Ann Harding-Trafford, Ontario

Ann Harding is a multiple-time Australian Ballroom & Latin Champion as well as an International, World & British Open (Blackpool) Finalist. She is president of the Canadian DanceSport Federation. In addition to being a coach who is sought out by the country’s top competitors, she is also one of Canada’s most respected adjudicators. She is a World Championship Adjudicator and a Blackpool Team Match Adjudicator. She serves as president of the Canadian DanceSport Federation and is a co-organizer of Can-Am DanceSport Gala.

Christopher Sochnacki, Ontario

Christopher has been part of the ballroom dance industry for 20 years. During his competitive career he has achieved several titles, most notably becoming the North American Professional Smooth Champion and Canadian Professional Rhythm Champion, as well a former Canadian Professional Ballroom Finalist.

He is the youngest person to be nominated to the Canadian Dancesport Federation’s Board of the Directors, and is the current Examination Coordinator of the CDF Education Department.

He holds a Licentiate Degree (Highly Commended) in International Ballroom and Latin, and American Rhythm, as well as a Fellowship degree in American Smooth. He resides in Toronto with his wife Jenny and their two beautiful daughters.

Pierre Allaire, Quebec

Pierre Allaire is a professional ballroom dancer, coach, adjudicator, and choreographer. Partnered with Mireille Veilleux, Pierre was a Canadian Amateur International Latin and Standard Champion. After turning professional they were 12 times undefeated Canadian Professional Ten-Dance Champions, Canadian and North American Professional International Latin and Standard Champions. He and Mireille were Open British Open Professional Rising Star Latin Champions, one of the most prestigious competitions in the world, and World Professional Ten-Dance grand finalists.

Pierre is a World Class championship adjudicator of Amateur and Professional competitions. Pierre was a choreographer on the hit TV

Show “So You Think You Can Dance” Canada. He is also Co-organizer of Danse Sport Montréal, one of Canada’s most prestigious competitions.

Kim Donaghy, Alberta

The sexy and hilarious Kim Donaghy has been a professional ballroom dance instructor since 1980. Considered a pioneer for developing the dance scene in Calgary, Kim was the dance director for The University of Calgary Ballroom Dance Club for 18 years. She also taught for many Phys. Ed. departments for both Senior and Junior High Schools in the City of Calgary.

Kim competed for Canada both in Latin and Ballroom genres where she excelled to become a Canadian semi-finalist. In addition to that, in 2005 she was the World Champion in the Diamond Showcase Division at the World Country and Western Dance Championships in Nashville.

Kim is very involved with adjudicating dance competitions in Canada and the United States. She is a Certified A+B+C+D+ Adjudicator with the CDF. She is currently teaching BURLESQUERCISE and is also a certified Zumba instructor. Known as a free, fun and outgoing spirit, Kim’s contagious personality is an inspiration to everyone around her.

Barbara Child, Chair, Vancouver/Halifax

Barbara Child, originally from London, England, first started dancing at the age of sixteen and shortly after became a member of the Latin dance team at her local studio. This highly successful team provided the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the UK and Europe for competitions and demonstrations. Team members were encouraged to compete in amateur competitons in both Standard and Latin and from this beginning, Barbara went on to compete successfully in numerous events in and around London.

After moving to Canada she resumed competitive dancing as an amateur before turning Professional to teach and compete in both Standard and Latin styles. Her main interest was soon to become teaching, while continuing to train and upgrade her necessary teaching qualifications. Barb is a Founding Member of Canadian Dancesport Federation, acts as a mentor to teachers and is currently teaching, training, and judging across Canada.

Aleksandra Antonova, Alberta

Aleksandra Antonova, originally from Ukraine, is a Professional Ballroom Choreographer, dance teacher and Licensed adjudicator with more than 12 years of teaching, coaching and judging experience. Aleksandra has been dancing since she was six years old and has been a winner and finalist of many Ukrainian and International competitions. Her students have become won Ukrainian and European dance competitions. In 2011 Aleksandra received the award for “Best coach of the East Region of Ukraine.” That same year she moved to Canada, where she continually improves her knowledge and skills. She is an organizer of workshops, dance training, dance shows with Top level teachers, and Professional dancers.

Aleksandra is owner of Levita Dance studio in Calgary. She is a licensed WDC Adjudicator and holds Licentiate Level Adjudicator credentials in International Latin and Ballroom genres, “A” Class Adjudicator credentials in Smooth and Rhythm, and is qualified to adjudicate Championship events.

Jane Edgett, Nova Scotia

A CDF, ISDF, and National Championship Adjudicator with Fellow credentials in both Ballroom and Latin genres, Jane Edgett is one of the country’s best-known judges and one of only a handful of adjudicators in Canada qualified as an examiner for dance teacher accreditation.

World registered adjudicator and coach of dancesport competitors from Halifax to Vancouver, Jane is lucky to have started dance training as a child by helping in her mother’s school in Moncton. Moving to Halifax to join the CBC’s Don Messer’s Jubilee, she became one of the Buchta Dancers. From there, the natural avenue was to continue training to become a full time dance instructor and own her own studio, Edgett Social Dance in Bedford, N.S. During this time Jane stood as President of a National Professional Dancers’ Association and presently is the Executive Secretary to the Board of the Canadian Dancesport federation.

Ekaterina Michtchenko, Vancouver

Ekaterina has more than twenty-five years of teaching and competing experience and is a Canadian Closed Champion in the Professional American Smooth Division. She is a 3-times Canadian Representative at the World Professional Latin and Showcase Championships and finalist of the World Professional Showcase Championship. Currently, she is the director and coach of youth DanceSport group “Fiesta Dancesport Club”, which has produced Canadian Junior Latin and Youth 10-dance Champions. Ekaterina also holds Canadian DanceSport Federation Adjudicators Licenses (A+,B+) with the experience of officiating DanceSport competitions in and outside of Canada.

Monique Hrouda, Washington

Monique has been dancing all her life, with 15 years of classical ballet at Seattleʼs Cornish school of allied arts and 10 years of musical theatre background with Moore theatre productions. Monique retired from competition in 1999 after the birth of her daughter Nichole.

Currently she is co-owner of Seattleʼs premier dance studio DanceSport International, and was for many years co-owner of Seattle Star Ball Competition and continues to judge, coach and educate herself to improve the standard of dance in the Seattle area. Championship certified (Terpsichore and Divida Association Standard, Latin and American styles) United States Terpsichore examiner.

Kyryl Dudchenko, Vancouver

Kyryl started ballroom dancing when he was 7 years old in Ukraine. He underwent extensive training with different distinguished teachers and coaches in both Latin American and Standard as well as supplementary basic training in ballet. He has competed in numerous competitions all over Eastern and Western Europe as well as in North America, at first representing Ukraine and then British Columbia, on international and local DanceSport arena. Furthermore, Kyryl also participated in the Canada-wide aired TV show, Dancing at the Palais. Since moving to Canada in 2000 and until turning professional Kyryl maintained highest amateur ranking position in British Columbia.

In 2002 Kyryl became professional and since then has been teaching and coaching competitors (kids, teenagers and seniors) in both Latin and Standard divisions.

Oksana Latynina, Coquitlam

Oksana has more than 25 years experience as a competitor and teacher. Classically trained in ballet, she started to dance in Kazakhstan and graduated from professional ballet school. She is a coach of Ballet and Ballroom Dance at Champs International Skating Centre of BC. Especially passionate about training young dancers, Oksana has trained top BC junior and youth couples and is well known in the Vancouver area ballroom dance community for her commitment to excellence in dance technique.

Wendy and I have enjoyed her technique classes which focused on applying skills from other dance forms to enhance our ability in the Latin dances.

Michel Guimond, Vancouver

Michel started ballroom dancing in Laval, QC and competed as a junior amateur
in 1969. He became a professional competitor in 1980. He took his first certification as a dance instructor from La Corporation des Professeurs de Danse du Québec in 1992 in both the Latin and Standard divisions and then proceeded with his International Style certi cations with CDTA Québec. In 1993 Michel moved to Calgary where he became a prominent coach and choreographer to many amateur and professional competitors.

Frequent coaching trips to Vancouver in the mid 90’s prompted him to move to Vancouver in 1996 and establish himself as a resident instructor at The Grand Ballroom and now at Broadway Ballroom. Michel has always been active in the dance community. He served as President of CDTA Alberta and currently serves on the board of the National Dance Council of Canada. He acted as Chair of Judges in many Canadian Closed Amateur and Professional Championships and an International Adjudicator.