The Competition

Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine and Johanna Zacharewicz' phenomenal Black & White showdance was enough to make them winners in that competition, but not enough to unseat champions Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko, who placed first in all dances in the groupdance round and third in the showdances.

The Finalists

Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko

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American Rhythm Champions

Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko
New York, NY

This is the second year Tony and Elena have competed together at the Ohio Star Ball. They are both very experienced dancers who have been friends for quite some time. Tony learned to folk dance as a young boy in Kosovo, then fell in love with ballroom when he moved to the United States at age 15. Elena trained in ballet, folk, and ballroom dance in Russia, before moving to America when she was 21. Tony and Elena have tremendous technique and dance highly creative routines. All their movements are well thought out, and Elena's footwork is exceptional. Both have won many titles with other partners. Elena has also danced on Broadway while Tony has been a dance consultant for feature films.

Evgeny Dyachenko and Inna Ivanenko

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Evgeny Dyachenko and Inna Ivanenko
Newtown, PA

Despite their common roots in Russia, Evgeny only met Inna in a dance studio last summer on his first day in the country. Before that, he competed and won at many international competitions. Inna has a reputation as a successful competitive dancer in the United States. They have quickly developed a promising and playful competitive partnership.

Decho Kraev amd Bree Watson

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Decho Kraev amd Bree Watson
Tempe, AZ

Decho, from Bulgaria, has been teaching ballroom dance since he was 21 years old. He spent some time dancing at an amusement park in South Korea before moving to the United States. Bree was born in Georgia, where she started dancing at a very young age with ballet and tap. She strengthened her background at the North Carolina School of Performing Arts. Decho and Bree met while teaching at a studio in Phoenix. 2006 marks the first time they've made it to the Rhythm finals at the Ohio Star Ball. Their dancing exudes a classy look and style.

Michael Neil and Danielle Wilson

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Michael Neil and Danielle Wilson
Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, FL

Michael and Danielle have been dancing together for three years. Both live in south Florida and love to dance. Danielle's background in ballet and jazz is evident in her striking routines. When he's not dancing or teaching, Michael likes to spend as much time as he can with his children — ages 2, 8, and 12.

Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine and Joanna Zacharewicz

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Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine and Joanna Zacharewicz
New York, NY

Emmanuel and Joanna are a well-matched couple with a playful chemistry. Emmanuel was born in Haiti, where he was active in the dance community since childhood. He founded a dance studio there and acted in two Haitian films. In his free time, he enjoys spiritual books and meditation. Joanna grew up in Poland, where she trained with some of the top world masters. Both began as International Latin competitors but switched to Rhythm when they began their partnership in 2003. They teach at Stepping Out dance studio in New York and are active Pro-Am competitors.

Felipe Telona and Carolina Orlovsky-Telona

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Felipe Telona and Carolina Orlovsky-Telona
Englewood, NJ

Afraid to risk their relationship, Felipe and Carolina avoided dancing together for the first year they dated. After a series of disappointing matches with other partners, they decided to take a chance on a dance partnership. They married and are still dancing together, widely known for their speed and challenging routines. Felipe, from California, is wonderfully musical. And Carolina, a Canadian, has exceptionally quick, dramatic movements.

Exhibition Dancers

Dan Rutherford and Nicole Carroll

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Dan Rutherford and Nicole Carroll
Indianapolis, IN

Dan and Nicole have applied their training in jazz (Dan) and gymnastics (Nicole) to become top ballroom teachers and rhythm competitors in this country. They have produced numerous champions throughout their careers as teachers and coaches. Nicole has been awarded with numerous top teacher awards throughout the United States and Dan has danced on stage as a back up, chorus line, and principal dancer. Dan's daughter, Lindsey, began competing as a professional this year.

Alain Doucet and Melodie Crawford

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Alain Doucet and Melodie Crawford
Ste-Julie, Quebec and Harrisburg, PA

Melodie began her traditional dance training (ballet, tap, and jazz) at the age of 2. When she was 10, she began her Ballroom and Latin dance career. Now 17 years old, she has won several championships with her teacher, Alain, a World Professional 10-dance champion. A freshman at Penn State University, Melodie remains dedicated to her dance training and hopes for success in the future.

Stanislav Faynerman and Patrycja Golak

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Stanislav Faynerman and Patrycja Golak
Brooklyn, NY

Stan and Patrycja, aged 15 and 12, have been dancing together for about a year. They have placed very well in national 10-dance competitions, even when competing in a higher bracket against 16 to 18 year olds. Stan came to America when he was 10 (Patrycja was born here) and they have traveled the world together to compete at Blackpool and in Spain at the junior championships. They hope to achieve much more as a partnership and currently train with top professional competitors in New York City, including several of the finalists on America's Ballroom Challenge.

Austin Joson and Liza Lakovitsky

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Austin Joson and Liza Lakovitsky
East Brunswick, NJ

Our youngest performers, Austin and Liza have won many preteen championships since they began dancing together in February of 2006. They are 10-dance competitors and practice together for many hours a week to master all of their steps. Austin says that nothing had really grabbed his interest before dancing, but when he saw his teacher and her son perform at a dance, he knew he had found his identity. Now he and Liza live for their dancing. Even their younger siblings have become partners!.

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