Adjudicators and Officials
Dean Abraham	Adjudicator - Bradenton, FL        USA Dance - A+ B+
	Dean is originally from England. Represented Denmark at all Major International Competitions Worldwide. Founder, Former Director and Coach at Dance Options training center in London which is recognized as one of the World's leading competitive dance studios. Competitors liaison officer at the Blackpool Dance Festival 2003-09. Has been recognized by the American Guild of Musical Artists for his exceptional ability in the field of Ballroom Dance.
Susie Buck	Adjudicator - Raleigh, NC        NDCA+USA Dance+WDSF+WDC - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	Susie Buck is a professional International Standard and Latin dancer originally from Rochester, New York. Susie has achieved on the dance floor as a professional competitor. She has danced around Canada and the United States competing in Ballroom and Latin. She placed in the Rising Star Finals at the United States Championships and was a 10 dance finalist at the 2001 Star Challenge in Canada. She also placed at the Heritage Classic Dancesport Championships in 2005 in the United States. When she is not judging, she is training competitors and social dancers in Raleigh, NC. ISTD: A++, B+, C+, D+ DVIDA: A++, B+. C+. D+ Adjudicator, Coach, and Choreographer. Examiner: DVIDA (Regional)
Daniel Calloway	Adjudicator - Bethesda, MD        USA Dance+WDSF - Chair+ A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	* WDSF World Championship, Grand Slam and World Cup Adjudicator * WDSF Chairman of Judges * WDSF A Adjudicator * WDSF PD (Professional Division) Adjudicator * Chairman of Judges: North American and United States Championships * Professional of the Year and Top Teacher Dan has been competing professionally, coaching and judging for over 40 years. In 1985 Dan was the youngest dual fellow in the world with highly commended fellowships in the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, the London-based society, which embodies the worlds acknowledged leaders of the dance profession. Dan is also the DanceSport coach for the competitive DanceSport teams at Georgetown University and the University of Maryland, as well as serving as guest coach at numerous other universities, congresses, and dance camps, including moderating the professional discussion panels at key events in the United States. Dan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religion and a Master of Arts degree in English Literature.
Melissa Dexter	Adjudicator - Carlsbad, CA
	World finalist European Finalist Blackpool Finalist VIce World Latin American Showdance Champion United States Latin American Champion Italian Latin American Champion Italian Latin American Showdance Champion Choreographer for television, film and stage International Finalist
Mariia Karpova	Adjudicator -
Anya Klimova - Preston	Adjudicator - Portland, OR        NDCA+USA Dance+WDSF+WDC - A+ B+ E+
	Anya has been coaching competitive dance for 25 years. She travels extensively to coach athletes in Europe and North America. After being a Russian professional Coach and Judge for 13 years, Anya moved to Oregon, USA from Moscow, Russia. Some of her accomplishments include the following: • Masters’ Degree in Dance Art and Ballroom Choreography, PhD (abd) in Aesthetics. • Adjudicator at World and National Championships of Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Latvia, Poland, China, Canada and USA • Former Judge of Russian DanceSport Federation, Championships Organizer • Coach of Ballroom and Latin Champions of Russia and USA • Author of educational dance program from Bronze to Open level, "Dance Fireworks", running in numerous dance sport clubs of Russia, Canada and USA • "Teacher of the Year" Award, Russia • First Place at the Professional Dance Gran Prix, Moscow, Russia • USSR 10-dance Championship Finalist
Patricia M Panebianco	Adjudicator - So. Farmingdale, NY        NDCA+USA Dance+WDC - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	Patti’s dynamic energy & charisma has allowed her to become a sought after adjudicator & invigilator for numerous NDCA & USA Dance competitions as well as being the former treasurer & national committee member for the US Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She is the recipient of numerous championship titles in both Int’l Latin & American Rhythm styles. She has choreographed & performed in various stage, TV & movie productions, throughout the world including A Tribute to Gershwin, Wallflowering, Marconi Brothers, All my Children & Yo’Yo Ma’s Soul of the Tango. Working with children brings joy to her soul; she is a former Teaching Artist & Educational Liason with Dancing Classrooms Long Island. And has recently volunteered her time judging The Colors of the Rainbow Team Match for DCLI. She holds licentiate certifications in all styles of dance and is a popular trainer for professionals & amateurs for their national certifications with the U.S.I.S.T.D For the Past 17 years she has been the founder & owner of NY Dancesport Centre on Long Island where she currently resides with her husband Anthony and her two rescue cats Dolly & Puca. She enjoys touring the country coaching, adjudicating & sharing her joy & knowledge of Ballroom dance. Patti is a passionate fundraiser encompassing such causes as Ballroom Barks! & Roll Call Wheel Chair Dance. To contact Patti for further information visit her website: www.nydancesportcentre.
Patti Panebianco	Adjudicator - New York        USA Dance+WDSF - Chair+ A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	Pattis dynamic energy & charisma has allowed her to become a sought after adjudicator & invigilator for numerous NDCA & USA Dance competitions as well as being the former treasurer & national committee member for the US Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She is the recipient of numerous championship titles in both Intl Latin & American Rhythm styles. She has choreographed & performed in various stage, TV & movie productions, throughout the world including A Tribute to Gershwin, Wallflowering, Marconi Brothers, All my Children & YoYo Mas Soul of the Tango. Working with children brings joy to her soul; she is a former Teaching Artist & Educational Liason with Dancing Classrooms Long Island. And has recently volunteered her time judging The Colors of the Rainbow Team Match for DCLI. She holds licentiate certifications in all styles of dance and is a popular trainer for professionals & amateurs for their national certifications with the U.S.I.S.T.D For the Past 17 years she has been the founder & owner of NY Dancesport Centre on Long Island where she currently resides with her husband Anthony and her two rescue cats Dolly & Puca. She enjoys touring the country coaching, adjudicating & sharing her joy & knowledge of Ballroom dance. Patti is a passionate fundraiser encompassing such causes as Ballroom Barks! & Roll Call Wheel Chair Dance
Giacomo Steccaglia	Adjudicator - Rome, Italy
	World finalist European Finalist Blackpool Finalist VIce World Latin American Showdance Champion United States Latin American Champion Italian Latin American Champion Italian Latin American Showdance Champion Choreographer for television, film and stage International Finalist
Phillip Stephens	Adjudicator - Houston, TX        USA Dance+WDSF - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	Phillip is a licensed Adjudicator for USA Dance (A+B+C+D+E+) and holds a B license with WDSF. He has been an Adjudicator for many USA Dance events, including NQEs such as Gumbo of Ballroom, their National Championships and several Collegiate events. He has also adjudicated NDCA events such as United States DanceSport Championships, Ohio Star Ball, Heart of America, Texas Challenge and others. He has been Invigilator at USA Dance Nationals, Ohio Star Ball and United States Dancesport Championships. As an examiner for Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and USA Dance, Phillip Stephens provides professionals with academic teaching degrees in dance as well as adjudication certifications for judges. He holds ISTD Fellowship Degrees for International Ballroom and Latin and USISTD Fellowship Degrees for American Smooth and Rhythm. In addition, he holds Licentiate degrees in USISTD Theatre Arts and ISTD Viennese Waltz. During his involvement with ISTD / USISTD, Phillip played an active role as a Former Treasurer and Past President of the USISTD. He was also a Member of and Secretary for the USISTD Board of Trustees. In July 2007, Phillip presented a lecture on American Style Dancing at the ISTD Congress in Worthing, England. Phillip has been dedicated to the advancement of and education in ballroom dance since beginning to teach in 1972. During that time he has owned an independent studio in Houston, TX, for 29 years. He has coached amateur and professional couples and has also organized showcases and competitions. He was organizer of the Ballroom Dance Competition for the 2014 Transplant Games of America. Phillip was the 1989 Eastern United States Rising Star American Smooth Champion and has won or placed in the finals of several competitions, including being Vice Champion in the Open Rhythm division of the Heritage Classic and Heart of America Championships, American Smooth and American Rhythm Finalist at the Ohio Star Ball and American Smooth Champion of the Minnesota Open Championships.
Irina Trebunskaya	Adjudicator - California        USA Dance - A+ B+ C+ D+
	Irina is the co-owner of You Can Dance Studio with her daughter, pro DWTS dancer Anna Trebunskaya and was also her childhood dance instructor. Irina has a rich dance background as a competitor, instructor and manager of dance institutions. She was a Russian professional champion finalist and a U.S. Pro/Am champion. After a successful tenure as head instructor in Chelyabinsk (a well-known Russian home for world champions), Irina opened and ran a dance studio in New York City. Her heart and passion is reflected in her teaching, instructor selection and teacher/student mentoring. She has gone on to become a certified master of dance in all four styles: International Standard & Latin, American Rhythm & Smooth.
Stephen A Uczekaj	Adjudicator - Bellevue, WA
	Owner of Impulse Ballroom Directors of Collegiate Youth Dancesport Former Amateur and Professional Standard Champion with wife, Cora Lyn Uczekaj. Member of the NDCA and US Terpsichore Association Certified Fellow in International Standard, Latin, American Smooth, Rhythm & Theater Arts
Glenn G Weiss	Adjudicator - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA        NDCA+USA Dance+WDSF - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	Former World Amateur Modern Champion, Former World Pro Modern Finalist, Two-time World Champion, Blackpool Champion, International Champion, European Champion, and UK Champion He currently resides in Southern California and teaches at local studios as well as other US and International locations. Glenn judges on a regular basis a at the International in London, the German Masters in Frankfurt, the Japan Open in Tokyo, USDSC in Florida, Ohio Star Ball and other Northern American, European and Asian competitions throughout the year
Glenn Weiss	Adjudicator -
Katusha Wilder	Adjudicator - New York        USA Dance - A+ B+ C+ D+
	Russ (Ruslan) and Katusha Wilder started dancing at the age of 6 & 7 in St. Petersburg, Russia. After their marriage in 2002 they continued their dance career together. Since than they have acquired many various top titles in US and around the world in Dancesport Industry today. Some of the titles include: 2012 US Representatives to the World Professional Standard (Ballroom) Championships US Representatives to the World Professional 10-Dance Championships World Professional 10-Dance Championship Finalists US Professional Rising Star Standard Finalists Together they have performed shows for such stars as Steve Wynn, Aprille Millo, Nigel Lythgoe and have been features performers for TV networks such as ABC, NBC, FOX, TNT, CNN.
Andrea Zaramella	Adjudicator - North Carolina        USA Dance+WDSF - A+ B+ C+ D+
	Andrea is the 2012 United States National Amateur Vice-Champion of International Standard Dancing with his partner Kristie Simmonds. He began dancing in the youth division at the age of nine and became the World Youth Champion. Formerly from Brindisi, Italy, he has made Charlotte, NC his home. He is ranked among the top ten Standard Dancers worldwide. Andrea is fluent in English and Spanish as well as his native Italian.
Lev Vesnovskiy	Adjudicator - Brooklyn, NY        USA Dance+WDSF - A+ B+ C+ D+
	Lev Vesnovskiy is a Licensed WDSF `A` and USA Dance Adjudicator who has been teaching and training dancers for the past 30 years. His students became Russian Youth Latin National Champions and USA Youth and Under 21 Standard National Champions. Lev became one of the first certified professionals and the first invigilator in the Asia region of Russia. As an adjudicator, Lev has judged many esteemed National and International competitions. He started his dancing career in 1978 in Russia and competed in all major European and North American championships as amateur in Standard, Latin and 10-dance and professional in Standard. Parallel to his dance career he graduated the Novosibirsk State University with Bachelor in Physics and Master in Computer Science. With his wife and dance partner Lev has founded and led the first in Russia ballroom choreography faculty in Novosibirsk University of Performing Arts and became the first lector and examiner in the region. He has published few books about ballroom dancing including the Russian version of Technique of Latin Dancing approved by Mr. Walter Laird himself. Since 2001, Lev has been the owner and instructor of Atlantic Ballroom Dance Studio in Brooklyn New York. Organizer of Metropolitan DanceSport Championship in Brooklyn, NY
Christine Zona	Adjudicator - New York, NY and Pittsburgh, PA         - A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	National Adjudicator USADance and NADTA A+B+C+D+E+ -Competed professionally in the International Standard and Latin and the American Ballroom divisions -North American Rising Star American Ballroom Champion -Chicago Harvest Moon Ball American Ballroom Champion -Published, through Human Kinetics, a how to dance book, Gotta Ballroom, which includes the American style ballroom dances. -Editor of Dance Notes, a magazine dedicated to interviews of World and United States Champions. -International Standard and American Smooth Coach for Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dana Edwards	Adjudicator - Hilliard, OH        USA Dance - Chair+ A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	Dana A. Edwards Dana is a Licentiate member and hold my American certifications in Ballroom, Rhythm and Theatre Arts with the United States Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and Licentiate degrees in International Ballroom and Latin with Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She is a USA Dance adjudicator and collegiate chairman of the judges. Dana is also the Director of Social media and will be serving on the USISTD National committee. She is retired as a American and Canadian American professional American Smooth and Rhythm Champion. She has 24 years of teaching experience. She worked for Fred Astaire Dance studios for 9 years have also owned her own dance studio called Invitation To Dance in Columbus, Ohio since 2001. Dana was the head coach for the competitive and formation teams for the Ohio State University DanceSport team from 2009 to 2012.
Shawn Fisher	Adjudicator - Idaho        USA Dance+WDSF - Chair+ A+ B+ C+ D+
	Shawn Fisher is a Professor of dance for the Brigham Young University Idaho Theatre and Dance Department. He has coached youth and collegiate ballroom teams for 32 years winning many national titles as well as Blackpool. He has toured extensively both in the United States and around the world as the director of the BYU Idaho Dance Alliance performing company. As a competitor he was a bronze medalist in the World Latin Formation team championships. Holds four national Formation titles and was a U.S. finalist in Standard, Latin, Smooth, and Rhythm. Shawn was formerly the Sr. Vice President of USA Dance as well as an adjudicator with the NDCA. He is currently a WDSF adjudicator, both level A and professional, a USA Dance Chairman, National Adjudicator, and a national examiner in all four styles for DVIDA. He and his wife Janie direct the Idaho Ballroom Academy and are the proud parents of seven lovely children.
Viktoriya Drubetskaya	Adjudicator - Brooklyn, NY        USA Dance+WDSF+WDC - A+ B+ C+ D+ E-
	Viktoriya Drubetskaya was a 1999 UK Open Professional Rising Star Finalist, 1999 USA Professional Rising Star Champion. 2001-2002 US and World Mambo Champion. 2002 US Professional Rhythm Finalist. As an amateur, she was a 1996 USA Amateur Latin Finalist as well as a Junior 10-Dance Finalist in Moldova. Since 2002, she has been learning about human body movement in depth in Laban Institute of Movement Studies, has studied Dance Notation via Language of Dance and Kestenberg Movement Profile. She has also been certified as Eric Franklin Level 3 movement educator. She has used her knowledge successfully, creating BESSI (Body, Effort, Shape, Space, and Imagery) to train top level junior, youth and adult competitors who were US representatives to many world championships. As of Jnauary 2016, Viktoriya became a WDSF Technical Examiner.
Yuehwern Yih	Chairman - Indiana        USA Dance+WDSF - Chair+ A+ B+ C+ D+ E+
	Chair of Judges - World Dancesport Federation (WDSF) and USA Dance. Certified Adjudicator - World Dancesport Federation (WDSF) Championship Certified Adjudicator by North American Dancesport Teachers Association (NADTA) and USA Dance Certified Scrutineer by National Dance Council of America (NDCA), recognized by USA Dance In addition to judging and chairing, Yuehwern and her partner, Daniel, spend most of their time being the head coaches of the Purdue Latin & Ballroom Dance Team. Yuehwern founded this college team in 1995 and it has been highly ranked in the USA Dance collegiate national events. In 2010, the Team was invited to compete on Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars on Fox, and placed second in collegiate formation team competition at the finale. Yuehwern was vice-champion in USA Dance National Dancesport Championships and later finalists in professional events in a span of 15 years. Throughout her dancing career, she is passionate about learning; teaching, and helping students find their pathways to success on and off the dance floor. Over 20 years, the competition team she works with is an incubator of many Dancesport competitors, professionals, and lifelong dancers. Each year Yuehwern is also the key person to organize the Purdue Ballroom Classic, which attracts more than 400 collegiate competitors from 20+ universities in the Midwest area for the last two decades. Yuehwern studied ballet and performed with the Lafayette Ballet Company before learning ballroom dance. Besides dancing, she completed her B.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, specializing in smart operations and system engineering. She is currently a Full Professor in Industrial Engineering at Purdue University, the Academic Director of LASER PULSE (Long-term Assistance and Services for Research, Partners for University-Led Solutions Engine) Consortium, and the Associate Director of Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering.
Daniel Dilley	Scrutineer - Indiana        USA Dance+WDSF - Scrutineer A+ B+ C+ D+
	National Judge, USA Dance registered; Certified by the North American Dancesport Teachers Association (NADTA) and World Dancesport Federation (WDSF); Certified Scrutineer (by NDCA) with extensive experience, and enough equipment to run O2CM wireless judging for 30+ judges. Professional Rhythm Competitor. Finalists in many US competitions; Daniel is the head coach of the Purdue Latin & Ballroom Dance Team, which has about 125 members each semester, requiring competitive coaching in all levels from Newcomer to Champ. Daniel also co-organizes the annual Purdue Ballroom Classic Competition, which attracts more than 400 collegiate ballroom dance competitors each year in the Midwest.