David is most proud to be called husband to Angela and father to John and Chloe. Angela has been my rock since 1992. She works as a teacher’s assistant at St. Gregory the Great Catholic School and is an incredible mother for John and Chloe. John is an accomplished baseball player. He is finishing at Cox High School this year and attending Virginia Wesleyan in the fall where he will continue to play baseball. Chloe is a talented level 10 gymnast with Gymstrada and rising junior at Cox High School. David’s greatest joy is watching his children compete in their respective sports. David is involved in our local community through his involvement with St. Gregory the Great Church and Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia.

Prior to attaining his law degree in 1997, David worked as a CPA in Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, DC. David moved to Virginia Beach in 1998 to join Wolcott River Gates. Over the course of his 23-year career, David became a shareholder in 2005 and has served as treasurer for the firm. David focuses his business planning and estate planning practice to help individuals and business owners achieve a successful succession plan as they transition to their next phase of life and provide for the next generation.

I want to thank Barbara Lewis with the Town Center City Club for suggesting I participate tonight. She always has me when she starts with “dumpling.” Thanks to all who have come out tonight to support the Virginia Musical Theater and your support to maintain the arts in Virginia Beach.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, but emerging from the heart of Chesapeake, Virginia, Nathan Croslin curates pieces that could be displayed on the grandest of scales. Founder of Midnight Media, Nathan is a self-taught photographer and creative director. He is the regional marketing director for Marco’s Pizza, a marketing coordinator for ECSC which is the longest running surf competition in the world, and also a newly appointed Chesapeake Fine Arts commissioner. Nathan has worked with companies ranging from Sony to Something In The Water’s imprint “VAFORTHEPEOPLE”. He’s currently working on his first art publication “The Peak” which upon completion will benefit underprivileged families located in the Chesapeake area.

Monte Crowl is a Canton, Ohio native but has lived in Virginia since 2002. Monte comes from a family-run advertising agency background. Although Monte enjoys the exciting ad industry, he prefers being on the client side and serves as Marketing VP at ABNB Federal Credit Union.

Monte sang in high school (many years ago) in an acapella vocal group that placed second in the nation behind only a private performing arts school from Interlochen, Michigan. Monte loves music and the arts and is thankful for the opportunity to exercise his “talent” with Simona, his wonderful coach and dancing partner. He is also appreciative of ABNB, who has given him the opportunity to be on stage, and thanks all who attended tonight for supporting the Virginia Musical Theatre. Inspiration for this performance originated from Monte’s 9-year-old daughter, Sidney, who is a dancer, and his 12-year-old son, Jack, who plays multiple musical instruments. It just goes to show you, an old dog can learn a few new tricks!

Tom Davis is the owner/operator of Marjos Complete Remodeling for over 40 years in Virginia Beach. He is a lifelong resident of the city and graduated from Kellam High School before studying business at Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University. Tom has served on the Advisory Board for Fashion Marketing/Merchandising at ODU for 10 years. He has been a member and volunteer serving the Virginia Beach Shag Club since 2010. He began dancing as a teen, but discovered ballroom dance in 2012. As a life-long music lover, it was very easy for Tom to transition from the early days of free style dance to Shag, and on to structured social dancing. As quoted from many of Tom’s friends, “Tom’s go the beat”.

In the past three and a half years, Tom has participated in five “Just Dance On” showcases, coached and choreographed by Melinda Mielock. He is very excited to be a new participant in Dancing with the Hampton Roads Celebrity Stars, and to support Virginia Musical Theatre. He would also like to thank his favorite dance instructor, Melinda Mielock, for sharing her expertise and love for dance.

Jennifer Del-Castillo is a Virginia Beach native. Right after graduating from Green Run High School she pursued a long successful career in hospitality for over 25 years as a Director of Sales and Marketing and in operations as a General Manager for Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn and others in the Hampton Roads area. In 2017 she married the love of her life, Dennis, and together they own DC Design and Media where they are passionate about helping businesses grow through large format graphics and vehicle wraps. In 2020 she left the hotel industry and now works in growing the family business full time.

Jennifer’s favorite job is as Mom to Lexis, Alexander, Landon, and Elizabeth and Grandmother to Lillie, and River. They also have their DC shop dog, a Mini Labradoodle named Profit. When she and Dennis are not at their shop they love to travel, go to the beach, and go to local car events. She has no ballroom dance experience (aside for salsa dancing in the kitchen with her husband) and is so honored to be part of Hampton Roads Celebrity Dancing with the Stars and happy to support Virginia Musical Theater.

Christy Guth is a woman of many passions. For more than 15 years she has pursued her passion in residential real estate, building a career in sales of both new home construction and existing homes. She recently obtained her Virginia State Broker’s license and is currently marketing a new home community, Pitchkettle Farms, in Suffolk, Virginia.

Christy also has a great passion for travel. She likes to spend time in France where she enjoys the food, fashion and of course the wines. Christy also takes time to explore the countryside, farms and markets. She continues to study French with her tutor who is a French native living in Norfolk.

Christy is a resident of Bay Island, where she parents a 5-year old Labradoodle named Chloe. When not selling real estate or travelling, Christy and Chloe enjoy the beach, boating and paddle boarding.

Dancing has been an interest of Christy’s for a long time. In fact, she briefly studied ballroom dancing. Christy is excited and honored to be a part of the Hampton Road Dancing with the Star’s event and the good things the proceeds will provide to the Virginia Musical Theater, another of her great passions.

Kim Havunen is first a wife to Chad Havunen and mother to Calvin, Benjamin and Adam. She owns two locally owned family run gyms with her husband and dear friend Terrence Bond. Natural Bodyz Fitness 24/7 Kempsville and Natural Bodyz Bayside. Kim and her husband founded USA Elite Trainers in 2006. They run a very successful personal training company, specialized in fitness and nutrition and over all life quality. Kim has over 20 years of professionally training clients of all ages.

Kim Havunen won 2 Figure OCB Pro cards at her first show over the age of 40. She recently was featured on News 13 Now as Muscle Mom.

Although you will usually only find Kim on the dance floor just having fun she has never professionally danced. She is doing this to break her comfort zone and always grow personally. If you aren’t growing you are shrinking.

Ed Hopper grew up a “Navy Brat” and proud of it! They traveled the world which helped shape the way he looks at life. Ed and his family have called Virginia Beach home for over 35 years.

Ed is the CEO of Altor Processing Systems, founded in 1999. In January 2018, he led his company in a new direction. They launched Altor/50 and now donate half of their net profits to over 15 charities. Ed says "We can usually help merchants save money and help charities at the same time. It’s a Win/Win!"

Ed spends his free time in the summer as a Supervisor for Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service and is a previous member of the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad. He sits on the board for both the Virginia Beach Minority Business Council and the Virginia Beach Surf and Rescue Museum.

Ed has absolutely no dance experience but is looking forward to the journey with “Dancing with the Hampton Roads Celebrity Stars”!

Mr. Brandon Hutchins was born in Richmond Virginia and is a graduate of Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake. Brandon is an 11-year Naval and Iraq War Veteran that continues to serve the community. When Brandon is not busy as a Healthcare Administrator employed by Anthem, he spends his time working on behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth. He and his wife are the owners of Salon Haven in Virginia Beach. In addition to being a former Virginia Beach City Council candidate, Brandon is currently a Commissioner on Virginia’s Redistricting Commission, and a Board Member for the Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation. While free time is rare, he enjoys spending time with his family, riding his horse, driving and catching up with friends. He is honored be to part of the Hampton Roads Celebrity Dancing with the Start event and happy to support the Virginia Musical Theater. He would also like to thank his sponsors, BeachHouse757, Harvest, and Mr. Gary McCollum for their support.

Camron Jordan is the Vice President of Veteran Reporters, a national court reporting company focused on training and employing military veterans and their family members. Starting as a digital court reporter, his hard work and leadership earned him his current position in the company. He is the head of training and an adjunct professor at TCC where he teaches the Academy for Veteran Education and Training’s Digital Court Reporting course.

As a former US Navy Diver, Camron served at Naval Station Norfolk as an underwater ship repair and maintenance specialist, and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two at JEB Little Creek as an expeditionary diving, salvage, and demolition specialist. After fixing, sinking, and blowing things up underwater, The Michigan native returned to civilian life in his new home of Virginia Beach.

While he has had no previous dance training, he is no stranger to the stage. A life-long musician, Camron has performed at festivals, theatres, clubs, and bars, and has Bachelor of Science degree in Music Production. When he’s not in the courtroom or the classroom, He can be found in the studio, at the gym, or rollerblading up and down the boardwalk at the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

When asked to be a celebrity dancer for The Hampton Roads “Dancing with the Stars,” Megin was honored and a bit frightened by the opportunity. She then thought of her illustrious Aunt Marya A. Kennett, New York dance instructor and studio owner who believed, “Dance was life itself” and gained fame for helping injured and pain-ridden dancers, including two-time world champion boxer Evander Holyfield, who was paid to guide him in his stretching, helping keep injuries to a minimum.

Megin has fond memories watching “Dancing with the Stars” with her Grandmother Larissa, who managed to escape Russian communism to find a better life in the US, eventually settling in Roanoke, Virginia after the War. When describing her late Grandmother, Megin explained, “She was the kind of woman with energy that would enliven any room, whether that meant playing the piano, singing to a restaurant full of strangers, telling great stories or dancing in her living room while sipping Champagne”. And Although Megins’ dance lessons were numbered as a child due to competitive sports like swimming and soccer, she is looking forward to taking center stage to celebrate and honor these legendary women in her family who fought to pave a brighter path for her and so many others, while passionately serving their community.

Megin is EVP of Business Development for CO Technologies, a boutique, Managed IT Solutions and Cyber Security Firm, and Co-Founder of K2 Consulting Solutions LLC. When Megin isn’t collaborating on Solutions in Technology or passionately serving her community, she enjoys surfing, gardening and entertaining great friends at her home with her partner and honorable War Veteran, Kasandra Klein and their 2 Black Goldendoodles, Dixon and Ziggy. Megin would like to thank her generous supporters, Nick Wright of Landmark Industries, County Commissioner Mark Forster of Monroe County FLA, and Vic Philleo, Sr. VP of Investments for Waterfront Advisory Group.

Mark N. Klett was born in Kingston, New York and has resided in Virginia Beach since 1983. Distinguished in both academics and athletics, Mark graduated from The Rivers School and went on to obtain a B.S. in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy and M.S. in Systems Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School. He served 20 years in the U.S. Navy as a Career Navy Surface Warfare Officer. Mark is the founder, President and CEO of Klett Consulting Group, Inc. (KCG) of Virginia Beach, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) established in 2002. Under Mark’s leadership, KCG has become a recognized industry leader in Information Assurance and Cyber Security in both the government and commercial communities. Mark serves on a number of local and regional business organizations, as well as volunteer committees. He is a founding member of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Council and a Regional Board Member to both the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance. Mark actively advocates for small and veteran-owned businesses through multiple testimonies before both House and Senate committees. For his relentless efforts and continued support, he was named the 2010 Virginia Veteran-Owned Small Business Owner of the Year. Mark is dedicated to growing the next generation of technological and cyber expertise. He does so by serving on the Virginia Beach Schools Technology Advisory Board and supporting STEM initiatives at the Kempsville Entrepreneur Academy and the Advanced Technology Center. In his free time, Mark enjoys reading. His favorite books include Growing Into You, Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage, and The Energy Codes: The 7-Step System to Awaken Your Spirit, Heal Your Body, and Live Your Best Life.

Although Ashlea Pittman is a native of East Texas she has managed to make Virginia Beach her home for the past 17 years. She is a mother of 3 boys, Westley Pittman who is 20 years old, in the Navy, and currently stationed on the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego, CA. Connor Pittman who is 16, a Junior at Tallwood High and Landyn Pittman whom is a Freshman at Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach.

Ashlea is a Norfolk Police Officer just recently celebrated her 13-year mark. She loves reaching out the community and working with the children within the communities.

Ashlea is purpose driven, and always feels that there is more that she can do to better herself. In January 2018 she rekindled her love for the gym and ultimately found a passion in bodybuilding. Ashlea is a Woman’s PRO Physique Bodybuilder. She has competed in 5 amateur bodybuilding shows all of which she placed first and gained professional status within the bodybuilding community. In 2019 Ashlea competed in her first professional bodybuilding show in which she placed third.

Of all the things that Ashlea pursues, what she values the most is the relationship that she has with her 3 boys.

Ashlea would like to give a big thank you to John and Tracey for their sponsorship.

Nicholas (Nick) Rocha is a Texas native who moved to Virginia Beach while he was stationed here with the US Navy SEAL Teams. After losing a fellow SEAL in the mountains of Afghanistan, Nick was the founding President for the first ten years of the Special Ops Survivors organization, a non-profit with a mission to Embrace and Empower the Widows of fallen Special Operations heroes from all four branches of military service. After completing 26 years of military service and nine combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, he and his wife, Angela, decided to retire from the Navy and raise their three daughters here in Virginia Beach. In October of 2020 after the news that medicinal and recreational cannabis would become legal in the state of Virginia, Nick began looking for ways he could put his non-profit and military leadership into good use to help Veterans suffering from PTSD. Nick and his business partner, Dr. Kara Coe Von Dresner, decided to transform Bishopsgate Design and Décor into an Alice in Wonderland themed smoke shop called the Queen’s Green. Nick continues to work with veterans and civilians alike in educating them on the benefits of CBD and Cannabis alike to meet their health and wellness needs. Nick is grateful for the opportunity to challenge himself in a new area of “Dancing with the Stars” and would like to thank his partner Allie who made him look good, as well as Barbara Lewis and Mark Hudgins. Nick and Allie hope you have as much fun watching their performance and they had making it!

Haydn is a rare breed in Hampton Roads, she’s actually a native of the area. She was born in Norfolk, schooled in Virginia Beach, resided for years in Chesapeake; she’s explored much of beautiful Tidewater.

Haydn, a single mom to her beautiful 10-year-old daughter, Harlow Noel, found her creative niche in beauty and cosmetology. She is a naturally gifted makeup artist, trained hairstylist and a lover of modern trends. She discovered a personal passion in the beauty industry she hadn’t expected, the enormous positive affect she could have on clients by simply helping them look and feel better about themselves. Her creative outlet became her own personal outreach particularly with women with her work helping to boost their self-confidence, self-esteem and ridding a few insecurities along the way.

Haydn has a special love for elder care which brought her to her current career at Beltone. What is more gratifying than bringing the beauty of sound, conversation and interaction back to those whose volume has been turned down for far too long leaving them isolated. She has found a great new home and fulfilling work with her Beltone family.

Haydn is an action figure; she loves anything with movement, traveling, dancing, music. DWS will be Haydn’s first stint at ballroom dancing! She’s quite mastered twerking but ballroom dancing, that’s quite the challenge. As always, she is more than up to the challenge, excited for the opportunity to compete and thrilled to learn from her terrific dance partner and instructor, Eric Fernandez. Let the twirling begin!

Ms. Sharon Smith was born in beautiful West Virginia near the famous Gauley River. At age nine her family moved to downtown Philadelphia and she now calls Hampton Roads home. She is quick to say that she still loves Philly and her beloved Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Ms. Smith is the owner and president of six local flooring stores. She has three brands, including Carpet World Carpet One in Norfolk and Chesapeake, Floor Trader in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, and Prosource in Newport News and Chesapeake. She is blessed to have two beautiful and successful daughters, three wonderful grandsons and two handsome sons-in-law. Her passion is family, business and traveling. She feels that she is truly fortunate to have the opportunity to travel extensively and experience many cultures worldwide.

Ms. Smith is also a very dedicated community leader, and is currently the co-chairwoman of the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The JCOC feeds and shelters the homeless in the resort area. In 2018 she was honored with the “Retail Donor of the Year” Award from Habitat for Humanity. Sharon also serves on the advisory board for the Art Institute of Virginia Beach. This is Sharon’s second year in Dancing with the Hampton Roads Celebrity Stars. She says that she “went from dancing at the bars to Dancing with the Stars”. She is very excited to be paired with Riccardo Pacini as her partner again this season, and wishes to thank Riccardo, Ms. Barbara Lewis and Mark Hudgins for allowing her to have this opportunity and is planning on having another exciting experience!

Who is the mystery dancer?

Mr. Kevin Stewart is a Virginia Beach native, a graduate of First Colonial High School and James Madison University. He is a partner with the CPA firm, Stewart & Company, where he has worked since 1997, helping his father grow a firm his father established in 1977. Kevin is married to Jeanne, his wife of nearly 26 years and together they have 4 children, spread out in ages at 24, 22, 18 and 7. No that is not a typo. Kevin’s passions are family, surfing, boating, and traveling. He also loves spending time with family in their recently acquired cabin, nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. Kevin is an active community leader, having served as president of the Tidewater Chapter of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council. He currently sits on a regional bank advisory board and is on the Professional Advisors Committee of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. He is also on the board and is a co-founding member of Guys Doing Good, a local 501(c)3 charity supporting other local community charities, and he enjoys staying active in Spring Branch Community Church, where he regularly attends. Kevin loves his hometown of Virginia Beach where he has been nearly a life-long resident of Little Neck, a peninsula in north-central Virginia Beach. This is Kevin’s first experience in any form of dancing which you may well observe. He is happy to support nearly anything that his friend Barbara Lewis cherishes, and he wants to thank his patient dance partner, Marie Rants. Additionally, he wants to thank his beautiful wife of so many years for her love and support, as well as our beautiful and loving God who blessed him with such incredible kids and a supportive and loving family.

Born in Austin,Texas, though calling Virginia Beach Virginia home, Marquita Bianca(MB) owns Baila Fuzion Dance and Creative Arts Center (BailaFuzion.com). One of the city’s most diverse centers focused on developing creatives age 4 and up through dance, theater, fashion, vocal training, entrepreneurship and more. Marquita Bianca having found dance at the age of 21 believes anyone can make their dreams come true through passion and discipline. BFDC has had the honor and pleasure of serving our city through programs such as Dancing with The Seniors, a program MB taught for 11 years pre-pandemic in partnership with the Sandler Center as well as inclusive dance and creative programs serving families with special needs children alongside their community partner AidAnother.com. Through these partnerships and facility programming, Baila Fuzion continues their mission of making the arts available, accessible and affordable to everyone.

Simona Caporale – Has been dancing since the age of 5 starting with Ballet and then began training in  Latin competitive dancing 10 years ago.

With too many awards to mention over the past 25 years  – their most recent and impressive awards and rankings are as follows:

Simona Caporale and her husband Simone Spadoni rank 4th in the world in Italy.

First place finishes:
WDSF Senior Open Latin
Caserta 2017
Bassano Del Grappa 2017
Rimini Open 2017
Italian Championship of the world first place 4 years running -2013 – 2016
WDC Senior Open Latin
Disney in Paris December 2017
Italian Absolut 2017
Switzerland April 2018
Blackpool –May 2017 placed 6th in the world
Blackpool - May 2018 placed 4th in the world


  NDCA in the United States Simone and Simona in 2018 they placed in Senior International Open as follows:
Capital Dancesport August 2017
Charlotte Star Ball August 2018
International Championship October 2018
Championship of the World in Miami finished 8th in the world
Currently teaching at Studio 2C she is excited to share her knowledge with her students and the studio.

Taras was born and raised in Rochester, NY, where he found early in life a love and talent for dancing. Fostering an appreciation for the family’s Ukrainian heritage, Taras’s parents introduced their children to the country’s culture and customs. Through this exposure, Taras’s aptitude for Ukrainian Folk dancing became evident.

Throughout his childhood years Taras studied, practiced, and performed as a principle dancer for his group, and traveled to ballet workshops and intensives to solidify his foundation in this art. Seeking a means to supplement his lifestyle as a bourgeoning rock star, Taras stumbled upon the movie ‘Swing Kids’, which inspired a call to the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. After his initial visit, the studio owner offered him a position as an instructor.

Training in the array of positions Arthur Murray has to offer quickly commenced. Taras started his employment in 1996 at the Rochester studio. He would go on to achieve many goals and receive accolades as an instructor, from being one of the top teachers in the organization to becoming the franchisee of the studio within five years.

A few of his professional dance accomplishments with his wife, Wendy, include: Southern Ontario Rhythm Champions, World Salsa finalists, Arthur Murray Rising Star Rhythm Champions, and Open Rhythm Champions and World finalists.

In 2009, Taras and Wendy moved to Virginia Beach and opened the Arthur Murray Studio as it is today. As Certified Dance Masters, they travel across the country as Adjudicators, Trainers and Consultants. Their goal is to bring Hampton Roads the highest quality and the finest service dance instruction has to offer. They train their teachers and inspire their students locally as well as across the Arthur Murray organization to achieve their highest potential while having fun.

Dancing has been a lifelong passion and pursuit for both Taras and Wendy. When the two began their dance careers as Instructors with Arthur Murray Dance Studios, they joined the organization with individual, yet equally extensive backgrounds in Fine Arts. Wendy, a Musical Theatre Major, started dancing at a young age with a classical background in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. Her love and talent for the stage was highlighted in the well-known productions of Grease and Man of la Mancha. Taras found his love of dance through his culture, as he explored movement and music through Ukrainian Folk Dance. His natural ability and talent for Ballet earned him the title of Lead Dancer in the premier Ukrainian Folk Dance Group of Rochester, New York. Passion met opportunity when Taras and Wendy discovered the world of Ballroom Dance. Taras and Wendy chose to pursue their personal and professional dance goals, which led them to great achievement. Partnered in 2001, they dedicated themselves to the continued growth of their respective dance studios while simultaneously training to reach champion-level success in the competitive dance arena. Taras and Wendy professionally thrive in all positions within Arthur Murray as Instructors, Managers, Coaches, and most recently as Franchisees of the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The successes and accolades of Taras and Wendy are numerous. Wendy’s ability to teach and motivate, with her reassuring and positive approach to students, earned her the title of Top Teacher in the Rochester Studio, which led to her promotion as Executive Supervisor overseeing the growth of her staff and helping to create one of the leading studios on the East Coast. As Dance Director of the Rochester Studio, Taras helped raise the area’s dance standard. As a natural leader, his ability to organize international competitive events helped Arthur Murray students and teachers broaden their perspective of the power of dance to connect people of different cultures. His ingenuity as a choreographer, as well as his skill for highlighting the unique talents and abilities of his students, is demonstrated with every formation, spotlight performance, dance show, and competitive routine to which he lends his talents.

Taras and Wendy credit much of their competitive career success to their wonderful teachers and dance coaches. Having worked with some of the Industry’s best, Taras and Wendy acquired the skills and level of discipline necessary to achieve a level of professional success that only top competitors will know. In 2005 Taras and Wendy Denysenko became Arthur Murray Rising Star Rhythm Champions. Since then they have been finalists and champions in such competitions as the Caribbean DanceSport Championship, the New York City Superama and Dance-O-Rama, Atlanta Open, Atlantic City Dance-O-Rama, Las Vegas World-O-Rama, La Classique du Québec and Falls Premier Ball. They experience continued success in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In 2009, an exciting opportunity led Taras and Wendy to relocate to Virginia Beach where they opened their own Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Since that time, their consistent efforts to evolve in the field of Performance Art have reinvigorated dance in Virginia Beach. The authentic quality and standard of dance that typically exists only in major cities, like New York and Los Angeles, can be experienced in their Virginia Beach Studio. Presently their goal is to expand so that everyone in Hampton Roads may have the opportunity to experience the magic that Arthur Murray’s brings. Visit www.cutarug.net

Bio coming soon.

Eric is a Hampton Roads native, born and bred. As a child he grew up break dancing with local neighborhood kids, andexperimenting with many different dance styles. He was first introduced to Latin dancing at a young age of 21 while working at a local nightclub. This sparked a passion for Latin dance in Eric; from then on he spent his free time learning salsa and bachata.

Eric then went on to honorably serve nine years in the United States Navy where he acquired many illustrious skills. Eric fell in love with photography while visiting many foreign ports and amazing places during active duty. It was during this time that he honed his skill behind the camera. He has been published in several international magazines and is sought out for his amazing images. However, dancing had always left an impression that he just could not forget; he decided to pursue dance as his career.

Eric applied for a position as a ballroom dance instructor at Arthur Murray Virginia Beach and the rest is history – it’s a beautiful thing when one’s passion and career come together. Eric is known throughout the studio as having a keen eye for technique and instilling confidence in all of his students. Eric plans on continuing to teach while working towards his photography business.

Andrea Franco was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador. Since she was little, she has always loved to dance. At the age of 10, she began with gymnastics then in high school she was part of her volleyball team and dance team. It was then when she decided that dancing was her passion. She was apart of her high school dance team until she graduated. She rehearsed every day after school until late hours preparing for events and competitions. She danced to all types of music, but mainly hip hop and Latin dances like salsa and bachata.

After graduating in 2015, she joined a dance team called ‘Let’s Move Dance Studio’ with her choreographer. Andrea was soon offered a part time position as a hip hop and street jazz teacher. Along side dancing, she also sang in three operas for El Salvador OPES and Opera of El Salvador.

In 2016 she moved to the U.S. with her family. She studied English for two years and started college right away. Moving didn’t deter Andrea from her passion. She knew that she wanted to continue her dance journey and make it a career.

In 2019, Andrea joined the Arthur Murray Dance Studio Virginia Beach team. Andrea is also in her 2nd year of college majoring in Graphic Design and Advertising, but that is not going to stop her advancing her beautiful dance career.

Rebekah Klyukin has been living in the Hampton Roads area since she was one-year-old. She discovered her passion for dancing in college. She is a biologist by education and prior to pursuing professional ballroom dancing, she had planned to attend medical school. Together, with her husband Zhenya, they own A Time to Dance studio in Virginia Beach, where they teach beginners through advanced competitive dancers. At the studio they offer private lessons, group classes, instruction and entertainment for private events, and social dance parties. Rebekah and Zhenya have two beautiful children, Izabella and Dmitry, and two dachshunds, Simba and Nala. She can be reached by calling 757.490.8999 or emailing learntoballroom@gmail.com. Rebekah would like to thank her two fabulous partners, Mike Spencer and Mike Melnyk, for all their hard work and great enthusiasm for the dance competition!

Zhenya moved to Hampton Roads in 2008 from Yekaterinburg, Russia. He began dancing in Russia when he was just 6 years old and holds many championship titles from his competitive career in International Ballroom and Latin dancing in Russia. He currently is competing professionally in the country-western circuit. Additionally, he competes with many students throughout the year at various competitions in the United States, in all styles of dance. He enjoys sharing his love of dance with people, whether they be beginner social dancers…or competitive advanced dancers. He and his wife, Rebekah, own A Time to Dance studio in Virginia Beach. At the studio they offer private lessons, group classes, instruction and entertainment for private events, and social dance parties. Additionally, they have two children, Izabella and Dmitry, and two dachshunds, Simba and Nala. He can be reached by calling 757.490.8999 or via email at learntoballroom@gmail.com.

Zhenya would like to thank his partner, Christy Guth, for the privilege of dancing with her in this competition!

My name is Jay Leary. I’m 28 years old and from Phoenix, AZ. I have been dancing for 18 years starting in ballet with the Arizona Youth Ballet where he danced for two years, learning ballet and jazz as well as other genres, including modern, contemporary, and hip hop. Jay attended Grand Canyon University majoring in Dance Education, where he choreographed and performed. He began dancing ballroom in 2012 with Fred Astaire Dance Studio, where I started dancing and competing professionally. I joined the Navy and moved to Virginia in 2014 where I worked at various studios before starting my own studio, Cutting Edge Ballroom since 2019, where I currently rent floor space at A Time To Dance.

Melinda Mielock was born in Topeka, Kansas and started dancing at the age of five. During the first dance class she knew that dancing would always be a part of her life. Sher has studied under many great instructors and coaches, all of whom have helped shape her into the dance professional she is today. Melinda enjoys and excels at choreography. She offers Choreography packages for any occasion and can create a beautiful dance routine for dancers at any level of dance. She is passionate about her work and is so thankful to all of her students and their families for being a part of her life. Melinda’s goal is to pass on to her students the love of dance in a safe, friendly and fun environment. She believes that proper dance technique is extremely important; however, to be a successful dancer you also have to have passion, and desire. It is her job to give each of her students the confidence to believe in themselves and their abilities. Her passion is showcasing her students in Spotlight Performances and highlighting their accomplishments and hard work, both at the studio and local venues. Her biggest joy in dancing is transforming the Non-dancer into the best Dancer they can be. Currently Melinda operates dance studios in Laredo, Texas and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Riccardo and Sonia both started dancing when they were 6 years old. They have both trained with some of the most prestigious coaches in the world. In 2002, they started dancing together at the Junior Open Gold level in Italy.

After only 1 year of partnership, they achieved 1st place at the Italian Open Championship in Latin and the Combined 10 Dance competition. Riccardo and Sonia also placed second at the Standard Open Championship. Two years later, in 2004 they began to compete internationally. By 2006, they were ranked 2nd in the world. That same year they placed second in the under 21 category at the World 10 Dance Championship in Platja d’Aro Spain. Finally, after a successful career at the Junior and Under 21 levels, Riccardo and Sonia began competing in the more challenging Adult category. After entering the more challenging Adult category, Riccardo and Sonia placed second at the Italian Open Champion in both Standard and Latin in 2008. They also placed second in the Italian Open Championship both Standard and Latin as well as reaching the finals in many prestigious competitions around Europe.

2010 was an exciting year for Riccardo and Sonia. They placed second in the Italian Open Combined 10 Dance Championship and opened their own studio in Rome, Italy and that same year. Three years later, in 2013 Riccardo and Sonia placed in the top three in some of the most prestigious competitions around the world. Such as the UK Open, the German Open Championship, and the Disney Cup in Paris, France. They also placed 2nd at the World Latin Show Dance Championship. The next year, 2014, they won the Italian Open Championship in Latin dance style. That same year they decided to move to USA. Since moving to the United States, they have achieved great results competing in the Professional Division. They have placed first in many competitions, such as Virginia State, New Jersey State, Maryland Dance Championship, Commonwealth Classic, Heritage Classic, Michigan Dance Challenge, Cincinnati Dance Challenge, and Philadelphia Dance Sport. Riccardo and Sonia are the Owners/Teachers of World Class Ballroom.

Allie Powers has danced most of her life, beginning at the early age of 4 training in ballet, tap, and hip-hop. She formalized her Ballroom Dancing career in 2004, training under Yevgeny Klyukin training in International Latin and Standard. She has competed in Maryland and Washington D.C. placing 1st and taking the “overall categories” in all of her competitions. For the past 15 years, Allie has been training and teaching at “A Time to Dance”. Allie specializes in International Latin, but has a passion for all forms of dancing and enjoys teaching the art of Ballroom Dancing to her students.

Marie Rants, Owner/Artist Director of Rants Ballroom Company and adjunct professor at Old Dominion University, has been dancing professionally since 1996. She holds a BA in Dance from ODU and is completing her MA in Communication at Johns Hopkins University.

Ms. Rants has been coached by World Latin/Ballroom Champions and specializes in the American Rhythm & Smooth Ballroom disciplines. Having been awarded Top Teacher honors at the competitive level, she is also committed to teaching dance as art even at the social-dance level. Marie is passionate about sharing her love of dance with her students, from the young to the young at heart.

Jana Smith became a ballroom dancer in 2002, shortly after graduating from Virginia Tech. Several years later, her love of dancing had led to intensive training and competition. She spent almost a decade travelling back and forth between Virginia Beach and Los Angeles, training and competing in some of the nation’s most prestigious ballroom championships. Those competition days may be behind her, but she is thrilled to be able to continue competing with her celebrities each year through DWTHRCS!! In addition to teaching ballroom, Jana is most active in chasing around her precious 20-month-old son. She also is a certified equipment-based Pilates instructor, operating a fully equipped classical Pilates studio out of her home in Western Branch area of Chesapeake (http://centeredmovement.net). She wishes her fantastic partner, Mark Klett, all the best in this year’s competition!!

Simone Spadoni has been training in Latin dancing for 25 years and teaching for 18 years.

With too many awards to mention over the past 25 years for he and his wife/dance partner, Simona Caporale, here are their most recent and impressive awards and rankings:

First place is all the following:
WDSF Senior Open Latin
Caserta 2017
Bassano Del Grappa 2017
Rimini Open 2017
Italian Championship of the world first place 4 years running -2013 – 2016
WDC Senior Open Latin
Disney in Paris December 2017
Italian Absolut 2017
Switzerland April 2018
Blackpool –May 2017 placed 6th in the world
Blackpool - May 2018 placed 4th in the world

  NDCA in the United States Simone and Simona in 2018 they placed in Senior International Open as follows:
Capital Dancesport August 2017
Charlotte Star Ball August 2018
International Championship October 2018
Championship of the World in Miami finished 8th in the world.

Simone currently teaches at Studio 2C in Suffolk, where he is excited to share his knowledge with his students and the studio.  

Deborah Cox Wood, Ph.D., N.D. is a Doctor of Naturopathy, a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, helicopter pilot, best-selling author, and more. She was part of the first graduating class of Kempsville High School in 1970 and a gymnastics team member at Old Dominion University.

Dr. Deb was named Professional Business Woman of the Year in 1996 in Virginia Beach, again in 2012 in Norfolk, and recognized in 2013 by the Worldwide Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in alternative and holistic medicine.

She and her late husband, Breck Wood, ran William E. Wood & Associates, the largest real estate firm in Virginia. A testament to their enduring love is the life-size bronze statue located at Town Center called “The Kiss.”

In Virginia, at The Renova Center, Dr. Deb works with TBI, PTSD, and Suicide among veterans, first responders, and rescued children of sex trafficking. In Alaska, she works with combat-wounded veterans at Camp Battle Dawgs, a decompression retreat located on her 640-acre property in Talkeetna, run by BattleDawgs.org.

When not working, Dr. Deb enjoys playing with her nine grandchildren.

Turning 70, Deb credits her health to a lifelong love of wellness and the teams at Fitness Norfolk and Float Norfolk.

Bio coming soon.

Dru Nicole "Nikki" Fowler is a native of Virginia Beach. She was educated at Cape Henry Collegiate, the Virginia Beach Friends School, and the historic Stuart Hall School in Staunton, VA.

As a young woman, she gained acclaim as an athlete on both the tennis and basketball courts and the fashion runway. She is a graduate of Barbara Lewis' Charm Associates School.

Growing up in the homes (and offices) of Deb and Breck Wood of William E. Wood & Associates and her dad, Dan Fowler of PrimeLending, she has always been interested in real estate and business. Using this background, she has been involved in staging properties for busy realtors and consulting on numerous organizing and design projects.

She and her husband Christopher, a member of the Virginia Army National Guard, reside in Virginia Beach with their six children: Jax (10), Emi-Layne (9), Emerson (7), Lily (4), Olive (4), and the newest addition, Ezra (18 months).

When she's not working on staging and design projects, she can be found around Hampton Roads at her children's various swim meets, tennis matches, lacrosse games, karate tournaments, and gymnastics competitions, or at home doing art projects with the little ones.

She is excited to be competing this year against a field of great competitors, including her mother: Dr. Deb Wood.