Instructor Bios

JILL BABINEC

DJ, Dance Instructor and Choreographer from Youngstown, Ohio and started country dancing in 1989. Dancing Line and 2 Step in a local country bar. She dabbled in teaching line and partners a bit before having to go off to further her degree in 1993, and in 1997, graduated from Case Western Reserve School of Dentistry with a DDS degree.

So with dance shoes on one end and drill and forceps on the other end, she is a force to be reckoned with (hehe). Oh yeah, and adding upon that, her Martial Arts training in which she received her black belt in 2012.

Jill got familiar with the UCWDC dancing circuit around the year 2000 and has since branched out DJing and teaching at line dance events. She received the Dancer of the Year award in 2009 at the Las Vegas Line Dance Explosion. She has also been voted Favorite DJ for the Windy City Line Dance Event for several years, as well as nominated for the Crystal Boot Awards favorite DJ category.

She also dabbled in choreography, having her dances danced all over the world. She was a UCWDC Worlds Champion in Choreography in 2019. In all her dance years, she has also collaborated with some of the best choreographers on the circuit.

Her website, www.djdrjill.com, is where you can check out her choreography and videos.

She also holds a 1 day event – Dance For A Cure in Canfield, Ohio which raises money for breast cancer research. This event has been going strong for over 20 years. You can check out the website: www.dance4acure.org.

Most of all, Jill wants to thank all the dancers for their love and friendship, support, and dance requests. For all the laughs on and off the dance floor, you are why she does what she does.

Jen michele

Jen Michele, a born and raised country girl from Northern California, took her first line dance step back in 2015 and never looked back!

Now a line dance instructor, two-time choreography competition winner, and owner/CEO of Dance It Out – Line Dancing, she has taught/teaches at events including Danny Wimmer’s Golden Sky Country Music Festival, Doug and Jackie’s Vegas Dance Explosion, Cambria Country Line Dance Event, Downtown Lincoln’s Kick the Dust Up, Palm Springs Winter Break, and KNCI’s Country In the Park and Country In the Park 2. Jen also teaches regular weekly classes for Auburn Recreation District and Opera House Saloon, as well as private and corporate events.

On a more personal note, Jen also has her Master’s of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, and works within a school district to support emotionally disturbed children and shape difficult behaviors. She is a proud mama of two boys, Jackson and Blake, enjoys the outdoors and the simple things in life!

Let’s have some fun and Dance It Out!

chris jacques

Chris started dancing in 2009 as a ballroom dancer, dancing socially and competitively. He trained for 6+ years with various professionals at studios across New England. In 2015, while on a break from competition, he discovered Line Dance. He began dedicating his time to social line dancing across all music genres and dance difficulties.

In 2018, Chris started teaching Line Dance. Since starting, he's taught in a variety of settings, events big and small, to dancers of a wide range of experience. Chris's most notable accomplishments as an instructor include teaching at some of the largest events in the United States and also having the honor of teaching internationally.

Also in 2018, Chris began competing in Line Dance choreography. His competitive choreography accomplishments include winning the 2019 Windy City Line Dance Mania amateur choreography competition, finishing 2nd overall in the 2019-2020 United States Line Dance Choreography Competition, winning the 2021-2022 United State Line Dance Choreography Competition, and being a finalist in the 2023 World Dance Masters Choreography Competition.

Chris continues his choreography and continues to develop his skills as an instructor, recently dedicating more time to working with brand new dancers.

His hopes include: continuing to grow as an instructor, choreographer and dancer, to eventually share a dance floor with as many people as possible, and to help convey a joy and passion for dance to those who haven't yet discovered how much they love to dance.

cody flowers

The year is 2010, the location: Charlotte, NC. Cody Flowers steps into a small nightclub, where his mom has introduced him to his first line dance class. He was immediately intrigued! "I've always been drawn to communities of people and love when I feel a sense of belonging. In that first line dance class, the sense of belonging was so strong that I just felt like that is where I was supposed to be."
Will Craig was the instructor of that class Cody started in, and through the years, has guided him through the dance journey he has been on. The next step on Cody's dance adventure was: choreography! Will encouraged Cody to step into choreography. Not only inspiring his creativity, but he also gave Cody the push and confidence to compete in the first ever United States Line Dance Choreography Championship (USLDCC).

"I wrote my first dance because I heard a piece of music and just felt compelled to give it a try. I thought I would be absolutely terrible at it, but it ended up being a pretty good dance. Once others saw it, they encouraged me to submit choreography for the first ever USLDCC."
Cody won 1st place five times and 2nd place three times. Cody placed into the finals and won the USLDCC Overall 2nd Place award with his beginner dance "Fantasy." Cody has also competed at the Windy City Line Dance Mania winning 2nd Place with his dance "Time of My Life."

During this journey, Cody started going to many line dance events, where he met others who have inspired and helped him grow into the choreographer and instructor that he is today. While helping lay floor at the first Big Bang Dance Classic, Cody met Jennifer Cameron, who later encouraged Cody to compete his choreography. She became an advocate and friend for Cody by being one of the first people to hire him for an event. She also helped introduce him to the Florida line dance community where he has called home since.
Jennifer introduced Cody to Carol Craven. Carol encouraged Cody to start a local class, helping him to cultivate and grow it. She has been a true friend and has always lent a helping hand and advice when needed.

All adventures have twists and unexpected bends. This one includes a time where in-person events were halted and everything went digital for about a year. Cody had met Rachael McEnaney-White at Big Bang Dance Classic, but it wasn't until her Digital Dance Weekends started that their friendship grew. Cody volunteered to help with the back-end work for these digital events. Rachael has since been a mentor for Cody as he continues to grow as a choreographer and instructor.

Blessed with these fabulous mentors, inspirations and friends, among many others, it's not surprising Cody has blossomed into the choreographer, instructor and person he is today. With many powerful inspirations pushing him out of his comfort zone, he had developed into a vital part of our line dance community. A community where there's a feeling of belonging. Which is what Cody wants us all to feel when we attend one of his classes.

Nowadays you can find Cody teaching at his local class in Pinellas Park, FL. You will also see him at various one-day workshops, and at large events throughout the US. Just recently, Cody has been invited to a few events internationally. That's right, this journey is going across the borders and overseas! Stay tuned for where this adventure heads next…

trevor thornton

Trevor is a 38-year-old native Floridian. He is known for his "motivating & energetic" dance instructions and choreography, placing as overall champion in the 2015 United States Line Dance Choreography Competition (USLDCC).

Trevor has 17 years of experience as an instructor, and 9 years as a choreographer/entertainer and DJ. He has worked with some of the biggest names in country music, and continues to be hired by major venues each year.

He has a special desire to educate and inspire the next generation, sharing his passion for music and dance nationally and internationally. Trevor's flair and enthusiasm is contagious and will captivate you into a dance experience you didn't realize could be possible!

His local stomping grounds are in Sanford, Florida, at The Legendary Barn, where he has been an instructor for over 10 years. When he's not dancing, he's spending time with his 16-year-old daughter Madison and his wife Briana. He enjoys traveling and sharing his passion for dance with others all over the world.

Jonno Liberman

Jonno’s artistic endeavors began with 17 years of competitive roller figure skating where, on top of numerous national titles, he represented the U.S.A. six times at the world level.

His introduction to dancing was in the early 2000s at Disneyland’s Jump, Jive, Boogie Swing Party where he fell in love with Lindy Hop. After moving to San Francisco in 2012, Jonno accidentally stumbled into the world of line dancing at the Sundance Saloon. It wasn’t long before he began creating his own line dances, which have earned several choreography awards, including five UCWDC World titles.

His joy of dancing and creativity can be seen in his dances that are being taught across the globe. Some of his most popular dances include Life After Love, Get Ugly, The Wolf, She’s A Natural, All Bass No Treble (with Galit), Best Mistakes (with Takahashi), and Ex’s and Oh’s (with Dominguez).

Amy bailey

Amy danced in and won her first UCWDC competition in 2006 and began choreography competitions not long thereafter. She won a few choreography competitions including being awarded the Dancer’s Choice Award for Team Choreographer in 2013. Amy has been afforded the opportunity to teach at events throughout the United States and internationally since 2011. In 2017, her co-choreography was awarded Dance of the Year and Intermediate Dance of the Year at the Crystal Boot Awards.

Local favorites include Shake Your Cake, Stitches, Moses Roses Toeses, Portland Cha with Betts, Madge, Vane, Ward, Poulsen, Ain’t Misbehavin’ with Mundy, Thompson-Szymanski, and more!

When she isn’t dancing, Amy is a pharmacist in Washington state. While she enjoys her career, she has discovered that her true passion is dance. Amy can no longer imagine her life without line dance and loves sharing this passion with dancers all over the world. Amy finally met the love of her life dancing, and in 2017 she married Darren Bailey.

darren bailey

Darren Bailey is a 15-time World Line Dance Champion in categories such as Classic, Showcase, Choreography, and Teams. Darren completed his dance training in Holland and toured Europe and America in theatre productions of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “Passion and Illusion.” In 2006, Darren retired from professional competitions, but has continued judging, choreographing and conducting workshops throughout the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, and the USA. In 2017, Darren was inducted into the Line Dance Hall of Fame for his services to Line Dance Choreography and his work promoting Line Dance all over the world. Darren has trained several of the current and previous World Line Dance Champions and continues to train the world champions of tomorrow.

In 2006, Darren was partnered with Lana Williams for the BBC1 Show, Strictly Dance Fever, where they finished as runners-up from a total of 80,000 competitors. Following this, Darren has gone on to work professionally within the entertainment industry, with many choreography and T.V. credits to his name.

Sierra gil

Sierra began her professional dance career in 2013 at Arthur Murray Dance Studios, with a strong focus on dance technique. She participated in multiple choreographed routines, showcases, dance events, and honor balls. She quickly exceled through the various honors that Arthur Murray endowed, including consistent advanced placements in judged competitions and ceremonies.

After a few years, she began working with Starlite Ballroom, learning how to become an instructor and also participating in their professional dance shows. She also joined the Revelation dance team, a Latin-focused dance group, and began performing in their shows, as well.

In addition, she worked as a teaching assistant for a social dance class offered by the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where she supported new students in their ballroom dance journeys. She was also a member of the UNR social dance club, which first introduced her to the Drifter. This is where she fell in love with line and partner dancing, and started going to local line dance events/clubs, where she eventually met Dustin Valcalda. She soon traded ballroom dancing for line dancing and never looked back!

Sierra's vast background in ballroom dancing, as well as ballet, tap, and west coast swing, and the technique and skills she has learned from each, have greatly supported her line dancing abilities. She has enjoyed meeting all of the wonderful line dancers over the years and is excited to be a co-founder of NLDA and BLISS!

Dustin valcalda

Dustin was first introduced to Line Dancing in 2013, and just a few, short years later started hosting dance nights as a new DJ and Dance Instructor in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area. Now, with over 8 years of experience, Dustin has grown to become the region’s most prominent and influential Line Dance DJ and Dance Instructor.

He is a 10-time award-winning choreographer with national championship wins from USLDCC, Vegas Dance Explosion, and more! He has choreographed numerous popular line dances that have reached audiences around the globe, including the award-winning line dance, Iconic, for which the “I” in BLISS is named.

Dustin has also had the privilege to DJ and teach at numerous national events, including The Edge, YESSS, Heart of Texas, and Vegas Dance Explosion. He loves to share his passion for dance with anyone that is willing to step on the dance floor, and is proud to have cultivated a fun, inviting, and inclusive environment for people of all ages in Northern Nevada. He is excited to continue supporting dancers as a co-founder of NLDA and BLISS.

Brandon Zahorsky is a dedicated line dance instructor, choreographer, and devoted family man. His passion for dance began at the age of 19 in his hometown of Kingston, NY. Over the years, Brandon has taught at well-known venues including Billy Joe’s Ribworks in Newburgh, NY, and has been invited to teach in major cities across the U.S. As his reputation as an instructor has grown, these incredible opportunities have led to international recognition, including recent teaching engagements in Norway and Spain.

Brandon’s love for diverse music and the personal expression it allows through dance inspired him to choreograph his first notable dance, Need to Be Naughty. This won first place at the Windy City Dance Event in 2016. Since then, he has created several other popular dances, including Who's Up All Night, It Ain’t My Fault, Crispy Chicken, What A Night, Tick Tick Boom, and his most widely recognized work, Gives Me Shivers, which has gained global popularity.

In addition to his thriving dance career, Brandon holds a full-time position within the telecommunications industry. This role has enabled him to build a successful professional career, providing for his family while also supporting his passion for dance. He met his wife through their shared love of dance, and together they have two daughters who adore dance as well. Recently, the family relocated to Florida, widely regarded as the line dance capital of the country, where Brandon looks forward to continuing his dance journey through future events and new choreography.

Brandon Zahorsky

Dustin Betts has been dancing since he was about 6 years old. He has always had an interest in dance for as long as he can remember. He was introduced to line dancing at a young age with the help of his parents, who instructed and DJ’ed at the “local” bar. The first line dance he ever learned was Easy Come, Easy Go, and he won first place in his performance of it at his school talent show. A few years later, Dustin grew more interested in line dance and began going to the line dance bar with his parents whenever he could get the chance. Dustin went to his first dance event in 2010, The Line Dance Marathon. There, he was able to see new styles of dance, meet instructors, and expand his horizons of dance.

Fast forward to 2016, as Dustin continues to dance alongside his family and friends, he takes an interest in an amateur choreography competition called the USLDCC. In his first competition, he took 2nd place with his first ever choreography, Faded Daydream. As the competition went on, he choreographed many other dances such as, Chase That Dollar, Tic Tac Toe, and Pieces. By 2017, Dustin had become a line dance instructor due to the popularity of his dance, Pieces. While also competing in line dancing, Dustin began learning and competing in West Coast Swing alongside his pro instructor, Lara Deni.

Since then, Dustin has taught at many events around the United States and has also instructed internationally in Indonesia, Ireland, and Taiwan. He has had other popular dances over the years, including All Shook Up, Stressed, and 90 Days. He has also co-choreographed others such as Everybody Get Up, The Snake 2.0, Bow Chika Wow It, and the Crystal Boot winner for Intermediate Dance of the Year in 2023, Portland Cha. Dustin continues to instruct and choreograph as of today and hopes to travel the world sharing his passion for line dancing.