Academy of Ballroom Dance

Academy of Ballroom Dance has been teaching in Phoenix since 1987, operating from the same location on East Indian School Road for 35 years. The studio is owned and operated by Jim and Jenell Maranto, both U.S. Professional Ballroom Champions who have won two U.S. Professional American Smooth Championships.

Jim Maranto grew up in Chicago and was an all-conference football and baseball player at the University of Chicago before moving to Arizona. He became a professional ballroom dancer in 1987 and competed professionally in International Standard and American Smooth for 15 years, reaching finalist status for 10 years. He has trained many Pro/Am Champions, won numerous top teacher awards, and holds a licentiate of the Imperial Society Ballroom Branch. He is co-author of the DVIDA American Smooth Syllabus and an examiner for DVIDA.

Jenell Maranto began dancing at age 3 and was a champion gymnast in college, a snow ski instructor in Tahoe, and a professional chorus line dancer at Harrah's Lake Tahoe. She was head of the dance department at Sierra Nevada College for over nine years, teaching Jazz, Ballet and Gymnastics. She has been teaching ballroom dance since 1980 and was voted most popular female dance teacher in the United States, receiving the Feather Award in 1989. She holds a Fellow certification from the Imperial Society Ballroom Branch and is certified in all styles: American Smooth, Rhythm, International Standard and Latin. She is author of the DVIDA Smooth Bronze, Silver and Gold Syllabus and an examiner for DVIDA.

Together, Jim and Jenell have won every major Open Professional Smooth competition in the United States and every Professional Rising Star International Standard competition in the United States. They have represented the United States in two World Showdance events and competed throughout Europe, Asia and North America. They are four-time nominees of the U.S. Feather Dance Teacher Awards.

The studio teaches Social, Ballroom, Latin and Dance-Sport in both International and American styles. Group classes run on weekends at the intermediate level, with eight to twelve people attending in a friendly atmosphere. Saturday morning Styling Class begins at 9:00 am, and Sunday Afternoon International Foxtrot class meets at 1:00 pm. Drop-in group classes cover Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep, Rumba, Cha Cha, Bolero, and Samba, taught one dance at a time in five or six week sessions. No partner is required for the Saturday morning class. Ladies Movement Classes are also offered. Eight of the studio's students have won first place in the National Pro/Am division.

Weekend group classes run at the intermediate level with eight to twelve people in a friendly atmosphere. Saturday morning Styling Class is drop-in with no partner required. You'll learn one dance at a time across five or six week sessions, covering step patterns and technique.

Jim and Jenell Maranto own and teach at the studio. Both are U.S. Professional American Smooth Champions with over 30 years of teaching experience. Jim competed professionally for 15 years and is a licentiate of the Imperial Society Ballroom Branch; Jenell was voted most popular female dance teacher in the United States and holds a Fellow certification in all ballroom styles.

Private and group lessons work with beginners, advanced and professional level dancers.