Here is a sampling of some of our instructors. Additional biographies will be posted and reflect the year's active instructors.

Katherine Ambuhl	Katherine Ambuhl      Katherine has been dancing Ballroom, Latin, and Swing for six years. She began teaching in Santa Cruz while completing her BA in Art at UCSC. Katherine currently competes with the Spirit In Motion Dance Company and teaches all genres of Ballroom dance. Her infectious personality and love of teaching bring her classes to life.      Katherine teaches at the The Spotlight Dance & Fitness Studio. Visit her instructor page at the studio for more information about her teaching. To book a private lesson with her or join one of her classes, use the contact page to reach the Spotlight Dance & Fitness.      Katherine's current classes at The Spotlight Dance & Fitness Studio are available on her instructor page.
Charles Bridges	Charles Bridges, Dance Instructor, DJ & Dance Caller      I do love to dance!      The first form of dancing that I took up was western square dancing when I was 12 and I began calling for square dances when I was 16. Since then I have from time to time become focused (pronounced obsessed) on some other forms of dance but square dancing and calling has always remained a prominent part of my life. Some other forms of dance that have caught my attention are ballroom, round dancing (best described as choreographed ballroom),country western (couples and line), clogging (tap but way cooler - so the cloggers say), west coast swing, and contra.      For the last few years I have been focusing on ballroom dancing at "The Ballroom" and "The Spotlight". The newest ballroom in Sacramento is "Ultimate Dance Sport" and I plan to frequent there also. I have been competing in most Sacramento events and a couple of Bay Area events also.      Charles is one of the finest (and busiest) DJs and dance callers in Sacramento. For a list of events where he will be the square or round dance caller or for which he will be providing his renowned music, please visit his website at http://www.sacdancer.com
Chad & Marie Burson	Chad & Marie Burson      We are Chad and Marie Burson. We have been dancing since 1988. We coach International and American Style Ballroom and Latin Dance for any level of dancer from the very beginning to the very experienced DanceSport competitor. We teach individuals, couples, group classes and Formation Teams at The Ballroom of Sacramento. Call for your Dance Appointment: Chad Burson: 916-320-5738 Marie Burson: 916-320-4382 Email: chadnree(at)comcast(dot)net Website: www.chadandmarieburson.com
Jim Clark	Jim Clark, Manager & Dance Director at theUltimate DanceSport Studio      Jim Clark has been sharing his love of dance with students since 1998. He is a fun-loving, easy-going teacher who enjoys success working with both social and competitive students. Jim is very versatile and offers instruction in American Rhythm and Smooth, International Latin and Standard, and many of the nightclub dances including West Coast Swing, Hustle, Night Club Two-Step and Salsa. Jim’s honors include the 2004 Salsa with the Kings Champion title. In his previous life as an Arthur Murray instructor, Jim was awarded top teacher in several of their competitions nationwide. In the last four years, he has won numerous top teacher awards at competitions including the Sacramento Dance Marathon, the Autumn Classic, the San Francisco Open to name a few.
Walter Erickson	Walter Erickson      Walter Erickson has been teaching professionally since 2001 and is currently silver certified in American Smooth and Rhythm and a certified judge. Walter fell in love with teaching his students to not only dance, but how to love dance as well. He credits his training to Arthur Murray's which recognized his potential and sent him on a 2 year tour to teach in Atlanta, Georgia where he also competed and won numerous instructor and Pro-Am awards. Walter was raised as a multi-talented musician and by the early 1990's was an accomplished percussionist involved in musical activities and performances both professionally and community based. In 1997, Walter's first year of college, he took an Intro to Social Ballroom course and fell in love with dancing. He has also studied Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Break Dancing and eventually fell into the Lindy Hop/ EC Swing craze that hit the nation. Walter has had training from some of the top coaches including Michael Mitsue and Susan Lu, Ingvar Garrison, Leslie Spearin, Troy & Irena Baton, Ron Christy, Juan De Dios Garcia and Carie Jo Melgoza, Bobby Gonzalez, Chris and Daisey Lynam, Bob and Julia Powers, and Bob Long. He also studied International Standard & Latin from Danny Lerer. Besides the 9 main ballroom dances, Walter also loves to teach West CoastSwing, Salsa, Lindy Hop, Hustle, Samba, Merengue. Walter teaches at the The Spotlight Dance & Fitness Studio. Visit his instructor page at the studio for more information about his teaching. To book a private lesson with him or join one of his classes, use the contact page to reach the Spotlight Dance & Fitness. Walter's current classes at The Spotlight Dance & Fitness Studio are: Monday 8:00 p.m.     International Latin - Cha-cha Wednesday 7:15 p.m.     West Coast Swing Friday 6:30 p.m.     Pre-Silver - Quickstep Sunday 4:45 p.m.     NEW CLASS! Rhythm Frame & Movement
Ikhlas Haleem	Ikhlas Haleem      Ikhlas took his first dance class in 2005 during his freshman year at UC Davis. He fell in love with the expressive movements of dance and he soon found himself joining the ranks of the Spirit In Motion dance company. Within a year, he became captain of Spirit In Motion. He soon began to take his dancing more seriously by enrolling in the Professional Ballroom Teacher’s Academy under the tutelage of Gwen Burton, and began competition dancing. As an amateur, he competed in numerous competitions throughout Northern California and consistently placed in the top three in both the Rhythm and Smooth divisions.      Ikhlas graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s in Music and Education, both of which shine in his teaching style. His expertise in musical interpretation and passion for sharing knowledge with others help his students feel and understand music as an integral part of dance. He continually challenges his students with new and exciting material, and always molds his teaching to make dancing easy to learn. He specializes in the American Style Smooth and Rhythm dances and is also well-versed in Salsa & other Club dances.      Ikhlas teaches at the The Spotlight Dance & Fitness Studio. Visit his instructor page at the studio for more information about his teaching. To book a private lesson with him or join one of his classes, use the contact page to reach the Spotlight Dance & Fitness.      Ikhlas' current classes at The Spotlight Dance & Fitness Studio are: Tuesday 7:15 p.m.     Level 2 Series B Tuesday 8:00 p.m.     FREE! Beginner's Practice Session Thursday 7:15 p.m.     Level 2 Series B Thursday 8:00 p.m.     Beginning and Beyond--Foxtrot
Bill Riley and Sharon Greenhagen	Bill Riley and Sharon Greenhagen, Dancing On A Heartstring, & DJs      Bill Riley and Sharon Greenhagen formed their company, Dancing On A Heartstring, as a way to promote their full-service dancing abilities from performing, DJing, teaching and promoting the beauty of dance. Bill and Sharon have successfully competed in American Smooth and have been performing on stages and local charity venues throughout Sacramento, Nevada, and the Bay Area.      Bill and Sharon bring a technical background to their dance lessons, and strive to help others improve their dancing while learning new dance patterns and having some fun!      Bill and Sharon also work as DJ's for local events, including the Sacramento Ballroom Society. Their specialty is customizing the music to the theme of the event. Examples of this are a performance for Valentine's Day at a local senior care facility with all "love songs," and "Friday Night at the Movies" for the Sacramento Ballroom Society in 2008 when they put together a mix of Ballroom tunes from famous movies. There was a contest and prizes for the most movie-savvy patrons!      Sharon's musical and production background lends an eclectic bent to the musical selections adding show tunes, jazz and blues to the standard ballroom mix. Bill's extensive Ballroom experience ensures that all tunes are extremely danceable!      Upcoming events from these entrepreneurs are "Ballroom Goes Broadway" which will premiere for the Sacramento Ballroom Society in 2009. Stay tuned to our website for dates and come to the "theater" with us!      For booking information for these fun and fabulous entertainers for your event or show, visit their website at: www.DancingOnAHeartstring.com.
Djimi Klein	Djimi Klein      Djimi started dancing 8 years ago while studying as a computer engineer in Kansas. He teaches Social Ballroom and Latin Dance, including Salsa, Merengue and West Coast Swing. His expertise is in Argentine Tango, being intrigued by its intimacy and improvisational style. He specializes in making students feel more comfortable and confident on the dance floor.      Djimi spent two years in West Africa, where he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger before joining us at Ultimate Dancesport. He has a passion for making things work, whether its computers, antique Volkswagens or beginning dancers with two left feet!      To book a lesson or join a class taught by Djimi, he can be reached at the Ulitmate Dance Sport studio. Email: djimi.klein (AT) gmail (DOT) com. Cell: (916)53-TANGO Studio: (916)36-WALTZ Ask Djimi about...      Argentine Tango Learning social dance Wedding dance choreography
Danny Lerer	Danny Lerer, Owner & Director of the Ultimate DanceSport Studio      Danny Lerer has been teaching professionally since 1981. In his 25+ years of experience, Danny has worked with countless competitive and serious social dancers of all ages and levels. Danny’s area of expertise is in International Style Standard and Latin Dance, and in Showdancing. As a competitive dancer, Danny earned 4 national titles – 3 amateur Standard and 10-Dance titles, and the 1998 Israeli Professional Standard Champion title. He and his partners have danced their way around the World participating in such prestigious competitions as Blackpool , the German Open, the World Cup and several invitation only World Showdance and Standard Championships. Danny has also attained certification as a World Class Judge through the World Dance and DanceSport Council (WDDSC) and has judged many events in the US, Europe, England, Israel and Russia. Danny holds Licentiate certificates in Standard, Smooth and Rhythm and a Fellow certificate in Latin dance issued by a member organization of the World Dance and DanceSport Council. Danny's award winning studio, the Ultimate DanceSport boasts the largest unobstructed dance floor in Sacramento with some of the region's finest instructors. Visit www.ultimatedancesport.com for more information.
Marida Martin	Marida Martin, Director of El Dorado Scandinavian Dancers      I began my hobby of Scandinavian Dance in the early 80's. I have attended over 50 different annual and biannual workshops in Scandinavian Dance taught by teachers from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark held at dance camps in Mendocino Woodlands, Jullian, Petaluma and Alta as well as several taught in Finland and Norway. I teach a Monday night weekly class at Hamilton Park in Sacramento and organize quarterly Saturday workshops in Shingle Springs. I am director of the El Dorado Scandinavian Dancers (EDSD). The group is dedicated to the promotion of Scandinavian music and dance. We perform at dance festivals, senior centers, care homes, and for special occasions such as parties, anniversaries, and gatherings of Scandinavian Organizations. Besides performing with the EDSD I have also performed with the Nordahl Greig Lekering of San Jose in Norway during a dance tour of Oslo, Tronheim, and Boda.      Check out our website at www.folkdance.com/scandi.
Barnaly Pande	Barnaly Pande, Studio Manager of Ultimate Dancesport Studio      Barnaly has competed in numerous competitions in both the United States and Europe over the last five years. Her expertise is in the International-Style Standard and Latin dances. Most recently, she was a finalist in the prestigious United States Dancesport Championships held in Orlando, Florida in September 2008.      With a background in Academia, Barnaly has several years of experience in organizing teams and projects. Her management skills are vital to the day-to-day running of Ultimate Dancesport studio. Ask Barnaly about...      Competition and social dance Wedding dance choreography Studio rental for events & parties
Jennifer Walker	Jennifer Walker, Dance Instructor and DJ      Jennifer Walker started dancing in 1995 when her brother, Bill, informed her she would be taking up a new hobby. Although she was skeptical, she agreed to try it out and was immediately hooked. She competed a few times in American and International styles, but decided in 2001 that teaching was her calling. Today, she teaches private lessons at The Ballroom of Sacramento and is available for sessions with singles, couples or groups. She is a member of the performance group Dancing on a Heartstring, dancing with her brother and partner, Bill Riley. Off the dance floor, she is a freelance writer and enjoys spending time with her family and Arabian horses.      Check out her website at www.authorjennwalker.com.      To schedule a dance lesson appointment with Jennifer, contact twnkltoz(at)gmail(dot)com.
Roger Zabkie & Pamella Rivera	Roger Zabkie & Pamella Rivera      Roger Zabkie and Pam Rivera are currently teaching private and small group lessons at the Ultimate DanceSport and at their home studio in Citrus Heights. They enjoy "team teaching" together, which means you get the benefit of both of their perspectives during each lesson.      Pam and Roger have been dancing and teaching together for more than ten years. Pam is a certified Arthur Murray dance instructor and a certificated secondary school teacher. Both she and Roger have completed teacher's level Argentine Tango training.      Though they teach a number of different kinds of dance, Tango is their favorite. Pam and Roger also do performance Tango, appearing in "¡Tango!," "¡Tango: Rhythms of the Heart!," and most recently "Serendipity." In addition, they produce TV specials for Access Sacramento under the logo "Sacramento Dances!" Their work may be viewed on Comcast Ch. 17 or at www.accesssacramento.org.      Contact info: Pam Rivera, 916-390-1084, pamellarivera (AT) comcast (DOT) net Roger Zabkie, 916-729-3323, rzabkie (AT) comcast (DOT) net.