Lania Berger
Manager/Franchisee

Lania Berger's professional dancing career has had her dancing on the Castle Stage of Walt Disney World Florida and Tokyo Disneyland Japan; she has also danced in the Christina Applegate movie, "Just Visiting", the cable TV show "Jackson Street", Studio 10 TV, Fox News, Daytime, and other independent films.

Her ballroom career started in 1998, when she won her first Swing Championship. From there she went on to compete in American Rhythm, American Smooth, and Freestyle Salsa. She has been an open professional finalist in Atlantic City, Manhattan, LA, Hawaii, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and at the prestigious Las Vegas World Dance-O-Rama.

Winner of the World's Top Arthur Murray Ballroom Specialist Award in 2005, and World's Top Arthur Murray Executive Award in 2007, Lania has studied ballroom dance throughout the world with some of the world's top dancers such as Miriam Larici and Leo Barrionuevo of So You Think You Can Dance and Superstars of Dance, Nick and Lena Kosovich of Dancing with the Stars, twelve-time undefeated US Rhythm Champions Bob Powers and Julia Gorchakova, and former Mambo Champion Sal Marino. Lania studied ballroom dancing in the US, Japan, Argentina, and Italy, adding a distinctive multifaceted perspective to her teaching.

David Schmidt
Senior Dance Instructor

David's dancing has been showcased on Studio 10 TV, Fox News, and Daytime Television. He was the Champion of the 2009 Dancing with the Local Stars in New Port Richey and the 2010 Dancing with the Palm Harbor Stars at the Citrus Festival, a semi-finalist in the Tournament of Champions Cha Cha Competition, and a finalist in the Argentine Tango Competition.

Choreographers from So You Think You Can Dance, Miriam Larici and Leo Barrionuevo, have worked with David on his Argentine Tango. He has also studied with twelve-time undefeated rhythm champion, Bob Powers, world Professional Standard Champion, Lorraine Baricchi, US 9-dance Champion Joe Howard, 13 time undefeated rhythm champions, Bob Powers and Julia Gorchakova and Hollywood movie choreographer, Gabriela Young.

Rio Rivera-Young
Dance Instructor

Rio started out a singer - not a dancer. Hesitant to get on the floor, he didn’t start dancing until high school. And once he started he decided he would never stop! Rio fell in love with the single time swing, realizing how much fun dancing is, and how much it enhances social situations. In fact, he liked swing dancing so much that he started a Swing Club at his high school.

Rio was the President and Founder of the Birmingham Southern Swing Club. He studied West Coast Swing with greats such as Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollman, Leann & Michael Norris, and Beata Howe. The Vulcan Performers soon recognized his talent, and he became a performance specialist at Rhythm ‘n’ Motion. After performing with the Vulcan Performers for three and a half years, Rio moved back to the west coast of Florida where he joined the teaching team at Arthur Murray Palm Harbor.

Rio and his professional partner Candice have with 13 time undefeated rhythm champions, Bob Powers and Julia Gorchakova and Hollywood movie choreographer, Gabriela Young.

Candice Cunningham
Dance Instructor

Candice, who started dancing at the young age of 3, has always had dancing as a part of her life. Because of her talent and passion for dance, Candice earned a spot in New School for the Arts, and graduated high school with a dance major. She continued to excel in college, studying flamenco, jazz, ballet, modern, ballroom, and latin dancing. Candice received an Associate in Fine Arts with highest distinction from Mesa Community College. Her Bachelor in Fine Arts Dance is from the Cornish College of the Arts. This Spring Candice won Dancing with the Palm Harbor Stars!

A former member of Mesa Dance Company and Cornish Dance Theater, Candice has a multi-faceted background that enhances her ability to teach ballroom and Latin dancing here at Arthur Murray Palm Harbor.

Candice and her professional partner Rio have trained with 13 time undefeated rhythm champions, Bob Powers and Julia Gorchakova and Hollywood movie choreographer, Gabriela Young.

Christopher Caldwell
Guest Instructor

Christopher Scott Caldwell has been commissioned as a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator at an international standard. He has toured as a protege to some of the worlds top choreographers including the panel from So You Think You Can Dance, such as Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo, Wade Robson, and Tyce Diorio.

Christopher was trained in classical ballet by former Bejart Ballet Lausanne principle dancer Shonach Mirk Robles, and was introduced to modern technique by Ailey graduate Donna Kojo, and renowned instructor Michael Foley (Cirque du Soleil), and studied composition from choreographers Larry Keigwin (Julliard School), and Bill T Jones (Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company). Christopher has choreographed alongside the Miami City Ballet in an off-Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet, under the direction of Kristen Coury, and has played lead roles in other off-Broadway shows including Godspell, Little Shop of Horrors, Footloose, and much more.

Currently the Artistic Director of Ovations Productions LLC, and a permanent faculty member of Colours School of the Arts, Chris is excited to be a part of Arthur Murray Palm Harbor, and combine his extensive modern dance background with ballroom technique to offer an incredible learning experience to his students. Christopher has studied with twelve-time undefeated US Rhythm Champion Bob Powers, and has appeared with Arthur Murray Palm Harbor on Studio 10 TV, Fox News, and Daytime on NBC.

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Chris Jericho & Cheryl Burke
Dancing with the Stars Season 12

Arthur Murray Palm Harbor is proud to have been a featured dance facility on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars! BBC Worldwide searched the Tampa Bay area for a studio to shoot the practice sessions in. Impressed by our large floor, beautiful space, friendly staff, and great reputation in the community, Arthur Murray Palm Harbor was selected. For three weeks former WWE star, Chris Jericho, and his professional partner, Cheryl Burke, practiced their Cha Cha Cha and Quickstep in our facility. You can see segments of their practice sessions in our facility throughout season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, on Insider, Entertainment Tonight, and WWE Smackdown.

Check out the youtube link to see our beautiful facility:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc-U7wpLs7o

We are the studio with the deep maroon walls and the juke box in the background. (The other studio is in L.A.) So why not dance where the stars do? Come to Arthur Murray Palm Harbor . . . As seen on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars!

The Studio

The Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Palm Harbor features over 2,000 square feet of floating dance floor, as well as over 60 feet of mirrored walls. IT IS PALM HARBOR'S PREMIER BALLROOM DANCE STUDIO!