Instructor Biographies

Junior Willis ~ Scott Schrank ~ Vickie Dunn ~ John Robinson ~ Clive Antony Stevens ~ Shawn Swaithes ~ A.T. Kinson
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Junior Willis 

Junior is from Bean Station, Tennessee. He has been line dancing for over 10 years and has been teaching workshops on the line dance circuit for 4 years. His first dance experience was as a clogger at the age of 8. He competed and performed with several clogging teams for over 19 years and won many team, duo, and individual events. His highest award earned was 5th in the world, in individuals.

Clogging eventually led Junior into line dancing. Some of his best known line dances include: Dancer's Night Out (The Butt Dance), Junkie, Boogie Fever, and Free. He teaches a regular weekly class in Morristown, Tennessee at the Talley Ward Building. His group, known as the "Fire and Ice" Linedancers, perform at local events and nursing homes. They have also appeared on TNN's Club Dance several times performing spotlight dance routines.

Junior is an assistant coach for a competition cheerleading squad in Morristown, Tennessee, the Hurricane All-Stars. He enjoys working with young people and encouraging them to dance!

Scott Schrank 

What can I say about myself? Well, I started line dancing about 7 years ago. I remember the first dance I ever tried to learn was Jo Thompson's "Midnight Waltz". I was so intrigued by the movement. Believe it or not, it took me 4 sessions to learn that dance. Things have changed dramatically in the short time I have been dancing. I find that the dances are much more demanding in precision and complexity. No more of just "Slap Dem Boots!" and "Kick up your heels". I like the more complex workings in the new line dances. I also like the fact that line dances are done to such a vast variety of music genres. They are a good way for students to learn Cha-Cha, Waltz, Swing or Two-Step...all without a dance partner. And most dances can be mastered in the privacy of your own living room.

I have written some dances that I think are good...others may be just "A Work in Progress". People say my dances are "Challenging." I am not sure if that is a good thing, but I will take it as a compliment. I have entered a few choreography competitions. Recently, my dance, "Soul Violins," took first place in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Another dance, "Just Imagine," took second place in the Phrased Country Category.

This year has been a very good one for me. I just came back from Las Vegas from the Vegas Dance Explosion. My two newest dances, "Global Warming" and "Working It," both took 1st place.

Vickie Dunn 

A Specialist in Country Western Dancing. Also teaches Ballroom and helps wedding couples prepare for that "first dance."

~ Vickie@theplace2dance.com

John Robinson 

John discovered country dancing in 1993 while visiting Nashville for a work-related trade show. He and his coworkers visited a popular nightclub called The Wrangler, where he saw line and partner dancing for the first time. Back home, a friend invited him to attend free lessons at the Grizzly Rose Saloon. John was hooked immediately, and started taking lessons and dancing socially three to four nights per week.

Less than a year later, the local instructors asked John if he'd like to try teaching. He agreed without a moment's hesitation. By 1995, John was instructing freestyle couples, pattern partner, and line dances three nights a week to hundreds of eager students. He and his dance partner developed a 12-week two-step program, which attracted more than 200 students the first night alone. John introduced west coast swing and cha cha to the area, as well as line dances from (then) budding choreographers such as Scott Blevins.

In April 2004, John returned to northeast Wisconsin for a reunion with more than 200 country dancers of the area. John was amazed to see most of them remembered dances he had taught them from 1995-1997.

AWARD-WINNING COMPETITOR

John's competitive career began in 1994, when he attended his first UCWDC (United Country Western Dance Council) event. Even with no formal dance training, he consistently won first or second place in nearly every competition he entered. Later, John learned that the Country Dance Association used videotapes of his performances to train their judges - who were surprised to see the amount of body language he incorporated in his dancing!

John gradually improved his style and execution, and his efforts paid off. To date, he has earned more than 40 first place titles, including that of UCWDC World's VI Line Dance Male Showcase Champion, which he won in Nashville in January 1998.

John was one of the first male line dancers to reach the highest level attainable on the UCWDC circuit: Superstar. His first solo medley as a Superstar received a standing ovation and won first place when he debuted it at the Chicagoland Festival in August 1998. In 1999, John placed 2nd overall (to his good friend Pedro Machado) in the first ever Superstars competition at the UCWDC World Championships.

POPULAR CHOREOGRAPHER

John's original choreography is taught and danced around the world. He creates dances for all levels, from beginner to advanced (although he classifies most of his material as high intermediate), and he uses both country and non-country music.

Several of John's dances have been nominated for (and won) awards. In 1997, his dances "Good Night Groove" and "Ready 4U" took first and second place in a field of 100 entries at the Dance Team Showdown in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. His "Switchblade USA" and "Hot Potato" were nominated as Dance of the Year in the 2000 and 2001 Linedancer Magazine Music & Dance Awards. And in 2004, the worldwide hit "Slow Burn" (co-choreographed with Kathy Hunyadi) was nominated for a Linedancer Award and won top honors in the professional choreography challenge at the jg2 Line Dance Marathon.

The UCWDC used John's "Red Zone" and "Jive Walkin'" in its classic line dance competitions. John has worked with several recording artists, including the Ryes, Dallas Wayne, Nashville Attitude, Rick Tippe, Barry Amato, and Pete Martinez. He has also collaborated successfully with many other top choreographers, including Jo Thompson, Barry & Dari Anne Amato, Guyton Mundy, "Hot Pepper" Siquieros, Michael Barr, Doug & Jackie Miranda, Craig Bennett, and Junior Willis.

Clive Antony Stevens 

Clive was born and raised in England, where he received extensive training in Ballroom, Latin, Sequence Disco/Freestyle Ballet, Tap & Jazz dancing. He also worked in musical theatre and cabaret.

At the age of nineteen he relocated to the United States and studied American Style and Country Western Couples & Line Dancing.

He has been dancing for 28 years and teaching for 16 years. Clive is the holder of numerous titles and his competitive achievements include United Kingdom & Commonwealth Ballroom & Latin Champion, World Line Dance Champion and World North American & British Pro/Pro Country Western Couples Champion. He has trained students to win many major championships, including US & World titles. Clive is a UCWDC Superstar Line Dancer.

Clive is the owner of DanceSportVA in Virginia Beach, VA, and travels the world coaching, choreographing, competing & performing.
Shawn Swaithes 

Shawn Swaithes began his competitive dance career in 1996 in the mainstream dance environment.

Shawn and his partner Donna Bonham Steinfeld progressed rapidly through the ranks and in 1999 captured a World Championship in the professional division of the UCWDC. Shawn's professional background in training and development make him a very popular instructor, coach and choreographer in many dance environments. Along with being a fulltime instructor, Shawn and Donna are also Event Directors of the Orange Blossom Dance Festival (www.orangeblossomdance.com).
 

AT Kinson 

A.T. Kinson is a UCWDC certified journeyman judge. He travels throughout the U.S. coaching, teaching, judging, choreographing, and demonstrating for many venues. He will be available for private lessons at Peach Stampede-couples, line dance, groups and individuals.

"Thanks for your support and good luck to all." ~ A.T.