Dustin Valcalda & Sierra Gil
Instructor Bios
JILL BABINEC
DJ, Dance Instructor and Choreographer from Youngstown, Ohio and started country dancing in 1989. Dancing Line and 2 Step in a local country bar. She dabbled in teaching line and partners a bit before having to go off to further her degree in 1993, and in 1997, graduated from Case Western Reserve School of Dentistry with a DDS degree.
So with dance shoes on one end and drill and forceps on the other end, she is a force to be reckoned with (hehe). Oh yeah, and adding upon that, her Martial Arts training in which she received her black belt in 2012.
Jill got familiar with the UCWDC dancing circuit around the year 2000 and has since branched out DJing and teaching at line dance events. She received the Dancer of the Year award in 2009 at the Las Vegas Line Dance Explosion. She has also been voted Favorite DJ for the Windy City Line Dance Event for several years, as well as nominated for the Crystal Boot Awards favorite DJ category.
She also dabbled in choreography, having her dances danced all over the world. She was a UCWDC Worlds Champion in Choreography in 2019. In all her dance years, she has also collaborated with some of the best choreographers on the circuit.
Her website, www.djdrjill.com, is where you can check out her choreography and videos.
She also holds a 1 day event – Dance For A Cure in Canfield, Ohio which raises money for breast cancer research. This event has been going strong for over 20 years. You can check out the website: www.dance4acure.org.
Most of all, Jill wants to thank all the dancers for their love and friendship, support, and dance requests. For all the laughs on and off the dance floor, you are why she does what she does.
Jen michele
Jen Michele, a born and raised country girl from Northern California, took her first line dance step back in 2015 and never looked back!
Now a line dance instructor, two-time choreography competition winner, and owner/CEO of Dance It Out – Line Dancing, she has taught/teaches at events including Danny Wimmer’s Golden Sky Country Music Festival, Doug and Jackie’s Vegas Dance Explosion, Cambria Country Line Dance Event, Downtown Lincoln’s Kick the Dust Up, Palm Springs Winter Break, and KNCI’s Country In the Park and Country In the Park 2. Jen also teaches regular weekly classes for Auburn Recreation District and Opera House Saloon, as well as private and corporate events.
On a more personal note, Jen also has her Master’s of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, and works within a school district to support emotionally disturbed children and shape difficult behaviors. She is a proud mama of two boys, Jackson and Blake, enjoys the outdoors and the simple things in life!
Let’s have some fun and Dance It Out!
chris jacques
Chris started dancing in 2009 as a ballroom dancer, dancing socially and competitively. He trained for 6+ years with various professionals at studios across New England. In 2015, while on a break from competition, he discovered Line Dance. He began dedicating his time to social line dancing across all music genres and dance difficulties.
In 2018, Chris started teaching Line Dance. Since starting, he's taught in a variety of settings, events big and small, to dancers of a wide range of experience. Chris's most notable accomplishments as an instructor include teaching at some of the largest events in the United States and also having the honor of teaching internationally.
Also in 2018, Chris began competing in Line Dance choreography. His competitive choreography accomplishments include winning the 2019 Windy City Line Dance Mania amateur choreography competition, finishing 2nd overall in the 2019-2020 United States Line Dance Choreography Competition, winning the 2021-2022 United State Line Dance Choreography Competition, and being a finalist in the 2023 World Dance Masters Choreography Competition.
Chris continues his choreography and continues to develop his skills as an instructor, recently dedicating more time to working with brand new dancers.
His hopes include: continuing to grow as an instructor, choreographer and dancer, to eventually share a dance floor with as many people as possible, and to help convey a joy and passion for dance to those who haven't yet discovered how much they love to dance.
Hana Ries
Born and raised in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), from a young age she was trained in ballet, figure skating, rhythmic gymnastics, and later in ballroom and aerobic dance. How about line dance?
After earning her Master’s degree in Cybernetics and Bachelor’s degree in Education, Hana embarked on a new adventure, moving to Australia to study English as a second language. Following her studies, she set out to explore the vast and beautiful continent. It was in the small town of Broome, Western Australia, where she first encountered the infectious energy of line dancing. As she recalls, "People were so friendly, and inviting, the atmosphere was fantastic. I absolutely loved it, and I told myself I would definitely do it again.”
However, it wasn’t until five years later, in a country bar called Beach Wagon in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, that Hana rediscovered her passion. She knew instantly that she had found a home. In 2007, she became the Beach Wagon's line dance instructor, and even though the venue is now closed, her commitment to line dancing has never wavered.
For approximately 35 years, Hana has been a fitness instructor, and she currently shares her expertise in both fitness and line dance in the Myrtle Beach area, at workshops across the United States and Europe, and also on line dance cruises and vacations. In 2023, she assumed the role of director for the line dance workshop, Dance In The Sand.
Hana is also a talented choreographer, having created numerous dances, some of her most popular being Knockin’ Boots, Float, Happy Does (Stretchy Pants), Vagabond, Damn (contra), Celebrate, Keep Up If You Can, and Blessed, among others.
What describes her the best is her own words, “I have met so many wonderful people thanks to my job, thanks to fitness and line dancing. I simply can’t imagine my life without it! I genuinely love what I do – I love to teach and dance with people I call my friends.” ♥
trevor thornton
Trevor is a 38-year-old native Floridian. He is known for his "motivating & energetic" dance instructions and choreography, placing as overall champion in the 2015 United States Line Dance Choreography Competition (USLDCC).
Trevor has 17 years of experience as an instructor, and 9 years as a choreographer/entertainer and DJ. He has worked with some of the biggest names in country music, and continues to be hired by major venues each year.
He has a special desire to educate and inspire the next generation, sharing his passion for music and dance nationally and internationally. Trevor's flair and enthusiasm is contagious and will captivate you into a dance experience you didn't realize could be possible!
His local stomping grounds are in Sanford, Florida, at The Legendary Barn, where he has been an instructor for over 10 years. When he's not dancing, he's spending time with his 16-year-old daughter Madison and his wife Briana. He enjoys traveling and sharing his passion for dance with others all over the world.
Jonno Liberman
Jonno’s artistic endeavors began with 17 years of competitive roller figure skating where, on top of numerous national titles, he represented the U.S.A. six times at the world level.
His introduction to dancing was in the early 2000s at Disneyland’s Jump, Jive, Boogie Swing Party where he fell in love with Lindy Hop. After moving to San Francisco in 2012, Jonno accidentally stumbled into the world of line dancing at the Sundance Saloon. It wasn’t long before he began creating his own line dances, which have earned several choreography awards, including five UCWDC World titles.
His joy of dancing and creativity can be seen in his dances that are being taught across the globe. Some of his most popular dances include Life After Love, Get Ugly, The Wolf, She’s A Natural, All Bass No Treble (with Galit), Best Mistakes (with Takahashi), and Ex’s and Oh’s (with Dominguez).
Amy bailey
Amy danced in and won her first UCWDC competition in 2006 and began choreography competitions not long thereafter. She won a few choreography competitions including being awarded the Dancer’s Choice Award for Team Choreographer in 2013. Amy has been afforded the opportunity to teach at events throughout the United States and internationally since 2011. In 2017, her co-choreography was awarded Dance of the Year and Intermediate Dance of the Year at the Crystal Boot Awards.
Local favorites include Shake Your Cake, Stitches, Moses Roses Toeses, Portland Cha with Betts, Madge, Vane, Ward, Poulsen, Ain’t Misbehavin’ with Mundy, Thompson-Szymanski, and more!
When she isn’t dancing, Amy is a pharmacist in Washington state. While she enjoys her career, she has discovered that her true passion is dance. Amy can no longer imagine her life without line dance and loves sharing this passion with dancers all over the world. Amy finally met the love of her life dancing, and in 2017 she married Darren Bailey.
darren bailey
Darren Bailey is a 15-time World Line Dance Champion in categories such as Classic, Showcase, Choreography, and Teams. Darren completed his dance training in Holland and toured Europe and America in theatre productions of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “Passion and Illusion.” In 2006, Darren retired from professional competitions, but has continued judging, choreographing and conducting workshops throughout the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, and the USA. In 2017, Darren was inducted into the Line Dance Hall of Fame for his services to Line Dance Choreography and his work promoting Line Dance all over the world. Darren has trained several of the current and previous World Line Dance Champions and continues to train the world champions of tomorrow.
In 2006, Darren was partnered with Lana Williams for the BBC1 Show, Strictly Dance Fever, where they finished as runners-up from a total of 80,000 competitors. Following this, Darren has gone on to work professionally within the entertainment industry, with many choreography and T.V. credits to his name.
Sierra gil
Sierra began her professional dance career in 2013 at Arthur Murray Dance Studios, with a strong focus on dance technique. She participated in multiple choreographed routines, showcases, dance events, and honor balls. She quickly exceled through the various honors that Arthur Murray endowed, including consistent advanced placements in judged competitions and ceremonies.
After a few years, she began working with Starlite Ballroom, learning how to become an instructor and also participating in their professional dance shows. She also joined the Revelation dance team, a Latin-focused dance group, and began performing in their shows, as well.
In addition, she worked as a teaching assistant for a social dance class offered by the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where she supported new students in their ballroom dance journeys. She was also a member of the UNR social dance club, which first introduced her to the Drifter. This is where she fell in love with line and partner dancing, and started going to local line dance events/clubs, where she eventually met Dustin Valcalda. She soon traded ballroom dancing for line dancing and never looked back!
She has since competed in UCWDC, becoming a 4-time Overall Champion in regional line dance competitions. She has also competed in USLDCC, winning 10 choreography awards for her co-choreography with Dustin.
Sierra's vast background in ballroom dancing, as well as ballet, tap, and west coast swing, and the technique and skills she has learned from each, have greatly supported her line dancing abilities. She has enjoyed meeting all of the wonderful line dancers over the years and is excited to be a co-founder of NLDA and BLISS!
Dustin valcalda
Dustin was first introduced to Line Dancing in 2013, and just a few, short years later started hosting dance nights as a new DJ and Dance Instructor in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area. Now, with over 8 years of experience, Dustin has grown to become the region’s most prominent and influential Line Dance DJ and Dance Instructor.
He is a 20-time award-winning choreographer with national championship wins from USLDCC, Vegas Dance Explosion, and more! He has choreographed numerous popular line dances that have reached audiences around the globe, including the award-winning line dance, Iconic, for which the “I” in BLISS is named.
Dustin has also had the privilege to DJ and teach at numerous national events, including The Edge, YESSS, Heart of Texas, and Vegas Dance Explosion. He loves to share his passion for dance with anyone that is willing to step on the dance floor, and is proud to have cultivated a fun, inviting, and inclusive environment for people of all ages in Northern Nevada. He is excited to continue supporting dancers as a co-founder of NLDA and BLISS.
Brandon Zahorsky is a dedicated line dance instructor, choreographer, and devoted family man. His passion for dance began at the age of 19 in his hometown of Kingston, NY. Over the years, Brandon has taught at well-known venues including Billy Joe’s Ribworks in Newburgh, NY, and has been invited to teach in major cities across the U.S. As his reputation as an instructor has grown, these incredible opportunities have led to international recognition, including recent teaching engagements in Norway and Spain.
Brandon’s love for diverse music and the personal expression it allows through dance inspired him to choreograph his first notable dance, Need to Be Naughty. This won first place at the Windy City Dance Event in 2016. Since then, he has created several other popular dances, including Who's Up All Night, It Ain’t My Fault, Crispy Chicken, What A Night, Tick Tick Boom, and his most widely recognized work, Gives Me Shivers, which has gained global popularity.
In addition to his thriving dance career, Brandon holds a full-time position within the telecommunications industry. This role has enabled him to build a successful professional career, providing for his family while also supporting his passion for dance. He met his wife through their shared love of dance, and together they have two daughters who adore dance as well. Recently, the family relocated to Florida, widely regarded as the line dance capital of the country, where Brandon looks forward to continuing his dance journey through future events and new choreography.
Brandon Zahorsky
John Robinson
Dancin' Dean is a dynamic Line Dance instructor who has been teaching since 1992. He currently provides instruction for beginners through advanced levels on regular weeknights in Northwestern Vermont and Northeastern NY. He travels frequently to many parts of the country teaching the most current dances. His instructing technique is an accumulation of the world's best instructors, while adding his own upbeat personality and style.
He has taught at numerous events including UCWDC Worlds, The Tampa Bay Classic, New England Line Dance Showstopper, and more!
I found a passion for contemporary line dance in 2005 and soon began choreographing and teaching at Coaches Corner Fitness Center in Northern California, USA. I am known globally for my award-winning dance I'm Mad (I'm Mad line dance competition), which won first place in a choreography competition in Las Vegas. After 3 first-place wins and a second-place finish for my choreography in 3 years, I became an instructor at the largest line dance event in the world; I was on staff at the Las Vegas Dance Explosion for 6 years. I’ve been fortunate to travel the US and to England to teach and dance. In the last two years, I have won 3 first and 2 second places in the Palm Springs winter break choreography competition, earning a spot on staff for the last 2 years. Recently, I won first place at the BLISS line dance event in Reno with the dance, Sapphire! I will be on staff there in 2026.
In 2011, in an effort to grow and learn, I added West Coast Swing lessons, competitions, and performances to my list of hobbies. I have learned from some of the world’s best teachers, Kelly Casanova, Janelle Guido, and Yenni Setiawan. I love to social dance, compete, and learn & perform routines. In 2015, my dance partner and I entered a Master’s routine at the US Open Swing Dance Championships and placed 8th.
In 2016, I was happy to use my dance skills to support the Veterans Resource Centers of America through the Dancing with the Stars and Stripes competition. This video shows me with a veteran who had never danced before. He did great! Stars & Stripes with Clint & Brenda
In 2020 during the Covid pandemic, I began teaching all my line dance classes on Facebook Live and Zoom. I attracted dancers from across the globe to my lessons. After retiring in 2024, I added more classes to my schedule. I teach 6+ line dance classes each week, in addition to traveling to events across the US.
Brenda Shatto
Known as “Mr. Showcase"
Choreographer of more than 240 line dances
Winner of multiple awards, including Line Dance Showcase Champion; Top Instructor; Outstanding Dance Achievement in Canada; Hall of Fame in Spain for "Hootenanny"
Member of Linedancer Magazine Hall of Fame and UCWDC Hall of Fame
Competition judge, show coordinator, emcee
Event director of Windy City Line Dance Mania
Dancin’ Dean
Mary Kaye Johnson
Mary Kaye has been line dancing since the summer of 1996. She got a free pass to attend a line dance lesson and was hooked from day one. She went to several classes a week, learned country line & patterned partner dances, and began two-stepping. She danced at her local club every Friday and Saturday night and joined their chapter of the Leather & Lace Dance Club.
Mary Kaye began DJing for the nightclub’s line dance class in 2000 and was one of their weekend country DJs. She has DJ’d at many line dance events and workshops up & down the east coast from Delaware to Florida – Diamond State, Virginia Line Dance Festival, FXBG with Joey Warren & Dustin Betts, The Line Dance Marathon, Line Dancers Spring Break, Dance In The Sand, Fun In The Sun, and Florida Line Dance Classic – to name a few, plus a lot of
smaller one-day events. She has also branched out westward and, for several years, has been one of the DJs at the 6-day Vegas Dance Explosion.
Until Covid shut down in-person dancing, she taught weekly local line dance classes for absolute beginners through intermediates. She has taught at several workshops in Virginia, and North Carolina.
Mary Kaye lives in Forest, Virginia with her husband, Randy, who is totally supportive of her dancing and DJing. They are both animal lovers and can’t refuse to feed the animals that show up at their home. They participate in the Bedford Cares Trap-Neuter-Return program to spay &
neuter feral cats in their area. This has resulted in a significant decrease in the feral cat population around their rural neighborhood.
Mary Kaye loves dancing, but that was not always the case. In her youth, all she could do was “The Pony” and maybe some other odd, unnamed steps…and was self-conscious about that!
Her high school PE class Modern Dance solo was a dreaded requirement, and she was so relieved to get it over with!! Since discovering a love for line dancing, she promotes it as a wonderful way to have fun, meet new friends, improve the mind, and a great way to get some exercise!
PEGGY HALL
Event Registration Extraordinaire
Peggy started taking line dance lessons in 2001 at her local Carlsbad, CA community center as a way to meet people after a divorce (TMI? A lot of women can relate, though!) and get some exercise, of course! What a great decision this turned out to be for Peggy, as she has had the opportunity to travel to places she probably would have never traveled to before, and has met many people from all over the world whom she now considers family.
The first event she attended was Doug and Jackie Miranda’s Cool Country in Laughlin, NV in October of 2001 (which they later moved to Las Vegas and changed the name to the Vegas Dance Explosion). She loved every minute of it and started attending their other events in Southern California, as well as Russ and Gloria Gunn’s Palm Springs event (which is now known as Palm Springs Winter Break run by Bracken Heidenreich). Eventually, as Peggy got to know the event directors better, she started volunteering at these events doing whatever was needed of her, but mostly registration. Soon, she was traveling to other states, including Arizona and Chicago, where she got to meet more event directors, and as they say, the rest is history… She moved to Oregon in 2005 and since Peggy no longer dances, she is very grateful to all the event directors who still want her to work their events, as it allows her to stay connected with some of the best people she has been fortunate to meet, and it’s something she really loves doing. Peggy LOVES her dance family.
“Thank you, Dustin and Sierra, for taking a chance on me and I wish you great success with this new event!!!”
In 2009, Jill Babinec introduced Julie to the world of line dancing when she attended her first event and has been hooked ever since!
She works several events a year doing various jobs from watching doors, working registration, taking care of the staff in hospitality, to being Co-Event Director for Dance for a Cure with Jill...
Julie grew up in Maine and now lives in Ohio with Jill where they spend most of their time traveling, hiking, and dancing!
Julie ELLIS
Hospitality Liaison & Additional Support