Randy began dancing in 1988 when he enrolled in beginning two step classes at the local Parks & Rec in Los Angeles, California. There he met his future dance partner and wife Rhonda Shotts. Even though they were both beginners, they partnered up and began taking private lessons and competing at UCWDC dance events. They moved quickly through the lower divisions, then on to the Masters Division in 1991. During this time, they were also active in teams competition and spent two years performing with “Sizzlin’ Country”, then another three years with the Worlds 1 and 2 team champions, “The Midnight Cowboys”. Randy became co-director of the Portland Dance Festival in 1998. He served two years as the UCWDC Business Team chairman where he led the movement to put into writing the organization’s policies, procedures, job descriptions, and other internal documents. Randy was the Worlds director from 2011 to 2020, and he was the manager of the Country Two Step Tour from 2012 to 2020.
In his early twenties, Pedro followed some friends to a country bar and immediately became hooked on line dancing. In 1995, he joined a performance dance team at the Cancun Cantina and soon became the team choreographer. From there, he began competing as an individual line dancer. And just like that, Pedro won the advanced divisions at the CWLDA Internationals, and he won his first UCWDC Worlds title. In 1997, Pedro won the UCWDC Worlds Showcase Championship, and he won the European Championships in the Advanced and Renegade Divisions. In 1998, Pedro became the first Male SuperStars World Champion. He competed for another few years, then retired from competition to pursue other opportunities within the dance community. Pedro was a founding member of Masters in Line, the creator of Superstar Productions, and he helped create the Pro Dance Boots Company. Pedro has danced in over 20 countries. He has performed for the President of Singapore and the Royal family in Malaysia. He has taught line dance classes to more than 12,000 people worldwide.
Mona grew up in small town Southwest Louisiana where her family always had music playing on the radio or record player – and everyone danced. After Urban Cowboy came out, she learned to two-step at a local country bar where she met an instructor named Rody. She and Rody started seeing each other frequently and while Rody taught lessons Mona learned to deejay. After getting married in April of 1986, Mona and Rody began taking dance lessons and competing together. At their first regional event in 1990, they heard about the UCWDC. Little did they know while competing within the UCWDC circuit how many friends they would make and how their lives would be changed forever. Mona stopped competing but began to deejay at numerous UCWDC events. In 1996, she deejayed for the first time at the UCWDC World Championships and has since become an integral member of the Worlds contest deejay staff. Mona is a 4- time Star Award Winner for Favorite Deejay, a UCWDC Director’s Choice recipient, and the first deejay inducted to the UCWDC Hall of Fame.
In 1986, a co-worker talked Rhonda into attending his weekly line dance class and she was hooked! Not long afterward, she met Randy Shotts and together they began taking lessons from Phil Adams and dancing with his teams Country Gold and Sizzlin’ Country. They also began dancing in the UCWDC couples divisions and moved up the ranks to the Masters Division by 1991. Also during this time, they danced on the original Worlds Championship team, the Midnight Cowboys. After moving to Portland in 1991, Rhonda became the editor of the Northwest C/W Dance Association newsletter, and she was instrumental in the formation and operation of the Portland Swing Dance Club. In 1998, she and Randy became directors of the Portland Dance Festival. In 1999, Rhonda became the first UCWDC Line Dance Coordinator and was instrumental in developing the program. Rhonda has also been active on the UCWDC Board of Directors as the Ethics Committee Chairperson and the Northwest Representative.
John began country dancing in 1993 at the Grizzly Rose Saloon in Green Bay, Wisconsin. By 1995 he was teaching numerous dance styles to hundreds of students. He introduced West Coast Swing and Cha Cha to the area, as well as the latest line dances from the most popular choreographers. In 1999, he decided to become a full-time touring line dance instructor. During his career, John has earned numerous awards as a competitor, including the Worlds VI Line Dance Male Showcase Champion title – which inspired his nickname “Mr. Showcase.” He was one of the first male line dancers to reach the level of SuperStar. John’s signature dance “Dangerous” took the world by storm in 1997. Since then, John has received countless awards for many line dances he has choreographed or co-choreographed. John continues to travel the globe teaching, performing, coaching, judging, emceeing, and choreographing. He encourages everyone to “Live happy, laugh often, dance daily.”
In 1977, at the age of 15, Grant’s father introduced him to ballroom, swing, disco, and country western dancing. In 1981, Grant began teaching dance classes in the nightclubs in Houston, Texas, and winning local dance club competitions with his partner Carmen Scarborough. In 1987, Grant opened Dance Connection in Fort Lauderdale, and enjoyed success competing in Division 1 of the newly formed UCWDC with his partner Susan McMahon. In the early 1990’s Grant formed the Dance Connection Show Team, and competed in the Masters Division with Darlene Long. Grant was a UCWDC Judge and Judge certifier for 18 years. He founded the Sunshine State and Orange Blossom Dance Festivals. In 1989 Grant branded Comfort and Ultimate dance shoes and boots with extra padding for dancers. As a Certified Pedorthist, Grant’s orthotic company has helped over 16,000 dancers with custom fit orthotics.
Steve grew up an Army brat then went on to serve as an Army Captain in Korea, Okinawa, and Vietnam. After his military service, he moved to Albuquerque, NM where he met Mike Haley, a Realtor, talented dancer, and owner of a successful dance studio. When Mike, his dance team and Mike’s dance partner Patti Miller traveled to events, Steve became part of their support crew. In 1987, Steve was asked to help out at the Portland Dance Festival as a “ballroom coordinator”. Steve was so good at his job that before long, he was ballroom coordinator for over 20 events each year, including the first 10 UCWDC Worlds events. Since that early beginning, Steve has received numerous awards from the UCWDC and he has even been King of the New Orleans Mardi Gras – twice!” Steve retired in 2005. “I just wanted to make a difference – helping and caring for others”.
In 1982, Kellie met Buzzy at a local nightclub. Several months after meeting, the club in Shreveport hosted a dance competition in which Buzzy and Kellie entered and took 2nd place. This competition was actually their first date! Six years later they married in December 1988. Their first UCWDC competition was Easterns in 1989 where they competed in Division 1. They danced in the movie Steele Magnolias in 1989. The highlight of their career came in 1992 when they were undefeated in every competition they entered that year, and they placed 2nd in the first ever Masters Division at the World Championships. They retired from competition dancing in 1994 to direct their first New Orleans Dance Mardi Gras. In 1999, Dance Mardi Gras was voted “Favorite UCWDC Event”. Today, the New Orleans Dance Mardi Gras has grown into one of the largest UCWDC competitions each year.