NASSPDA BOARD ELECTIONS IN FULL SWING

The 2020 Board elections will close on May 17th, so be sure to vote! If you are a current NASSPDA member, you should have received an email to participate in voting via SurveyMonkey. If not, please contact us as soon as possible ( erikjaeger@me.com ).  

 

Eight candidates are running for seven open Board seats. This year, we are excited to have three new candidates running for their first terms, in addition to five current Board members running for re-election. 

 

This is your chance to help shape the organization, so vote for those candidates who you feel will be the best to bring NASSPDA into the future!

 

 

Eddie Alba, California, USA

How are you actively and currently involved in same sex ballroom dance?
I am the reigning same-sex 10-dance World Champion. I am currently a NASSPDA member and Adjudicator. I'm also currently working on developing and enlarging the same sex ballroom dancing community in Southern California.

What relevant leadership experience, such as serving on a board of a membership driven or non-profit organization and/or experience in helping to create such an organization, do you have?
I have been in the Ballroom dancing business for over 20 years as an instructor, a competitor, choreographer, studio owner and judge. My leadership skills were developed by managing a very large studio for 9 years and now I am the managing co-owner of one of the largest studios in Southern California. For the last 5 years, I have been involved with the Assistance League of Newport Mesa, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children in need in the Orange County area organizing a yearly fundraising event modeled after the TV show Dancing with the Stars.

 

 

Emily (Emma) DiFrancesco, Massachusetts, USA

How are you actively and currently involved in same-sex partner dance? 
I am an eighth-year competitive dancer on the New England collegiate ballroom circuit, and a seventh-year same-sex leader in International Latin, my primary style. My first competition as a leader was the inaugural Boston Open in 2013, and currently compete at the novice and pre-championship levels. I am grateful to NASSPDA and to the northeast US collegiate circuit for allowing me to train and compete as a leader for six years before the NDCA and USA Dance committed to gender neutrality this past year.
 
What relevant leadership experience, such as serving on a board of a membership driven or non-profit organization and/or experience in helping to create such an organization, do you have? 
Admin and founder of Facebook group Disregard Gender, Acquire Ballroom. Former admin and founding member of Boston Queers for Mutual Aid White Accountability Committee

 

 

Debra (Debbie) Esparza, Arizona, USA

Debbie brings diverse leadership experiences in many fields including banking, consulting, entrepreneurship, academia, and non-profit executive leadership to the gender-neutral dance world. Debbie began dancing in 2016 and started competing in 2017 and hasn't stopped yet! Currently, serving as NASSPDA's Vice President, she has a personal commitment to bringing more amateurs and beginners to dancesport so they, too can share in the community, the fun and joy of dancing in partnership with whomever they choose.

 

 

Lee Fox, Florida, USA

Lee Fox is originally from Georgia but now calls Ft. Lauderdale, Florida his home. He has been teaching Ballroom, Latin, and Disco since 1978, and Country/Western since 1991.  He has his licentiate degrees in the International Standard, International Latin, American Rhythm, and Theater Arts Styles with the Imperial Society of the Teachers of Dance (ISTD) and his master degrees in the American Smooth and American Rhythm Styles with the National Dance Teachers Association (NDTA).  

He is the Competition Director for the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC) and the treasurer of the North American Same Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA). He is also president and an examiner of the National Dance Teachers Association of America (NDTA).  He is registered to adjudicate with USA Dance and North American Same Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA) and has served as Chair of Judges for several mainstream and same sex competitions in the USA, Canada, and abroad.  

A former ballroom competitor, he has judged several competitions in the United States including the United States Dancesport Championships (USDC).  He and his ballroom partner, Scott, competed in ballroom at the Gay Games in Amsterdam in 1998 and the Gay Games in Australia in 2002 making the class A finals both times.  He and his country partner, Chris, were the first Championship winners in the IAGLCWDC Couples Competition in 1998 and have performed at many hoedowns and fund­raisers.  He has served as the choreographer/instructor for several dance teams including the Southern Country South Florida Dream Team, the SunDancers, Heels On Fire, and Team Scandalous.  He is also one of the original members of Crossfire, an all male dance team, winners of the 2005 international country-western dance teams competition.

 

 

Susie Hoskins, California, USA

How are you actively and currently involved in same-sex partner dance?
I am a member of the April Follies Competition Committee, primarily responsible for registration, and also the roster of dance events and competition rules. I am also practicing to compete in Std Ballroom and Formation, and have competed in Latin and Country Western in past years.
 
What relevant leadership experience, such as serving on a board of a membership driven or non-profit organization and/or experience in helping to create such an organization, do you have? 
I have a significant role in managing registration and the dance events at April Follies (since 2016). I have also held Committee Chair roles for Living Sober/Western Roundup, a recovery event in San Francisco (1999-2014). I have not ever been involved with creation of a non-profit organization

 

Horace Luong, Manitoba, Canada

How are you actively and currently involved in same-sex partner dance?
I was a former mainstream ballroom dance competitor in the early 2000s based on the West Coast of Canada.  Since moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2008, I have taken on a more instructive role and have been teaching ballroom dancing primarily at the University of Manitoba and at my studio.  I have Associate (in standard ballroom) membership teaching credentials with the Canadian Dancesport Federation and am slowly working towards upgrading that level.
I have taught some ballroom dance classes tailored to same-sex individuals at a Winnipeg dance studio several years ago as well as held free one-dance workshops at the Rainbow Resource Centre to encourage the LGBT community to try ballroom dancing.  Some of that activity was captured in a local newspaper article:  https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/all-the-right-moves-220018851.html.
I try to be inclusive with my teaching by referring to "leads" and "follows" as well as explicitly welcoming members from the LGBT community to attend my classes on my business homepage (http://www.horaceluong.com./hlsb).

What relevant leadership experience, such as serving on a board of a membership driven or non-profit organization and/or experience in helping to create such an organization, do you have?
As an academic (senior instructor) at one of Canada's large academic institutions, much of my service work for the institution revolves around serving on committees for strategic planning of activities and the implementation of those plans.  Over the past nine years in my position, I have been recognized by the university for my leadership and service in some of the committees where I've served.
From the non-academic side, I have served as a secretary on a condo board that managed a 300+ unit condo complex.

 

 

Kalin Mitov, Massachusetts, USA

Kalin was invited to come to the United States as a member of the Performing Arts community and be a ballroom dance instructor at a Fred Astaire Dance Studios from his native country of Bulgaria. He has being dancing since 1983 and additionally holds a Master's degree in Social Education and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. He is a winning choreographer and performer with his students at many competitions and fundraising events.

Kalin is not new to the same-sex ballroom dance scene, holding both a US and North American Same-Sex Champion titles and the European Same-Sex Champion Bronze Medalist.   Since 2013 Kalin is the director of Boston Open DanceSport, through which he has been producing and organizing  the only Same-Sex Dance Competitions in New England initially hosted in Boston, followed by several years in Provincetown and now settle in Needham MA, hosting the 2020 North American Same-Sex Championship, on Saturday, September 26th.

 

Jo Popadynetz, California, USA

How are you actively and currently involved in same-sex partner dance?
Jo Popadynetz is relatively new to the ballroom dance world. But once bitten, ballroom quickly became her mistress, getting all the attention in her off-work hours. In total, Jo has been dancing ballroom for two and a half years. She discovered the sport after attending an LGBTQ Salsa lesson. A month later, having learned five international latin dances, she competed as a lead in her first same-sex ballroom competition. Five months later was her second same-sex competition adding Argentine Tango to the mix. However, Jo ruptured two hamstrings just a couple of weeks before that competition. Disappointed to drop out of all the Latin dances, she plowed through with sheer determination, to perform the Argentine Tango in the final Show. The next week's hamstring reattachment surgery kept her off the dance floor for seven months. Finally, came physical therapy and learning five new latin dances to compete at the Paris Gay Games. But six months into the training, her teacher/partner had to drop out. It was a blow for this amateur, but Jo refused to give up. She found a new teacher/partner and learned five brand new dances with a few months left before the worldwide competition. The Paris Gay Games was her second latin competition. Jo & her teacher/partner brought home the bronze medal in Top Level Women's Sr Latin, and placed 4th in Intermediate Women's Open Latin. Her dedication and passion for dance with countless hours of training paid off. Unfortunately, less than a month after the Gay Games, Jo's scar tissue strangled her intestines sending her body into life threatening sepsis. That near miss, followed by a four month leave of absence for recovery, kept her off of the dance floor for a second time. But now she's back in training once more, at least in her living room, thanks Covid! Many obstacles have crossed Jo's dance path, whether being multiple surgeries or finding new dance teachers/partners, but nevertheless Jo's commitment to dancesport remains unwavering. Dance brings her so much joy, she simply cannot give it up. Besides, if it was easy, it wouldn't mean as much.
 
What relevant leadership experience, such as serving on a board of a membership driven or non-profit organization and/or experience in helping to create such an organization, do you have? 
Jo has an MFA in Film & Media Arts, teaching production at the university level. She was a Producer/Editor for independent films, as well as a Systems Analyst overseeing and streamlining business practices and processes. Jo is also a first responder for C.E.R.T. the national College Emergency Response Team. Taking the lead seems to come naturally both on and off the dance floor. Jo seems to seek out roles where people can depend on her. Nobody gets left behind. Jo's goal is to help broaden Dancesport's visibility and help bring awareness of its benefits in whatever way she can. Ballroom dance, despite her setbacks, has been a lifesaver and a safe space, which is something all beings could use, especially those at risk.