AJ Schroer, Clarence Woodley, Primo Garcia, Lena Copeland, Kristan Johnson, Gary Weidenmoyer, Charles Cook, Elizabeth Bergeron, Steph Sexton, Michael Cassidy, and Richard Council
Lance Sexton, owner, grew up in the dance business with both parents as professional dance teachers. He brings over 25 years of top professional dance experience with him to Melbourne Ballroom.
Lance's background includes extensive training with World and U.S. champions. He is certified as a Master by the former National Director and World Top Instructor of Arthur Murray (see below). Lance competed professionally for 10 years and has won numerous championships and titles during
his career. He is one of only a few professionals to win large competitions in all four styles of dancing including:
Owner, Lance Sexton
Mid-United States Open American Professional Rhythm Champion
Mid-United States Rising Star Professional International Latin Champion
Southern States Rising Star Professional Standard Champion
Illinois State Open American Professional Smooth Champion
He currently competes with his students in Pro/Am competitions.
His teacher awards include:
Florida State Top Teacher
Mid-United States Top Teacher
His students have won many championships and top exhibition awards
Lance is registered as Professional Dance Teachers with the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and USA Dance, Inc.
Barry Johnson, Co-Owner, is originally from Long Island, New York. He started dancing at 7 years of age after watching the Fred Astaire movie "Top Hat". He danced tap, jazz, and ballet for the next 11 years. During that time, he and his family moved to the Kansas City area. Barry began ballroom in June of 1992 at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Lenexa, Kansas. With them he completed training through his Silver level. He moved to TC Dance Studio in 1998 where he completed his Gold level dancing. He also became the studio's Dance Director and Assistant supervisor. Barry came to Melbourne to get away from the cold and icy winters of the Midwest. He is now living his dream by teaching, dancing, and competing, as well as being part owner of the ever growing Melbourne Ballroom, all while being married to the love of his life.
Lance Sexton and Barry Johnson
Owner, Barry Johnson and
Kristan Johnson
Joe Green is our studio coach and comes in town every 4-6 weeks to work on competition material to improve students' dancing and he also provides fun and dynamic seminars and workshops during his visits. Joe has over 40 years of experience and superior knowledge of ballroom dance theory and technique. Joe is also Team Captain for the USDC.
He is currently:
Dual Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Ballroom Dance (I.S.T.D.) with honors.
US Championship Adjudicator
Member of National Dance Teachers Organization
Team Caption for the USBC
His numerous achievements include:
World Top Instructor Arthur Murray
Certified Master Examiner
Dance Director of the Top School Mid United States Dance Championship -3 years undefeated
Grand National Champion
Mid United States Champion
Numerous Top Instructor awards
Qualified World Class Adjudicator for 25 years running
Member and Chairman of Two National Dance Boards
Chairman of I.S.T.D.
Gary Weidenmoyer
Gary Weidenmoyer has more than 30 years experience in performing, dancing and teaching all types of dance. He has been involved in Ballroom Dancing for 12 years and is enjoying sharing a wide body of knowledge with his students.
AJ Schroer has always loved dance. She enjoyed being a part of a big hip hop group in her teens and "caught the bug" for social dancing just out of high school. She landed a position on a Swing Dance Troupe at the 14th Ave Swingstation in Vero, Florida, performing at events and fundraiser's. Off to college in Jackson, Mississippi, she helped start a weekly show that included break dancing, stomp and other forms of "ridiculousness". Throughout college, she performed in the Broadway Musical Review and taught at the Student Body Swing Club her final year. Back in Florida, she was hired on the spot to teach ballroom dance in early 2006. AJ now works under the expertise of Lance Sexton at Melbourne Ballroom and is working towards her national Certification.
Clarence Woodley began ballroom dancing in 2005. While searching for new places to dance he discovered that Melbourne Ballroom’s Florida’s Ballroom Dance Teachers Academy was accepting new students. He enrolled in September 2007. In July 2008, he earned his Junior Associates Dance Teachers Certification from the Dance Vision International Dance Association. Clarence has been teaching at Melbourne Ballroom ever since. He is also the DJ for Melbourne Ballroom’s Saturday Night Dances.
Clarence Woodley
Lena Clavell-Copeland grew up in Brooklyn, NY and started dancing at a local studio in Queens at the age of 10. Lena a former scholarship student of the New Dance Group, studied at the Alpha Omega and the Neubert Ballet School in New York City, and was a member of the Repertory Dance Ensemble. As founder and choreographer of the Grove Street Dance Ensemble, the Assembly of the State of New York, The President of Brooklyn awarded her recognition as the recipient of the outstanding youth award. She is a Julia Richman Talent Unlimited graduate and was the first freshman to land a leading role on the Westside Story production at Marymount Manhattan College, while attending as a BFA Dance Major. She has performed both regionally and internationally with several ensembles and is currently the Dance Director/Choreographer for the Promiseland Church Dance Team. She is also a Zumba Fitness instructor and has been a ballroom dance instructor since 2008.
Kristan Johnson moved to Florida to escape the freezing cold winters of her New England home. After settling in, she decided it would be a good time to get to know people and socialize. Her father was a ballroom teacher for a while (He did it to impress her mother) so she thought it might be an activity she would really enjoy. Which she did. Kristan was a fixture at the dance studio. She took private lessons, participated in group classes and never missed a party. Plus, she started performing at the studio showcases. Her social life bloomed and so did her dancing. Kristan made a move from her former studio, to Melbourne Ballroom about 3 1/2 years ago. During that time, she has competed in ballroom and rhythm dancing around Florida, and in Las Vegas. She has turned the corner from Amateur Student to Professional Teacher. Now she feels it's her turn to guide other people through the process that changed her life.
AJ Schroer
Primo Garcia has been dancing since he was three. It started as a hobby dancing hip hop and grew into his passion. At the age of ten, he started choreoraphing routines and for the next few years, he looked into different aspects of dance: Modern, jazz, contemporary and poppin'. By the time Primo was 19, he had started working on ballroom dance. His love for dance continues to grow and he hasn't stopped ever since. Recently, Primo has begun working on international dancing/styling and breakin'. Truly his passion and love of dance showshtrow his never ending commitment to learn multiple aspects and levels of dance.
Primo Garcia
Liz Bergeron
Liz Bergeron started ballet and gymnastics at a young age. In her teens, she began taking group classes at Melbourne Ballroom and continued with private lessons with Lance Sexton. She took a break for college to become a nurse. Missing dance too much, she joined Melbourne Ballroom again and enrolled in the Dance Teachers Academy in 2009. Her first competition was in December of 2009 at the Southeastern States Triple Crown in which she took first place in her category. Liz has been in numerous Showcases and plans on graduating DTA and obtaining her National Certification.
Steph Sexton, Lance's sister, came to Melbourne 13 yrs. ago- from Las Vegas,NV..to teach with Lance at the Melbourne Ballroom. To get to know more people, she also enjoyed teaching at the Air Force Base,local nightclubs,and community centers and festivals. She has been teaching for 25 yrs....was trained by Arthur Murray studios in Indpls.IN,Ft. Laud,and Hollywod,FLA.in American styles; and was then trained in Intnl.and competitive dance in Miami with Keith Todd and independent champion dancers . She continued her dance teaching in New York City with Sandra Cameron Dance Centre and with Bill Davies,and then moved to Las Vegas for 10 yrs.
Michael Cassidy
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 teaching dance. He has great patience and seeks to find the individual's best learning style in order to reach their dancing goals.
Richard Council began dancing tango in 2001 and has since taught and performed on stage and television throughout the United States and abroad. In 2003, he won the US IDO Championships. He was a finalist in the Tango Salon category and a semi-finalist in the Stage Performance category with Colette Hebert at the World Championships held in Buenos Aires in 2005. In 2006, they performed in Tokyo at the Tango Libertad festival. He has been an invited instructor at the Portland Tango festivals a number of times and performed with Hebert in the movie The Heart of Tango. Richard tours and gives workshops in many cities around the country. He is appreciated for his elegant style of tango and the clear and precise methodology of his teaching. At Melbourne Ballroom, Richard teaches ArgentineTango 1 and 2 and focuses on elements and groupings for the social tango floor. There are two Argentine Tango classes; one at 2:30 and 3:45. Also, there are privates lessons available in the morning before the classes. The groups are $20 for one and $35 for two. Each private class is $80 and by appointment. Richard continues to sharpen his skills as a dancer and teacher so that he might teach and enrich others in the art of Argentine Tango.
Richard Council
