Dear Member:

The Nominations & Elections Committee (N&EC) is pleased to publish the following USA Dance 2024 National Elections Procedures Schedule for all interested candidates seeking election in November 2024 as a National Officer or DanceSport Delegate of USA Dance.

A member of USA Dance in good standing, subject to qualifications in the Bylaws, may seek election to one of the following National Officer and DanceSport Delegate positions:

• President
• Secretary
• Vice President (VP) for Social Dance
• VP for DanceSport Ballroom Division
• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate 1 - Senior gender identify as male or non-binary
• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate 2 - Adult gender identify as female or non-binary
• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate 3 - Adult gender identify as male or non-binary
• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate 4 - Adult gender identify as female or non-binary
• DanceSport Breaking Delegates1 - Bboy
• DanceSport Breaking Delegate 2 - Bboy
• DanceSport Breaking Delegate 3 - Bgirl

April 3, 2024, is the deadline for interested candidates to submit an electronic copy of their National Candidate Confirmation Form, indicating the USA Dance position being sought.  This must include their Term of Office Acknowledgement and the candidate signature portion of the Nomination By Petition Form.  These forms should be sent to the National Elections Director, nominationselections-chair@usadance.org.

May 1, 2024, is the deadline for interested candidates to submit an electronic copy of their resume, photo, and personal statement (no more than 500 words) describing their reasons for running for election.  This must include proof of attainment of the minimum number of signatures on the Nomination By Petition Form from USA Dance members who are in good standing and eligible to vote for the position. A member of USA Dance in good standing may sign more than one Nomination By Petition form for a position in which they are eligible to vote. These documents should be sent to the National Elections Director, nominationselections-chair@usadance.org.  The minimum number of signatures are set by position, as follows:

• President and Secretary will require a minimum of 100 signatures from any USA Dance voting member.
• VP for Social Dance will require a minimum of 50 signatures from Social Dance voting members.
• VP for DanceSport Ballroom Division will require a minimum of 50 signatures from Ballroom Division voting members.
• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegates will require a minimum of 25 signatures from Professional or Amateur DanceSport Athlete Ballroom Division voting members.
• DanceSport Breaking Athlete Delegates will require a minimum of 5 signatures from DanceSport Athlete Breaking Division voting members.

No later than June 30, 2024, the N&EC will review interested candidates’ submission of nomination materials and conduct interviews with each to confirm individual candidate’s eligibility.

No later than August 31, 2024, the ballot of all eligible Nominees will be published. If ALL positions are uncontested, an election by the membership will not be held. Instead, the Chair of the N&EC shall cast a single electoral vote in the affirmative for each position and the new officers shall take office on January 1, 2025.

November 1 through 10, 2024, are the dates of electronic voting for USA Dance 2024 National Elections if any positions are contested. Voting instructions will be provided to all voting members of USA Dance before the electronic voting commences.

On or about November 20, 2024, the N&EC will announce the Election Results to the membership.

January 1, 2025, is the date for those elected to begin their 4-year term of office.

Please see USA Dance Policy Governing Nationals Elections https://usadance.org/page/Policies for required forms and additional details.

Thank you in advance to all interested candidates for your time, interest, and willingness to serve USA Dance.

If you have any general questions or concerns related to the election process, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at nominationselections-chair@usadance.org.

Sincerely,

Mike Lynch
Chairperson, Nominations & Elections Committee (National Elections Director)
USA Dance, Inc.

For Immediate Release

Delaware - In advance of Breaking’s debut in the Olympics at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, USA Dance President Ken Richards and Vice President of DanceSport – Breaking Division Zack Slusser are proud to announce that the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and USA Dance have entered into an agreement that establishes the roles and responsibilities to establish an Olympic high performance program for the DanceSport of Breaking and selecting and sending elite athletes to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the 2023 Pan American Games, competitions that qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, any NOC Event, or USOPC Breaking Activities.

USA Dance is the official Recognized Sports Organization for Dance by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the U.S. National Member body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), which is recognized as the official International Federation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) responsible for all DanceSport disciplines, including Breaking. Over the last 12 months, USA Dance’s DanceSport- Breaking Division, commonly known as Breaking for Gold USA, has been working to create a transparent national sports program to sanction competitions, train and support athletes, and train adjudicators in the internationally recognized judging system to identify elite athletes in the Youth, Teen, and Adult age categories to represent TeamUSA on the national and international level.

With the support of the USA Dance Breaking DanceSport Council, led by experienced leaders in the Breaking and Hip Hop Community, TeamUSA Bboys and Bgirls have experienced unrivaled success on the international level winning 14 medals, more than any other country, including 1 Gold and 2 Silver at the 2022 IWGA International World Games held in Birmingham, Alabama. This has been accomplished with the support of national and athlete level sponsors including the Silverback Foundation, Nike, a.ffati, Snipes, Red Bull, and Monster Energy.

Outside the Delegation level games, the agreement provides USA Dance with all commercial and non-commercial rights to the DanceSport Division of Breaking. More importantly, it creates a clear pathway for USA based athletes to qualify to represent TeamUSA at all international competitions including qualifying events for the 2024 Olympic Games and creates opportunities for both financial and high performance sport training support from both USA Dance and the USOPC. To view the agreement and learn more about Breaking for Gold USA go to https://www.usadance.org/BreakingDivision. To learn more about the USOPC’s Breaking program go to https://www.teamusa.org/USOPC-Breaking

For more information about USA Dance and this agreement, please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org and Vice President of DanceSport – Breaking Division Zack Slusser at DanceSportBreaking-VP@usadance.org.

Dear Member:

On behalf of the Nominations & Elections Committee, please join me in extending congratulations and welcome to the following National Officers and DanceSport Delegates who will begin or continue service to USA Dance for a four-year term of office, from January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2026. They are:

• Senior Vice President: Todd Kirrane
• Treasurer: Esther Freeman
• Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 5: Alessandro Scalora
• Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 6: Lena Dudko
• Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 7: Amelia Wills

For our November 2022 National Elections, we had five open positions and one qualified candidate for each of the five available positions. In effect, we were presented with an uncontested election, and our Policy Governing National Elections (Article IV.A.8.) https://usadance.org/page/Policies  allowed USA Dance to fill these positions without a membership-wide election. Accordingly, I provided official notice to the USA Dance Executive Committee on September 7, 2022, for each qualified candidate to be elected as a National Officer or DanceSport Delegate.

Of note, each elected National Officer or DanceSport Delegate, while an interested candidate, submitted their National Candidate Confirmation Form, Nomination by Petition Form(s) with signatures, Photo, Resume, and Statement of reasons for running for election, in a timely manner. All were interviewed and subsequently approved by the N&EC for placement on the ballot. All were reviewed by the Ethics & Judicial Committee (E&JC) and found to have no conflicts of interest or other matters under E&JC purview.

Please see https://usadance.org/elections2022 for each elected National Officer or DanceSport Delegate Photo, Resume, and Statement.

Thank you to these members for their time, interest, and willingness to serve USA Dance.

If you have any general questions or concerns related to the election process, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at  nominationselections-chair@usadance.org .

Warmest Regards,

Mike Lynch
Mike Lynch
Chairperson, Nominations & Elections Committee (National Elections Director)
USA Dance, Inc.

Dear Member,

The November 2022 USA Dance National Elections will elect the following five positions to a four-year term of service, from January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2026:

• Senior Vice President
• Treasurer
• Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 5 (Adult age gender identify as male or non-binary)
• Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 6 (Senior age gender identify as female or non-binary)
• Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 7 (non-gender identity or age category specific).

All candidates for Senior Vice President must meet the definition of an Independent Director. Please note that the Board has waived Article VII.H.2.a of https://usadance.org/page/Bylaws and will allow an athlete who wants to run the opportunity to file their letter of retirement as of May 30, 2022 and remain retired throughout their entire term in office. This waiver is for this election cycle only.

As a result of the recent adoption of a new set of bylaws, the USA Dance Policy Governing National Elections https://usadance.org/page/Policies approved by the Board of Directors on January 26, 2022, will require an update. During the interim, the following election procedure schedule is published.

June 10, 2022 is the submission date for interested candidates to submit:

• National Candidate Confirmation Form (page 6) https://usadance.org/page/Policies
• Nomination By Petition Form (page 7) https://usadance.org/page/Policies

July 8, 2022 is the submission date for interested candidates to submit:

• Resume
• Photo
• Statement of no more than 500 words describing their reasons for running for election
• Signatures on the Nomination By Petition Form (page 8) https://usadance.org/page/Policies from USA Dance members in good standing and eligible to vote for the position under nomination. Senior VP and Treasurer will require a minimum of 100 signatures by all voting members. Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 5, 6, and 7 will require a minimum of 25 signatures by the voting Athlete Ballroom Division members.

• The N&EC will schedule interviews with interested candidates’ in July 2022 to review their submission of nomination materials and to assure individual candidate’s eligibility.
  
• The N&EC will submit for placement on the ballot all eligible Nominees by Petition and such other qualified candidates as the Committee may approve by August 2022.

If you have any general questions or concerns related to the election process, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at nominationselections-chair@usadance.org .

Warmest Regards,

Mike Lynch
Chairperson, Nominations & Elections Committee (National Elections Director)
USA Dance, Inc.

The USA Dance Board of Directors, in our initiative to receive National Governing Body status from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, have adopted a new set of bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, and Policy Governing Elections. These are just two of our governing documents that the Board needs to review and update as part of this process in 2022.

The new bylaws are available at: https://cdn.ymaws.com/usadance.org/resource/collection/444D7DA9-81E6-4013-BAB4-485C852259FF/usadancebylaws.pdf

The new Conflict of Interest Policy is available at: https://cdn.ymaws.com/usadance.org/resource/collection/672EADD3-0FC6-4B06-AF62-DECA9C9BD8BC/USADancePolicy-ConflictofInterest.pdf

The new Policy Governing Elections is available at: https://cdn.ymaws.com/usadance.org/resource/collection/672EADD3-0FC6-4B06-AF62-DECA9C9BD8BC/USADancePolicy-GoverningNationalElections.pdf

Some of the major changes in the new bylaws includes:

• Formal recognition and commitment to the USOPC 6 tenants of certification as a NGB
• Formal recognition and commitment to SafeSport and Anti-doping
• Formal commitment to Financial and Managerial Transparency
• Formal recognition of voting rights for membership levels in the bylaws
• Creation of Independent Directors on the Board and as a starting requirement that the Senior Vice President meet this requirement
• Fully meeting the Ted Stevens Act requirements to include elite athletes from Breaking & Ballroom in all aspects of our governing structure
• Creating an Athlete’s Council for each DanceSport Division and empowering those elected athletes to choose their representatives for the Board, EC, and other committees
• Increasing the number of Ballroom DanceSport Delegates from 4 to 7 and ensuring gender identity representation and adult/senior athlete representation as we have with Breaking last October
• As of January 1, 2023 condensing the Professional Ballroom Dance Council and the Ballroom DanceSport Council into a single council to manage the Ballroom National Sport Program to create 1 council for each division (Social, Ballroom DanceSport, Breaking DanceSport) in our organization. Through attrition, as of January 1, 2023 the current Vice President of Professional Ballroom Dance, Vladimir Karpov, will assume the new unified role of Vice President of DanceSport – Ballroom Division and serve in that role for the remainder of his current term in office.
• The November 2022 elections will elect the following positions: Senior Vice President, Treasurer, Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 5 (Adult age gender identify as male or non-binary), Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 6 (Senior age gender identify as female or non-binary), and Ballroom DanceSport Delegate 7 (non-gender identity or age category specific).

In line with these new bylaws, USA Dance Board of Directors unanimously ratified the appointment of Renata Shvarts as the Director of Education and the head of USA Dance Academy. In this new Board level role she will coordinate educational activities across all 3 divisions of USA Dance. Additionally, USA Dance is now looking for three volunteers to fill the position of DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegates in the following categories:

• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate 3: Adult age gender identify as male or non-binary with a term ending 12/31/2024
• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate 4: Adult age gender identify as female or non-binary with a term ending 12/31/2024
• DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate 5: Adult age gender identify as male or non-binary with a term ending 12/31/2022

These individuals will be voting members of the USA Dance Ballroom Athletes’ Advisory Council with the potential to serve as voting members of the Board of Directors (BOD), Executive Committee (EC), and Ballroom DanceSport Council (BAC).

These positions are a volunteer position with the following responsibilities:

1. Collaborates with the BAC, BOD and the EC to refine and implement strategic/tactical plans that are aligned with USA Dance’s core mission
2. Effectively participates in building an effective vision of competitive DanceSport Ballroom Division and implements effective programs in pursuit of this vision
3. As a representative regularly communicate with athletes regarding potential rule and procedure changes and represent these views at BAC, BOD, and EC meetings.
4. Ensure the delivery of high quality competitive athletic and educational services while managing for current and future growth
5. Fosters development of competitions and workshops by chapters and organizers in pursuit of DanceSport Ballroom Division goals
6. Strong commitment to the development of competitive dance programs including but not limited to educational, developmental, training, health, officials, among others

Requirements for the position other than the specific age/gender identity are:

Each DanceSport Ballroom Athlete Delegate must be an amateur or professional athlete member in good standing and is classified as either an Elite Ten-Year Championship Athlete as defined by the USOPC Bylaws OR represented the United States at the IWGA World Games or IOC Recognized IF for DanceSport World Cup within the last ten years OR have finished in the top 50% in Championship level event at the National Championships within the last three years.

Interested candidates should email a letter of interest, background information, and a resume to President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org by 5pm EST Wednesday, May 4, 2022.

Official Statement on the Invasion of Ukraine

USA Dance joins the international sporting community in expressing our sadness and outrage of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian government and their allies. To all Ukrainians and those who have ties to Ukraine, our thoughts are with you as well as our Russian friends and neighbors who oppose these actions. Please know that we are United in our solidarity with the members of the All-Ukrainian Federation of DanceSports and the Ukrainian people.

As the National Member Body of the World DanceSport Federation, we support the decision of the International Olympic Committee that calls for peace and requests that international sports events in Russia and Belarus be cancelled for their violation of the Olympic Truce.

Many of our chapters have inquired into raising money and supporting the ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Ukraine. We fully support this action as we know that through our love of dance we are able to bridge differences and grow the bonds of brotherhood and acceptance that are needed at this time. We strongly recommend that you vet the organization that you are supporting and provide the following link of international organizations to consider supporting https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help.

• Collaborates with the BAC, BOD and the EC to refine and implement strategic/tactical plans that are aligned with USA Dance’s core mission
• Effectively participates in building an effective vision of competitive DanceSport Ballroom Division and implements effective programs in pursuit of this vision
• As a representative regularly communicate with athletes regarding potential rule and procedure changes and represent these views at BAC, BOD, and EC meetings.
• Ensure the delivery of high quality competitive athletic and educational services while managing for current and future growth
• Fosters development of competitions and workshops by chapters and organizers in pursuit of DanceSport Ballroom Division goals
• Strong commitment to the development of competitive dance programs including but not limited to educational, developmental, training, health, officials, among others 


Chairs/Directors




• Patti Panebianco (College Network Director)




• Margot Garnick (Membership Director )



• Phil Sisk (Chapter Relations Director)




• Ruslan Wilder (Marketing and Communications Committee Chair )



• Jane Baginski (Youth K-12 Outreach Committee Chair )



• Mike Lynch (Nominations & Election Committee Chair )



• Louis Van Amstel and Carol Davis (Co-Chairs of the Special Olympics Committee )




Voting members of the Professional Ballroom Dance Council



Fiorenza Todaro (Certifications Director), Renata Shvarts (Chair of Education Committee), Viktoriya Drubetskaya (Chair of Examiners Committee), Irina Trebunskaya (Chair of Officials Committee), Sharon Ann Durocher (Chair of Organizers Committee), Donovan
 Kirrane (Chair of Professional Athletes Committee) 

Voting members of the Ballroom DanceSport Council


Andrea Mirenda (Chair of Gender Neutral Committee), Inna Brayer (Chair of Junior Athlete Committee), Sterling Sightler (Chair of the Rules Committee), Lev Vesnovskiy (Chair of Eligibility & Discipline Committee), and Sima Sadykhov (Chair of Elite Athletes
 Committee)

Voting members of the Breaking DanceSport Council


Tyquan Hodac (Chair of Communications Committee); Jerry "Flomaster" Randolph (Chair of Education Committee); Omar Davilla (Chair of Marketing & Development Committee), Jacob "Kujo" Lyons (Chair of Officials Committee), Nathalie "NatyLite" Kanda (Chair
 of Organizers Committee), Richard "Rich Nyce" Marshall (Chair of Rules Committee); and Jamal "Nemesis" Warren (Chair of Sanctioning Committee)


Social Dance Council District Directors




 Bonnie Burton (District 2), Maureen Cleary (District 4), Ken Pandozzi (District 5), Herb McGuirk (District 6), Diane Montgomery (District 7), Lori Maggs (District 8), Rebecca Kelley Fournier (District 9 & Interim District 10)

Voting members of the Collegiate Network Committee


 Daniel O’Connell, Michael Murphy, Ross Pearce, Katusha Wilder, Kay Teague, and Christina Zona


Voting members of the Marketing and Communications Committee


Myra Coffield, Daniel O’Connell, Nikita Lylyk, Fiorenza Todaro, Alessandro Scalora, Rose-Ann Lynch, and Slavik Legkovenko

Voting members of the Nomination and Elections Committee


James DiCecca and Stan Andrews

Voting members of the Special Olympics Committee


Linda Succi and Chris Williams 

Voting members of the Audit, Budget, and Finance Committee


Damian Pataluna, Lydia Scardina, and Carson Zullinger  

NGB Task Force

Ken Richards, Todd Kirrane, Zack Slussr, Zahra "JeSkilz" Hamani, Ben "Boxwon" Banes-McGee, Lydia Scardina, Jill Smith, Chester Wheeler, Ellen Zavian

Review the new policy at https://usadance.org/page/Policies.

The Board is in the process of amending the USA Dance bylaws and positions up for election to bring them into greater compliance with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee template. As a result of those amendments, an election procedure schedule will be announced separately in the coming weeks. Until that announcement is made, if you have any general questions or concerns related to the election process, please do not hesitate to contact Mike Lynch, Chairperson, Nominations & Elections Committee (National Elections Director) directly at  nominationselections-chair@usadance.org.

Delaware - Dance Vision and USA Dance, Inc. are excited to announce their cooperation to strengthen and grow the American Style and Club styles in DanceSport.

A key part of this endeavor is USA Dance’s adoption of the Dance Vision Smooth, Rhythm, and Club Syllabi as their preferred materials for these styles. As the Recognized Sports Organization for DanceSport by the US Olympic & Paralympic Organization (USOPC) and the National Member Body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), this positions Dance Vision to become the leading provider of syllabus and learning materials nationally and internationally.

Ken Richards, President of USA Dance, stated, "I am thrilled that USA Dance is able to bring this educational endorsement forward with Dance Vision, a recognized leader for providing state of the art training materials and syllabi for social and DanceSport athletes in USA Dance and the WDSF.”   

USA Dance joins a long list of prestigious organizations whomst officially recognize the Dance Vision Syllabus.

Wayne Eng, CEO of Dance Vision stated that, “The Dance Vision Syllabus endeavors to spread American style to dancers across the globe and is used by 2,000+ dance studios and independent teachers worldwide. It is with great honor that we welcome USA Dance to its list of endorsees.”

For more information about USA Dance, please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org and Marketing & Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder at marketingcommunications-chair@usadance.org.

ORLANDO July 10, 2021 – After battling through preliminary rounds and besting over 40 of the best BBoys in the country, BBoy Victor, a Red Bull BC One All Star breaker, became the 2021 BBoy US National Breaking Open Champion and secured an invitation to represent the United States at the 2021 World DanceSport Breaking for Gold World Championship taking place in Nanjing, China this October. Joining Victor on the winner’s podium was BGirl Isis who defeated top BGirls to become the 2021 BGirl US National Breaking Open Champion.

Based on the results of the competition, which was sanctioned by USA Dance and organized by Shaolin Productions, Freestyle Sessions, and legendary breaker Cross1, the members of the 2021 United States Breaking World Team include:

UNITED STATES DANCESPORT – BREAKING DIVISION WORLD TEAM MEMBERS:
BBoy Victor, Kissimmee, Florida/Red Bull BC One Allstars
BBoy Nelzwon, Miramar, Florida/BreakinMIA, Monster Energy Breakers
BGirl Logistix, Fort Lauderdale, Florida/BreakinMIA, Red Bull BC One Allstars
BGirl Pep-C, Indianapolis, Indiana/GodChildrenofSoul

The 2021 WDSF Breaking for Gold World Championships will be held October 17, 2021 in Nanjing, China. More information on Breaking for Gold is available at www.breakingforgold.com
For more information about USA Dance, please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org and Marketing & Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder at marketingcommunications-chair@usadance.org.
About the organization: USA Dance, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as a Recognized Sports Organization for DanceSport and is the National Member Body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized International Governing Body for Dance with the mission to improve the quality and quantity of dance in the United States. 

Photo credit: Unlucky Rabbit Studio https://unluckyrabbits.com

Janis was born on December 23, 1947 in Providence, Rhode Island to Tina Carlotti Merluzzo and Louis Francis Merluzzo. Her gifts of athleticism and grace were evidence from a young age. She began studying ballet at the age of 3 and eventually trained and performed with the Providence Ballet. Her commitment to dance would remain strong for the rest of her life.

Janis spent three decades teaching physical education, health and psychology, primarily at Mahwah High School in New Jersey. During her teaching tenure she impacted the lives of hundreds of students, several of whom she remained in contact with until her death.

In 2002, Janis retired from teaching and moved to Sarasota, Florida, where she had previously vacationed. She soon became re-immersed in the dance world, this time training in ballroom dance which, she always said, required her to “un-learn” much of what she had instilled during her ballet training.

It was at the Sarasota studio where she first took ballroom lessons that, in 2004, she met Daniel Fugazzatto, a multi-talented professional musician, who would become her competitive dance partner and closest companion. Within six months they began competing as an amateur couple on the USA Dance circuit, performing all dances in both American and International styles in the Senior I and II divisions. They won their first National USA Dance championship in 2010 and would go on to win seven more titles before retiring from active competition in 2017. In recent years they performed frequent exhibitions at Gulf Coast events and dances, at many of which Daniel also supplied the musical entertainment.

Her competitive involvement soon led to Janis assume the reins of the Sarasota White Sands Chapter of USA Dance as its president and driving force. She would remain on the board for more than 15 years, filling every role except Secretary/Treasurer. She increased the chapter’s activities, visibility and membership and put into place responsible bookkeeping and accounting practices.

Janis organized the chapter’s weekly dances and music selections, initiated frequent special events (many of them fundraisers for cancer organizations, food banks and other charitable causes, or tributes to veterans) and was instrumental in encouraging other local amateur couples to try competing. In recent years, she and Daniel recruited and trained the chapter’s first formation team, which performed for local groups and at several Florida competitions.

Dance was not Janis’s only interest. The walls of her home were filled with the results of her award-winning work as an accomplished amateur photographer. She was an avid and astute reader and a creative and gifted crafter, excelling in the art of paper quilling. She also maintained a disciplined exercise routine, keeping pace with women half her age.

Janis never met a challenge she wasn’t willing to take on, nor one she didn’t think she could conquer. Wherever she chose to direct her energy, it was with commitment, purpose, capability and confidence.

She is survived by her brother Robert and his wife Cheryl, of Narragansett, RI and their children, Steven and Michael; her sister Lois Merluzzo of Connecticut and her children Rachel Gordon and Alexander Handweger, and her life and dance partner, Daniel Fugazzatto, of Sarasota, Florida. At Janis’s request, there will be no public funeral service or memorial; a mass will be held in her honor in Providence, RI. Donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, which assists wounded veterans of military actions since September 11, 2001.

The dance world will miss her energy, talent and dedication.

--by Carrie Seidman

The Board of Directors regretfully announces the resignation of Spencer Chang as Treasurer of USA Dance, Inc.

Due to the demands of his professional business, and to allow more time to enjoy his dancing, Spencer Chang has resigned his position as USA Dance Treasurer. We thank Spencer for his work over the better part of 2 years providing important guidance and oversight as we transferred from an employee model to a management company model. Spencer remains committed to help transitioning the role to the new Treasurer and assisting the Board of Directors.

Consequently, USA Dance is now looking for a volunteer to fill the position of Treasurer for the remainder of his term, which ends December 31, 2022. This individual will be a voting member of the USA Dance Executive Committee and Board of Directors as well as Chair the Audit, Budget, and Finance Committee.

The position of Treasurer is a volunteer position with the following responsibilities:

• Maintaining corporate financial documents
• Attending and managing the financial responsibilities of USA Dance, Inc.
• Responsible for the processes and dissemination of financial information in the Executive Committee and Board of Director meetings in accordance with requirements of the Bylaws and Policies of USA Dance
• Keeping all financial records up to date, overseeing the payment of all invoices, etc.

The Treasurer also provides information and support to the various committees, teams and projects as required by the President or Senior Vice President to integrate the financial information within the organization. Please refer to the Job Description for the Treasurer position on the USA Dance website.

Interested candidates should email a letter of interest, background information, and a resume to President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org by 5pm EDT, Saturday, June 12, 2021.

USA DANCE & DANCING CLASSROOMS BEGIN A PARTNERSHIP TO BRING HIGH QUALITY DANCE CLASSES TO YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES

Dear USA Dance Members,

The introduction of a National K-12 Program has long been discussed by USA Dance. Many associated with the organization have been successful in offering private classes locally. However, our capacity to launch an accessible program in schools on a national scale has proved difficult for many years.

We are proud to announce that through a marketing partnership between USA Dance’s newly formed Youth K-12 Committee and Dancing Classrooms (DC), the two organizations will work together to promote DC’s online, hybrid, and socially distant dance residencies for schools and community-based organizations by sharing information on the USA Dance website and through communications with our chapters. DC will include information about USA Dance’s programs on its website as well, so that students and families have access to the vast resources and activities hosted by our chapters as they seek to continue their dancing outside of the classroom.

As you may know, Dancing Classrooms was founded by ballroom legends Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau over 25 years ago to cultivate essential life skills in children through the art and practice of social dance. Perhaps best known for the 2005 documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, today the organization serves over 150 NYC schools and youth-serving organizations each year and supports a network of 10 national affiliate sites. To learn more about Dancing Classrooms remote learning programs for schools and community groups check out this short video.

Work will now continue to develop and promote our own USA Dance classes at middle and high school levels. Together with Dancing Classrooms, we hope to be able to build more dance education opportunities for children of all ages throughout the United States.

All Chapters are encouraged to promote our new association. Chapters can arrange to have the USA Dance/ Dancing Classrooms link on their websites by emailing Dean Abraham at
youthk12-chair@usadance.org

Most of us reading this will already know the incredible benefits dance offers. Let us promote our gift to as many as we can. Together, Chapters, Members, and new partners, let us spread the gift of dance.

Warmest Regards,

Ken Richards, USA Dance President

Dean Abraham, USA Dance Youth K-12 Committee Chair

USA Dance, Inc. has been notified by the USA Breakin’ Board of Directors that their DanceSport Vice President, Jonathan ‘Xcel’ Escotto, has been accused of a SafeSport Violation and as such has been suspended from his position pending an investigation. Our thoughts are with the victim and we applaud the strength it takes to disclose and report this.

As the USOPC’s Recognized Sports Organization for DanceSport and the National Member Body of the WDSF, USA Dance takes the safety and well-being of our members and all members of our affiliated organizations seriously. In 2018, we adopted our SafeSport Policy to comply with USOPC best practices and to expand our long history of background checks to all professional members including registered adjudicators, coaches, trainers, etc. This policy is publicly accessible from our website and includes a 24 hour, toll free number to confidentially report potential violations.

As the community is aware, USA Breakin’ is a separate organization that is recognized as our National Sports Organization for the DanceSport Discipline of Breaking. However, as the RSO for DanceSport, including Breaking, in the United States we will monitor this situation within USA Breakin’ to ensure compliance with SafeSport so that all DanceSport athletes under our umbrella remain safe and healthy.

Respectfully,

Ken Richards

Ken Richards

President

USA Dance, Inc.

Dear Athletes:

The past year has been very difficult for all of us. Because of the disruption caused by COVID-19 and the interruption of the competition calendar the DanceSport Council has modified the requirements to qualify for USA Dance’s 2021 and 2022 National Championships.

Qualification for the 2021 National Championships

1. Any COUPLE that qualified for Nationals 2020 (which was canceled) is considered qualified for Nationals 2021. Further NQE participation is encouraged but nor required. Couples that have changed age categories (for example, Junior 1 to Junior 2 or Senior 1 to Senior 2) are considered qualified in their new age category.
2. Partnerships that did not previously qualify for 2020 Nationals, may qualify for the 2021 Nationals by attending any of the NQEs leading up to the Nationals 2021 in which you will compete:

• Charlotte Star Ball in April;
• Gumbo DanceSport Championships (date TBA);
• Texas Open in June;
• OKC Dreamcatcher in July;
• Kansas City Dance Classic in September;
• Carolina Fall Classic in early October; and/or
• American DanceSport Festival in mid-October.

(See the Dancesport Calendar for more details)

EXCEPTION: Junior 2 and Youth couples dancing in the Pre-Champ or Championship National Title Events at OKC Dreamcatcher will not need to pre-qualify.

3. Because of the lack of training opportunities available during the past year and the limited number of NQEs available leading to the National Championships, couples do not need to finish in the top 75% at an NQE to qualify for Nationals 2021. Simply competing in a particular style at an NQE will qualify the couple in that style.

1. The 2022 National Championships are expected to occur early in 2022. Because this may result in only a few NQEs available between the 2021 Nationals and the 2022 Nationals, Syllabus through Pre-Champ level dancers may qualify for the 2022 Nationals by attending any NQE in 2021 or 2022 leading up to the 2022 Nationals. Thus, you can qualify for two National Championships by attending one NQE in 2021!
2. Championship level are expected to maintain or return to a high level of skill and quality. To qualify for the 2022 National Championships, Champion level couples must compete at 2021 Nationals at the Championship level. If a Championship level couple does not compete at the 2021 Nationals then you will have to qualify for that level at an NQE between the 2021 Nationals and the 2022 Nationals.

March 10, 2021

Delaware - In response to the current COVID-19 Public Health restrictions around travel, lodging, dining, and gathering limitations and the likelihood that they will not be dramatically altered caused the Board of Directors for USA Dance to announce last month that the 2021 USA Dance National DanceSport Championships will take place at four separate events in the fall. Today the Board is announcing the following events will be held at each of the competitions:

OKC Dreamcatcher DanceSport Championships

Junior 2 & Youth Pre-Champ and Championship
July 23rd to 24th
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma https://dreamcatcherdancesport.com

Due to the competition schedule in advance of the OKC Championships, Junior 2 & Youth couples do not need to qualify at a National Qualifying Event to compete at the National Championships. This earlier date is to accommodate the expected World Championship events as currently planned by the WDSF. The Board previously announced the following National Championship events: 

Carolina Fall Classic DanceSport Championships

Preteen & Junior 1 (all events), Junior 2 & Youth (excluding pre-champ and champ)

October 1^st to the 3^rd
Charlotte, North Carolina
https://carolinafallclassic.com/

American DanceSport Festival

Under 21, Adult events, Professional (all events), Showdance, Theatrical Ballroom, and Cabaret
October 8^th to the 10^th
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
https://www.americandsf.org/

Chicago DanceSport Challenge

Senior 1 (all events including Cabaret), Senior 2 through Senior V
November 5^th to the 7^th
Chicago, Illinois
http://chicagodancesportchallenge.org/

More information concerning the location of the Junior 2 & Youth Pre-Champ and Championship events will be announced soon. We strongly encourage all DanceSport and Social Dance members to take part in these great events as competitors and spectators. The first in-person NQE, Charlotte Star Ball, is scheduled for April 16^th through 18^th in Atlanta, Georgia. Registration and information available at charlottestarball.com along with the Junior National DanceSport Training Camp.

For more information about USA Dance and the National DanceSport Championships, please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org and Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder at marketingcommunications-chair@usadance.org.

About the organization: USA Dance, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as a Recognized Sports Organization and is the national member body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized International Governing Body for Dance with the mission to improve the quality and quantity of dance in the United States.

Learn more about USA Dance at www.usadance.org
Learn more about the USA Dance National DanceSport Championships at www.usadancenationals.org

February 24, 2021

Delaware - In response to the current COVID-19 Public Health restrictions around travel, lodging, dining, and gathering limitations and the likelihood that they will not be dramatically altered caused the Board of Directors for USA Dance to announce last month that the 2021 USA Dance National DanceSport Championships will take place at three separate events in the fall. Today the Board is announcing the following events will be held at each of the competitions:

Carolina Fall Classic DanceSport Championships

Preteen & Junior 1 (all events), Junior 2 & Youth (excluding pre-champ and champ)

October 1^st to the 3^rd
Charlotte, North Carolina
https://carolinafallclassic.com/

American DanceSport Festival

Under 21, Adult events, Professional (all events), Showdance, Theatrical Ballroom, and Cabaret
October 8^th to the 10^th
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
https://www.americandsf.org/

Chicago DanceSport Challenge

Senior 1 (all events including Cabaret), Senior 2 through Senior V
November 5^th to the 7^th
Chicago, Illinois
http://chicagodancesportchallenge.org/

More information concerning the location of the Junior 2 & Youth Pre-Champ and Championship events will be announced soon. We strongly encourage all DanceSport and Social Dance members to take part in these great events as competitors and spectators. The first in-person NQE, Charlotte Star Ball, is scheduled for April 16^th through 18^th in Atlanta, Georgia. Registration and information available at charlottestarball.com along with the Junior National DanceSport Training Camp.

For more information about USA Dance and the National DanceSport Championships, please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org and Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder at marketingcommunications-chair@usadance.org.

About the organization: USA Dance, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as a Recognized Sports Organization and is the national member body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized International Governing Body for Dance with the mission to improve the quality and quantity of dance in the United States.

Learn more about USA Dance at www.usadance.org
Learn more about the USA Dance National DanceSport Championships at www.usadancenationals.org

Great article in today's Washington Post about Breakin's road to the Olympics featuring interviews from USA Dance President Ken Richards, USA Dance Breakin' Task Force Co-Chair Moy Rivas, USA Dance NBG Task Force Member Ellen Zavian, WDSF Consultant Jean-Laurent Bourquin, and USA Breakin’ President Antonio Castillo. 

Read the full story.

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is pleased to announce the signing of a four-year partnership with Red Bull GmbH aimed at furthering the development of Breaking on its Olympic journey, including the launch of the WDSF Breaking for Gold World Tour beginning in 2021.

Read the full story

February 2, 2021

Delaware – Following the ratification by the Board of Directors, USA Dance is proud to announce appointments to various committees for 2021 including:

Collegiate Network Committee

• Katusha Wilder

Ethics & Judicial Committee

• Mark Scardina, Chair

Nominations & Elections Committee

• James DiCecca
• Esther Freeman

DanceSport Council

• Rose-Ann Lynch, Senior Athlete Committee Chair

Professional Council

• Viktoriya Drubetskaya, Examinations Committee Chair
• Renata Shvarts, Director of Education & Education Committee Chair

For more information about USA Dance please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org or Marketing & Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder at marketingcommunications-chair@usadance.org.

About the organization: USA Dance, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as a Recognized Sports Organization and is the national member body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized International Governing Body for Dance with the mission to improve the quality and quantity of dance in the United States.

Learn more about USA Dance at www.usadance.org

During this time, he has used his professional experience overseeing the development and implementation of formal governing policies, restructuring our operations and introducing a professional management company to run day to day operations, securing state non-profit registrations to support chapter operations, implementing the Safe Sport Program to ensure our athletes are safe and our professional members meet the highest standards, and putting us on the pathway to National Governing Body status for Paralympics with the USOPC.

As President, I want to personally thank Greg for his support and leadership over the past 3 months helping myself and the other new officers through the transition period and implementing changes to respond to members’ requests throughout the election process. While he is stepping away to enjoy retirement and spend more quality time with Jill and his family, I am happy to announce that Greg has agreed to stay on and help with specific projects including the Paralympic Committee, Safe Sport, Talley Management coordination, and to act as an advisor on other various issues. He will be available via email at specialprojects-greg@usadance.org.

As required in the bylaws I am requesting that interested candidates for the Senior Vice President position send in their resume and letter of interest to my email at president@usadance.org with the subject line: Senior Vice President Application by 5pm on Wednesday, February 10th. I strongly recommend that before doing so, you review the position description in the USA Dance Position Description Guidelines. Greg’s resignation will become effective the day before the Board of Directors is scheduled to ratify the appointment of his successor.

Warmest Regards,

Ken Richards
President
USA Dance, Inc.

Personal Statement from Greg Warner

It has been a pleasure serving the members of USA Dance in various capacities over the years, from Chapter President to District Director to national officer. However, for personal reasons, it is important for me to step away from the time and energy the Senior VP role requires and deserves. I do plan to continue to volunteer with USA Dance, serving in a more project-oriented manner. I will continue working with the Paralympic Committee, coordinating activities with our management firm, Talley, and working on improving membership services in coordination with Jean Krupa, Phil Sisk, and others.

I am proud of my work with the USA Dance Board of Directors. I was an advocate for improving board members' understanding of governance, board members' fiduciary responsibilities, and frank but respectful open debate. I am also proud that USA Dance took the initiative to put in place our SafeSport program that I helped develop.

I encourage you to consider volunteering for USA Dance in any capacity you can. This can be at the chapter or national level. We always need people with energy and diverse talents. Jill and I will continue dancing and we hope to see you at a chapter dance or competitive event. Happy Dancing.

Warmest Regards,

Greg Warner
Senior Vice President
USA Dance, Inc.

Delaware - On January 10^th, USA Dance President Ken Richards moved, and the USA Dance Board of Directors approved the following appointments to National Director and Committee Membership level positions for the 2021 year:          

Michael Lynch (Virginia), Nominations & Election Committee Chair

Collegiate Network:

• Patti Panebianco, Collegiate Network Director (previously appointed)
• Michael Murphy
• Daniel O’Connell
• Ross Pearce
• Christine Zona

Communications Committee:

• Ruslan Wilder, Chair (previously appointed)
• Myra Coffield, Webmaster
• Antoinette Datoc, Social Media
• Margot Garnick, YM
• David Getchell, American Dancer
• Daniel O’Connell, Collegiate Network Social Media
• Fiorenza Todaro, Social Media

Youth K12 Outreach Committee:

• Dean Abraham, Youth K12 Outreach Committee Chair (previously appointed)
• Aimee Allen
• Angela Canham
• Lisa Sandoval

The Board of Directors are excited to be working with these dedicated members of USA Dance as they step into these new roles and dedicate their time toward building our organization over the next 12 months.

For more information about USA Dance and these appointments, please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org and Marketing & Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder at marketingcommunications-chair@usadance.org.

About the organization: USA Dance, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as a Recognized Sports Organization and is the national member body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized International Governing Body for Dance with the mission to improve the quality and quantity of dance in the United States. Learn more about USA Dance at www.usadance.org