Legend II

Guest Artists

Emma Shelnutt is a freshman at Olmsted Falls High School in Olmsted Falls, OH. Now 14 years old, Emma has been dancing with her partner Andy Slimak (of Starz Ballroom in Westlake) for 6 years. She is familiar with both rhythm and smooth dances, and has competed in several ballroom competitions. She is an avid reader, likes to cook, and is active in the fine arts. Emma will be participating in her second year of Golden Bullettes, the Olmsted Falls High School Drill Team, this upcoming school year. The thing she loves most about dance is that it has brought her two new families: the one in her studio at Starz Ballroom, and the sisterhood of her high school team.

Andy Slimak has been a professional ballroom dancer/coach for the better part of a decade. Working with franchised and independent studios since 2007, Andy’s dancing has taken him all over Ohio as well as the rest of the country. Andy is a Silver certified and award winning teacher as the Fred Astaire Rising Star Champion of 2007 and 2008 as well as the Mixed/Novice Champion of 2009. Cleveland’s Dancing With the Stars Champion of 2009 and the Greater Cleveland Diabetes Dancing with the Stars Champion of 2016. Andy’s students have also won many awards and accolades including Top Junior Students from 2007-2009 (4x shared by 3 students) as well as numerous Top Overall Student Awards (local, regional and national). Andy’s teachers and coaches include: Karina Smirnoff, Tony Dovolani, Kimberly Mitchell, Bill Sparks, Rosando Fumero, Anderson Sylvestre and many more. Andy’s love of dance is owed to his parents and grandparents who from a very young age had him watching Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly movies in amazement. As well as a professional ballroom dancer Andy holds a degree is Theater and Performance Arts from Cleveland State University while performing with various local and professional theatrical groups throughout Northeast Ohio including in 2007 in the World Community Theater debut of CATS at the Cassidy Theater in Parma Hts, Ohio. “Thank you to Symphony West Orchestra for the opportunity not only to showcase one of my wonderful students but to perform with such talented people!”