The Competition

Igor Litvinov and Yulia Ivleva redefined the standard for standard with an interpretation of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." They were crowned show dance champions, but were beaten overall by Jonathan Wilkins and Katusha Demidova who placed first in all dances in the group dance round.

The Finalists

Jonathan Wilkins and Katusha Demidova

© Jeffrey Dunn

International Standard Champions

Jonathan Wilkins and Katusha Demidova
New York, NY

Jonathan grew up in a suburb of London where his mother sent him to a local dance school. Katusha is from Moscow and began her training as an ice skater. They met in New York when he was searching for a new partner in the mid-1990s. They maintain a disciplined practice schedule, fitting in other training methods such as yoga and pilates, while teaching many professional and amateur couples, including Katusha's younger sister. "We do all we can to be the best," says Jonathan.

Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed

© Jeffrey Dunn

Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed
Irvine, CA

Victor and Anna, from the U.S. and Belarus respectively, formed a partnership at the end of 2003. After just two months, they won a major professional Rising Star championship and they have been winning titles ever since. Their body structures are well matched, and their complementary personalities are evident to audiences.

Giampiero Giannico and Anastasia Murayeva

© Jeffrey Dunn

Giampiero Giannico and Anastasia Murayeva
Nutley, NJ

Anastasia was looking for a new partner when she heard that Giampiero was looking as well. She remembered how impressed she was with his quickstep at a competition in England, so she gave him a call, asking for a try out. Giampiero knew in five minutes of dancing with Anastasia that he had found what he was looking for. He says they complete each other, bringing power and emotion to their dancing. In their free time, Giampiero races cars and Anastasia plays piano and does embroidery.

Linas Koreiva and Ieva Pauksena

© Jeffrey Dunn

Linas Koreiva and Ieva Pauksena
Secaucus, NJ

This is a recently-formed partnership. Linas, Lithuanian, and Ieva, Latvian, started dancing together in April of 2006 even though they had known each other since they were children. They took lessons from the same coaches, so they have a similar approach to dancing. Their partnership quickly became a comfortable match both psychologically and physically. They make it a point never to argue during practices and enjoy coming up with creative routines.

Igor Litvinov and Julia Ivleva

© Jeffrey Dunn

Igor Litvinov and Julia Ivleva
Elizabeth, NJ

This couple has been together for 10 years, although they've been dancers since they were children. Both have competed in the Latin style as well Standard. They are noted for their height and power in gliding across dance floors. They love to travel and try to bring inspiration from other art forms into their routines. This is especially evident with the show dance they perform this year!

Erminio Stefano and Liene Apale

© Jeffrey Dunn

Erminio Stefano and Liene Apale
New York, NY

Erminio and Liene say that when they first danced together in 2004, "it felt right." Their separate interests come together perfectly — Erminio likes to experiment with new music and choreographies while Liene loves to practice hard. Their passion is evident when you watch them dance. Liene trained in both ballroom and ice dancing as a girl in Latvia. In Italy, Erminio grew up playing soccer.

Exhibition Dancers

Alain Doucet and Anik Jolicoer Doucet

© Jeffrey Dunn

Alain Doucet and Anik Jolicoer Doucet
Ste-Julie, Quebec

Ever since they were children, Anik Jolicoeur Doucet and Alain Doucet have never wanted to do anything but dance! Although once tempted to pursue hockey, Alain partnered with Anik at age 13 (she was 11), and they have been dancing together ever since. They have traveled the world together and won many prestigious titles until finally, as Canadian 10-dance champions, they represented their country and won the World Championships in 1995. Now married, they continue to teach and train new dancers, including their two year-old son.

Andrew Phillips and Yuk Chun

© Jeffrey Dunn

Andrew Phillips and Yuk Chun
New York, NY

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Andrew Phillips immigrated to the United States in 1994. Upon his arrival, Andrew quickly became renown as one of the country's leading competitors in International Latin Dancesport. Yuk Chun began dancing in her native Hong Kong and quickly fell in love with the sport. Before that, she had tried everything from yoga to skiing to snowmobiling, until she realized that she enjoys dancing the most because she can spend countless hours practicing without growing tired. Upon moving to New York, she began studying with Andrew in 2004. Together, they have won many championships, and are known for their creative routines.

Jeff Nehrbass and Adrienne Brown

© Jeffrey Dunn

Jeff Nehrbass and Adrienne Brown
Minneapolis and Hopkins, MN

Although once interested in playing basketball, Adrienne decided it was time for a change of sport when her opponents began to sprout up around her. The five-foot-two girl walked into On Your Toes School of Dance at age 15 to take her first dance lesson. Jeff Nehrbass, co-owner and former U.S. National Champion, convinced her to begin competing after seeing her talent. After many years of intense training that have continued even after Adrienne left Minneapolis for DePaul University in Chicago, the pair secured the American Pro-Am championship title. In addition to owning a dance studio with his wife Cindy, Jeff is also a Lutheran Minister.

Cole Mills and Anna Viagast

© Jeffrey Dunn

Cole Mills and Anna Viagast
Ocean and River Edge, NJ

Cole and Anna are both 13, and have been dancing together since February of 2006. As students, they are dedicated to becoming better competitors and train together for hours each week. Cole has represented the U.S. internationally at the Junior World Championships and hopes to return one day with Anna. In addition to dancing, he enjoys extreme sports, while Anna enjoys acting and singing.

Armen Petrosyan and Nicole Pyatetskaya

© Jeffrey Dunn

Armen Petrosyan and Nicole Pyatetskaya
Brooklyn, NY

Armen and Nicole are accomplished dancers. At ages 12 and 16, they have danced together for three years and now compete in the challenging Youth category. They regularly place in the finals at national competitions. Armen and Nicole train in New York City, where they are inspired by the accomplishments of professional dancers.

Back to top