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October 28th - 30th, 2022
Chicago DanceSport Challenge

Judges and Officials

More judges and officials will be announced soon!

Chairman

Mark Barth

Mark Barth
Mark Barth has extensive background in Ballroom & Latin Style Dancing, with credentials that include Instructional & Technical degrees in all the art forms, including International and American. Mark is the Director of Silva Dance New York & Florida and a National & International Coach and Adjudicator. Mark has over 20 years of competitive Professional Experience in the UK & USA. He has completed Amateur and Professional Examinations in the USA and UK in Ballroom, Latin American, and International Style. Mark is a WDSF adjudicator and chairman. He is also a USA Dance Chairman, Scrutineer, and Invigilator.

Judges

Dana Edwards

Dana Edwards
Dana is a Licentiate member of the United States Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and has American certifications in Ballroom, Rhythm and Theatre Arts, as well as Licentiate degrees in International Ballroom and Latin. She is a USA Dance adjudicator and collegiate chairman of the judges. Dana is also the Director of Social Media and will be serving on the USISTD National committee. She is retired as an American and Canadian American professional American Smooth and Rhythm Champion. She has 24 years of teaching experience. She worked for Fred Astaire Dance studios for 9 years has also owned her own dance studio called Invitation To Dance in Columbus, Ohio since 2001. Dana was the head coach for the competitive and formation teams for the Ohio State University DanceSport team from 2009 to 2012.

Patricia Panebianco

Patricia Panebianco
Patricia Panebianco is an adjudicator and invigilator for many USA Dance competitions. She is the founder and owner of New York DanceSport Center. She has won over 25 professional titles in the International Latin Rising Star and Open categories and she has won first place in the Professional American Rhythm category.

Inez Sahlin

Inez Sahlin
Ms. Inez Sahlin is an International Adjudicator and coach, teaching and coaching independently in the United States, Europe and South America. She is a member and accredited member of WDSF, ISTD, AIDA, DTCB and USA Dance, WDO and WDC. She is trained and licensed in both the International and American Styles with credentials including Show Dance, Formation dance and Salsa. Inez is a former Amateur Champion and Runner-Up in Standard, 10-Dance, Team and Formation Dance, in her native country of Czech Republic. She was a Czech representative and World Finalist.

Martin Smith

Martin Smith
Martin Smith is a well-regarded adjudicator, coach, and former competitor from Virginia. Martin grew up and began teaching dance in South Africa, and he moved to the United States in 1999. He holds licenses and accreditations in American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Standard, and International Latin. Martin has judged at the USA Dance National Championships and many national qualifying events, as well as many prestigious competitions in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Phillip Stephens

Phillip Stephens
Phillip Stephens holds a World DanceSport Federation B license and is a National Adjudicator for USA Dance (A+B+C+D+E+). He has judged USA Dance National Championships, several Collegiate events, and National Qualifying Events (NQEs) such as Gumbo of Ballroom. Phillip has judged National Dance Council of America events such as United States DanceSport Championships, Ohio Star Ball, Heart of America, Texas Challenge, and others. He has served as an Invigilator at USA Dance NQEs and Nationals, Ohio Star Ball and United States Dancesport Championships, among others. With partner Lisa Sandifer, Phillip was the 1989 Vice-Champion in Open American Smooth at Heritage Classic and the 1989 Eastern United States Rising Star American Smooth Champion and has also held titles in various other events.

Irina Trebunskaya

Irina Trebunskaya

Yuehwern Yih

Yuehwern Yih, Ph.D
Yuehwern Yih is a Championship Licensed Adjudicator in all four styles by the North American Dancesport Teachers Association (NADTA), Licensed Adjudicator with World Dancesport Federation (WDSF), Certified Scrutineer with the National Dance Council of America (NDCA), and Certified Chair of Judges with USA Dance. In addition to judging and choreographing, she is also the faculty advisor and the head coach of the Purdue Latin & Ballroom Dance Team. In 2010, when the Team was invited to compete on Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars on Fox, she and her partner, Daniel, coached the dancers to a 1st round victory, and placed second in collegiate formation team competition at the finale. Yuehwern is the founder of the Purdue Latin & Ballroom Dance Team and the Team is one of the top ranked teams nationally. Yuehwern and Daniel also organize the Purdue Classic Ballroom Competition, which attracts more than 400 collegiate ballroom competitors each year in the Midwest area in the last two decades.

Sami Yli-Piipari

Sami Yli-Piipari
Sami started ballroom dancing at the age of 10 in his native country, Finland. During his career with his wife Karita, he achieved numerous international and national titles including 15 Finnish National Championships titles. He is also a former World & European Professional 10 Dance Grand Finalist, United Kingdom & International Professional Rising Star Finalist, and Blackpool Professional Rising Star Semi-Finalist. Representing Finland, Sami serves as a WDSF chairman and adjudicator.

Officials

Daniel Dilley

Daniel Dilley - Scrutineer
Daniel is a scrutineer and an O2CM technician.

Margot Garnick

Margot Garnick - DanceSport Rules Official (DRO)