Teachers of the floor
Meet the instructors
Experienced professionals who meet dancers where they are—from a first box step to competitive technique.
The teaching team
Expertise without intimidation.
Our instructors bring decades of studio, social, competitive, and performance experience to a welcoming community floor. Their shared approach is simple: begin with the dancer in front of them.
Class offerings change throughout the year. Check the current calendar for group instruction, or contact an instructor directly to ask about private lessons and availability.
01 DH
Instructor
Debbie Housand
A Charleston ballroom teacher with more than four decades of experience in studios, social dance, cotillion, and community instruction.
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Began her Arthur Murray career in 1981 and came to Charleston in 1984
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Owned and operated Charleston’s Arthur Murray franchise from 1998–2009
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Teaches beginner and advanced Ballroom Dance Charleston classes
02 DR
Instructor
David Roland
An experienced social and competitive dance instructor whose teaching career spans every level of ballroom study.
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Began studying ballroom in 1976 and earned Bronze Level III
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Taught with Arthur Murray for 17 years and competed professionally
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Independent instructor since 2002 and former Master Examiner
03 JJ
Instructor
James Jiang
A competitive dancer and thoughtful teacher known for adapting instruction to each student’s experience, goals, and pace.
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More than 20 years of teaching experience
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Has coached professional competitors and complete beginners
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Works with dancers across a wide range of ages and abilities
04 AS
Instructor
Alexander Spencer
An internationally experienced ballroom professional whose work brings together competitive expertise, performance, and choreography.
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Licensed USA Dance adjudicator
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Certified DVIDA and ISTD instructor
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More than 30 years in international competitive ballroom dance
05 AS
Instructor
Alina Spencer
A championship Latin dancer, choreographer, and educator with extensive experience developing dancers and performers.
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Former Ukrainian National Latin and European Cup Latin champion
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Licensed USA Dance adjudicator and certified DVIDA and ISTD instructor
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Master’s degree in choreography from Lviv State University
06 JC
Instructor
Justin Chiou
Justin is a current amateur competitor who resides in Charleston, SC. Growing up in Chicago, IL, Justin mainly participated in sports (soccer, swimming, and tennis) before developing an interest in competitive ballroom dancing and joining the club at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.
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Former President of Case Western Reserve University’s Ballroom Dance Society
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Former Member-at-Large of USA Dance Chapter #2024 (Cleveland, OH)
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Former President/Secretary/Member-at-Large of USA Dance Chapter #2006 (Cincinnati, OH)
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Current Champion, Adult/Senior I Championship Smooth, USA Dance
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Current Champion, Adult/Senior I Championships Standard, USA Dance
Outside of competing, Justin co-founded two tech startup companies and also works remotely as a full-stack software engineer.
07 HC
Instructor
Hannah Chiou
Hannah is a current amateur competitor who resides in Charleston, SC. Hannah began dancing at age four, training in other forms of dance and competing with the LeDance Studio in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, before joining the ballroom team at the Ohio State University.
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Former Finalist, Adult Championship Rhythm, USA Dance Nationals
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Former Champion, 9-Dance, USA Dance Nationals
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Current Champion, Adult/Senior I Championship Smooth, USA Dance
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Current Champion, Adult/Senior I Championships Standard, USA Dance
Outside of dance, Hannah works full-time as a Senior Manager of Therapy Services at the Medical University of South Carolina.
A good place to begin
New to ballroom? You already belong.
No partner or prior experience is required for most group classes. The dance guide explains what to wear, how classes work, and the floor etiquette that keeps every dancer comfortable.