Gene Bersten
Gene Bersten was born in Belarus and raised in Minnesota. Gene’s dance partner is his wife Elena. He has been complimented on numerous occasions on his wonderful and strong partnering skills, his hard work ethic, his determination, and passion for dancing and performing. Gene dances with his heart and soul and always delivers a meaningful performance full of passion. Gene has won multiple United States titles in Latin dancing championships. Also, He has been featured in a dance company called “Dance with Love” which has been featured all over Minnesota and the country. Gene owns one of the strongest and well known dance studios in the Midwest “Dance With Us America”. He taught at Magic Ballroom, and worked and taught at the Center for Youth Development for many years, sharing his love for dance. His aspirations include continuing his love for dancing and performing by learning and growing his talent each and every day. He comes from a Russian background and has one sister and brother. His motto is take one day at a time and always give his all to everything he does.
Elena Bersten
Elena Bersten excelled in rhythmic gymnastics and became Russian gymnastics champion in 1995. At the age of 12 Elena started learning ballroom/Latin dance. In the summer of 1998 Elena and her mother (herself a former champion of Russia) opened the dance studio “21st Century”. Elena at age 16, went to school for choreography.
In her dancing career Elena won numerous awards for her dancing abilities and won many prestigious Russian championships and titles. Gene and Elena began dancing together in 2010. Together they created Latin and Ballroom dance shows, and currently they co-own “Dance With Us America”, a highly rated dance studio in Edina, Minnesota.
Elena is also Certified as a national adjudicator with USTA and NDCA: A+ B+ C+ D+
Jordan Lanasa
Jordan became our bright and ambitious instructor in 2017. She is a recent graduate of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, but her ever-growing presence in the dance community has given her the opportunity to devote herself entirely to her dance career. She is known for her high-energy, emotional performances and distinctive presence on and off the stage. She is highly accomplished in the competitive circuit, but the success of her students is prioritized just as highly as any of her own pursuits. She believes that it is her responsibility as instructor to identify and understand the unique and ever-evolving goals of each of her students and it is her ultimate passion to provide them with the technical and creative tools to fully achieve them. She finds joy in creating personalized lessons that adapt to each student’s unique challenges and that maximize the amplitude of their strengths. She welcomes students of all ages and abilities, challenging all of them to grow in strength, stamina, and expression in order to achieve the highest level of dancing accessible to them. Through passion, dedication, and innovative creativity, Jordan’s students grow in exponentially in their dancing while feeling energized and empowered.
Mishiko Bregvadze
Mishiko Bregvadze comes from the country of Georgia, and has joined the teaching staff of Dance With Us America in 2021.
A winner of multiple national and International competitions in Latin, Mishiko was invited to represent Italy and other European countries on the International Competition circuit. Mishiko was the main solo performer in the Georgian National Dance company. He was featured in a Georgian national TV program as a dancer and as a teacher.
Georgian Technical University, Mishiko's alma mater, featured him as multitalented dancer and teacher. A prominent Dance Studio Ensemble Mananuri has established a scholarship in his name.
Mishiko is a passionate and dedicated teacher. His students consistently placed in the top 20 in the world in Senior I in Latin. In national championships Mishiko's students were always prizewinners.
Alena Khoroshevtseva
Alena Khoroshevtseva is a passionate young woman that began ballroom dancing at the age of 4. She is a graduate from Minnetonka High School and is now attending Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Apart from ballroom dancing, she participated at the Academy of Russian Ballet for 9 years. Currently Alena is a professional latin dancer in the Twin Cities that travels nationally and globally. When at home, she helps the studio by teaching kids ballroom and other styles of dance and inspiring them to find their passion. Alena’s love for dance helps motivate her students and other dancers around her, showing them that anything is possible.
Together with her dance partners she has received many top places in national NDCA and USADance completions. In most recent USADance Nationals, Alena Khoroshevtseva with her partner Mishiko Bregvadze placed 2nd overall in the Professional latin division. Their high placement at nationals has earned them a spot in the WDSF world championships in Leipzig, Germany 2022.
Our Junior Coaches
Alex Vladimirov
Alex Vladimirov started dancing at the age of 4 and has been a ballroom dancer for 14 years. He is a graduate of Wayzata Highschool and is now attending University of Minnesota to study Computer Science. Throughout his dance career he competed locally and traveled across the country to compete in a variety of NDCA events.
Together with his dance partners he has received many top places in national NDCA completions. In most recent USADance Nationals Sasha Vladimirov with his partner placed 1st in Collegiate Level events and 1st in U21, and became 2022 and 2023 USADance Champions in Latin division.
Alex’s passion is in Latin ballroom dance, he enjoys dancing and teaching it to others. His delightful personality, passion, innovative ideas and friendly approach are inspirational to youth. He brings in a fresh perspective and creates a friendly atmosphere by empowering his students to reach their goals.
Michelle Simanovich
“Dance from your heart and let your passion shine through,”- Unknown Author. This is the motto that Michelle Simanovich lives by. A Minnesota native, she started dancing at the age of 4. All these years she has been a devoted student who loves to soak up everything dance and a strong competitor who has contested across the United States in both International Standard and Latin styles. Currently she is dancing ProAm with Gene Bersten and most recently won first place in the Latin Youth Division in Las Vegas. Michelle attends Maple Grove Senior High and will graduate with the class of 2023.
In addition to ballroom dancing, Michelle also dances competitively for the Varsity Maple Grove Dance Team. Whether it be ballroom or High School dance, she has been recognized by coaches and teammates as a standout dancer. Michelle started coaching in 2019 and immediately fell in love with teaching younger students. Her cheerful personality, creative approach, and energetic style helps her connect with her students in a way that keeps them motivated and engaged throughout the lessons. She is eager to motivate her current and prospective students to grow as dancers, improve their technique, and shine their character on the dance floor.