A West Coast Swing Champion and GPDIA Certified Master Instructor, Michael Kielbasa brings over 30 years of experience in teaching, competing, performing, adjudicating, and choreographing across multiple dance disciplines. Known for his clarity, precision, and deep understanding of connection and movement, Michael has taught and inspired dancers around the world. His ability to simplify complex concepts makes his classes valuable for dancers of all levels. Michael has been training and dancing in most styles of Partner Dancing. As one of the top WCS Instructors in the world, Michael has been traveling, teaching and performing not only in the United States but in countries like Canada, France, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, Brazil and Australia. His character and professionalism as an instructior, combined with his knowledge in choreography, unique style and humble approach makes him a highly appreciated instructor wherever he goes. Michael is dedicated to the growth of all dance, its recognition as a sport and exciting social activity for everyone to enjoy!

Jula found her passion for dancing as a little girl, moving through jazz, ballet, ballroom, and Latin-American dances before discovering West Coast Swing in 2015. She's been teaching, judging, and competing at events all over the world ever since. She quickly rose through the ranks, building an enviable track record in the prestigious All-Star division, and has since achieved a further milestone, recently reaching the Champions division. The WSDC registry confirms she now competes as a follower at Champions level. Known for her cheeky and extremely musical stylings, Jula inspires the community wherever she teaches, and her empathetic, encouraging teaching style — rooted in her own journey through the ranks — makes her a supportive guide for dancers at every level. She's drawn to WCS for its non-verbal conversation, musical expression, and the individual freedom the dance offers. She has performed and competed with a range of partners over the years, including Ben Morris and Attila Kobori.

Daniel discovered West Coast Swing in 2013 and immediately fell in love with the dance. After exploring many other partner styles, WCS stood out to him as an art form filled with endless possibilities—musicality, connection, creativity, and authentic self-expression. These qualities remain at the core of his dedication today, far more meaningful to him than the competitive side of the dance. With over a decade of teaching experience, Daniel draws on a diverse background in martial arts, psychology, music, and sports to enrich his students’ learning. In every class, he aims to balance meaningful growth with a sense of lightness and fun that everyone can enjoy. His hope is to help each student discover and define their own personal reason for dancing. Daniel trains consistently and teaches around the world. His passion for West Coast Swing runs deep, and the opportunity to share it with others is something he never takes for granted.

Lauren got into West Coast Swing back in 2011 thanks to her wonderful mum. After a 5 year break from dancing, she scooted over to Singapore, fell in love with the community and WCS again and social danced her heart out before making her way through Europe in 2019 and began teaching in 2022. She got completely hooked! She loves the balance between connecting with a partner on the floor and the freedom of self-expression, all to a wide range of music genres. She is over the moon to be working with the inspiring dancers of the community and strives to create meaningful and fun workshops. Her aim is to leave each person she dances with smiling, be it at her or with her. Lauren understands that your dance journey is so much more than just training the physical body. Working with the dancer holistically including the mental side of development is integral for success. She strongly feels this isn’t talked about enough in the dance scene and looks forward to bringing more awareness to this vital aspect of growth. By fostering a supportive environment that nurtures both the mind and body, Lauren is dedicated to helping dancers unlock their full potential, on and off the dance floor.

Attila began dancing at 15 in Vienna, training in International Latin and rising to Austria's top ballroom division, the S-Class, competing internationally as a WDSF athlete until 2022. In 2017, he discovered West Coast Swing and was hooked — the improvisation and musicality he'd craved but never found in ballroom. He rose swiftly through the ranks, reaching the All-Star division in just 2.5 years, and has since become one of Austria's top WCS competitors. Attila's rise recently reached a new milestone, as he not only reached the WSDC Champion diviosn in JnJ, but also taking first place in the Champion Strictly division at the Bavarian Open — a clear marker of his growth from rising talent to established competitor. Music runs in his blood as Attila was raised in a musician's family, playing several instruments at once, a background that shapes his phrasing and connection on the floor. He continues to broaden his range through Salsa, Bachata, Lindy Hop, and Ballet, and now teaches West Coast Swing internationally as well as at his home studio in Vienna.

Marina has been dancing and performing for over 30 years, starting at age 6 with Artistic Gymnastics before moving into Sports Ballroom Dancing for 8 years, then Jazz Modern and Classical Ballet, performing on the big stage for another 5. In 2007, she discovered social dancing salsa, zouk, tango and Disco Fox. By 2008 she was fully immersed in West Coast Swing. She began teaching WCS in 2011 and has since built over a decade of teaching experience, working with partners including Michael Kielbasa, Chuck Brown, Paul Warden, Thibault Ramirez, Brennar Goree, Maxence Martin, and Ben Morris, among others. She counts her mentee experience with Brandi Guild through the "Sweet Side of Swing" project in Canada among her most valuable teaching milestones. On the competitive side, Marina has risen to WSDC Champion level, taking 2nd place in the Champions division at Spring Time Swing in May 2026. She is now recognized as a WSDC champion, performer, instructor, and choreographer.

Originally from Vietnam and raised in Germany, Leo started dancing with Hip-Hop at age 13, quickly making a name for himself and earning multiple German and South German championship titles over seven consecutive years. Along the way he built a reputation as a judge, choreographer, and instructor within the hip-hop scene. In 2018, he discovered West Coast Swing, adding new layers of musicality and partnership to his already dynamic movement style. That hip-hop foundation continues to shape his approach on the WCS floor, giving him a sharp, precise quality that stands out in a dance built on improvisation and connection. Leo has gone on to become an established competitor, instructor, and judge on the WSDC circuit, now teaching internationally both partner and solo classes known for blending structure and technique with musicality and emotional depth. He has competed at events all across Europe, recently made his way to the All-Star division and is a recurring name on staff and coaching rosters at major European WCS festivals.

Emilia's path to dance started in medicine: she earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) through an accelerated program, drawn to the field after volunteering on a Hippotherapy farm and later working with wounded soldiers at WRNMMC, where she supported novel prosthetics research and rehabilitation. She recalls watching a patient walk for the first time on new prosthetic legs as a defining moment that cemented her choice of career. Today she practices as a physical therapist based in Texas, treating both pediatric and adult patients. After completing her studies, Emilia discovered her love for dance and became a student of West Coast Swing in 2022. As her passion grew, she made the decision to pursue it full-time — as a competitor, instructor, and judge. Her rise through the ranks has been fast: by 2024 she was already finishing top-5 in the Advanced JnJ divsion comps O'Rama and she now competes at the All-Star level, taking part in both national and international competitions. Alongside competing, she's now become a regular presence on the teaching and judging circuit, staffing both American and European events

Victor took his first West Coast Swing steps in 2018, though it was after the pandemic that he became completely hooked on the dance. For Victor, the best part of West Coast Swing is the room it gives to express and convey emotion — he strives to create an open space for both himself and his partner to let feeling take over the dance, which makes his style expressive and dynamic. His climb through the competitive ranks has been notably fast: with barely a year spent in each division, he's risen all the way to the All-Star level, and along the way he picked up podium finishes regularly in the Advanced JnJ level. He's been teaching for three years, and now travels frequently both nationally and internationally, competing at events, judging, running intensive courses, workshops abroad and beginner courses back home in Sweden alongside her dance partner Evelina Vewcs + 3

Evelina began dancing at age 6, and started West Coast Swing in 2015. Over the years she's explored a number of solo and partner dance styles, but it was West Coast Swing that she fell completely in love with. What she likes most about the dance is that it creates space for art where both partners get to influence the outcome — with her own dancing, she strives to create dynamics and contrast, making her style innovative and unique. Her rise through the competitive ranks came quickly. She's consistently making finals and placing well at prestigious competitions across Europe. She's been teaching West Coast Swing for the past five years and is passionate about spreading her knowledge to others. She regularly travels to judge at events, and continues to compete herself at the All-Star level. Alongside competing and judging, she's built a steady international teaching career — running intensive courses, workshops abroad and beginner courses back home in Sweden alongside her dance partner, Victor Aitman