Meet the Team
Jordan Frisbee
&
Tatiana Mollmann
Jordan Frisbee and Tatiana Mollmann have been a successful partnership for 22 years. They are 11-Time US Open Champions, as well as having 20 US Open Titles each. They are 7-time NASDE Champions, and Multi-Grand National Champions, as well as dominating the Classic Division for many years. At the UCWDC World's event they were given the Star Award for the Couple with the Most Impact on Swing, and Jordan won Best Swing Choreographer. Jordan and Tatiana have won Fox TV's "30 Seconds to Fame," appeared twice on CBS TV's "Star Search," danced in the motion capture film "Polar Express," won "America's Best Dance Couple" on ABC TV's "Good Morning America," had principal roles in the movie "Love N' Dancing," and danced in the LeAnn Rimes Music Video "Swinging." They travel 47 out of 52 weekends per year, performing, teaching packed workshops, and judging. They also have choreographed for some of the top dancers in Latin, Ballroom, Salsa, Bachata and the Zouk world. They are Certified Teachers in the Golden State Dance Teachers Association.
Ibirocay AlsÉN
This man has explored many dance forms, including Latin folklore, hip-hop, flamenco, jazz, and ballet, before finding his passion in salsa. As a salsa professional, he traveled the world, taught, performed, and won three silver medals at the World Salsa Championships. With 25 years of teaching experience, he discovered WCS in 2001 through VHS tapes and became deeply interested after watching YouTube videos. He started learning WCS in 2008, competing in 2012, and was the first Nordic dancer to reach the All-Star division. Since 2010, he has taught WCS, organized events in Sweden, hosted weekly classes, and traveled internationally to share his knowledge and passion.
Ibi has supported Winter White since its first trial year in 2013. Despite his busy schedule with events and family the last few years, we are fortunate to have him return. This time, he will be teaching with Irina Puzanova and serving as the MC for the event.
We're thrilled to welcome back a queen of the European scene who has influenced many as one of our first champions. Irina started dancing at 7, mastering Ballroom, Belly Dancing, Jazz, Hustle, Discofox, Salsa, Bachata, and WCS. She turned her focus to West Coast Swing in 2010, learning from the best and becoming a successful competitor. She’s the first Russian dancer to reach the All-Star division and earn Champion points.
When teaching, she’s demanding and encouraging in just the right proportion. Irina has traveled all around the world, dancing, teaching, and competing in over 30 cities across 15 countries. Most importantly, she’s a passionate social dancer, so don’t hesitate to ask her for a dance!
Irina Puzanova
Igor Pitangui
Igor Pitangui, a multi-artist from Brazil now based in Toulouse, France, is celebrated as a dancer, choreographer-director, coach, and event director. His artistic journey began at age 8, with contemporary dance, jazz, classical ballet, and Brazilian ballroom dancing. He has been performing in professional companies, operas, musical theater, and artistic festivals. Since starting West Coast Swing in 2009, Igor has excelled in dance competitions, competing in the WSDC All Stars category as both a leader and follower. He’s the only one who’s won the BudaFest All Stars/Champions Jack & Jill three years in a row (2022, 2023, 2024), and the Open Strictly in (2023). He also won the French Open WCS Showcase three times (2017, 2018, 2022) and ranked well at the US Open in (2017, 2018). Igor's passion for the arts is evident in his commitment to teaching and inspiring others. His contributions to the dance and artistic community continue to make a significant impact as he shares his talents and knowledge with a worldwide audience.
Semion has been dancing since he was eight, starting with ballroom, moving to social dancing, and finally to West Coast Swing, where he is known for his musicality and partner connection.
Maria began dancing in 2007, falling in love with social partner dances in 2008. She started with hustle/discofox and salsa, dedicating four years to these styles before being captivated by West Coast Swing, which she loves the versatility of the dance, bringing new emotions, options for musicality and styling to every dance.
Together, Semion and Maria emphasize technique, musicality, and connection in West Coast Swing. They value the communication between partners and aim to help their students discover this fun aspect of the dance. Their philosophy is that care and attention are the best gifts partners can offer each other in the dance.
Semion Ovsiannikov
&
Maria Elizarova
Laurena HOUHOU has been dancing since her earliest childhood, starting with classical dance at the age of 6. She later expanded her repertoire to include Modern Jazz, Street Jazz, and Hip Hop, all while observing couple dance classes at her parents' dance school.
Laurena's passion for West Coast Swing blossomed early as she accompanied her parents to various dance events. This exposure allowed her to learn from some of the most renowned champions in the United States and Europe, significantly shaping her dance journey.
Her extensive experience and refined technique quickly elevated Laurena to the status of an "All Star" dancer, recognized for her exceptional musicality and authentic expressiveness.
Today, Laurena thrives as an instructor, teaching both Street Jazz Girly and West Coast Swing, inspiring a new generation of dancers with her talent and passion.
Laurena Houhou
HEAD DJ
Justin Petersen
Justin Petersen is a highly sought-after west coast swing DJ based in Europe, renowned for his ability to keep dancers moving all night long. Residing in London, he has honed his DJing skills in diverse environments. Despite his home base in England, Justin's busy schedule is filled with WCS events around the globe. Whether it's in Europe, Asia, Oceania, or the US, he is always on the go, sharing his exceptional musical talents with dancers everywhere. Not only does he bring great music, but also a positive energy and a contagious smile to every event he attends.