Our Story

 

Both Gocha and Shorena are originally from the former-Soviet Republic of Georgia.  Shorena started to dance at the age of four in her father’s ballroom dance school.  Mr. Gachechiladze is recognized as a premier ballroom instructor, and serves as the President of the Georgian Dance Federation.  He strongly encouraged Shorena’s interest in dance and figure skating and became her first and primary dance coach.

 

While a young student at the Nikoladze College of Art, Gocha visited Mr. Gachechiladze’s dance studio to learn ballroom dance.  With his training in ballet, jazz and disco, he was a very promising student.  Shorena and Gocha began competing together, and in short order became very successful, winning the Georgian Amateur Championships in both Latin and Standard dance six times.

 

In 1991 they decided to become professional and to concentrate on Latin dance.  Shortly afterwards, they had the opportunity to travel to a dance studio in Dallas, Texas for several months.  Following a period back in the Georgian Republic, they immigrated to the United States to continue their careers in a freer environment.

 

In 1993 Gocha and Shorena entered the U.S. competitive dance scene.  Once again they quickly became very successful, reaching the final rounds in several national championships.

 

They have been finalists on the highly popular and widely- broadcast P.B.S. television program “Championship Ballroom Dancing”. 

 

They won numerous professional Latin-American Style Dance Sport Championships such as the Southwestern U.S. Invitational, the Florida State Championships, the Hawaii Star Ball, Galaxy Dance Sport Championship, Open to The World Rising Star United States Dance Sport Championship, Sapphire Ball, Manhattan Dance Sport Championship and many more.

 

In addition they won the honor of representing the United States at the World Professional Latin Dance Championships in South Africa, and they have been invited to represent the United States Open British Blackpool Dance Sport Championship Team Match.

 

After retiring from the world of competition, they co-created and starred in Discovery Network’s hit reality show “Ballroom Bootcamp,” among numerous other TV appearances gaining the attention of Hollywood. They also began judging for several well-known competitions. 

 

International Ballroom and Latin American champion Gocha Chertkoev has been the head judge on Dancing with the Stars in Georgia for 5 seasons, his careful balance of charm and expertise propelling that incarnation of the show to garner 80% viewership, the country's highest rated program.

 

In addition to their competitive career, Gocha and Shorena have established a successful coaching practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, developing and assisting a wide range of professional and amateur dance competitors from all over the U.S.