These are the instructors for the Footsteps retreat in summer 2014. Many of them offer private lessons and have include their email address. We encourage people to reach out to them for lessons.
Alex Wilson Alex started dancing with BAM in 2006, competing in both Standard and Latin up through open. He has focused on Standard since 2010, with a brief foray into Smooth. He has been dancing with the lovely Lara since Summer 2012, and together they have been very successful in open Standard. When he's not dancing, Alex moonlights as a Data Science Engineer in Manhattan.
Lara Kleinfelter Lara started ballroom dancing the summer before college in 2008, and joined BAM in the fall by recommendation. 6 years later, she is still dancing competitively and loves learning and helping others on their dancing journeys. Her area of greatest interest is in partnerships and how they work for the betterment of dancing. Lara dances with Alex Wilson and together the two have had great success in Pre-Champ and Champ Standard competitions.
Natalie Plumb started ballet at age 5, tasted jazz, tap and modern in the interim, and discovered ballroom her sophomore year of college.Strict and social ballroom filled the voids every other dance she tried couldn't. Natalie began placing top three in Champ at the offset of her American Smooth career, in both collegiate and national competitions, including MIT, Mid-Atlantic Championships and Manhattan Amateur Classic. She also has finalled in Pre-Champ International Latin at multiple collegiate competitions. She now works full-time, but hopes someday to make American Smooth a second career.
Teaching: Natalie frequently teaches all styles to wedding couples, as well as beginner to intermediate Smooth. She loves helping couples and individuals create movement that accentuates their bodies by utilizing their natural strengths, and using the knowledge they already have. Contact her at [email protected] or 202-380-5702 for more details. Student discount available. 
Derek Winkler Derek has been dancing for almost 9 years and competes at the
gold/open levels in standard and smooth. He is passionate about dance as a way to express emotion and music and loves sharing that passion with others through performance and instruction. Teaching: Derek is available for private lessons in smooth and standard. Contact him at [email protected] 
Chen Ling has been dancing for over 15 years and have learned from some of the world's best instructors. He has taught classes at UMD, GW, MIT, and Boston University. More importantly, many of his former students are now successful open level competitors.
Teaching: Chen is available for private lessons in Standard. Contact him at [email protected]. 
Blessing Bennett started dancing in Aug 2009 and currently competes in the Pre-Champ Standard and Smooth. She and her partner Chen Ling's recent accomplishments include placing 4th in Novice Smooth at USA Dance Nationals and placing 4th in Novice Standard at the USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Dancesport Championships. She has been making dance costumes and jewelry as a hobby and professionally since 2010.
Teaching: Blessing teaches private lessons for Standard and Smooth dancers at all levels. Blessing is also available for custom made costumes (all styles) and jewelry. For more information, contact her at [email protected] 
Cobey England is an amateur standard and latin competitor with his dance partner Anastasiya. Together, they have won first in gold latin and standard at several competitions, and are currently training as 10-dance championship level competitors.
Teaching: Cobey is an independent ballroom instructor, teaching private lessons for competitive and social dancers. If interested in advancing your competitive edge in standard or latin, contact him at [email protected]. 
John Karvounis has been a competitive and social ballroom dancer with BAM for 10 years. With his partner, Maddie White, he finaled in silver standard and latin at BamJam and MIT in 2014. He is familiar with various social dances, which include: east coast swing, lindy hop, west coast swing, salsa, bachata, merengue, polka, hustle, and blues. He has taught newcomer and bronze dance classes with Ballroom at Maryland for many years.
Maddie White started dancing and competing in October. She moved from newcomer to finaling in silver standard and latin at BamJam and MIT with her partner, John Karvounis, in a few months. She taught newcomer standard for BAM in the spring. She has also expanded her love for dancing from competing to social dancing.
George Arnold has been ballroom dancing on and off for 4 years, with a primary focus on competition. A teacher by career, teaching newcomer ballroom dancing has become a passion of his over the last 2 years.
Dylan Manning started dancing ballroom 3 years ago. Two years ago, he fell in love with West Coast and has been an enthusiastic advocate for the club ever since. His experience includes a variety of private lessons, workshops with professionals, and a large amount of social dancing. He has taught the Newcomer West Coast classes the past two semesters.
Tom Wyderko started dancing in the Fall of 2013. He advanced from complete newcomer to MIT silver finalist in 7 short months, finaling in every single competition along the way.
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Matt Harkins
Yo Matsubara
Dennis So Ting Fong started ballroom dancing 10 years ago at UVA and currently competes in pre-champ latin and standard with his partner Louise. He thoroughly enjoys discussing ballroom and dancing, often into the wee hours of the morning. He has taught many lessons through the years with a heavy focus on technique and quality of dancing. Dennis has taken lessons with many world class instructor and heard many different points of view, which he endeavors to teaches in his lessons; there is no one true way to learn ballroom dancing.
Teaching: Dennis is available for private lessons in standard and latin. Contact him at [email protected] 
Louise Sumner started dancing east coast swing in high school and later discovered ballroom during her first year at UVA. There she held the positions of formation team captain and secretary. She joined BAM after graduating, and currently competes in pre-champ 10-dance with her partner Dennis. Louise especially enjoys dancing samba because of the party-like quality and samba rhythms. In her teaching, Louise likes to focus on the musicality and character of each dance, which she hopes to achieve in her samba workshop.
Teaching: Louise is available for private lessons, and can be contacted at [email protected]. 
Erica DeJoanis
Rob Granville is a retired Amateur/collegiate Gold Latin Dancer who danced for five years with BaM. He and his former partner Laura Sirbu finished in 3rd place at Big-Apple Danceport. Rob has also taught newcomer and Bronze dancers with BAM.
Teaching: If you have any questions Rob can be reached at [email protected]. 
Jessica Smith has been dancing in various dance since the age of 3. She has been dancing ballroom for 5 years. She and her partner, Sean, have many achievements at competitions including 4th in Gold Standard at Nationals 2014, 1st in Gold Standard at MIT 2014, and 3rd in Gold Cha Cha/Rumba at MIT 2013, just to name a few. She loves to dance and share her knowledge of dance. She has previously taught at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, and at the Dance Company in Mt. Pleasant, TX. She now trains and competes in Latin and Standard at the open level.
Teaching: Jessica is available for private lessons. You can reach her at: [email protected] 
David Cunningham started ballroom with BAM his freshman year at UMD. He was Treasurer, President, and party coordinator while in college and continued to dance competitively until 2012. He danced pre-champ latin and champ standard and as many fun-dance events as possible
Ryan Hayes began ballroom dancing with a formation team outside of Seattle, Washington in 2003 competing up to prechamp-level smooth. He has explored many other styles since and has found a passion in dancing West Coast Swing socially and competetively. In the last year he has placed in numerous competitions, taking 1st in the Novice Jack and Jill at Liberty swing, 1st in the Novice Strictly and 4th in the Novice Jack and Jill at Mad Jam.
Laura Pendleton started ballroom dancing in fall of 2006 and competed gold and novice in smooth and standard. In 2012 she shifted her focus to West Coast Swing and has placed in numerous competitions, including taking first in the Novice Strictly Swing division at MADjam, the largest event on the east coast.
Albert Shih is a silver/gold latin/rhythm dancer, has been dancing for 4 years, and has been teaching for 3. He is still waiting for foxtrot to become enjoyable... so far no luck.
Liz Demetrides
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