Natalia O'Connor Vlad

Co-Owner & Dance Master

(Teaching in Niskayuna & Saratoga Springs)

Natalia was born in Bloomington, Illinois. She spent her childhood in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and fell in love with dancing at the age of 7 and have been dancing ever since. Natalia is a professionally trained ballroom dancer who has performed and competed across the world since the age of 10. Mrs. O’Connor Vlad has won various awards and toured extensively during her career in the industry. Having worked as an instructor in many places around the country and world, including Russia, Romania, Louisiana, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Vermont (former UVM Ballroom Head Coach), she is the proud co-owner of the world class ballroom dance studio in the Capital Region. She is US National RS Professional Ballroom Champion, a World Semi-finalist, Top 7 at Blackpool Dance Festival and World Cup Finalist. Mrs. O’Connor Vlad is a member of the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and represents the United States in the Professional field. Natalia has a BA in Psychology having studied both Sports Psychology as well as Behavioral and Social Psychology. 

Florin Vlad

Co-Owner & Dance Master

(Teaching in Niskayuna & Saratoga Springs)

Florin Vlad, originally from Romania, is a world renowned competitive ballroom dancer and is a US National RS Professional Ballroom Champion, Top 7 at Blackpool Dance Festival, World Cup Finalist and former World Championship Semifinalist. He is currently successfully competing in the Professional field. Together with his dance partner and wife, Natalia O'Connor Vlad, he successfully represented USA at over 6 World Championships. Florin is a member of the National DanceSport Council of America. He has a clear understanding of this industry with over 15 years of competitive dancing and teaching experience. Mr. Vlad has a concentrated business experience being a young entrepreneur and successfully handling the various challenges that a start-up company faces in the civil engineering field. Florin was handling all the business, management and office work at the company that he co-owns with his brother. The company continues to be successful even after Florin has ceased his attributions to focus on his dancing career. He has full professional English language skills having studied this language from a very young age. Florin is also very involved with the local communities that he is part of. He regularly volunteers to perform at charitable events that benefit various areas of the local communities.

Andrei Bires

Dance Master

(Teaching in Niskayuna & Saratoga Springs)

Originally from Romania, has been recognized nationally and internationally placing on the podium at major ballroom dance competitions, including: Romanian Championship, Romanian Open, Brasov Cup, Wetzlar Championship (Germany), and many other international championships. Andrei has honorably and successfully represented both Romania and Norway at major national and international dance tournaments and has been a member of the National Team of both countries.

Besides being a world class coach of many top couples at the prestigious Mihai Petre Dance Sport Academy, in Bucharest, Romania, he received his Masters of Performing Arts Degree from Hyperion University of Bucharest as well as acted in many Theater plays.

On several occasions, Andrei was invited to perform in a starring role on the Romanian TV show version of “Dancing with the Stars”, called “Dancing For You”. Jury members of “Dancing For You”, invited Mr. Bires to perform on the show as a result of his extraordinary ability to demonstrate professional dance styles.

Andrei has also successfully competed in the Pro-Am division with his students all over Europe including being placed 1st at the 2019 European Pro-Am Championship in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Dance Fire is thrilled to have Andrei part of our team as a Dance Master. Andrei specializes in Ballroom, Latin and Social styles of dance. He has experience in teaching kids, adults, wedding dance as well as theatre arts.

Celene Parragh

Dance Master

(Teaching in Niskayuna & Saratoga Springs)

Celene’s passion for dance began in 2005 when she started teaching at a dance studio in the USA, specializing in American-style dance. Over time, she transitioned from teaching to competing in the Pro/Am category, dancing both Ballroom and Latin divisions. Throughout her career, Celene has trained with top professionals in the ballroom industry, honing her expertise in both styles at a competitive level. She is also deeply passionate about teaching and helping students of all dance levels achieve their goals. Currently, Celene competes internationally with her partner, Ricardo Marques, and together they are the reigning Professional Latin Vice Champions of Portugal.

Lilian Odom

Dance Master

(Teaching in Niskayuna & Saratoga Springs)

Lilian began dancing at the age of five. She has danced with many different studios throughout Missouri and the country. She was a student at the Kansas City Ballet School for seven years and performed in several professional productions with the Kansas City Ballet including “The Nutcracker” and in George Balanchine’s “Mozartiana”. Lilian attended summer intensives on scholarship at Kansas City Ballet in Kansas City, Missouri, Tulsa Ballet in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Ballet Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. She also danced in New York at Steps on Broadway during a summer. Lilian has received extensive training in classical ballet and Horton technique for modern dance. She is also an excellent Wedding Dance choreographer. Lilian is so excited to have this opportunity at Dance Fire and continue to share her passion and love of dance.

Thomas Russell

Dance Master

(Teaching in Saratoga Springs & Niskayuna)

Tom has been teaching ballroom dance for 15 years. He is a USA Dance National Champion. His students enjoy his down-to-earth style as well as his jokes. He delights in sharing his love of dance and helping couples enjoy going out dancing with confidence. For 20 years Tom has been an active participant in the Capital District dance community. He has volunteered at the Dance Flurry Festival, taught at numerous dances, performed with his wife and dance partner Tamara, and served on multiple dance boards, including serving on the Board of USA Dance since 2019. Tom and his wife Tamara have been competing in Ballroom dances for the last 20 years and have been successfully representing nationally and internationally our Dance Fire Team. Tom has a passion for teaching, having recently retired as an educator at Paul Mitchell Schenectady. Tom specializes in Ballroom, Latin, and Social dance styles and loves choreographing wedding dances.

Rachael Blanchard

Dance Master

(Teaching in Niskayuna & Saratoga Springs)

Rachael Blanchard's dance journey began at the tender age of 2 at Dance Dimensions, a prominent studio in the capital region. Her early passion for dance propelled her into the competitive dance world by age 4. Over the years, she honed her skills at several prestigious institutions across the country, including Broadway Dance Center, Millennium Dance Complex, Mather Dance Company, and Studio 19 Dance Complex.

Rachael's professional dance career took off when she appeared on the television series "So You Think You Can Dance." This exposure opened doors to various opportunities in commercials, music videos, and live performances. She has worked with notable artists and brands such as Iggy Azalea, Party Favor, Yoshiki, Redken, and Ulta.

In 2022, Rachael returned to her roots at Dance Dimensions as an instructor. Unlike many in the field who prioritize choreography, Rachael's teaching is distinct for its emphasis on the fundamental principles of dance technique. She believes that a solid technical foundation is crucial for dancers, as it enhances their abilities across all dance styles. Her dedication to technique makes her a unique and invaluable asset to the teaching community.