Our Officials - Carnegie Classic

Dana Edwards

Chairman of Judges

Dana is a World DanceSport Federation, WDO, and USA Dance Adjudicating Official, Invigilator, Scrutineer, a USA Dance Chairman of Adjudicators, She has been Chairperson of Adjudicator and Adjudicator for Collegiate competitions since 1997. She holds her Master degrees in Ballroom, Rhythm and Theatre Arts with AIDA and DanceVision and her International Latin and Ballroom license from WDSF and ISTD. She is a retired NDCA Open Professional competitor. She has competed in International Latin and Standard but found her main success as an NDCA Professional American Smooth and American Rhythm Champion and a Fred Astaire Professional American and Canadian / American Smooth Champion. Top Teacher Awards from FADS and the Arnold Sports Festival. Dana has also worked on an animated film for the Walt Disney Films. AIDA National Committee since 2016.

Maja Servé

Judge

Maja Servé is a distinguished five-time Danish Champion in Professional Standard. She has been a finalist in world-class competitions, including the World Championship, European Championship, British Open, International Championship, United Kingdom Championship, German Open, US Ballroom Championship, Japan Open, and Dutch Open. An IDTA Fellow in both Latin and Standard and a NADTA Member in Standard, Latin, Smooth, Rhythm, and Theater Arts, Maja has also served as a judge representing the US in numerous international championships. Maja co-founded the Body School of Dancing and Teaching and has coached numerous champions across various dance styles for over thirty years in the US. Her extensive training and background in accent teachings and human potential add a unique perspective to her coaching. Additionally, she was trained as a Life Coach by Bob Proctor, who is known for the influential movie and book “The Secret.” Maja is also a published author with several books on dance and tourism, and she offers an online program for bronze-level dancers.

Amanda Wolf

Judge

Amanda Wolf comes to us with 20 years of experience as a ballroom dance professional. She has competed professionally in all four ballroom dance styles and was a finalist in both Open and Rising Star American Rhythm and Smooth. She owns Amanda Wolf Productions, a choreography and coaching studio in Pittsburgh.

Christine Zona

Judge

Christine Zona has been teaching and competing in ballroom dance since 1980. She competed professionally and was a finalist at many events in the International Standard, Latin, and American Ballroom divisions. During her Pro/Am competing days, Christine and her student won the title of United States Pro/Am Male American Smooth Champion. She has also published, through Human Kinetics, a how-to dance book, “Gotta Ballroom,” which includes the American style ballroom dances: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz. Currently, she divides her time coaching and teaching between Pittsburgh, PA and New York City. She is a certified instructor of Maja Serve’s Body School System and an adjudicator with the North American Dance Teachers Association and USA Dance. Christine is the International Ballroom dance coach at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, and is also a visiting coach at various universities. As a member of the Collegiate Network Executive Committee in USA Dance, she has helped to create programs for college students and plan USA Dance Collegiate Nationals.

Deborah Davis

Judge

Deborah Davis is the co-owner and Director of Ballroom Break Dance Studio in Lewisberry, P.A. Deborah has over 40 years of teaching experience, instructing in smooth, Latin, swing, hustle, theatre arts, ballet, and jazz, both American and International Styles. She has worked for various cruise lines as a guest teacher and entertainer. Deborah choreographed and directed shows in the Catskills as well as locally. Deborah is certified by the world's most prestigious professional ballroom dance organization, the American International Dancers Association (AIDA), formerly the U.S. Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (U.S.I.S.T.D), as teachers, competing professionals, and adjudicators. Deborah is an Adjunct Faculty Member at Penn State Harrisburg, and formerly Susquehanna University, and HACC. Deb developed the Ballroom Dance Programs in all 3 of these colleges.

Emily Mertens

Judge

Emily Mertens is a DVIDA-certified instructor, studio owner, and professional competitor. As an instructor, she has continually ranked as a top ProAm instructor throughout the years. Most notably, she placed first in the Global Dancesport Series Circuit from 2019 to 2022. She is also one of only five female instructors ever, to place as a rising star finalist in the World Pro-Am Dancesport Series. Ms. Mertens loves sharing the benefits of dance with others and advocates that it is for everyone of all levels and ages. She supports her local community through performances and outreach after-school programs. Currently, she lives in Columbus, Ohio, and continues to compete in professional American Smooth with her partner.

Frederic Shipley

Judge

Frederic Shipley is the co-owner and President of Ballroom Break Dance Studio in Lewisberry, PA Fred has over 45 years of teaching experience, instructing in smooth, Latin, swing, hustle, theatre arts, ballet, and jazz, both American and International Styles. He has worked as a guest teacher and entertainer for various cruise lines and in the Catskills. Fred is certified by the most prestigious professional ballroom dance organization in the world: the American International Dancers Association (AIDA), formerly, the U.S. Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (U.S.I.S.T.D) as teachers, competing professionals, and adjudicators.

'Ikaika Dowsett

Judge

'Ikaika Dowsett has been a top teacher and award-winning international ballroom dance coach since 2002. He specializes in international ballroom competitions. He has numerous titles in standard ballroom and produced over 30 national champions in 10 years. His methodology is systems-based, and he enjoys coaching dancers to think about frameworks, understand body mechanics, nutrition, cross-training, and think like athletes.

Jimmy Page

Judge

James Page has been a professional ballroom coach, competitor, choreographer, MC, and performer at multiple venues in Pittsburgh. As a social dance specialist, he is currently the coach for the CMU Ballroom Dance Club. "If it's not fun, it's not dancing!"

Sandra Fortuna

Judge

Sandra has a BA in Dance and began dancing professionally with the Philadelphia Opera Company, traveling the East Coast at the age of fourteen. She has been an official for NDCA and USA Dance events as chairman, adjudicator, invigilator, and lecturer. As a founder of American DanceWheels and the author of the teachers' manual for wheelchair dancing, Wheel Ease, she has influenced the development of partner dancing for people who use wheelchairs for mobility.

George Glen

MC

George started his dancing career as a member of the University of Connecticut Ballroom Team in 2007. Since then, his passion and perseverance in ballroom dance have allowed him to advance through the ranks in the collegiate and national ballroom competitions. He is a multiple-time United States American Smooth National Champion, American Smooth and Rhythm 9-Dance National Champion and World Finalist. Since he retired from competitive dancing in 2023, he has taught professionally, working with various university ballroom dance teams, workshops, and conventions, including the Dance Teachers’ Club of Boston, Inc. and the American Society. In addition, he is a ballroom judge for showcases and dance competitions throughout the year.

Joe Huesmann

Scrutineer

Joe started dancing in 1995 while attending grad school at the University of Maryland. For the first year, he was purely a social dancer until the ballroom club coaxed him into entering their inaugural DC Dancesport Inferno competition, and he was hooked. He soon gravitated to International Standard, and focused on that style for many years. From 2009 to 2022, he was part of the organizing committee for the Mid-Atlantic Championships NQE in Bethesda, MD. In this capacity, he performed technical setup for O2CM and acted as online registrar. He became familiar with O2CM, scrutineering, and running dancesport competitions. After scrutineering college competitions for a few years, he passed the scrutineering exam in 2014. After he and his partner qualified for and danced at the 2015 World Championships, she retired from competition. He elected to do the same, to focus on scrutineering and life off the comp floor.

David Ho

DJ

Currently DJing at: - Starlight Dance Center, Nutley NJ - resident DJ for weekly Friday night socials, bi-annual student showcases - Danznik Studios, Westchester NY - resident DJ for tri-annual student showcases - Danznik Studios, NYC - resident DJ for Latin practice rounds - Le Pari Dance Center, Scotch Plains NJ - Saturday night socials - Left Side Leading, KTown Dance Studio NYC - Sunday afternoon Tea Dance - Fred Astaire, Warren NJ - monthly themed socials, Rhythm and Smooth practice rounds - Fred Astaire, Bardonia NY - student showcase events - Vitti's Dance Studio, Danbury CT - Saturday night socials - Staten Island Ballroom Dancers Dinner Dance - NY Hustle Congress - Saturday competition session - NJ Hustle Congress - Satuday competition session Collegiate Competitions: - CMU Carnegie Classic - RPI - Tufts Comp - Harvard Beginners - SUNY Stony Brook East Coast Fireball - UMass Minuteman Dancesport Classic