Our Instructors

 Matt Kellar found dance during his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota in 1989.  After 3 years of social and collegiate competitive dancing, he knew that this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life and decided to make dance a career.

 He trained with numerous world-renowned coaches with Fred Astaire, Arthur Murray and other independent studios.

  In 2000, Matt moved to Arizona to work for Fred Astaire Dance Studio.  While with Fred Astaire, he trained rank beginner students to high level competitors, taking pride in watching his students become so accomplished.

  His love of dance and success as an instructor allowed him the opportunity to open his own studio.  By 2008, he owned 3 franchises.

In 2012, he and his wife Zhenya left Fred Astaire to start their own dance company. In the beginning of March 2018, Matt and Zhenya opened a beautiful new dance studio, Dream Dance.  

They are looking forward to creating a studio that promotes fun, quality and a sense of community.  They are excited to share their love and passion of dancing with the city of Tucson.

 Zhenya Dokuchaeva was born in Moscow, Russia. She was one of the lead dancers at the Moscow Youth Ballroom Dance Theater. From age five she started competing internationally in Latin and Standard. By age twenty one

she was ranked in the top 100 amateurs in the world by the International Dance Sport Federation.

In 2008, she moved to the United States and made her home in Tucson. She started working for Fred Astaire Dance Studios as an advanced instructor. In 2011, she married Matt Kellar. A year later, she and her husband opened their own ballroom dance company, Dream Dance. Now she teaches a variety of students at all levels. 

In 2018 Zhenya also started coaching  

for the U of A Ballroom club. She also serves as a coach and choreographer for other professional dancers as well.  

Alan was born in Texas and as a young Air Force brat, lived and traveled around the world. Early on, he was introduced to dancing by his step-father at his Fred Astaire Studio. In 1979, right after high school, he moved to Florida where he became a professional dance instructor. He trained at Fred Astaire, Arthur Murray’s and other independent studios. He also competed professionally for 10 years and garnered numerous national finalist awards. 

Alan enjoys teaching new and high level competition students. When he’s not teaching, Alan enjoys golf and traveling. 

Spencer, an Arizona Native has been dancing for over 10 years.  He competed with the collegiate UA ballroom  during his tenor at the UA.  He is also part of the Lajkonic Polish Folk dance group for over 4 years.  

He enjoys teaching all levels of students.

Jesse Dickson has been living in Tucson and teaching many styles of ballroom dance for over 20 years.  In his early years, he was known locally for his Salsa and West Coast Swing dancing. 

While teaching has always been his passion, he also wanted to pursue performing competitively at a professional level.  In doing so, he made a name for himself in the West Coast Swing community as a Classic Division champion.  Jesse choreographed unique one of a kind routines that led him and his dance partner to win competitions, teach, judge and perform worldwide.   

Jesse's focus is now on teaching and helping students achieve their goals whether it is improving their social dancing skills in West Coast Swing or Salsa, advancing their technique in Smooth and Rhythm dancing, or needing new choreography to perform or compete.

Peter hails from the San Francisco Bay area where he danced with San Francisco Ballet.  He also danced ballet in Iowa, Tulsa, Oakland and Tucson.  He started dancing ballroom in 2001 in variety of studios in the greater Tucson metro.

Ramona's Dance carrer started at  Fred Astaire dance studios in Tucson, Az in 1983.
After 10 years with Fred Astaire, she relocated to Laughlin, Nevada where she was the personal dance instructor for Don Laughlin, founder of the town.

After 10 years in Laughlin, she moved back to Tucson and created "Dancecatz" , her first  Jr ballroom dance program garnering the group's first place at a national competition in Orlando, Florida.  She joined Dream Dance late 2023 and is energetically ready to teach you.  "Let's dance!!!!!! "

 Reynato's journey in the world of dance is truly impressive! Starting at just 9 years old and quickly progressing from casual training with a friend's grandmother to becoming a competitive force in the dance world, his dedication and talent shine through. His status as a 14-time Philippine national champion and his participation in some of the most prestigious international competitions reflect both his skill and the recognition he’s earned in the world of dancesport.

His expertise is in the International style of Latin and Standard disciplines with additional high-level certification in instruction of American Rhythm and Smooth styles. He excels in technique, stylistic and artistic development and performance, amateur and professional level coaching, and choreography In addition to these competitive styles, Reynato has advanced understanding of social dances including salsa, merengue, bachata, west coast swing, kizomba, hustle, and Argentine tango.

When he is not dancing, he enjoys watching movies, trying new foods, and spending time with family and friends. He is very excited to join the team at Dream Dance!

Holly discovered ballroom dancing in college at the U of A and enjoyed it as a hobby but didn’t
fully immerse herself in it until just after the pandemic. She decided to develop her dance skills
by exploring various social dances, group classes, and private lessons.
The more she learned, the more she wanted to learn, which led her to try many different styles
of dance, from American Smooth and Rhythm, to Blues and Swing, to Latin and Country.
Within a year, she had danced over 20 different styles and began a six-month ballroom boot
camp.
The following year, she started leading and worked to expand her ballroom knowledge as both a
lead and follow. Within a few years, she was teaching her first students and sharing her passion
for dance.
Outside of dance, she can be found snuggling with her kitties, watching Disney movies, or
taking a nice long nap.
 

Rebecca is a passionate dance instructor specializing in American Rhythm, American Smooth, and popular social dances such as Salsa and Bachata. With over ten years of designing learning experiences, Rebecca brings a structured yet engaging approach to teaching, making dance accessible and enjoyable for students of all levels.

Whether you're aiming to build confidence on the dance floor, refine your technique, or simply enjoy the art of dance, Rebecca is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals in a supportive and inspiring environment.

.

.