Marlboro Special Guest Coaches

Loreta Kriksciukaityte

Loreta is originally from Lithuania where she got her start in dance at the age of five. As a youth she earned many distinguishing titles such as Lithuanian International Standard an Latin Champion and helping lead her formation team “Zuvedra” to six European and five World championships!

Since moving to the United States, she has continued her very promising career with such titles as Top Finalist in all major US and International competitions, 3rd place winner of UK Rising Star Dancesport Championship and finalist of the biggest competition in the world, Rising Star Blackpool Dance Festival. Her students are also acclaimed dancers, making appearances and winning such shows as Paula Abdul’s “Live to Dance” and “America’s Got Talent.”

Tatiana Seliverstova

Born in Chisinau, Moldova, Tatiana started her ballroom dance career when she was eight years old. At a very early age, she began winning National and International Championships and as a teenager was crowned the Vice World Champion and European Champion. Over the last twenty years, she has competed in all three styles of ballroom; Latin, Standard, and 10 Dance. At the age of nineteen, Tatiana moved to the United States, passionate to pursue her ballroom dream. Within one year she became the United States National Champion in two divisions. In 2016 she made a change in style and began competing professionally in American Smooth. Additionally that year, she was awarded by her home country their highest athletic honor, the title of Master of Sport of Moldova. Today she is ranked 2nd in both the United States and World Championships.

Elena Grinenko

Grinenko was born in Moscow, Russia, USSR, and has been dancing since she was seven years old. She has been trained in ballroom dancing, ballet and Russian folk dancing. She worked with the Ballroom Formation Team of Russia, and when she reached her third year as a competitive professional dancer, she became a Soviet Union Finalist.

After four years of dancing with Michael Nadtochy, she decided to form a partnership with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Eventually, she was the undefeated U.S. and World Rhythm Champion with her last partner, Tony Dovolani.

In 2006, Grinenko found herself competing against former Latin partner Chmerkovskiy, and American rhythm partner Dovolani when she was selected to join the cast of the third season of Dancing with the Stars.

Daniella Karagach

Karagach is an American Ballroom dancer and partnered with Pasha Pashkov in January 2009. Together, they are seven-time United States 10-Dance Champions and Latin Champions. Daniella is the youngest US competitor to ever hold this title. In 2012 they became the US dance national Latin champions. In 2012, they made the semifinal of the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival.

Karagach became one of the professional ballroom dancers on the 28th season of Dancing with the Stars, on ABC television. On the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars, Karagach was paired up with Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly for her second season as a pro dancer. They made it to the finals and placed 3rd. On the 30th season of Dancing with the Stars, Karagach was paired with professional basketball player Iman Shumpert, where she won her first Mirrorball trophy.

Pasha Pashkov

Pashkov is an American Ballroom dancer and choreographer who is known for his appearance in Season 2 of NBC’s World of Dance. He started dancing in Russia through a class at his school when he was eleven years old. Pashkov partnered with Daniella Karagach in January 2009. Together, they are seven-time United States 10-Dance Champions and Latin Champions. In 2012 they became the US dance national Latin champions. In 2012, they made the semifinal of the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival.

Ilya Ifraimov

lya coaches and choreographs in all levels and styles. A World Class Adjudicator and Choreographer, he’s been a member of NDC since 2005 and has collaborated in the creation of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios International Latin Syllabus. Ilya has also appeared on American Ballroom Challenge and The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Some of Ilya’s achievements are:

US PRO Latin Finalist
World Cup Runner-Up
World Masters Champion
Blackpool, International and UK Rising Star Finalist
6-Time Fred Astaire National Champion
North American Show Dance Champion

Ilya Ifraimov is part of the prestigious Fred Astaire Dance Studios International Dance Council, which oversees Dance Instructor training and certification, judges (Professional, Amateur, Pro/Am) at Regional, National & International Fred Astaire Dance Studio Dance Competition events, actively coaches Students & Instructors, and continuously reviews Fred Astaire’s proprietary dance curriculum to ensure only the finest, most up-to-date programs for Students.

Karina Smirnoff

Karina Smirnoff is a Soviet-born American professional ballroom dancer of Ukrainian origins. She is known as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, where she won the thirteenth season with army veteran and soap opera star J.R. Martinez. She has also won two runner-up titles, a semifinal title, and several quarterfinal titles.

She has won the title at the UK Open, is a three-time champion at the US Open, two-time champion at the Asian Open, five-time champion at the Dutch Open, and five-time US National Professional Champion. She has taken second at the British Open Blackpool Dance Festival, and the first woman to reach the British Professional Final with three different partners.

Riccardo Cocchi

The son of famed Italian ballroom coaches, Riccardo always knew that dance was his future and one day he would become the world champion. Riccardo was born in Terni, Italy. Currently, he resides in and represents the United States of America. Prior to partnering with Yulia, Riccardo and his previous partner were undefeated Italian Amateur Latin Champions and the World Amateur Latin Champions.

Riccardo and Yulia’s mesmerizing look, incredible technical aptitude, and vivacious dynamism quickly made them a favorite among both fans and judges alike. At the World Professional Latin Championships held in Bonn, Germany in November 2010, DanceSport felt the impact of Riccardo and Yulia’s hard work and growth when they took home their first World Professional Latin title and in April 2011 they captured their second World Professional Latin title in Moscow dancing at the legendary Kremlin ballroom. They won their final world championship and 10th world title in Miami, USA on October 26th, 2019.

Yulia Zagoruychenko

Yulia was born in Belgorod City, Russia and first started dancing at the age of four. She then began ballroom dancing at age seven, and began teaching at the early age of 11. A rising star in Russia, Yulia captured her first major title at the age of 12, becoming Russian Junior National Champion. Yulia’s wunderkind status only grew as she went on to dominate youth division. After moving to the United States, to dance with her former partner, Yulia won many titles including the World South American Showdance Championship and the US National Professional Latin Championship. Yulia also placed as a grand finalist in all major World Professional Latin competitions. On July 4, 2011, Carnegie Corporation honored Yulia and 44 other exceptional US immigrants as “Americans by Choice”.

Jose Decamps

José Decamps, born in Dominican Republic, started dancing at age of 18, found a partner at 19 while working at Fred Astaire Studios East Side New York. Jose became a sensation by winning his first seven competitions, capturing the Eastern U.S. Championship within four months of the start of his competitive career. He became Fred Astaire Rising Star Champion within a year of competing. U.S. National Rising Star Champion within two years. Fred Astaire Rhythm National Champion within fouryears. Open Rhythm National Finalist by the fifth year (Fourth place in the final). By the sixth year, he was 3rd in the final, by the seventh year, runner-up to the National Rhythm title and “1997 Couple of the Year” for entering and winning more competitions than any other couple that year.

He then changed dance styles from Rhythm to Latin and went to England to study with various World Latin Champions. Shortly after he returned to New York and within the year became U.S. Latin Rising Star Champion, United Kingdom Finalist (3rd place) and 1st at the “British Star Championship”. José was also featured as a lead dancer in “Burn the floor” the U.S. tour, the Dr. Pepper Latin series commercials, Debacle Morgan “Dance with me” music video and Vanessa Williams “Close to you” music video. National Geographic has also featured José in the documentary “The Incredible Human Machine”.

José and Joanna formed their partnership in March of 2007. They are the reigning 4-time U.S. and 3-time World Rhythm Champions. After both being second in the country in American Rhythm with other partners, they finally became United States Champions in 2007 and continued in 2008, 2009 and 2010. They are the U.S. Mambo Champions and the World Salsa Champions.

Tony Dovolani

Tony Dovolani balanced fitness, dance, and family while capturing the hearts of millions each season in Dancing with the Stars. Born in Prishtina, Kosovo, Tony was proficient in Albanian folk dancing by age three and was inspired by watching Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly films. After immigrating to the United States as a political refugee from his native Kosovo, Tony trained at a Connecticut Fred Astaire dance studio and eventually became one of the most dominant competitive dancers in the country.

A two-time dance champion and certified world judge, Tony brought his expertise to Hollywood when he coached Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere for the 2004 film Shall We Dance, in which he also had a small role. He then joined Dancing with the Stars for its second season and captured our attention with partner Stacy Keibler, when the two placed third in the finals. During the Dancing with the Stars All-Star Season, Season 15, Tony and dance partner Melissa Rycroft won the show and took home the Mirrorball Trophy.