Stardust  Future Events

New Years December 30th, 2011-January 1st, 2012

Stardust Dance Weekends
April 27-29, 2012

June 8-10, 2012

September 14-16, 2012

November 16-18, 2012

Stardust Dance Cruises

Cruise V January 22-29, 2012  

Cruise VI  March 11-18, 2012
Event Coordinators
Linda Gilberg
 Darlene (Dee Dee) Smith
Host Director – Dan Vitali
Hosts – Bill Lawrence, Earl Forte, Ricardo Villa, Ted Cahill, Jon Forsberg, Roger Munchak, Fred Meyer, Gene Arnold, Anthony DiMarino, Richard Conti, Michael Cassidy
DJ’s Michelle & Bob Friedman have been part of the ballroom dance word for the past 15 years. As avid dancers they started with Ballroom Dance Lessons, and for the past 7 years as professional DJs – specializing in Ballroom Music. In 2001 they even won Top Couple in a Good Morning America 25 hour dance marathon. They have a comprehensive music library of over 20,000 tracks spanning the decades, which includes all types of Ballroom, Latin, Hustle, West Coast Swing & Argentine Tango. They are northeast coast DJ favorites spanning NY, CT, NJ, PA, & DE areas, and are regulars at the world famous Stardust Dance Weekends. They are equally at home playing their music for Ballroom Socials, Showcases, Competitions, and professional performances for some of the world’s most famous ballroom couples. While preferences in music certainly vary from person to person, what they use as their criteria when choosing music to play is really very simple - does it make dancers feel like they just have to get up and move, or doesn’t it? They get great satisfaction when they watch dancers who were heading for their seats at the end of a song turn around and pull each other back out to the dance floor time and again as a new piece begins.
DJ Philip C. Spinka of Submarine Productions Entertainment, has been DJing Weddings and Private Parties for twenty-four years. He currently works in Philadelphia, Northeast Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey as a mobile DJ. For the past eight years, Philip has assumed the delightful task of DJing parties for trained dancers. He specializes in West Coast Swing, Hustle, and Ballroom music. However, he maintains a library of all other styles, and he continues to study dance music, music theory, and musicality. Philip is a trained dancer, performer, and competitor in the dance world and he maintains a highly successful competitive dance career. This knowledge of dance and movement aids him in choosing more sophisticated and popular music choices, as well as surprise tracks. His exposure to the competitive dance world also allows him to choose music directly from the national competitions. He loves to play for smiling crowds who love to dance and he cannot wait to see you!
Donna DeSimone - Instructor of Performing Arts, Ballroom, Choreographer, Performer & Judge. Donna has been teaching dance for 32 years. Her knowledge of Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyric, Broadway Theater and Ballroom has greatly influenced her Hustle style. In 1975 Donna was introduced to a dance called the Hustle. Donna became a Hustle dancer on the Television show “Soap Factory Disco” in 1977.

In 1978 she opened her first Dance Studio. Four years later opened her second studio. In 1983 she discovered the world of Ballroom dancing. She trained and competed for 8 years under Roberto Pagan and many well known coaches in American & International styles. In 1985 took 5th in her first ballroom competition at the USBC. In 1986 took 1st at the Virginia State Ballroom Championships in Latin, Won 1st place at 1986 Ohio Star Ball State Championships. In 1986 she won her first United States title,” USBC American Rhythm Champion” in Miami Florida. In 1990 Donna entered the well know Zackary’s Dance Competition and took 1st Place. One year later winning the Tri State Open Hustle Championships sponsored by Night Life Magazine. Donna went on to choreograph for dance tours to China, Italy, Florida, Hershey Park, Carnegie Hall (“Cole Porter’s 100th Birthday Celebration” and “An invitation to Dance” with the NY Pops Orchestra). You can also see her on Cable TV “Touch Dancing” with Alfonzo.

Donna started competing again for fun after taking a 14 year break and took 1St Place with her dance partner Derrick Allan in Professional Open Hustle Theater Arts at the Hustle Congress in 2006. Donna has been on staff for “World Hustle”, New York Hustle Congress”, “International Hustle & Salsa Competition” in Miami and the New Orleans “The Big Easy” to judge, teach workshops and perform. Donna won an on line poll in 2006 sponsored by Ron Bess’s Dance Talk as Favorite Female Dancer in the Reader’s Choice Awards. Currently Donna teaches, Choreographs and performs in New York and beyond. For the past 15 years Donna has been the Ballroom Entertainment Director for the “Stardust Dance Weekends” in the Catskills & Stardust Cruises.

Norton & Agi Hyman - Norton has danced professionally all his life as part of the dance team of Norton & Patricia performing in theatres, night clubs and hotels all over the country. When he left show business, he married Agi and together they have a dance studio in Monticello, New York. They have been teaching ballroom dancing with Stardust Dance Productions for the past 16 years, and enjoy the art of dancing.
Leon Harris has been dancing tango since 1992 and has studied with some of the most renowned Argentine Tango Instructors. Not only does he dance and organize Argentine Tango events, but also all sorts of Latin dances parties (Salsa, Merengue, ChaCha, Afro-Cuban dances). Leon teaches small and large groups of students in his studio and other locations throughout the Washington DC metro area.
Norma Granofsky has been teaching ballroom dancing for all of her adult life. She has taught master classes for Dance Educators of America, performed at Madison Square Garden, and recently choreographed a show at Westbury Music Fair. She currently teaches independently on Long Island, New York.
Wingo Hom – Throughout his 40 plus years of dance experience, Wingo achieved more than 450 first place titles; 31 Jack & Jill first place titles, and with his partner, received the International Hustle Dance Association Points Awards as the 2006 Amateur Hustle Dancers of the year. He earned the Top Teacher Award at the world Hustle Dance Championships. At Disco American 2009, he was the Top Male Hustle Teacher.
Galina Nikitina has been dancing since the age of 3 and teaching since 17 for Rostov-on-Don State University in Russia, where she held the positions of Instructor, Choreographer and Assistant Director for their Dance Team. Under her direction the team won many Russian and European competitions, and were named Top Dance Team in Russia. As a competitive ballroom dancer, Galina has won multiple 10-Dance titles at prestigious Russian competitions, was honored with the State’s official lifetime title of ‘National Champion’, and holds the qualification of ‘Master Sportsman of International Class’. After relocating to the United States, Galina taught at Fred Astaire and the Kaiser Dance Academy in Queens, NY, as well as coached advanced students and teachers at Arthur Murray in Long Island, NY and the Paragon Dance Studio in Roselle Park, NJ. Galina has competed in both Professional American Rhythm and International Latin, placing in the Rhythm finals at the Ohio Star Ball, and winning the Arthur Murray Rhythm Championship in 1999. She retired from competition in 2002 to open her own studio, Dance World, in East Brunswick, NJ, which she closed after 4 successful years to start her family. Currently Galina is a guest teacher at BIS Dance Studio in Moscow, Russia and is coaching at the Arthur Murray Studio in Green Brook, NJ.

Peter Ingriš comes from a famous Czechoslovakian family. His great uncle was adventurer and composer Eduard Ingris. Peter is known as a talented dancer, who for many years, together with his former partner Tatiana Drexler and later with Jana Samkova, successfully represented his country, Slovakia and later Germany in all major International Championships including World and European Championships. Peter made his name in the International Dancesport community not only as a competitor, but also as a talented coach, who trained many of today’s dance sport across Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Belgium and Bulgaria. His former student, Joanna Leunis from Belgium became a professional world champion. Similarly another of his students Viktoria Franova with Klaus Kongsdal from Denmark and Jaroslav Kunes Jana Ondruskova from Czech Republik, all became world championships finalists.
Peter has his PhD in theoretical and mathematical physics from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. In recent years Peter studied computer science and dance in New Jersey/USA. In 2006 he obtained an award from The Research & Development Council of New Jersey: New Jersey Engineering/Technician Scholarship for his Ballroom Radio

*Galina Nikitina and Peter Ingris have worked together for almost ten years. They are both experienced professional dancers with a long history of successful competitive careers. To keep their dancing alive, they frequently join forces to create exciting and memorable dance shows that they have performed at many prestigious events.
Joseph Smith & Jenny Levina Joseph and Jenny both started dancing at a very early age and continued studying dance into their adulthood. Their love of dance led them to learn about different dance styles, including International and American style Ballroom, Salsa, and other partner dances. Joseph’s achievements include titles such as the United States Amateur 10-Dance Champion, United States International Latin Youth Champion, and American Rhythm Champion among others. Joseph’s professional achievements include titles in the Professional American Rhythm division in various competitions. His students have also placed first in silver and gold International Standard divisions at the Ohio Star Ball, as well as placing at various dance competitions throughout the United States, earning titles, like Pro-Am 10 Dance World Masters Champions, and Pro-Am International Standard Champion. Jenny has become a finalist in many International Latin competitions as a Ballroom Amateur, as well as a Professional American Rhythm finalist. Her students have also achieved first places at various competitions throughout the Northeast. Jenny and Joseph began their professional career together in 2009. Since then, they have been continuously working towards competing and performing together, as well as helping their students further and improve their dancing skills and techniques. Jenny and Joseph emphasize living in the moment, and having fun both in their own dancing, and as a part of their teaching technique.
Michael Cassidy started his dance career 8 years ago as a social endeavor. Over the years, while not officially an instructor, he found great pleasure in helping others learn to dance. As such, he found out about Melbourne Ballrooms Dance Teachers Academy and enrolled in 2008. Michael completed the teacher training and is excited to be a part of the Melbourne Ballroom Dance Instructor Team. Michael was a Software Engineer for 17 years and has been doing profession photography for over 30. He won many photography awards and was published hundreds of times. He is now our Event Photographer and is glad to help with any photography needs. Michael has always been a people person and looks forward to being a dance host on our Jamaica event. He has great patience, personality, and looks forward to dancing with all our ladies.