Dustin Valcalda & Sierra Gil
BLISS TEAM 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.
Cody Flowers
The year is 2010, the location: Charlotte, NC. Cody Flowers steps into a small nightclub, where his mom has introduced him to his first line dance class. He was immediately intrigued! "I've always been drawn to communities of people and love when I feel a sense of belonging. In that first line dance class, the sense of belonging was so strong that I just felt like that is where I was supposed to be."
Not long after, Cody choreographed his first dance. Cody’s friends loved his dance and urged him to compete, which led him to the USLDCC. Cody won 1st place five times and 2nd place three times. Cody placed into the finals and won the USLCC Overall 2nd Place award with his beginner dance "Fantasy." Cody has also competed at the Windy City Line Dance Mania winning 2nd Place with his dance "Time of My Life."
Cody has since become a prominent line dance instructor, teaching around the world. He has aspired to cultivate a community where there's a sense of belonging that everyone feels when attending one of his classes.
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.
Nicky Riess
Nicky Riess has been an active member of the line dance community for nearly two decades and a line and partner dance DJ for over 10 years, bringing energy, musicality, and a passion for creating an inclusive dance floor for dancers of all levels. Nicky is known for her unique ability of pairing of multiple line dances and a pattern partner dance to the same song, allowing different groups of dancers to share the floor together. She enjoys combining great music, crowd interaction, and thoughtful programming to keep the dance floor full and the energy high.
Based in Delaware County, PA, Nicky co-hosts Delco Line Dancing with her husband, Keith Riess. Together, they have choreographed several line dances and pattern partner dances enjoyed by dancers both nationally and internationally. Nicky regularly DJs social dances and specialty events throughout southern New Jersey and has been anevent DJ at dance weekends, including Dance in the Sand and Mishnock and Friends Country Dance Weekend. A 2026 LineLight Awards finalist for North America DJ of the Year, she is excited to join the BLISS team and share a weekend of great music, dancing, and community.
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 21-time award-winning choreographer with 3 national championship wins from USLDCC, including overall champion in the 2024-2025 season, 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
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
John Robinson
Dancin’ Dean
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!
Dustin Betts has been dancing since he was about 6 years old. He has always had an interest in dance for as long as he can remember. He was introduced into line dancing at a young age with the help of his parents, who were the instructor and DJ at the “local” bar. The first line dance he ever learned was “Easy Come, Easy Go”, which he won first place for performing at his school talent show. A few years later, Dustin grew more interested in line dance and began going to the line dance bar with his parents whenever he could get the chance. Dustin went to his first dance event in 2010, The Line Dance Marathon. There, he was able to see new styles of dance, meet instructors, and expand his horizons of dance.
Fast forward to 2016, as Dustin continues to dance alongside his family and friends. He takes an interest in an amateur choreography competition called the USLDCC. In his first competition, he took 2nd place with his first ever choreography, “Faded Daydream”. As the competition went on, he choreographed many other dances such as, “Chase That Dollar”, “Tic Tac Toe”, and “Pieces”. By 2017, Dustin had become a line dance instructor due to the popularity of his dance “Pieces”. While also competing in line dancing, Dustin began learning and competing in West Coast Swing alongside his pro instructor, Lara Deni.
Since then, Dustin has taught at many events around the United States and even instructed internationally in Indonesia, Ireland, and Taiwan. He has had other popular dances over the years, such as “All Shook Up”, “Stressed” and “90 Days”. He has also co-choreographed others such as “Everybody Get Up”, “The Snake 2.0”, “Bow Chicka Wow It” and Crystal Boot winner for Intermediate Dance of the Year 2023, “Portland Cha”. Dustin continues to instruct and choreograph as of today and hopes to travel the world sharing his passion for line dancing.
Dustin Betts
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!
Mike Foye
Introducing the 2026 BLISS choreography competition champion!
Mike has been line dancing since July of 2024 and his first event was New England Line Dance Showstopper 2025. Mike’s previous dance experience is a few years of competitive Ballroom dancing while he attended Rowan University. His favorite styles of dance are East Coast Swing, Jive, Cha Cha, and Samba.
Ray Okuda
Ray Okuda is a DJ, Instructor and Choreographer from Southern New Jersey. He has been line dancing since age 10 and instructing for over two years. Known for his high-energy choreography, he loves exploring different styles and bringing that excitement to every class. Ray is a proud USLDCC competitor with a standout qualifying season, including 1st place wins and Fun In The Sun (Take Your Vibes and Go) and the Florida Line Dance Classic (Make My Heart Go), plus a 2nd place finish at BLISS (Beep), finishing the season becoming the 2026 USLDCC Overall Champion with his dance “Friends Don’t”.
With about 30 years of dance experience, Sarah Gosson-Cote brings her love for dance, dance technique and performance with her wherever she goes! She has been dancing since the age of 3 in the styles of Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Hip-Hop and Musical Theater - all of which have helped her love and connect with line dance in all of its various styles.
Her line dance experience has gone from "it's just a hobby shared with Mom" to "Line dance event addict, choreographer, instructor and community advocate" very quickly! In 2024, she competed in the Sunshine n' Line (SnL) World Dance Masters Choreography competition and placed 2nd in the Intermediate Non-Country division for "Lose You Now." In 2025, she placed 1st for "Scatterbrain" in both the advanced non-country category and 1st place overall and the SnL World Dance Masters. Her wins have earned her teaching positions at workshops and teaching spots at both WDM Blackpool and SnL 2026. She currently runs the line dance community "VENU" on Discord with Chris Jacques and teaches regularly in Salem, MA.
Sarah Gosson-Cote
“The” Jamie Marshall
“The” Jamie Marshall’s unique style of dancing and instructing are keys to her success. She officially retired from individual competition in January 2000 after winning six UCWDC (United Country Western Dance Council) awards:
1997 Female Advanced Line Dance Champion
1997 Female Showcase Line Champion
1998 Female Advanced Line Dance Champion
1998 Female Showcase Line Champion
1999 Female SuperStar Champion
2000 Female SuperStar Champion
Jamie was voted the “Favorite Female Line Dancer” at the 2000 UCWDC Star Awards and was nominated for the UCWDC Star Awards “Favorite Female Line Instructor” for the 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005. In 2013, She was nominated as Female Personality of the Year and her dance “Rockin the Wagon Wheel” was nominated as Beginner Dance of the Year. Jamie’s choreography includes the classics, Backstreet Attitude, Bomshel Stomp, Sho’Nuf, Atlantis, and many others that continue to be favorites throughout the world. She travels promoting, instructing, choreographing, judging and entertaining at many dance events throughout the USA. Jamie is also the event director of the Fort Wayne Dance For All!
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!!!”
Julie ELLIS
Hospitality Liaison & Additional Support
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!
Nani Martinez
Event Photographer
Adriana “Nani” Martinez discovered her passion for photography in middle school and began shooting with a professional camera in high school. Over the years, she has continued to refine her craft, developing a distinctive storytelling style that blends emotion, atmosphere, and creativity.
Currently a photography major at the University of Nevada, Reno, Adriana specializes in portraits, landscapes, and event photography. She enjoys blending into the background to capture candid moments while also engaging with her subjects to create dynamic, expressive shots. Her editing style ranges from dark and moody to soft and pastoral, depending on the story she aims to tell.
Adriana is excited to bring her artistic eye to the line dancing community, capturing the energy, rhythm, and joy that define each event.