Zhenya Cora Dance

We danced at our first competition together this weekend at Orange Blossom Dance Festival and were honored by the result.

Thank you to everyone who cheered us on, both in the ballroom and from afar. It was a pleasure sharing the floor with so many talented dancers that night.

We are incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish in a very short time dancing together, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of so many people along the way.

We would like to extend our gratitude to David Appel, Gary McIntyre, Satu Ketellapper, and Mike Wagner for their expertise, guidance, and belief in us.

A special thank you to Donna Bonham Steinfeld and Shawn Swaithes for organizing such a wonderful competition.

We’d also like to give a shout-out to Jordy for creating our beautiful costumes. A special thank you to DanceSportVA Ballroom Dancing for providing such a wonderful space for our practices.

Last but certainly not least, we want to thank Genevieve Riley and Rebekah Klyukin for their unwavering support and for all they do behind the scenes.

This is only the beginning, and we’re excited to see where this journey takes us next!

Knee pads to the rescue!

A little bit about us:

Cora, born and raised in New Lenox, Illinois, began dancing at just four years old and has spent over 17 years training and competing in both ballroom and country, earning world titles in country dance. Whether teaching or performing, she brings electrifying energy, joy, and love to every step.

Zhenya, born and raised in Yekaterinburg, Russia, discovered dance early through ballroom in elementary school—what started in the classroom turned into a lifelong passion. After moving to the U.S., he continued his ballroom career, teaching and competing before finding his spark in the country western scene in 2020.

We strive to blend technique, passion, and personality—bringing ballroom elegance and country fire together!

We may be from opposite sides of the world, but it all connects through dance!