masterclasses.dance

The Faculty

A permanent presence, and a rotating faculty of champions.

Holger & Jean, two seasoned educators host the series continuously. Twenty-plus guest teachers have taken the floor already, bringing perspectives from across the world of professional Latin dance.

Sirpa Suutari, upcoming guest teacher.

Coming Up

Sirpa Suutari

Live masterclass · Aug 12, 2026

Multiple times British Open Professional Latin Champion, European Latin Champion, and Isadora Duncan Award winner. Sirpa Suutari built one of the most celebrated competitive careers in Latin dance history and has spent the decades since passing that knowledge forward as a teacher, choreographer, and studio founder.

Opening Season 12 The Invisible Layer

Holger Nitsche, Founder & Host

Founder & Host

Holger Nitsche

Holger, the series' founder, hosts every masterclass and sets the standard the entire curriculum is built to hold. A World Champion, author, lecturer, and internationally recognized dance educator, he closes every season himself, drawing the theme's many threads together through his own perspective and decades of experience. Twice a month, he and Jean lead the invaluable group coaching sessions, where each theme is opened up, questioned, and carried deeper into every member's own work.

Jean Dorff, CO-HOST & EDUCATOR

CO-HOST & EDUCATOR

Jean Dorff

Jean, partner and co-host, helps shape masterclasses.dance into an ongoing platform and curriculum for continuous professional development. A dance educator, coach, and author, his work spans mental preparation and the art of teaching, both of which he regularly takes the floor to teach himself. Alongside Holger, he leads the invaluable twice-monthly group coaching sessions, where the material becomes something members can truly apply to their own teaching.

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Guest Faculty

23 guest Masters and counting, in alphabetical order.

Season 06 · A Dancer's Evolving Image

Michael Chen

Masterclass #16 · Jan 2025

Season 03 · Characteristic Body Action in Latin Dancing

Dorin Frecautanu & Marina Sergeeva

Masterclass #7 · Apr 2024

Season 11 · The Meaning Behind the Skills: How Technique Becomes Expression

Massimo Giorgianni

Masterclass #31 · Apr 2026

Season 12 · The Invisible Layer That Makes Top Couples Look Different

Marcus Hilton MBE

Masterclass #34 · Jul 2026

Season 05 · The Male & Female Roles in a Harmonious Dance Couple

Collin James

Masterclass #13 · Oct 2024

Season 01 · Technical Qualities in Latin

Lene James

Masterclass #1 · Oct 2023

Season 02 · Body Mechanics & Coordination

Oliver Kästle

Masterclass #4 · Jan 2024

Season 08 · The Charisma Code: Nurture vs Nature

Serena Lecca

Masterclass #22 · Jul 2025

Masterclass #23 · Aug 2025

Season 03 · Characteristic Body Action in Latin Dancing

Ralph Lepehne

Masterclass #8 · May 2024

Season 07 · How to Develop & Understand Artistry in Dance Sport

Joanna Leunis

Masterclass #20 · May 2025

Season 10 · Living Character of Latin Dance: Preserving Authenticity

Barbara Nagode Ambrož

Masterclass #29 · Feb 2026

Season 09 · The Art of Teaching: Personal Paths to Teaching Excellence

Graham Oswick

Masterclass #25 · Oct 2025

Season 05 · The Male & Female Roles in a Harmonious Dance Couple

Natalja Panina

Masterclass #14 · Nov 2024

Season 07 · How to Develop & Understand Artistry in Dance Sport

William Pino

Masterclass #19 · Apr 2025

Season 10 · Living Character of Latin Dance: Preserving Authenticity

Espen Salberg

Masterclass #28 · Jan 2026

Season 02 · Body Mechanics & Coordination

Melinda Skufca

Masterclass #5 · Feb 2024

Season 04 · Physical & Mental Preparation for Competitive Dancing

Charles-Guillaume Schmitt and Elena Salikhova

Masterclass #10 · Jul 2024

Season 11 · The Meaning Behind the Skills: How Technique Becomes Expression

Karina Smirnoff

Masterclass #32 · May 2026

Season 06 · A Dancer's Evolving Image

Carolyn Smith

Masterclass #17 · Feb 2025

Season 01 · Technical Qualities in Latin

Peter Stokkebroe

Masterclass #2 · Nov 2023

Season 12 · The Invisible Layer That Makes Top Couples Look Different

Sirpa Suutari

Masterclass #35 · Aug 2026

The caliber of who teaches here defines what this is.