About Our Team
Many studios hire people with NO dance experience, put them in two months of training , and send them to teach you because they run their business based on sales rather than dancing. At Elite Ballroom, we employ accomplished dancers who have won numerous awards in the US and worldwide and are actively competing at the highest level.
Our instructors focus on teaching you how to dance and reach your goals – with NO sales pressure! Our students are the best proof of the high quality instruction you’ll experience.
Elite Ballroom Studio Owners -
Robertas Maleckis and Inga Sirkaite
Champion dancers Robertas Maleckis and Inga Sirkaite both were born in Kaunas, Lithuania and started dancing at the age of seven at the local ballroom dance studio in their home town. They have known each other since their early days of competitions and have been dancing together since.
Although they had good teachers in Lithuania, Robertas and Inga wanted to expand their horizons, so in 1995 they began to travel and seek training from some of the world’s best teachers in London, England. As a result, they became Lithuanian National Champions and achieved excellent results worldwide.
In 2001 Robertas and Inga turned professional and decided to put even more focus on their dancing, so they moved to London, where they spent almost two years. This helped them excel at their first competition as professionals and make it to the grand finals in the Rising Star Professional Latin Division at the most prestigious competition in the World: the BRITISH OPEN in Blackpool, England. They were the first couple in the history of Lithuania to achieve such a high result in Latin dances.
Their dream was to own a dance studio and they could see it happening in the US. At the end of 2002 they moved to Durham, NC, and started as employees at a local studio. In 2005 they started to manage the DANCE PLUS studio.
In April 2009 Robertas and Inga opened their new state-of-the-dance studio, ELITE BALLROOM, in up-and-coming Morrisville, NC. They train adults, children, beginners, social, and advanced dancers, as well as serve as the main Latin coaches of UNC ballroom dance team.
Achievements
In 2002, less than two years since they began competing professionally , Robertas and Inga were
ranked 8th in the world in Latin dances according to the World Ranking List completed by the
World Dance and Dancesport Council, an international professional association.
Robertas and Inga:
European Competitive Accomplishments
- First year competing Professionally in Europe, won two major competitions in Spain
- 5th Place, Germany Open Latin Championship in Mannheim
- 1st Place, Professional Rising Star category, Germany Open Latin Championship in Mannheim
- 1st Place, International Elsa Wells Rising Star Latin competition in London, (one of the top 5 in the world)
- 4th Place, Rising Star Latin competition at British Open, Blackpool, (the most prestigious competition in the world which attracts over 3,000 dancers from all over the world.)
- 4th Place, “World Masters” competition in Innsbruck, Austria
- 1st Place, Irish Open Latin American Championships in 2002
- 2nd place, UK Open Rising Star Latin Championship in Bournemouth, England 2002
- Semifinalists at the European Championship in Germany representing Lithuania
- Lithuanian Amateur and Professional Champions
Robertas and Inga:
U.S. Competitive Accomplishments
- 4th Place, Ohio Star Ball, 2003. The biggest competition in the United States which is now televised on PBS.
- 1st Place, Heart of America Championship in Kansas
- 3rd Place, Philadelphia Dance Festival, Pennsylvania
- 1st Place, St. Louis Star Ball
- 3rd Place, 2003 Yankee Classic, one of Americas top three competitions in Boston, MA
- 2nd Place, Maryland Dancesport Championships, Batimore
- 1st Place, Florida Superstars Competition in Tampa
- 1st Place, First Coast Classic Competition in Jacksonville, FL
