Our Staff
Clément Joly
Clément, co-owner, director and premier instructor, has been dancing since age thirteen. He is an accomplished Latin dance champion and performer. He is both a former Canadian Amateur Latin champion and a North American Professional Latin finalist. He has trained with internationally renowned instructors, including spending numerous years training, living, and competing in London, England. He has competed nationally and internationally and has represented Canada in France, Croatia, Mexico, Great Britain, Canada and the United States. As a skilled dance performer, Clément has also appeared in the movies “The Aviator” and “The Courage to Love”. In Charlotte, NC, Clément continues to compete and to coach amateur and Pro-Am students.
Tatiana Kazakova
Tatiana, co-owner and premiere instructor, has been dancing since age seven. Tatiana was a member of the Russian Dance Union where she successfully represented the country in International Dance Championships around the world, becoming a Finalist in the Grand Prix Series. She is a two-time Ukrainian National Junior & Youth Latin Champion and a Ukrainian National Amateur Latin and 10-Dance Finalist. She moved to the states in 2005 and quickly became recognized as a top dancer and coach in the US, coaching one of her students to win the World-Pro-Am Junior Championships in 2006. Also in 2009 Tatiana made So You Think You Can Dance “Season 6″ Vegas week, Top 60.
Nickolai Keanov
With over seventeen years of experience, Nickolai Keanov began his professional ballroom dance career with Tom Chapman Dance Club International in Charlotte. He went on to teach at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio for seven years and then Queen City Ballroom for six years, also in Charlotte. Nickolai competed professionally for ten years all around the country and won the Smooth and Rhythm Championship in 2001 at both the Dixie Invitational and the NC Allstars competitions. In 2002, he won the Southeastern Dance Sport Smooth Championships in Florida. Also a performer, he performed at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center with the Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra in 2004. Currently he has added the Argentine Tango to his repertoire as an instructor.
Ranko Bogosavac
Ranko has won 5 national championships of Bosnia Hercegovina in 3 separate competitive dance categories and 3 different age categories over a period of 9 years. In 1996, he won the National Championship in Latin-American dancing in the Junior Category. In 2001, he won the National Championship in the Youth Category of Standard dancing and in 2002 he won the Amateur category winner of the Latin-American dance championship, the Standard National Dance Championship and the 10-dance National Championship. The years that he did not win the National Championships, he finished among the top 3 finalists.
Darinka Divljak
Darinka Divljak has over 16 years of professional dance competition experience and numerous accolades to show for it. Over the past 14 years, she has won the National Championship of Serbia 9 times in three different age categories. In 1996, Darinka won the Ten-Dance National Championship in the Junior 11 category. She was a three-time national champion in Latin-American dancing in the Youth category in 1997, 1999, and 2002. From 2003-2006 and in 2010 she was the Latin-American dancing national champion in the Amateur category. Darinka was selected as one of only two dancers to represent Serbia at the World Championships where she finished 11th in 1999, 12th in 2000, and 29th in 2003.
Kelli Mallory
Kelli grew up in Gainesville, Florida where she started dancing at the age of six followed by several years of gymnastics. Starting at the age 12, Kelli studied jazz, ballet and tap under Nina Cameron for the next 10 years and during that time performed a lyrical jazz piece in the ‘Miss Dance of Florida’ competition placing as a top 10 finalist. While jazz was her main focus for those 10 years, she was introduced to ballroom dancing in 1991 and has continued since then training, performing and teaching ballroom dancing.
Corinna Kahn
Corinna, event/marketing coordinator and front desk queen comes to us from Greensboro, NC. She has a Bachelors degree in Communications from UNC Charlotte. She brings her enthusiasm, excitement and expertise in marketing, communications, and social media to our ballroom. Her smile brightens everyone’s day!
Jim Manly & Monette Manly
Monette Bales and Jim Manly are long-time Charlotte residents and entrepreneurs as well as being international Latin ballroom dancers and enthusiasts. Co-owners of the studio, Jim and Monette manage the business aspects and development of the studio. Jim began dancing in 1968 starting with Junior Cotillion. In the past ten years, he rediscovered the pleasure of dancing at franchised and independent studios. In 2007, placed fifth in Silver Pro/Am scholarship at Heritage Dance Classic and 2010 finalist at the prestigious Holiday Dance Classic, Las Vegas. Monette Bales began studying ballet in 1961 and continued through college. She resumed dancing, this time in international ballroom and Latin styles, in the last few years. In 2007, Monette was the winner of the Newcomer at Heritage Dance Classic and 2010 Bronze and Silver Pro/Am scholarship finalist at The Millennium Dance Championship in Tampa, Florida.
