About The Classic
Dance Champion, Choreographer & Coach. Owner, Academy Ballroom Atlanta; Co-Founder of Atlanta Ballroom Dance Theater; Organizer of Hotlanta The Classic; Founder of the Global Spectrum Circuit of ballroom competitions and the SSS Pro/Am Club; co-founder and contributing editor of the Pro/Am Voice newsletter; co-founder of Spotlight Dance Videos.
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Eddie grew up with music and Latin rhythms. He moved to New York at a very young age and began dancing as a teenager. He moved to Atlanta in his early twenties and joined the Fred Astaire Dance Studios organization to become a professional dance instructor. Eddie immediately became one of the top instructors in the world-renowned organization.
While with Fred’s, in addition to training students, he began choreographing shows which gained him national recognition as a dancer and choreographer. Eddie has since choreographed for So You Think You Can Dance (FOX), Dancing with the Stars (ABC) and for DeVyne Stephens, CEO of UpFront Megatainment. Eddie is one of the most sought-after choreographers and coaches for top professional teams, pro/am teams as well as amateur teams in the United States.
Professional and Pro/Am Championship Titles
After achieving the ultimate goal of becoming a United States & World Professional Champion, Eddie turned his focus to Pro/Am dancing and continues achieving titles with his Pro/Am students today. In addition to his Professional and Pro/Am titles, Eddie also has numerous United States and World Pro/Am finalists.
Professional Championship Titles
- 2003 Professional World Mambo Champion
- 1989 United States Professional American Rhythm Champion
- 1987 United States Professional Theater Arts Champion
Pro/Am Championship Titles, 43 Total
- 12 United States Open American Rhythm Champions
- 10 United States Open International Latin Champions
- 9 United States Open American 9-Dance Champions
- 4 United States Open American Smooth Champions
- 2 World Open American 9-Dance Champions
- 2 World Open American Rhythm Champions
- 2 World Open American Smooth Champions
- 1 United States Open Rising Star American Rhythm Champion
- 1 Unites States Open South American Showdance Champion
Amateur Couple Championship Titles
Titles won by amateur couples for whom Eddie coached and choreographed all routines:
- 2010 United States Open Amateur American Smooth Champions
- 2010 World Open Amateur American Smooth Champions
- 2003 United States Open Amateur American Rhythm Champions
- 2003 World Open Amateur American Rhythm Representatives in Prague, Czech Republic
Performance Experience
Eddie has performed in ballroom competitions and show exhibitions for 20 years. In 2003, Eddie performed 17 shows with his professional partner in the United States, and worldwide including Russia, Monte Carlo, & Morocco. In addition, Eddie, along with one of his pro/am champions, was featured on the ballroom show, America’s Ballroom Challenge (PBS). Eddie continues to perform throughout the year with his Pro/Am competitors in various competitions across the United States, including the United States Ballroom Dance Championships, Ohio Star Ball, & Emerald Ball. Eddie’s performance company for which he choreographs all show numbers and participates in performances, the Atlanta Ballroom Dance Theater, has performed in Savannah, GA, Oklahoma City, OK, Augusta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Knoxville, TN, Las Vegas, NV, Greenville, SC, and Atlanta, GA throughout 2011 and continuing throughout 2012.
We Are The Classic
Chasity Smith, Event Coordinator:
Manager, Academy Ballroom Atlanta; Co-Founder of Atlanta Ballroom Dance Theater; Event Coordinator of the Hotlanta the Classic and Greenville Dance Challenge; co-founder and contributing editor of the Pro/Am Voice newsletter; co-founder of Spotlight Dance Videos.
Chasity Smith graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Accounting and with minors in both Mathematics and Spanish. She immediately moved to Atlanta, GA where she began her career as an auditor and also seized the opportunity to pursue her passion for ballroom dancing.
Chasity began training immediately to become a Latin dance competitor. In less than one year, she rose to the top as a Finalist in the World Pro/Am Dance Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2013, Chasity won the U.S. Pro/Am Rising Star Open Rhythm and the U.S. South American Showdance Championships. She also was the bronze medalist in the U.S. Rising Star Open International Latin Championship. Currently, Chasity continues her dance training in both the American style and International Latin with Eddie Ares.