Instructors
Below gives a brief biography of the instructors currently teaching the lessons for the UMBC Ballroom Club.
Karen Trimble, LISTD LA, BB
American Style
Karen is a renowned teacher, who has been teaching since 1977 in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Pennsylvania (York), Baltimore, and South Africa. Specifically, she has been teaching American style at UMBC since 1998 and UM CP since 1994 (she has also taught at GWU). Karen is a coach at the Promenade in Baltimore, where she provides many UMBC students with private lessons and choreography.
Karen has also been the invigilation judge at DCDI for many years, and she is the number one resource for information regarding the American syllabi (ISTD, NDCA, USA Dance, and Fred Astaire) and costume regulations.
- Licentiate Member of the Imperial Society of Dancing, Latin American and Ballroom Branches
- Fred Astaire American Style Specialist/Dance Director
- Member and Adjudicator of the National Dance Council of America
Contact: 410-444-1151
Karen in the News: http://www.baltimorestories.com/main.cfm?nid=1&tid=95
Genya Bartashevich
International Style - Formation Choreographer
Genya has been teaching at UMBC since the fall of 2004, when he picked up instructing the international classes and coaching/choreographing routines for the formation team. He is also currently teaching at Atlantic Ballroom, The Promenade, Chevy Chase Ballroom, and Swingtime Dance Studio.
Genya was born in Belarus and was competing/titling in Ballroom dance by the age of 10, teaching by the age of 15. He came to the States in 2000 and has since obtained professional status. Some of his many achievements include:
- North American Latin Champion
- 10 dance National Professional Finalist
- Rising Star Professional National Finalist
- Amateur finalist of National/International Championships
- American Star Ball Professional Latin Champion
- MD Dancesport Rising Star Latin & Ballroom Champion
- Capital Dancesport Rising Star Latin Champion
Contact:
Don Herron
Nightclub
Don is a fun, light-hearted coach who has been teaching the Nightclub class at UMBC for over 2 years, and dancing for over 10. He also teaches at the Promenade and various other local venues. Prior to teaching at UMBC he taught martial arts, to people of all ages, at one of the largest schools on the east coast for about 8 years.
In the past few years he has achieved some outstanding titles:
- 1st in Rising Star Classic
- Tampa Bay Classic Swing Dance Champion
- 1st in the New Years Dancing Championship