The NASSPDA Board of Directors

Benjamin Soencksen, President

Benjamin is originally from Germany, and comes from a family of competitors and judges in the world of Dancesport. He competed successfully for about 30 years in International Style Latin and Standard throughout the world in mainstream and same-sex dance competitions. For about 25 years, he has managed several different dance studios and departments within dance studios in New York and New Jersey (19 years at Stepping Out Studios, NYC). As part of his decades of experience as a dancer, he studied all styles of partnership dancing and its history. In 2007, he started DAGE (Dancesport Alliance for Gender Equality), a network of social and competitive same-sex dancers in the Tri-State area with each other via a Yahoo group, now defunct. Since 2009, he has been serving on the Board of Directors of the North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association (www.nasspda.org) first as Secretary and currently as President, and had been instrumental in writing NASSPDA’s and IFSSDA’s Competition Rules. He has been invited as an adjudicator to many queer events and functioned often as the head judge, including the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Gay Games. At the 2018 April Follies, the prestigious Richard Lamberty Community Service Trophy was awarded to him for many years of volunteer work in the same-sex dance community. As the delegate from NASSPDA to the Federation of Gay Games, he is a member of the FGG’s Sports Committee and has been elected as the Sport Coordinator for Dancesport. He lives since 1982 in New York City and is now fully retired. With his last position held as Business & Finance Director at Dixon Place, a non-profit theater presenting performing arts of all genres in development, he was able to add to his experience within the non-profit sector, having served previously on the Board of an organization promoting contemporary dance and as President of a Co-op of apartments. He continues serving the queer dance community and enjoys the arts with his life partner of almost a quarter of a century within the Tri-State area.

James Repetti, Vice President

James Repetti began dancing as a child and has competed in and teaches Latin, Rhythm, Standard, and Smooth. James is a certified teacher through the AIDA (formerly known as USISTD) and is a registered professional through the NDCA.
While James teaches collegiate dancers full time, he also actively competes both locally and internationally.

On an international scale, James is the current 2023 IFSSDA World Champion in Men’s International 10-Dance (Latin and Standard), American 9-Dance (Rhythm and Smooth), American Rhythm, and Argentine Tango. He is also the Vice Champion in the Showdance division, International Standard, American Smooth, Salsa, and Bachata. In the Gay Games Dancesport events, James has received 4 Gold medals and 5 Silver medals, while competing in a Same-Sex partnership. James is also the current 2023 NASSPDA Men’s North American Champion in all four styles (Standard, Smooth, Latin, and Rhythm) and the combined 9-Dance and 10-Dance divisions.

On a more local scale, James is also the current 2023 NASSPDA Men’s US National Champion in all six of the same divisions, as well as the Showdance division. Additionally, while competing in the Pro-Am division with his students, most recently James and one of his students became the 2022 DSF United States National Champions in Pro-Am American Smooth. Before transitioning to competing professionally, in his amateur days he was the 2015 US National Vice Champion in American Rhythm.

With over 15 years of teaching experience and involvement in the collegiate circuit, James serves as the coach for several Collegiate Teams across the East Coast and privately coaches individual couples from across the country. His students have gone on to compete professionally, as well as to become national champions in their respective styles and levels

Lee Fox, Treasurer

Lee Fox is originally from Georgia but now calls Ft. Lauderdale, Florida his home. He has been teaching Ballroom, Latin, and Disco since 1978, and Country/Western since 1991. He has obtained licentiate degrees in the International Standard, International Latin, American Rhythm, and Theater Arts Styles with the Imperial Society of the Teachers of Dance (ISTD); master degrees in the American Smooth and American Rhythm Styles with the National Dance Teachers Association (NDTA); and a member degree in the American style with North American Dance Teachers Association (NADTA). He is the Competition Director for the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC) and the treasurer of the North American Same Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA). He is also the vice-president and Examinations Chair of the National Dance Teachers Association of America (NDTA). He is registered to adjudicate with USA Dance and North American Same Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA) and has served as Chair of Judges for several mainstream and same sex competitions in the USA, Canada, and abroad. A former ballroom competitor, he has judged several competitions in the United States including the United States Dancesport Championships (USDC). He and his ballroom partner, Scott, competed in ballroom at the Gay Games in Amsterdam in 1998 and the Gay Games in Australia in 2002 making the class A finals both times. He and his country partner, Chris, were the first Championship winners in the IAGLCWDC Couples Competition in 1998 and have performed at many hoedowns and fund¬raisers. He has served as the choreographer/instructor for several dance teams including the Southern Country South Florida Dream Team, the SunDancers, Heels On Fire, and Team Scandalous. He is also one of the original members of Crossfire, an all male dance team, winners of the 2005 international country-western dance teams competition.

Erik Jaeger, Secretary

Erik Jaeger and his husband were active competitive same-sex International Standard ballroom dances from 2011 to 2019, when they retired from dancing. Through their career, they competed in two Gay Games, several US and North American Championships, European Championships, as well as many competitions in Germany, the UK, Switzerland and the USA. Erik is semi-retired and has his own marketing consulting firm. He and his husband reside in Palm Springs, California. Besides his work with NASSPDA, Erik is also active in the USA Dance Gender-Neutral committee.

Chelsea Blandford

Dancing has saved my heart and my life in ways that are hard to explain but it will always be something that I’m passionate about and devoted to in one way or another. I have been a female lead in most of my dance competitions for the last six years, and I spent some time learning how to follow as well and competed in a few competitions as a follower in addition to leading. I have had the same female professional partner for smooth, rhythm, and the show divisions for the past six years since I started dancing. I recently also started dancing with another female professional in International standard and plan to compete with her throughout the next few years. My partner in life also dances so we have competed and plan to continue to compete together in the future as well. My first official competition was April Follies in 2018 and that’s where I really fell in love with competing. It was the first time I realized there might actually be a place for me in the ballroom world. Dancing in a space that is queer centered, not just tolerant or accepting of queer representation, is something that I hold so close to my heart and will always treasure more than I can express in words. I’m grateful for the NASSPDA’s existence and continued effort to keep that queer dance space active and accessible to us all. As far as board experience goes, I have been on the board of my family’s manufacturing company for the last decade. It has been a fairly informal experience for most of that time since we are a smaller family owned company, but it has helped me understand some of the expectations and responsibilities among board members. I feel honored and grateful to be a part of the NASSPDA board so that I can continue to be a part of and an advocate for a community that I feel so passionate about.

Denise Machin

As the director of the most inclusive college ballroom dance program in the nation, I am deeply committed to fostering an environment where all students feel valued and represented. In our introductory courses, I prioritize diversity by ensuring that every student learns both lead and follow roles, with specialization only permitted at the intermediate level. This approach not only challenges traditional norms but also encourages students to engage in non-normative partnerships, thereby promoting inclusivity and acceptance within our dance community.
Furthermore, my dedication to understanding and advancing gender dynamics in ballroom dance extends beyond the studio. I completed my dissertation on gender in ballroom, delving into the complexities of gender roles and expressions within the dance community. As part of my research, I actively engaged with the North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA) competitions, immersing myself in the vibrant culture and diverse experiences of same-sex partner dancers.
In addition to my academic pursuits, I personally embody our program’s values by actively participating in same-gender partnerships at the open level of collegiate ballroom competitions. By competing in these partnerships, I not only showcase the talent and dedication of our program but also advocate for greater visibility and recognition of same-sex partner dance within the broader dance community.
Through my role as director, my research, and my active involvement in same-sex partner dance, I am dedicated to breaking down barriers, challenging stereotypes, and creating a more inclusive and welcoming space for all individuals to express themselves through dance.

Emma DiFrancesco

Emma started competing as a college freshman at Tufts University in 2012, though her love for partner dancing started at age nine. Her first NASSPDA competition, and first competition as a leader, was the inaugural Boston Open in 2013.

She continues to compete in open Latin on the New England collegiate circuit, as well as at competitions hosted by the NDCA and, of course, NASSPDA. In that time, she has become a trailblazer for post-collegiate same-sex dancesport in New England, and strives to create a sense of unity among the same-sex and LGBTQ+ collegiate dancers in her network, encouraging younger dancers to reach their potential and take pride in their presence at competitions. She was featured in the Dance for Pride 2020 speakers’ panel.

Her Facebook group, “Disregard Gender, Acquire Ballroom,” aims not only to encourage this sense of community among collegiate dancers, but also connect them with dancers from all over who are not only affiliated with colleges, but also with NASSPDA and other circuits.

Emma has a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Psychology and specializes in accessibility, but also has experience in graphic and web design and designed the logo for the Gateway DanceSport Festival.

Eddie Alba

Eddie Alba began his ballroom dancing career over 25 years ago. As a professional competitor in the American Smooth division from 1995 to 2006, he was a Rising Star Champion and a US Finalist, and more recently he was the 2018 Same-Sex 10-Dance World Champion. As a Pro-Am competitor, Eddie continues to compete in all styles of partner dance with his many students, and has won multiple Top Teacher Awards.

Eddie is a certified judge in 5 styles of ballroom dancing including American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Latin, International Standard, and Theatre Arts and he judges a number of national and international competitions each year.

Eddie is an avid choreographer who specializes in choreographing and producing shows for Theater and Pro-am dance studios, as well as competition routines for pro-am competitions. He was featured on TLC’s reality television show “Ballroom Bootcamp” Most recently Eddie contributed behind the scenes to ABC’s Dancing with the Stars for nine seasons. Additionally, Eddie is the proud owner of Century Dancesport, Orange County’s premier ballroom dance studio, established in 2009.