Liana Churilova

Liana is a former Junior Latin Champion from Russia and a former European Junior Latin finalist. She has studied various forms of dance, including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and the Latin and Ballroom styles, for 11 years. Dance is Liana's passion, both personally and professionally. Her philosophy is to make dancing enjoyable for her students so that they approach learning to dance with great confidence and joy.

Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine

Emmanuel is originally from Haiti, where he trained in Jazz, Modern, Haitian Folklore, and Ballroom Dance for 17 years. Prior to dancing with Liana, Emmanuel competed with Joanna Zacharewicz. Together, they became 2005 World Mambo Champions, and won either first or second place in all major US competitions in 2006. They also performed on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and PBS’ America’s Ballroom Challenge. From 2007-2008, Emmanuel paired with former Rhythm Champion Julia Powers, with whom he placed third in US Professional Rhythm. Emmanuel lives in New York City. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, listening to music, and devotes much of his time to meditation and his spiritual life.

Couple's Career Highlights

Emmanuel and Liana, dancing together since 2008, are currently the top-ranked Professional Rhythm couple in both the United States and the World. They are also 6-time Arthur Murray World Rhythm Champions, as well as reigning World Salsa and Mambo Champions. According to Emmanuel, “As in any other partnership sometimes it is very challenging, but what we like about each other is our ability and strong desire to complement and inspire each other.”