Fred Astaire Dance Studio Pensacola
home meet our staff events calendar photo gallery contact us

Meet the Staff

Dawn Westberry and Victor Luna [ back to top ]

Owners Victor Luna & Dawn Westberry have each been in the ballroom dance business for over 15 years. Both were Fred Astaire born & bred, Victor beginning in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Dawn in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In October of 2000, Dawn made the move to Fort Walton Beach where her and Victor began their professional partnership together. Since then they have consistently trained under US Rhythm Champions, 4 time World Cabaret Champions and 13 time US Cabaret Champions, Bruno Collins and Luann Pulliam. They have also been trained by professionals such as Maksim Chmerkovsky, Tony Dovolani and Fabian Sanchez along with many other top coaches in the ballroom industry.

Not only has this dynamic duo recently became the owners of their own studio, but they are also still actively competing at the highest level all over the U.S., thus bringing this knowledge and excellence to the Pensacola area.

  • 2006 U.S. Theatrical Champions and 3-time U.S. Theatrical Finalist
  • U.S. Open Smooth Finalist and U.S. Rising Star Rhythm Finalist
  • Fred Astaire Open Smooth Champions and 9-Dance Finalist
  • Fred Astaire Top Teachers, Male and Female, in both Regional and National levels
  • Top Teachers, Male & Female, Nationally at the United States Championships
  • Featured Performers in New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, Bahamas, Fort Walton Beach, and Pensacola


Marylynn Benitez [ back to top ]

Ranked among America’s top coaches, Marylynn Benitez has seen and done it all in the dance world. From competing in the world renowned Blackpool competition in England to coaching some of the country’s greatest performers, she is a rare talent. As a competitor, she has represented the United States on some of the biggest stages in the world. She now specializes in coaching and choreography in all styles, and travels the country as a national adjudicator judging some of our countries best.

  • British Professional Rising Star Latin Champion - London, England
  • 3-time U.S. Professional Latin Finalist
  • U.S. Representative for the Prestigious Blackpool Team Match
  • Ohio Star Ball Finalist & Featured on PBS telecast
  • U.S. Amateur Latin Champion
  • U.S. Representative to the World Latin Championships in Denmark, England & Switzerland
  • Featured choreography in many Hollywood films, Salsa & Dance With Me...(just to name a few)


Andrea Smithee [ back to top ]

Andrea began as a student in 2004 at the Fort Walton Beach Studio, but it didn’t take long for her to realize this was meant to be her career and she began training competitively under some of the best in the business. She met her professional partner, Roger Howell, in 2007 and they began training together in both the rhythm and smooth styles.

  • 2008 Freddy Ball Novice Champions and Pre-Champ Runner-up
  • 2008 Emerald Coast Dance Championships Closed Smooth Champions
    and 3rd Place Closed Rhythm


Roger Howell [ back to top ]

Roger found out at an early age that “the guy that knows how to dance will always get the girl”. So at the age of 11, he began training in ballroom under American Rhythm Finalists. In college, Roger joined a hip hop dance group as well as began to do hip hop choreography while studying under some of the best choreographers in the country. After college, he knew that dancing was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He joined Fred Astaire and has received training from some of the top professionals in the world. Through Fred Astaire, he met his partner, Andrea Smithee, and as they say “the rest is history”.

  • 2008 Freddy Ball Novice Champions and Pre-Champ Runner-up
  • 2008 Emerald Coast Dance Championships Closed Smooth Champions
    and 3rd Place Closed Rhythm


 

Fred Astaire Dance Studio Pensacola, FL . Copyright © 2008

Pensacola Web Design by JP Micro