2026 TapVibe Judges & TAPapalooza Faculty
CEO and Founder, TapVibe Challenge and TAPapalooza
Suzy Guarino-Hall
Suzy Guarino-Hall has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, with a background in print, film, and voiceover work for brands like Volkswagen, McDonald’s, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. A Chicago native now based in Phoenix; she holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Loyola University Chicago.
Suzy is the founder and artistic director of Tap 24.7, a Phoenix-based tap company known for producing 14 original shows performed nationwide. She is also the founder and CEO of TapVibe Challenge and TAPapalooza, an all-tap dance competition and workshop, which made its debut in 2024. Suzy travels and works with studios in the US and Canada; choreographing award-winning dances and teaching workshops at major tap festivals including Motor City Tap Fest and Phoenix Tap Fest. She has judged and show directed for dance competitions such as Dance Educators of America, Starsystems, Spotlight Dance Cup, Amp Dance Competition, and In10sity Dance. As an educator in the weekly classroom, she teaches at The Dance Project, and Take Five Dance Academy, and is currently in her 11th year as adjunct faculty at Grand Canyon University, teaching all levels of tap and tap ensemble. She currently owns and operates the Tap 24.7 Lounge, where there is weekly tap classes open to the public and the home of Tap 24.7. Suzy currently teaches for The Dance Project in Peoria and Take Five Dance Academy, choreographing for their tap companies. Through her teaching, choreography, and productions, Suzy continues to shape the future of tap dance, inspiring the next generation of performers.
TapVibe Judges
Tommy Wasiuta
Scoring Judge (CHI, PDX)
Tommy Wasiuta, described as a “breath of dance freedom” (New York Times), is a tap dance artist from St. Louis, Missouri. His career began as a co-founder of the St. Louis Rhythm Collaborative, named in Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to Watch” in 2023. Currently based in New York City, Tommy has performed at The Joyce Theater, 92nd Street Y, Little Island, and Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, performing under the direction of artists like Michela Marino Lerman, Max Pollak, Luke Hickey, Christina Carminucci, and Ulysses Owens Jr. He performed as a soloist with the Saint Joseph Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, he released a solo tap album “Drum Shoes” that explores the tap shoes as a stand-alone instrument and performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Conference (PASIC). Tommy was a choreographer with Dance Lab New York for the 2025 Tap Dance Project, leading to his choreographic premiere at the Making Moves Dance Festival. As an educator, Tommy is on faculty at Steps on Broadway, New York University, the Joffrey Ballet School, and OneBeat Dance Brands. He has been a guest instructor for Operation: Tap, Sarah Reich’s Tap Music Project, The Institute for American Musical Theatre, and Dance Masters of America. He is an alumnus of the University of Missouri – St. Louis and the Tap Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow.
Sterling Harris
Scoring Judge (CHI)
Sterling Harris (he/him), a Chicago native now based in New York, fell in love with tap dance at the age of seven and hasn’t stopped dancing since. Since earning a B.A. in Neuroscience from Northwestern University, he has been devoted to pursuing his passion for tap dance as a performer, choreographer, and educator. Sterling is currently the Artistic Associate of Chicago Tap Theatre and also performs with MADD Rhythms, Dorrance Dance, and Music From The Sole. Recent credits include performances at Jacob’s Pillow, the Joyce Theater, the Kennedy Center, and the Auditorium Theater. In addition to performing, Sterling has had the honor of teaching various workshops and at festivals nationally and internationally including the Chicago Tap Summit, the STL Rhythm Tap Fest, and RIFF Dallas. Sterling is also a proud alumnus of the Tap Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow and the recipient of the 2021 Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence.
Brendan Kellam
Scoring Judge (CHI)
Brendan Kellam is a renowned choreographer, performer, and educator based in Tucson, Arizona, best known for his cutting-edge work in urban and hip-hop choreography. As the founder and director of DXX Dance, Brendan has become a leading figure in the Arizona dance community, recognized for his dynamic movement style, intense musicality, and commitment to developing young artists. With a background rooted in competitive dance and street styles, Brendan has trained and mentored dancers who have gone on to perform on national stages. Beyond performance, Brendan is a committed educator and leader in the tap community. He’s on faculty at top-tier tap intensives and festivals like Wing It Tap Intensive, Phoenix Tap Fest, Utah Tap Fest, Motor City Tap Fest, and Sarah Reich’s Tap Music Project. Beyond performance, Brendan is passionate about building community through dance, offering classes, workshops, and mentorship to empower the next generation of dancers. Under his direction, DXX Dance has grown into a respected hub for innovation, creativity, and artistic excellence.
Shannon Kaminski
Scoring Judge (PDX), Critique-only Judge (CHI)
Shannon Kaminski grew up in Lombard, IL, where she spent her childhood immersed in the dance studio. Under the guidance of Donna Johnson, Ashley DeForest-Goletz, and her brother, Sean Kaminski, she quickly developed a passion for tap dance. Shannon was a longtime scholarship recipient with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, where she continued her tap education. By age 17, she was already choreographing and teaching at Steppin’ Out Dance Company.
In 2013, Shannon moved to Muncie, Indiana, to attend Ball State University. While at BSU, she danced with the Code Red Dance Team and Outlet Hip Hop Group, taught and choreographed tap at Cole Academy, and regularly hosted open tap classes for fellow students. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Creative Writing.
After graduation, Shannon relocated to Indianapolis with a mission to spread her love of tap. In 2018, she became the Tap Director at Expressenz Dance Center—named the 2024 “Studio of the Year”—where she founded the youth tap company NZ TapZ. What began with 12 dancers quickly grew to more than 50 members. Today, NZ TapZ hosts an annual tap showcase and performs regularly at local events throughout the Indianapolis area.
Over the years, Shannon has traveled across the U.S. and Canada as a guest teacher and choreographer. Her credits include faculty or performance roles at Little Rock Tap Fest, TapVibe Tap Competition, WING IT Tap Fest, BRAVO! Dance Competition, Canadian Dance Intensive, Indy Dance Fest, STEPS Tap Workshop, DeForest Summer Intensive, Streetz Dance Convention, and more.
In 2025, Shannon published her debut children’s book, “Tap Class Place”, now available online and in local bookstores.
Vikas Arun
Scoring Judge (PDX)
Vikas is a performer and choreographer from Seattle specializing in tap, contemporary, and various forms of Indian dance. He is the first South Asian to be sponsored by the dancewear giant Capezio, to receive a residency at the historic American Tap Dance Foundation, and to perform in the worldwide sensation STOMP. He has performed on TV with Good Morning America, NBC’s New Amsterdam, and So You Think You Can Dance, in commercials for J. Crew and Vogue, and on stage for 50,000 people at the Houston Texans stadium for the President of the United States. His company, Project Convergence, is known for uniting tap dance with Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian percussive dance form. They have performed at Lincoln Center and Alvin Ailey while being featured in The New York Times and The Hindu. Vikas is a guest instructor at Broadway Dance Center and Columbia University and is sought after around the world for his ability to challenge and inspire his students.
Kelsey Rose
Critique-only Judge (PDX)
Kelsey Rose Young is a performer, teacher, and choreographer based in Detroit, Michigan. Kelsey has been on faculty with Showstopper Dance Convention, Fuzion Dance Camp, and Motor City Tap Fest. She has taught at the Big Apple Tap Festival, Phoenix Tap Festival, and Las Vegas Tap Festival.
In 2017 she started the Wing It Tap Intensive and Challenge which travels throughout the country with a number of top instructors. She is the current director and lead choreographer for the pre-professional tap company – Detroit Tap Repertory, as well as a member of Shelby Kaufman’s tap company, G.L.Y.D.E., and Suzy Guarino- Hall’s company, TAP 24.7.
Kelsey has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as part of the DSO Educational Series and was a guest speaker at the Moving With Detroit seminar for dance educators. In 2015, she was a contestant on the FOX Network’s So You Think You Can Dance – Season 12, and season 14.
In 2018, Kelsey traveled to Germany to compete in the IDO World Tap Championships. It’s there that her 3 pieces placed 4th and 5th in the World. She also came in 2nd for the World’s Battle of the Feet.
She has had the privilege of studying under and performing alongside many of today’s most respected tap dancers and legends including Arthur Duncan, Ardie Bryant, Denise Caston, Gregg Russell, Chloe Arnold, Sarah Reich, Chris Broughton, Jenefer Miller, Suzy Guarino-Hall, and Dianne Walker. As a choreographer, Kelsey draws from her training and range of experiences as a singer and dancer to create a style that is intricate, gritty, passionate, and entertaining. Her pieces have received many awards and accolades across the country, and she is quickly becoming one of the Midwest’s premier tap choreographers.
