start with a preparation step.

The preparation for hula is to have the upper body stretched, knees bent, all of the weight on the left foot, the left hip raised as though you are going to tuck it under your left armpit, the right foot in a tap position next to the left foot in preparation for the first step.
Cuban motion is very much similar. In preparation, we have our left leg straight and all of our weight is gathered onto this standing leg. Our right foot is in a tapping position with a bent knee and our hip is “settled” into the leg.

“They observed how the ocean builds up energy, rolls to shore, seems to take a breath to build up energy and then returns to begin again.”

Another way that hula dancing and Cuban motion are similar is in the way they are executed. In most styles of dancing, the dancer must anticipate the beat and be there on the first count. However, in BOTH Hula and Cuban motion, there is a delayed reaction of weight transfer…meaning the hip is going to be about ½ count behind the actual foot placement. In doing this, you create a visual representation of what the music is evoking and visibly creating the musical rhythm from the arm styling to the hip action.

Though beats may be slightly different and the music varies from the various styles of dances whether it be rumba, Cha-Cha, or Hula…the technique behind these dances create a universal dance language that can be translated throughout many cultures. 🕺

Coach Spotlight: Marianne Nicole-DePalma

Marianne Nicole-DePalma is a former Champion in three styles of competitive dancing. Marianne is also a former examiner for the Fred Astaire Dance Studio organization, and currently a National Examiner for the DVIDA Organization. Some of her titles include; United States Rising Star American Style Champion, Undefeated United States Theatre Arts Champion, North American International Latin Champion, Canadian Theatre Arts Champion, Undefeated Fred Astaire American Style Champion, Undefeated Fred Astaire Theatrical Champion, Undefeated Fred Astaire International Latin Champion, World Latin Representative.

Marianne Nicole-DePalma is a World Class Adjudicator & Coach, and Co-Organizer of the Capital Dancesport Championships.

Accomplishments
United States American Style Rising Star Champion
Undefeated United States Theatre Arts Champion
North American Latin Champion
Imperial Latin Champion
Eastern United States Latin Champion
U.S.A. World Latin Representative
Canadian Theatrical Champion
2019 Inductee to the US Dancesport Hall of Fame