Meet Our Professionals
Tony Meredith
Founder/Choreographer
Tony Meredith is a professional ballroom dancer, choreographer and United States Professional Latin Champion. Meredith is the founder of Aloha Ballroom Company and the co-organizer of Aloha Ball, a one-day ballroom dance competition located in Waikiki.
Prior to moving to Hawaii in December 2023, Meredith served for nearly 10 years as the Dance Director of Danceville, U.S.A., a ballroom dance studio located in Columbus, Ohio.
Meredith's expertise extends to films, TV shows and Broadway, including feature film performances in Dance with Me, The Thomas Crown Affair, Let It Be Me and The Last Days of Disco. He has co-hosted multiple seasons of the PBS series America's Ballroom Challenge with both Marilu Henner and Mary Murphy. More recently, Meredith and his former dance partner Melanie LaPatin have appeared regularly as guest choreographers on the FOX dance competition reality show So You Think You Can Dance. Meredith has also choreographed for iconic celebrities including Madonna, Celine Dion and more.
Melanie LaPatin
Guest Coach
Melanie LaPatin is a United States Professional Ballroom Dance Champion and world-renowned choreographer, best known for her choreography work on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, LaPatin formed a professional partnership with Tony Meredith in 1981. Together they traveled the world, competing, coaching, performing, lecturing, choreographing, and represented the United States in twelve Professional World Latin-American Dance Championships, winning over 100 championship titles. LaPatin eventually moved to back to New York to coach and open a Latin and Ballroom dance studio, Dance Times Square.
As a dance coach and choreographer, LaPatin has worked with some of the most renowned film and television personalities including Robin Williams, Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Cameron Diaz, Pierce Brosnan, Vanessa Williams, Rob Schneider, Barbara Walters and more. LaPatin's expertise also extends to films, TV shows and Broadway, including feature film performances in Dance with Me, The Thomas Crown Affair, Let It Be Me and The Last Days of Disco.
Keith Michael
Instructor
Keith Michael began dancing around the age of 16. Since then, ballroom dancing has always been a part of his life. After many years of instruction, he opened his own dance studio in Columbus, OH in 2014. After nearly 10 years of owning, operating and instructing at his studio in Ohio, he felt The Islands calling to him. Keith joined the Aloha Ballroom Company Ohana in January 2024 and loves every second of it! To him, nothing is greater than sharing the joy of dance with the beautiful people of Hawaii!
Valerija Semeniakaite
Instructor
Valerija began dancing at the age of six in Lithuania eventually leading to a vice-championship in her age division. After immigrating to the US, Valerija continued her training extensively. After high school, college called and she obtained a BS in Neuroscience. What makes her happiest? Being able to share her love of dance with others and seeing how happy they are. This girl loves Loves LOVES to train and improve her dancing!
The professionals at Aloha Ballroom Company feel so passionately about the power of dance and its ability to change lives.
The commitment of our team helps us provide the quality and variety of dance classes we offer around the Hawaiian Islands. As a company, our purpose is to inspire and enlighten you, wholly. Dance changes lives, all you have to do is give in to its beauty and luster.