2025 Adjudicator & Scrutineer Biographies

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Daniel, owner of Ballroom Comp Express, and has been organizing competitions since 2018, when he convinced the Ballroom Dance Club at Georgia Tech to run the inaugural Helluva Dance Comp. Since then, he has been helping run competitions, whether as an organizer or a scrutineer with USA Dance and WDSF certification.

As an organizer, Daniel is passionate about expanding opportunities to dance, which he has done by adding new events to the competitions he organizes, including Switch-Role divisions and Master of Syllabus events.

You can also catch him on the dance floor competing in Standard and Smooth or teaching at various colleges around the Southeast.

Director of the Silva Dance Academy, whose performing achievements are only matched by his success in teaching with the highest teaching credentials.

His professional record includes City of Bradford UK Finalist, Eastern U.S. Champion, Southeastern States Ballroom Champion, and Finalists throughout the U.S. - United States Championships Miami, Ohio Star Ball, Heritage Classic N.C. etc.

Mark holds credentials as an Adjudicator, Scrutineer, and Chairman with many organizations - including USA Dance, WDSF, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (AIDA), N.A.D.T.A, amongst other Societies throughout the USA and abroad. He has taught and lectured at many venues in the U.S. and England, including teaching and assisting in numerous Professional Congresses for Professionals in the U.S.

Originally from Boston Massachusetts and after a long and successful career in New England, Ms. Diaz relocated to New York City in the early eighties and has been a true NEW YORKER since.

With her former dance partner Richard Diaz, she captured many titles in her competitive career among them having the honor of being the first World Champion for the United States in Mambo.

Three times United States Ten Dance Representative and Eleven Times Undefeated Basic Latin Champion. She has toured the world in numerousness stage, screen and TV productions as a

performer and choreographer with her favorites being Countess in Grand Hotel and The American Ballroom Theater.

She was a guest teacher and choreographer for Ballet Hispanico, Gelsey Kirkland Ballet Academy and The Joffrey Ballet School as well as former faculty at NYU.

She was awarded the Unity Ball Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by the United Nations for her contribution to dance and is a featured columnist in Dance Week.

She is one of the original organizers of The United States Dance Congress, an accomplished Fellow, Adjudicator and Coach in all styles of dance as well as a certified Master Yoga, Pilates and Fitness instructor.

She has recently created the BALLROOMOLOGY.com website to honor her mentor Bob Medeiros and showcase the Study and History of Ballroom Dancers as well as launching her new 4D Partnership System., AKA...The “4DP”

Her earliest joy since childhood besides dance has been her intense love for all animals, resulting in her starting the not-for-profit Ballroom Barks to benefit animals and the BallroomBarks.org website.

She has also started her own personal website BonnieDiaz.com

A former professional ballet dancer, a certified fitness instructor, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from Butler University, Jordan College of Music. She has won many prestigious awards in the United States including 3rd, 2nd, and 1st places as Top Teacher in the US Top Teacher Championships, as well as 1st place as the Top Female Teacher in the NADOA Challenge of Champions.

She is a well-known DanceSport coach and a national Adjudicator who is certified and licensed by the World DanceSport Federation. (WDSF)

Also, a former Vice-President of USA Dance Chapter 3012 (Delaware Valley/Philadelphia region), and is also the past Secretary of the United States Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She is currently on the USA Dance Invigilation Committee.

Sandra was awarded the Community Service Award by the National Dance Council of America in 2008 for her work in developing, supporting and promoting Wheelchair DanceSport. She is also the author of the copyrighted technique manual Wheel Ease, written to describe in full the feet, wheels, wheelwork, connection and lead for wheelchair partner dancing. She is an original founding member and artistic director of the American Dance Wheels Foundation.

Sandra has appeared on the TLC production, "Dancer with the Tiny Legs", and on "Dancing On Wheels".

Sandra's dance students include national 10 Dance finalists, national Amateur Latin runners-up, as well as champions of Pro-Am 'A' Latin and champions of Pro-Am 'A' Rhythm at the US Open DanceSport Championships.

She has also coached several successful dance school owners and successful professional candidates for the USISTD certification.

Her son, Brian Fortuna, was a Professional dancer on "Dancing with the Stars" hit TV show, a popular UK dancer and choreographer, and a star of West End's 2009 production of "Burn the Floor".

• Danced professionally with Philadelphia Opera Ballet and Jordan Ballet
• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from Butler University, Indianapolis, IN
• 1973-1981 - Danced professionally in American Style Rhythm, Theater Arts
• 1987: 3rd place US Top Teacher Championships
• 1988: 2nd place US Top Teacher Championships
• 1989: 1st place US Top Teacher Championships
• 1993: Top Female Teacher of NADOA Challenge of Champions
• Grand International Latin Finalist at the North American Championships
• Grand International Latin Finalist Imperial Championships
• Grand International Latin Finalist Imperial Star Championships
• Grand International Latin Finalist East Coast Championships
• Grand International Latin Finalist Mid US Championships
• Grand International Latin Finalist Virginia State Championships
• Top at the US Open DanceSport Championships Pro-Am 'A' International Latin category
• Member of the DEA in Modern, Latin, American Style and Theater Arts
• Licentiate in the ISTD
• Quintuple Fellow National Dance Teachers Association of America
• Quintuple Fellow United States Terpsichore Association
• Coach to first wheelchair couple to represent the USA at the European IPC Championships
• Choreographer to first wheelchair couple to represent the UK at the European IPC Championships
• Coach to Professional Dancers on "Dancing with the Stars" and "Strictly Come Dancing"
• Choreographer of the BBC production "Dancing On Wheels"
• Choreographer of the TLC production "Dancer With the Tiny Legs"
• Original Founder of American Dance Wheels
• Successful trainer for professional certifications of the United States Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
• Author of "Wheel Ease"
• Licensed and Certified by the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF)
• USA Dance Invigilation Committee, Member

Stuart Nichols began his dance career in 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama, when he responded to a newspaper ad that read:
 

Stuart Nichols began his dance career in 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama, when he responded to a newspaper ad that read:

"How would you like to sleep late in the morning and party at night? No experience necessary—we will train you for an exciting career as a ballroom dance instructor! Call 555-1212 and ask for Linda."

That was all he needed to hear. He was certainly qualified—he had no experience, no prior training, and no real idea what ballroom dancing looked like, except in old movies. At twenty years old, while working toward a bachelor's degree, he found the promise of sleeping late and
partying far more compelling. He decided then and there—without any equivocation or reflection—that this would be his career.

He was hired, trained, and spent the next ten years with the Fred Astaire organization. For the first five years, he was terrible. But by his tenth year, he had risen to the position of Dance Director in several studios, overseeing staff training. In 1995, he left the studio system and was recruited to join the faculty of Rollins College—Florida's oldest university and its most prestigious liberal arts college—where he continued teaching for the next eighteen years.

In 2000, he began training in the Imperial Method with the goal of becoming a member of the London-based Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, the world's oldest and most prestigious accrediting board for Dancesport. Over the next twenty years, he mastered the International
Ballroom and Latin styles, ultimately earning the title of Fellow in both, as well as in the American Ballroom and Rhythm Faculties of the USISTD.

In 2020, he was approached by Routledge publishing and awarded the honor of editing and revising the 11th edition of Ballroom Dancing by Alex Moore—arguably the most iconic book of its kind, in continuous publication since 1936. He is now listed as co-author, and the book is
used by dancers and teachers around the world.

Stuart is currently working closely with the Imperial Society on restructuring the North American Dancesport Examination System. He is thrilled to be making his debut as an adjudicator on the USA Dance circuit!