Katusha Demidova
Owner
Originally from Moscow, Russia, Katusha was introduced to ballroom dancing by her father at the age of seven. She turned professional at sixteen and later moved to the United States, where she danced with Jonathan Wilkins for ten years.
In 2007 she partnered with Arunas Bizokas, and together they became one of the most successful Standard couples in history. They won the World Professional Ballroom Championship ten years in a row, from 2009 to 2018. They also won the British Open Professional Ballroom Championship at Blackpool many times and the U.S. National Professional Ballroom Championship year after year. Katusha and Arunas retired from competition in 2019 with a farewell performance at Blackpool.
Today Katusha coaches and judges at competitions around the world and organizes the North American Imperial Star Ball in Chicago.
Basil Issaev
Owner, Instructor
Basil came from St. Petersburg, Russia, dreaming of competitive ballroom dancing as a career. Having chosen New York as his new home, he fulfilled his dream of being able to have lessons with the best coaches of the US and of the world. His very first year saw him winning the under 21 Ohio Star Ball Championship, and becoming a Bronze National Medalist, consistently making finals of National Championships.
In 2006, Basil turned professional and achieved great results both in the national area and international arena. In 2007, he became the Arthur Murray Professional Standard Champion and the Norwegian Professional Champion and representative to the Worlds. In 2012, he made finals at the International Rising Star Championship in London and in Professional Standard at the Ohio Star Ball Championship. In 2013, he placed first in many competitions nationwide, including Michigan Dancesport Challenge, Virginia State, Maryland Dancesport, and Eastern Dancesport Championships in Boston, MA.
In addition to a successful professional career, Basil has distinguished himself as a top ballroom instructor in the Boston area. His excellence in teaching has shown through the many successes had by his students in top national competitions.
Liene Apale
Owner, Instructor
Liene came from Riga, Latvia pursuing a dance career. She was undefeated National Amateur Champion for three years straight. After turning pro, Liene quickly moved up to the elite of the ballroom dancing world and won numerous competitions in the USA, and was a consistent finalist at the National Championships, winning a Bronze medal in 2007 and representing the USA at the World Championships. Included in her top achievements are: Runner Up at the Rising Star Blackpool Dance Festival, winner of the Rising Star UK Open, semifinalist at the Blackpool Dance Festival, and semifinalist at the World Championships.
Additionally, she has had the great success of winning the Professional Standard event at the Ohio Star Ball Championship in 2005 and again as finalist in Professional Standard at the Ohio Star Ball Championship in 2012. In 2013, Liene placed first in many competitions nationwide, including Michigan Dancesport Challenge, Virginia State, Maryland Dancesport, and Eastern Dancesport Championships in Boston, MA. In addition to a successful professional career, Liene is a full-time ballroom coach and is considered one of the top female ballroom instructors in the United States.
Valeriya Bushueva
Coach · International Adjudicator
Valeriya Bushueva is a distinguished ballroom dance professional, two-time European Champion and two-time World Vice-Champion in Latin Showdance, and a European Professional Latin finalist.
With extensive international experience in competitive dancing, coaching, and adjudicating, she brings exceptional technical expertise and artistic insight to her teaching. Valeriya is dedicated to developing dancers’ technical precision, performance quality, and competitive excellence.
Helle Rusholt-Yi
Coach · International Adjudicator
Helle started dancing at the age of three in Denmark and moved to London in 1990 to train with leading ballroom coaches. Competing in International Latin, she represented Denmark at the World and European Championships and won top titles as both an amateur and a professional.
For 17 years she owned and ran two Boston-area studios, Extreme Dancesport and QBallroom. Today she teaches, coaches and judges competitions internationally, coaches the Boston University Ballroom Dance Team, and organizes the Commonwealth Classic in Burlington, MA, and the Boca Ballroom Dancesport Competition in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
With more than 30 years of teaching, Helle works with everyone from social dancers and wedding couples to competitive athletes. In her words, “we dance because we love it.”
Lisa Chaplin McAllister
Irish Dance · Teacher & Adjudicator
Born in Boston, Lisa started Irish dancing at five under her mother, Rita O’Shea-Chaplin. She went on to win State and New England Regional titles many times, and the North American Championship in 1981.
A registered teacher and adjudicator with the Irish Dancing Commission in Dublin, she has taught Irish dance for more than 30 years and is a well-known choreographer who has given workshops across the country. With her mother she leads the O’Shea Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance, which holds its classes at Balera.