Fred Astaire Ballroom & Latin Dance Studio in Bloomfield Hills Michigan

The husband-wife couple opened the Bloomfield Hills Fred Astaire Dance Studio in 2005. Evan discovered ballroom dancing in his prime, while Lada started ballroom dancing at the tender age of 14 in her home country of Baku, Azerbaijan. Lada has taught dancing for the last 15 years in Russia, Germany and United States. Evan is from Michigan.

Karla is Fred Astaire’s dance director. Born in Mexico City, Karla learned how to dance and walk at the same time. She has a Master’s Degree in Choreography and Production, plus a degree in dance from the University of Las Americas in Puebla Mexico (UDLA) where Karla danced for their professional team for eight years. She has taught dance for almost 15 years, and joined Fred Astaire in 2006. Recent achievements include selection as the 2009 Winter Ball top female teacher and winning the top spot in the 2009 Male Novelty division with John, a student. Karla loves anything artistic and dancing is “the whole package.” Karla and her partner Vadim (see below) placed 3rd in Rising Star Rhythm and 2nd in Rising Star Smooth at the Empire State Dancesport Championship in NY. The pair also won 3rd Place Rising Star Smooth and 4th Place Professional Smooth Closed Division at the Fred Astaire World Championships in Summer 2010.

Vadim’s dancing career started in 1998 with a friend’s observation that there was more girls than boys in ballroom dancing and that “the girls will need partners!” He since racked up a list of formidable achievements including 1st place in "Caucasus Cup" Competition-Tbilisi 2001, 1st place "Studi" Competition- Baku 2002 1st place "Viva" Competition- Baku 2002, 2nd place "Azerbaijan Cup" Competition- Baku 2004, 1st place " Bahariya" Competition- Baku 2004 and 2nd place "Championship of Baku" Competition-Baku 2004. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in his rare spare time, Vadim loves to play volleyball and to eat potatoes. Vadim and his partner Karla placed 3rd in Rising Star Rhythm and 2nd in Rising Star Smooth at the Empire State Dancesport Championship in NY. The pair also won 3rd Place Rising Star Smooth and 4th Place Professional Smooth Closed Division at the Fred Astaire World Championships in Summer 2010.

The voluble Anastasiya is a favorite among the shy violets needing a push on the dance floor. Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Anastasiya has danced almost seven years and is the primary instructor of Fred Astaire’s junior program. She took 3rd placed in Fred Astaire’s national Novice and Cabaret divisions and recently took a high-scoring student to national competition. Anastasiya has a degree in chemistry and loves hiking. One of Anastasyia's students took home the Top Male Newcomer title at the Cross Country Dance Championships in Las Vegas, Spring 2010.

Tino was born and raised right here in Oakland County. His mother was a United States Ballroom Champion who started him in ballroom dancing when he was 5 years old. He attended the University of Michigan but left to pursue a career in dance. Tino and his former partner were the Regional Open Professional American Style Smooth and Rhythm Champions. They were also one of the top ranked couples in the country, capturing many National professional titles and top teacher awards along the way. Tino also coached an ice dancer that competed in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. In his spare time, he trains and shows dogs. One of Tino's students took home the Top Female Newcomer title at the Fred Astaire World Championships in Summer of 2010!

3. We’re talented – Fred Astaire instructors consistently beat out the rest in national and world competitions. Our instructors are certified and train every day to keep their skills diamond-sharp. We bring in the top dancing coaches in the country to help you hone your skills. You learn from the best to get the most out of your dancing dollar.
4. We’re direct – No hidden costs, fees or funny business. We spell out everything in advance so you have a clear understanding of what you’re buying. You pay for your lessons in advance, so there’s no chance of getting in debt. The contract also locks in our price, so there are no mysterious rate changes. Everything is put in writing – to maintain consistency between you and your instructor – and we guarantee what we say.
5. We’re professional– We maintain a friendly, professional ballroom. A place where you are welcomed and feel safe, yet have the space you need to grow! It’s a bit like a university – you come to learn and we come to teach! Like the university, we also track and monitor your (and your instructors) progress toward your dancing goals!
6. We’re affordable – You pay for top-notch private lessons. Included in that fee is a week’s worth of group lessons and practice parties. Though we’re not the cheapest, we give you the best value for your money, and consistently get top marks in quality and service.

7. We keep our promises – We work with you to design a realistic plan – one that meets your goals, challenges you and reinforces what you learn, so you can apply your lessons whenever, wherever you dance.
8. You lead. Always. – You’ll never be prisoners of our egos. We make dancing as serious or as FUN as you want! We have students all over the dancing spectrum – some come to compete, some come to stretch their feet. Some come with professional dreams; others just want to unstuck themselves from the wall in social settings. We make your dancing dreams – large and small – a reality.
9. We’re innovative – No sticks in the mud here. No fuddy-duddies. We work hard to maintain an innovative edge. This means our Fred Astaire curriculum is ablaze with the hottest new dance steps. We stay several steps ahead of the competition, and are constantly training to turn current into cutting-edge!

10. We’re FUN. Really. Way funnier than this list. Just ask our students who come back night, after night, after night, year, after year, after year. Better yet, see for yourself.