DanceSport USA
About
Hello. My name is Tino Maggio and I am a 2010 World Ballroom and Latin Champion. I am the son of World Champion parents who started my dancing the day after my 5th birthday. I teach everyone from Wedding couples to very serious competitive students at a local studio. I have also been teaching for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for the past 20 years. I have a proven system of teaching which has produced countless Champions over my 35 year career, and I currently teach and compete with one of the top amateur dancers in the country. One of my other students was recently featured on "So You Think You Can Dance". I have captured over 100 Top Teacher Awards over the course of my career and I am certified through the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gold Bar, Gold Star, and Supreme Gold levels in all 4 styles of Ballroom Dancing; American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Standard, and International Latin. I am an undefeated Open Professional American Smooth Regional Champion as well as an undefeated Open Professional American Rhythm Regional Champion. I have been the Top Teacher and Top Open Professional competitor in Michigan since I won the State Championship in 1985. My teaching rates reflect my experience and accomplishments. There are many other teachers with lower rates than mine, but none of them come close to my credentials. Like my Mother always said, you don't get a Steinway for the price of a Casio Keyboard. If you want the very best, it costs a little more. In the Ballroom Dance World, you really do get what you pay for. For example, a recent student came to me from another instructor after having just competed with him. They danced in 60 heats and placed in 3 of them. I started teaching her and we danced our first competition together just a few months later. We danced 120 entries and placed in 113 of them. In one of her last competitions, she danced in 100 heats. She took 99 1st's and 1 2nd. Another student just danced 145 entries in her last competition and earned all firsts....145 1st place awards !!! She made DanceSport history with her performance. That's the kind of difference a Top Teacher can make. For people on a very tight budget, I would recommend contacting the University of Michigan's Ballroom Dance Club. It is VERY inexpensive and there are some good lessons to be had there. Please feel free to text me for more information. 586-838-8181
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Goals and interests
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I like to have a half hour or so to discuss exactly what the student's goals are and find out exactly what they want to get out of their dancing. If they are looking to become a good social dancer, a competitive dancer, or if they just want to become comfortable. It's good to know exactly where we are going before we begin that first lesson.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I was trained by the Grand Poobah of dance. The one and only Sam Sodano. I was a Dance Director for Arthur Murray Dance Studios, as well as for Fred Astaire Dance Studios. I hold the highest levels of certification available, having never tested lower than 97.4%.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I do have a standardized pricing scale. Please text me for the details.
How did you get started teaching?
My parents were World Champions and I simply followed in their footsteps.....literally !!
What types of students have you worked with?
Everything from brand new students who have never danced in their lives, to coaching some of the top professional couples in the country.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Well, that's a tough one. I won Top Teacher for the second year in a row at the Naples Star Ball in 2015 and I'm looking forward to making it 3 times in a row next month. But the Havana DanceSport Classic in Havana Cuba last January was a lifelong dream come true.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Either get the very best in the business, or save your money and go to the YMCA or a local school's continuing education program. There's not much difference in the quality between your typical "professional" and the teachers that do the local teaching in the schools.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Knowing the amount of time you have to invest is just as important as knowing what your budget will be for lessons. Dancing is like anything else you might try to learn. If you were trying to learn the Italian language, and you took only 1 class each week, it would take you a VERY long time to learn it and your retention level would be VERY low from week to week. You would spend most of your class time reviewing. It's the same for dancing. You should try to dance 3-5 times/week in the beginning.