Since officially partnering in 2019, Thibault and Nicole have become four-time West Coast Swing Showcase World Champions, with a combined 12 World Championship titles. Thibault, a French Title holder in Boogie Woogie, made history as the first European to win an Opus at The Open. Nicole, with eight Showcase World titles, has also performed on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance.

Traveling to over 40 events annually, they are celebrated for their artistry, vibrant energy, and engaging teaching style. Known for creating a supportive and inspiring learning environment, they help dancers of all levels grow in confidence, technique, and creativity.

KP and Bryn began partnering in Rising Star in 2017 and have since placed top 3 at the Open Swing Dance Championships and become NASDE champions. They have gained a reputation for incorporating isolations and other forms of hip hop into their West Coast Swing, and they enjoy introducing westies to these styles alongside West Coast Swing fundamentals.

Both have diverse dance backgrounds. KP grew up dancing hip hop and began partner dancing in 2011. After sampling many different styles, such as DFW Swingout, Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, and Zydeco, he finally fell in love with West Coast Swing in 2015. Bryn began West Coast Swing at age 5 and competed throughout her teens. She has supplemented her West Coast Swing with Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, and International Latin.

Are known for their high-energy teaching style, dynamic movement, and clear, engaging instruction. With three years of partnership, they focus on helping dancers improve body awareness and movement quality while keeping classes fun and accessible. Their diverse dance backgrounds bring a fresh approach to West Coast Swing, blending technique with creativity. Whether in class or on the dance floor, they love sharing their passion for WCS and creating a great learning experience for everyone.

Semion was born in Saratov, Russia and has been dancing ever since he was eight. He started with ballroom dancing first (latin and standard programs), then got into social dancing (bachata, salsa, discofox), and finally he fell in love with West Coast Swing. Semion is known for his

musicality, humour and great connection with his partners.

Maria is also from Saratov, Russia and has been dancing since 2007. In 2008 she fell in love with social partner dances. She started learning hustle/discofox and salsa. She had been dancing hustle and discofox for 4 years, working on her solo choreography as well when West Coast

Swing came in to her dancing life. After that she couldn’t stop dancing WCS. She enjoys the versatility of the dance, bringing new emotions, options for musicality and styling to every dance.

Semion and Maria started the partnership in their hometown in 2013. Soon after that in 2016 they moved to Moscow to perceive a path of professional West Coast Swing dancers and teachers.

Semion and Maria were the first Russians to ever get to US Open Classic finals in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019. They also got the second place at The Open Classic finals in 2018.

Their partnership emphasizes technique, musicality and connection. They love the possibilities for communication and dialogue between partners during every dance, and seek to help their

students discover this incredibly fun aspect of WCS. They share a philosophy that care and

attention are the best things partners can give to each other during any dance.

SEBASTIAN QUINONES

Sebastian began ballroom dancing at 8 years old with extensive training in American Rhythm and American Smooth styles for over 15 years. He then found country dancing in 2014 where he is  a two-time Pro/Pro Open 1 World Champion and two-time Line Dance RisingStar World Champion. This led him discovering west coast swing where he is the 2024 US Open Rising Star World Champion. He has been featured on So You Think You Can Dance Season 18 and 1923 Season 2, and is currently a champions level competitor in the WSDC as well as dancing in the classic division on the swing circuit, in addition to being a Masters level couples dancer and SuperStars level line dancer on the country dance circuit.

STEFANIE TSCHOM 

Stefanie Tschom is a professional West Coast Swing dancer, coach, and competition judge based in Berlin with a versatile background in ballet, jazz, hip hop, and ballroom dancing. Since discovering West Coast Swing in 2017, she has been captivated by its unique combination of musicality and communication, and is finding joy in the creative freedom to interpret all genres of music while engaging in an open dialogue with her partner.

As a teacher, Stefanie is known for her structured yet playful approach to learning. She blends technical precision with artistic exploration, ensuring that students develop a strong foundation while feeling empowered to express their individuality. With a keen eye for body mechanics and alignment, she incorporates her expertise as a trained fitness and health coach to help dancers move efficiently and with greater awareness. She believes that technique should serve creativity, giving dancers the tools to explore musicality, connection, and personal style with confidence.

Stefanie’s teaching style is highly visual and interactive, making complex concepts accessible through clear demonstrations and relatable analogies. Her classes are designed to challenge and inspire, fostering an open and communicative environment, encouraging students to experiment, and engage in the learning process actively.

An avid traveler, Stefanie loves sharing her passion for West Coast Swing across Europe, helping dancers unlock new levels of confidence, connection, and artistry.

In 2010, Marc discovered his passion for West Coast Swing. He developed sound knowledge by participating in national and international congresses and festivals. Many additional private lessons with renowned coaches like Jordan Frisbee and Tatiana Mollmann and John Lindo have given him even more insight into the world of this fascinating dance.

Marc has quickly established a West Coast Swing community around his dance school in Düsseldorf. Since then, curious dancers from all over NRW regularly attend his workshops and visit his dance school's West Coast Swing Club.

Meanwhile, Marc is regularly on the road as a welcome lecturer in West Coast Swing. He supervises West Coast Swing dance tours, teaches in dance clubs and other dance schools and trains dance athletes and youth leaders in WCS on behalf of the TNW.

Mejrem has been on the dance floor since she was 8 years old. At the age of 16, she decided to train as a Dance4Fans Video Clip Dancing instructor and achieved many German and European championship titles with her teams and solo dancers.

This was followed by the classic ADTV - general German dance teacher association - dance teacher training, which she completed with flying colors.

As additional training, she acquired knowledge of the dances Hip Hop, Salsa, and Zumba.

West Coast Swing sparked a new passion in her. Mejrem is fascinated by the possibilities this dance offers and combines her many years of experience with new ideas. In 2014, she completed her training as a Master WCS Instructor from Global PDIA by Michael Kiehm and the WCS Academy Düsseldorf. Mejrem teaches and impresses with her competence and her friendly, cheeky, and natural manner.

Head Judge

Marc Heldt