World Masters Hall of Fame
In 2006, the World Masters Dancesport Corporation created a new category to honor those persons who have made significant contributions and a lifetime achievement in the world of dance.
Our honoree was nominated by an International and American voting body of World Masters Dancesport dignitaries, including judges, journalists, historians, coaches, and fellow champions. The list of potential candidates for the Hall of Fame includes dance organizers, promoters, judges, coaches, and champions from the international world of dance……these individuals truly are the BEST OF THE BEST.
Sam Sodano
Sam Sodano, former North American Latin Champion, is the organizer of Ohio Star Ball. Known as the Godfather of our dance world, he began dancing back in 1957. He helped develop the style of Pro-Am, known today all around the world. He is a recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Fordney Foundation and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC&C’s. He was also a previous chairman of the Arthur Murray International Dance Board.
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Judi Hatton
Judi Hatton began dancing at the age of 3. She not only has the incredible ability but also an intense passion for the art. She studied ballet, tap, and jazz, as well as Ballroom and Latin in London, earning gold stars in all. She is the current First Vice President of the NDCA and formerly one of the top 12 dance couples in the world. Her mission is to be of service in guiding the ballroom industry further into the future.
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Alan Williams
Alan Williams, with sister Rema & brother Ronald, is known as the first family of Ballroom Dancing during their 30 years of professional ballroom dancing. They were first named grand champion ballroom dancers in U.S. competitions in 1975. As a part of the Williams Family, he opened for acts such as Andy Griffin and The Diamonds. Alan is the epitome of elegance represented in ballroom dancing. His professionalism in helping his students to grow is equal to none.
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Frank Regan
A pillar in the dance community, Frank Regan was an icon both in the World of Ballroom Dancing and the Arthur Murray Organization. He competed professionally with Victoria Regan and won multiple championships including the Canadian Ballroom and Latin, the United States Latin, North American 10 Dance, and more. In 1994, he co-authored the book Championship Ballroom Dancing with Gary Spencer. He was a fellow in all branches of the USISTD and was the Dean of the Theatre Arts branch.
Linda Dean
Legendary Linda Dean started with a background in jazz, tap and ballet at 5 years old which grew into a love for dance that took her all the way to becoming U.S. Theater Arts Champion, U.S. American Style Champion and 4-time International Latin Champion. Her controversial appearance at Blackpool in 1976 with partner Vernon Brock is still talked about today. She is a world class adjudicator specializing in timing and control.
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Bill Davies
With his career spanning over 40 years, 9-time North American and 3-time United States Champion, Bill Davies is known as the John McEnroe of ballroom dancing. He was a member of the first team to represent the US at the British Ballroom Championships in Blackpool. Founder of Bill Davies Ballroom Dancing Inc. Bill is now instructing and coaching a new generation of dancers as well as travelling to adjudicate amateur and professional couples around the world.
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Pat Traymore
After 55 years in the business and being the protegee of Arthur Murray, Pat Traymore has become a household name. Former chairman of the AMI Dance Board, Pat has traveled far and wide to judge, train, and coach dancers, writing training manuals and organizing competitions. Pat has had the honor of performing on the Jimmy Carson Show, Merv Griffin Show and the Harry Belafonte Show.
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Brian McDonald
Brian has performed in shows from coast to coast in the United States. This former 4-time United States National Professional Standard Champion and 3-time Scottish Amateur Champion has become a finalist in several reputable dance championships such as the British Open, European Professional, and the World Professional. He has been the president of the NDCA for 29 years.
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John Kimmins
Current NDCA Championship Competition Director John, holds many championship titles such as Blackpool Dance Festival and German Open Championships to name a few. President of the World Federation of Ballroom Dancers and President of the Arthur Murray Organization, Kimmins co-organizes the Embassy Ball Championships and coaches top level couples around the world. He is one of the pillars of enhancing and raising the quality of Ballroom and Latin dancing in the US.
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Larry Dean
Organizer of The Triple Crown & Crown Jewel, which are four luxurious experiences of DanceSport Championships known for their grandeur and world class shows, Larry has nothing but the utmost respect and adoration of his peers. Former President of the Florida Dance Teachers Association and National Dance Teachers Association of America as well as former Vice-President of the National Dance Council of America, Larry Dean has influenced the lives of thousands both in and out of the dance community.
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Lee Wakefield
Lee Wakefield is a former artistic director of the BYU Ballroom Dance Company, a position he held for 35 years. He began dancing at the age of 14 and later taught social dance classes as a student in the BYU dance program. He met his wife Linda at BYU and they competed professionally for 13 years, winning two United States National Professional Theatre Arts titles. They received the Open Ballroom and Open Latin Formation Championship award at Blackpool in May 2014. He is currently the Ballroom Director of the National Dance Council of America. His contributions to the dance world are enormous.
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Gary Pierce
A former U.S. Ballroom Champion, Gary Pierce co-founded and performed with the American Ballroom Theatre Company, New York City. For over ten years he served as a resident choreographer for the company and has performed all over the world in festivals and special arts events for television and stage. As a choreographer, Gary has created over 300 shows and industrials. Artistically, his work has been acclaimed by the New York Times, the Village Voice, and the New York post.
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Armando Martin
Armando’s dance expertise ranges from Classical Ballet, Theatrical, Cabaret, American-Style Smooth & Rhythm, to International Latin and Standard. He is an International Dance Council Member and has been with Fred Astaire Dance Studios since 1981. With wife, Laura Martin, Armando was a former undefeated United States National 10-Dance Champion and six times undefeated Fred Astaire National Ballroom and Latin Champion.
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Laura Martin
Laura Martin has been with Fred Astaire Dance Studios since 1981 and is a member of the Fred Astaire International Dance Council. Her dance expertise ranges through all styles along with her husband, Armando. Together, they achieved multiple titles and now continue to judge competitions, teach, certify, and review dance curriculum. Laura and Armando along with a few visionaries were responsible in preserving the Fred Astaire legacy.
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Ron Montez
After becoming 7-time undefeated United States National Latin Champion, Ron has made a memorable career as television show commentator, choreographer, and co-host for shows like “Championship Ballroom Dancing,” “America’s Ballroom Challenge,” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Ron has also received the United States DanceSport Championships Hall of Fame award in 2009 as further recognition of his contributions to the dance community as an examiner, instructor, choreographer, invigilator, and adjudicator.
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John Nyemchek
John Nyemchek has conquered U.S. titles such as Professional 10-Dance, Amateur, and Junior American Style Champion, and has represented the U.S. at the World Amateur Championships. John and his wife Cathi have now owned Nyemcheck’s Dance Center for more than 20 years. During that time John has become known as a world-class adjudicator, choreographer, and invigilator. He wrote the syllabus for New York style Hustle. John has done amazing work with Roll Call Wheelchair Dance as a certified Wheelchair Dancing Instructor and as the “Dance Director.”
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Patrick Johnson
Beginning dance training at age 4, Patrick Johnson went on to win several titles during his youth, including European Amateur Ten Dance, European Amateur Latin, United Kingdom Amateur Latin, and British Junior and Juvenile Ballroom Champion to name a few. Patrick went on to become a world class invigilator, examiner, choreographer and adjudicator and co-owner of two dance championships and his studio Dancing on the Suncoast.
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Wendy Johnson
Wendy is a world-class choreographer, emcee, examiner and adjudicator having judged in countries such as Argentina, Australia, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and the U.S.A to name a few. Having a strong talent for choreography, Wendy has choreographed for several seasons of ABC’s hit show “Dancing with the Stars” and also won Choreographer of the Year for North America 3 times. Wendy’s expertise stems from 10 years of ballet training, dancing on television and has earned her a title of New Zealand’s Latin and Standard Champion.
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John DePalma
Known as “The Voice of Ballroom” for over 32 events each year. With extensive linguistics training, he can pronounce every name with precision and efficiency. He has been involved with Ballroom dancing for over 40 years, with the charm and charisma to match his intelligence and skills. He is the co-organizer for multiple competitions including Capital DanceSport Championships. He travels as a studio consultant, training the teachers and managers to create the best atmosphere for all ballroom enthusiasts. He is loved by all who meet him, lighting up the room with his warmth and humor.
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Marianne Nicole-DePalma
Marianne is a former champion in 3 different styles, mesmerizing the world with her grace and beauty. She is a former examiner for the Fred Astaire Dance Studios and is the current National examiner for the DVIDA Organization. She has so many championship titles that show her dedication and skills, including US, North American Latin, and Canadian Theater Arts. She is undefeated as a US Theater Arts, Fred Astaire American Style, and Fred Astaire Theatrical and Latin champions. She is now an adjudicator, choreographer, and competition organizer. On the coaching floor, she has helped make amateur, pro/am, and professionals to become champions over the years.
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Esther Don
She has been teaching ballroom dancing since 1976. She is an active member of the USISTD as a board of trustees’ member, an examiner, and author. She has run multiple studios as well as competitions and loves preparing aspiring candidates for their exams. She competed for 11 years as a professional couple with her husband David Don and specialized in International Ballroom.
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David Don
He started out his career as an architect and moved into the ballroom community to help design and create competitions. Accurate and detailed, this wonderful honoree always has a smile on his face while keeping everything in the ballroom running. He is a championship licensed and national adjudicator, a championship level Chairman of Judges, Scrutineer, Registrar, and Competition Organizer. He competed for 11 years as a professional couple with his wife Esther Don and specialized in International Ballroom.
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Victoria Regan
She started in the ballroom world with Arthur Murray in Atlanta, Georgia over 45 years ago. She competed professionally for years with Frank Regan, winning the Canadian Ballroom and Latin 5 times, the United States Latin, North American 10 dance, and more. After retiring from professional ballroom dancing, she opened a theatre arts school in Montreal and followed her other passion of performing arts. Eventually moving to New York City, she began to sing, act, and dance in the city for over 20 years, including credited roles on Broadway in 42nd Street, and “Grand Hotel”. She has also appeared in films such as “A Chorus Line” and “Annie” as well as has her own series of Ballroom Dance Tapes titled, “You Can Dance”. She interviews champions, judges, and competition organizers all over the country. She is the Global Ambassador for Arthur Murray International and her AMI YouTube library of interviews is sensational and extensive.
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Rufus Dustin
Rufus Dustin is one of the most famous, titled, and highly regarded dancers, coaches, choreographers, and certified adjudicators in the World.
A World Dance and DanceSport Council professional, he now provides coaching and choreography for some of the best professionals in the World, and he routinely acts as a judge at some of the most prestigious dance competitions throughout the World. He has been certified as an adjudicator by the NDCA, WD&DSC, and Fred Astaire Dance Studios Inc. in International Standard and Latin, American Smooth and Rhythm, and Theater Arts.
As a professional dancer, Rufus competed nationally and internationally, holding national titles in international Latin, American Rhythm and Theater Arts.
He currently choreographs for the top professionals and amateurs. He has performed all over the World, including special presentations at Blackpool.
Rufus often provides instruction and coaching to students and professionals at Goldcoast Ballroom, and frequently acts as Evaluator, providing his helpful critiques to the students who dance, at Goldcoast Ballroom Showcases.
Following is just one of Rufus’ famous, award-winning performances. In this video he performed an amazing balletic Show Dance with Sharon Savoy at the U.S. Ballroom Championships in 1984 in New York City.
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Dan Messenger
Dan Messenger has been involved in the dance industry since 1978. He is a former 6-time U.S. American Smooth finalist, U.S. Rising Star American Smooth Champion, U.S. Rising Star International Style Standard Finalist, and has won over 20 U.S. Professional and Amateur titles.
Dan is the former event organizer of the City Lights Open DanceSport Competition and has brought over 30 years of experience to the job. He is also the former co-organizer of one of the larger events in the country, the Wisconsin State DanceSport Championships. He is currently active traveling throughout the United States as an Emcee, Adjudicator & Coach.
Also, Dan is Vice President of the National Dancesport Organizers Association, and President/Owner of Pro Dance Video Entertainment Services, a fast growing company seen at many competitions throughout the year.
He also hosts an online series titled Dancing After Dark, featuring conversations with interesting people in the dance industry, including Sarwat Kaluby.
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Rosendo Fumero
This dancer’s passion ignited during the vibrant era of disco, inspired by the iconic “Saturday Night Fever.” From those early days, a profound love for ballroom dance emerged, leading to a career filled with dedication, excellence, and unparalleled achievements.
Embarking on this journey in Michigan, our honoree’s commitment quickly propelled them into the professional arena. By 1985, they had already secured the Rising Star American Smooth Championship title. This was just the beginning of a series of triumphant milestones. From 1988 to 1990, alongside their partner, they achieved the distinguished honor of becoming three-time United States American Smooth Champions. Their competitive spirit also led them to clinch titles such as the United States 9-Dance American Style Champion and the undefeated Ohio Star Ball Champion.
Beyond the competitive floor, this individual’s influence expanded into coaching, adjudicating, and event organization. Holding a Fellowship Degree in multiple dance styles—including American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Standard, International Latin, and Theater Arts—they have dedicated themselves to nurturing the next generation of dancers. Their expertise has been sought after nationwide, as they tirelessly travel to lecture, coach, and judge, sharing their wealth of knowledge and passion for dance.
In addition to their personal accomplishments, our honoree has played a pivotal role in enriching the dance community by organizing esteemed events. Notably, they have been at the helm of the Virginia State DanceSport Championships, an annual celebration that brings dancers together to share in the joy and artistry of ballroom dance.
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