Meet our 2027 Instructors & DJ's

Michael Kiehm started teaching dance when he was only 17 years old. Fulfilling his dream, in 1982 Michael opened the Starlight Dance Studio in San Diego. Since its inception, Starlight Dance Studio has grown six times its original size with more than 30 talented instructors and more than 300 students. In 2017, Michael sold the Starlight and relocated to

Charlotte, NC. Michael regularly competes, performs, coaches, judges, and hosts dance events throughout the country on top of his very busy teaching schedule. Some of his most notable accomplishments include:

• US Open Swing Dance Champion

• Member of the National Swing Dance Hall of Fame

• “Rising Stars” International Latin Champion

• Several Pro-Am Ballroom & Latin Championship titles

• Grand Master and founder of the Global PDIA Instructor Certification Programs

• Founder of the Global PDIA Judges Certification Program

Michael has been training and dancing for the past 20 years, in most styles of Partner Dancing.  As one of the top Master Instructors, Michael has been traveling, teaching and performing not only in the United States but in countries like Canada, France, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, Brazil and Australia. He is known for his instruction, choreography, unique style, approach and quality.  Michael is dedicated to the growth of all dance, its recognition as a sport and exciting social activity for everyone to enjoy 

 Kat Painter is recognized for her work in line and couples social and competitive dancing. She has choreographed over 30 dances and co-choreographed several others, with her first published stepsheet on CopperKnob being Hazzard County in January 2016. Her most recent stepsheet, 5 Second Cha, was released in November 2025.

She has also been active in the line dance community through workshops, events, and public performances, including appearances at the Hawaii Line Dance Festival and The Line Dance Marathon.

Kat Painter’s work spans beginner to improver levels, often featuring country and pop-inspired line dances with clear, teachable steps. She is also active in competitive country dance and has choreographed for the UCWDC (United Country Dance Championships) 

With a lifelong passion for dance, Beth began her journey at the age of six with formal training in ballet, tap, and jazz, competing throughout her youth into adulthood until pursuing a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She dedicated over two decades to raising her five children alongside her husband of 29 years, Bobby. Even during the demands of motherhood, she remained active in the dance community, learning new dance forms and performing in local ballets and dance productions. 

In 2018, she returned to teaching dance and fitness, leveraging her certifications in group fitness as well as specialized certifications in Zumba, Barre Fitness, and CIRCL Mobility and LIFT. She currently teaches and competes in Line Dancing, in which she holds three UCWDC world titles.  Additionally, she competes in UCWDC Pro/Am with Ronnie DeBenedetta. She shares her expertise in private and group lessons at gyms, fitness studios, charter/private schools, businesses, UCWDC dance conventions, city events, and aboard cruise ships. She is in the process of opening her own studio called The Rhythm House in Prescott, AZ, where she'll have a dance and fitness home to share with the community. 

TBA

Ben Titus is a Black Hills native and resident DJ. He first began organizing and providing music for events in high school. He continued this while attending college where he began DJing dances for the community alongside and for Debbie Ellerton and Heartland Dancing, as well as for the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, his alma mater and where he participated and helped lead its dance club. As his own love for dance grew, it was at these community and college dances that he attained more knowledge and insight into the disc jockey trade, now offering his services as a moonlighting DJ for weddings, dances, social gatherings, and more. He is glad to spin tunes and offer a welcoming atmosphere on the Black Hills Dance Festival's dance floor this year with eclectic varieties of songs for numerous styles of dancing rhythms. Be sure to check him out for one of the festival's evening soirées! 

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