2026 Empire Dance Camp

Featuring the World’s Top Coaches

Sunday, July 26th - Tuesday, July 28th, 2026

The Westin Jersey City Newport
479 Washington Blvd
Jersey City, NJ 07310

Latin

Ballroom

Daily Camp Schedule

Private Lessons: 7:00 AM - 11:40 AM (Private lessons are 40 minutes)

Lectures: 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Break: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Rounds: 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Lectures & Rounds Pricing:

$1,000 per couple ($500 per person) for 3 days.
$800 per couple ($400 per person) for 2 days.
$600 per couple ($300 per person) for 1 day.

Dancers will register and pay for the Dance Camp Lectures in person, cash only.

Dancers must attend the Dance Camp Lectures in order to receive Private Lessons.

Dancers may not attend rounds “a la carte” without signing up for and attending the lectures on a given day.

Meet The Teachers

Donnie Burns MBE Donnie has been cited in the World’s Top Ten Most Influential Dancers of the last century and is a 14 -time World Latin Champion with his former partner Gaynor Fairweather. Donnie was undefeated in the World’s most prestigious events for over 20 years of continuous competition, a world record in Latin Dance or any other form of Ballroom Dance and has been cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for holding these titles for over two decades!

On his competitive retirement, he was honored by appointment as MBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II. He is now President of the World Dance Council and has coached several World Professional and World Latin Champions. There is no doubt that he is one of the most legendary and revered Champions of all time and has been quoted by Wikipedia as “The Michael Jordan of Dance.” He has now pioneered the new “Burns Latn Tek,” book which has created most of the World’s best Latin couples and will continue to do so for generations to come!

Heidi Burns Heidi holds five US Open and World Swing Dance Champion titles along with her former partner Benji Schwimmer. She was a finalist in “So You Think You Can Dance,” and was brought back again for the 100th special having been in some of the show’s most memorable and successful Emmy Award winning dances. Her TV credits include being the only featured dance couple on Fox’s “Live New Year’s Eve Special” as well as the “Teen Choice Awards”, a talent scout for ABC and a choreographer for HBO, to name a few.

Her training is in various forms of dance including ballet, jazz, and tap however her specialty is in Latin and Swing. For several years now the focus of her career has been coaching and choreographing for the most elite dancers this world has to offer including the World Latin Champions from Junior to Professional and other couples in the top 6 and 12 in the world in both Professional and Amateur fields. Writing and working on the Burns Latin Tek together with Donnie has definitely been a both a privilege and a labor of love!

Mirko Saccani Mirko Saccani is one of the most sought after Latin coaches on the competitive circuit today. He has trained numerous World and National Champions and Finalists in the Professional, Amateur and Pro/Am circuits and judges all of the major competitions around the world.

Gaynor Fairweather MBE Gaynor is one of the most decorated Latin Champions of all time. She is a 14 -time World Latin Champion with her former partner Donnie Burns MBE. Gaynor was undefeated in the World’s most prestigious events for over 20 years of continuous competition, a world record in Latin Dance or any other form of Ballroom Dance and has been cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for holding these titles for over two decades! Gaynor is also a Carl Allen Award Recipient.

Riccardo Cocchi Two of the most widely known and well respected dancers of a generation, Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko are 10 time United States Professional Latin Champions, 10 time World Professional Latin Champions, and multi-time Blackpool, International, UK, and Asian Open Professional Latin Champions. Riccardo is also a former World Amateur Latin Champion.

Yulia Zagoruychenko Two of the most widely known and well respected dancers of a generation, Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko are 10 time United States Professional Latin Champions, 10 time World Professional Latin Champions, and multi-time Blackpool, International, UK, and Asian Open Professional Latin Champions. Riccardo & Yulia are also former World Professional Latin American Show Dance Champions.

Ruslan Aidaev A dancer known worldwide for his commanding and dynamic presence on the floor. Ruslan is a Murmansk Champion, Northwest of Russia Champion, Russian Open Rising Star Amateur Latin Champion, 2011 United States National Amateur Latin Champion, Imperial Amateur Latin Champion, and an Amateur Latin semi-finalist of all the major championships: International Championships, UK Championships, Blackpool Dance Festival, World Championships, German Open, US Open, and the Dutch Open.

Eugene Katsevman As owner of the renowned Brooklyn DanceSport Club, the premiere school for kids and adults to learn the art of DanceSport, Eugene Katsevman has decades of teaching experience under her belt. In 1997, Eugene Katsevman & Maria Manusova became USA National Amateur Latin Champions and held onto the title for the following 11 years. In 1998, they won the UK Open Amateur Rising Star Latin Championships and became British Open Under 21 Latin Champions - the first ever US couple to win that title. By the 2005-2006 season, they were the #1 amateur couple on the IDSF ranking list, and placed in the top 3 of every major championship, including the International Open, UK Open, British Open and World Championships. Among their titles are three US Open Championships, a Masters Gala Trophy, and an IDSF Grand Slam Series Championship. In 2005, they had the honor of representing their country at the World DanceSport Games in Germany, from which they brought home the gold medal. In 2008, Eugene & Maria turned Professional and immediately broke into the final of the British Open Championships at Blackpool in 2009. Eugene & Maria organize the New York Dance Festival each February in Manhattan.

Elena Martyniuk Elena is a world-class Latin dancer and coach. She is thrilled to attend the Empire Dance Camp and judge the Empire Open Dance Festival for the first time!

Peter Maxwell Peter Maxwell, former World Amateur and Professional Latin American Champion, is a renowned principal coach to some of the most successful couples in the history of dancing. He is the only coach who has ever had direct input with World Champions in Standard and Latin simultaneously. Honorary Life President of DanceSport England and the WDSF Professional Division, Peter has served as the Chairman of Judges for the Blackpool Dance Festival as well as the WDSF Grand Slam Series. Retiring at the early age of 26, Peter went on to study other forms of dance in New York City. During this time, he formed a partnership with Vicki Regan. They were the stars of “The American Dance Machine” and performed worldwide on stage with this revered group. Peter then created “Peter Maxwell’s Ballroom Dance Theatre” which toured the U.S. and internationally with great success for six years. The company’s innovative genre of “Ballroom on Stage” received glowing reviews from major newspapers including the New York Times and Boston Globe.

Lu Ning Lu Ning is a former Chinese Professional Latin Champion, Asian Pacific Professional Latin Champion, Blackpool Dance Festival/UK Open/ International Professional Rising Star Latin Champion, and Blackpool Dance Festival/UK Open/ International Open Professional Latin Semi-Finalist.

Richard Porter Richard Porter began dancing at the age of 10, quickly establishing himself as a top competitor with a 3rd place finish at the Junior International Championships at 15 and a victory in the Blackpool Open Youth division at 17. By 19, he reached his first Blackpool Open Amateur Latin final, placing 5th.

He went on to win major Amateur Latin titles, including the UK, International, British, US Open, and Dutch Open Championships, before turning professional at 25. As a professional, Richard became a finalist at the World, European, British Open, UK, US Open, International, and Dutch Open Championships, with a career-best result of 4th place in the Open Professional Latin at Blackpool.

After retiring from competition at 29, he attended Laban Dance College for three years, specializing in Dance Movement Analysis & Choreography. Since then, Richard has focused on coaching and choreography, working with dancers at the highest level around the world.

Evgeny Smagin Evgeny Smagin is a former Russian National Professional Latin Champion and finalist of the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival. He is a highly respected global icon of Latin dance, and he is an elite teacher and international adjudicator of all the major competitions worldwide.

Eddie Torres Jr. Eddie Torres Jr. is a New York–born mambo dancer, choreographer, and educator, and the son of legendary “Mambo King” Eddie Torres. Raised in a deeply artistic environment - his mother a flamenco dancer—he grew up immersed in Latin music and dance from an early age. Formally trained in both music and dance, he studied piano and clarinet at the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music and trained in ballet, jazz, modern, and Afro-Caribbean styles at institutions such as Ballet Hispánico and the Peridance Capezio Center.

An internationally recognized performer, Eddie has appeared at major venues including Madison Square Garden and Lincoln Center, and has collaborated with artists such as Tito Puente Jr. and José Alberto “El Canario.” His work spans stage and screen, with credits including In the Heights, The Christmas Chronicles 2, and Being the Ricardos. As co-founder of Mambo Royalty NYC, he is dedicated to preserving and evolving authentic New York–style “On2” mambo, mentoring the next generation of dancers while continuing to perform and teach worldwide.

Maksym Bulanyi Maksym Bulanyi is a World Professional 10 Dance Finalist, an International Championship finalist, a United Kingdom Championship finalist, and the Ukrainian National Professional Ballroom Champion. Maksym is also an owner of the Cave Creek Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

Edita Daniute Edita had a very successful dancing career with Arunas Bizokas in the junior, youth, and amateur categories. After becoming World Amateur Standard Champions, as well as winning the European, International, UK, and British Championships, Arunas and Edita ended their partnership. Mirko and Edita were ranked second in the world for Professional Ballroom, and have been finalists in every major world competition since 2010, including the World Championships, the International Championships, the UK Open, Blackpool, and the European Championships.

Denis Donskoy Denis is a finalist of the WDC European Professional Ballroom Championship and a finalist of almost every WDC World Series Professional Ballroom event.

Massimo Giorgianni Massimo Giorgianni is an 18-time Italian Amateur and Professional Champion, a 2001 European Professional Ballroom Champion, 2-time World Professional Show Dance Champion, and the owner of the Dance As Fire Dance Studio.

Mirko Gozzoli Mirko was born in Italy and started dancing at the age of 7. Prior to dancing with Edita, Mirko danced with Alessia Betti in a partnership that lasted 20 years, from 1989-2009. Together they were four-time undefeated World Professional Standard Champions from 2005 to 2008. Mirko began his third partnership in his entire dance career with Edita in November 2009. Mirko and Edita were ranked second in the world for Professional Ballroom, and have been finalists in every major world competition since 2010, including the World Championships, the International Championships, the UK Open, Blackpool, and the European Championships.

Marko Ilich Marko Ilich is a Blackpool Professional Rising Star Finalist and an Open Professional Semi-Finalist at both the UK and International Championships.