Olga
If someone told Olga that she would become a professional ballroom dancer when she was teenager, she would have rolled her eyes in disbelief. She wanted to be a surgeon and followed her dream with dedication and effort. However, the story took a different turn… The story began in St. Petersburg Russia, where Olga was born. At the age 5 she was hand picked by a gymnastics coach who was searching for talents around kinder gardens of St. Petersburg to become a part of intensive gymnastics’ program. 10 years Olga dedicated to this training until an injury at the age 15. The life turned upside down and her carrier as a professional athlete seemed to be over, so she switched her attention to medicine. Shortly after, she moved to US, where she attend and graduated from Tufts University Magna Cum Laude with an idea to pursue a career of surgeon. And here is where the story took a different turn: she discovered a world of ballroom dancing. First for fun, but very shortly it took over and she decided to take a year off before medical school to explore and study ballroom dancing. She never looked back, never regretted her decision. Ballroom dancing became her passion for many years. Very shortly after, she moved to New York City to study with a multitude of famous coaches. She traveled extensively to Europe and Asia to study, perform and represent Canada at several World Championships and other major tournaments. Olga has a very long list of her dancing titles, here are some of them:
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Twice Canadian Professional Latin Vice-Champion
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World Professional South American Show Dance Finalist
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United Kingdom Open to the World Professional RS Latin Finalist
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US National, US Open to the world Professional RS Latin Champion
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North American Professional Open Latin Vice-Champion
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U.S. National Professional Mambo Champion
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North American Show Dance Champion
Presently Olga is a latin coach for the Harvard Ballroom Dance Team and she is the
founder and owner of Dance Republic Studio located in Wellesley, MA, where she is sharing her knowledge and experience with students of all levels and ages.
Ferenc
Ferenc began dancing at the age of eleven. His passion for music and ballroom dancing at an early age led him to travel across Europe, studying with the finest teachers that could be found from Italy to England. At the age of seventeen, he was awarded the title of Youth Latin Champion of Ballroom Dancing. During this time he also was recognized as a Hungarian Latin Rank List Leader.
For his formal education, Ferenc graduated as an electrical engineer, but his love for dancing kept him on the path of an artist. After moving to the United States, he became a Professional United States Latin Champion Semi-Finalist and Rising Star Finalist. More recently, Ferenc and his partner, Olga Kinnard, won the 2010 North American Show Dance Championship as well as the 2011 Eastern US Professional Rhythm Competition and the Eastern US Show Dance Championship.
Ferenc has worked with many individuals and groups throughout the years, including the Hungarian Youth Latin Champions of Ballroom Dancing and the Harvard Ballroom Team in Boston, instructing them and expanding their dance capabilities. Ferenc also continues to compete professionally while also traveling with his students to major competitions throughout the country.
At Dance Republic we are proud to have Ferenc on our team. Here, he can pass on his knowledge to others, from children to adults, sharing his passion and expertise with those who are eager to step into the magical world of ballroom dancing where mind, body, and spirit are one harmonious, rhythmical expression of self.
Petr
Originally from Czech Republic, Petr started dancing at age 14. The first seven years he trained and competed in Ballroom and Latin. Eventually, he began to focus on Latin Dance.
Petr has competed in competitions all over Europe. Petr was a Czech Latin finalist and many others throughout Europe. While still in Europe, Petr began to teach children and adults. In 2001, he turned professional and relocated to the United States of America.Immediately after he moved, he started competing in Professional Latin, Professional Open Cabaret and Pro-Am. Over his long career he won many top teacher awards and has been a finalist of many competitions. Now Petr is focusing on teaching his students to become good dancers and to love of dance. He is teaching all four style of dancing, International Ballroom and Latin and American Smooth and Rhythm.
Ramon
Ramon' s dance education started at the young age of 11 as a bboy (breakdancer) in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico. After competing for many years and winning multiple events in Break Dancing and Salsa, Ramon has discovered the world of Ballroom Dancing. He became Dance Instructor of the Arthur Murray Dance school in Mexico. While there, he taught Ballroom, Latin, Salsa, Argentine Tango, Bachata, Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and Breaking (Break Dance). He continued his dance training with International Ballroom and Latin in both Germany and United States. Ramon recently decided to join Dance Republic Studio and we would like to give all of our students an opportunity to try one private lesson with Ramon for free during the month of October. Whether you are an advanced or a beginner dancer, he will help you to feel comfortable and confident on the dance floor.
Anna
Hongquan was born in Beng Bu China; she has been dancing since she learned to walk. It all started out when her mom put her in the ballroom dance classes at a dance center when she was an itty-bitty little five-year-old. It was family tradition to place girls in dance classes, hoping to teach little kids talents at a young age. However, not many girls in her family stuck with dancing as long as she did. Hongquan likes to dance for many reasons, one of primary reason is that dancing boosts confidence. She feels free when she dances, she feels like she can truly express herself. When she walks into the dance studio, everything negative in her day disappears and pure joy fills her body.
Hongquan has studied Ballroom and Latin dance forms for more than 10 years and received over 20 awards in dance competitions during the period of 2004-2012. In 2013, she followed her father to the United States. She graduated Salem State University, with a Dance major and Management minor. She has been a member of Repertory Dance Theatre and Salem State Ensemble for three years, and has choreographed and performed in these groups.