STAFF



PJ Turner & Karin Kakun

PJ started dancing at age 10 with Clogging (a form of tap). His brother was going out to a local club to learn line dancing and came home telling these amazing stories. At the age of 12, PJ started Line dancing at the same place as his brother. By 14, PJ started partner dancing and met his future wife. She taught him East Coast Swing, some mixer dances, and the Sweetheart Schottische. While still a teen, he discovered that his grandmother had become very sick and could not come to see him and his brother dance. At the same time PJ’s family learned that there was a national TV show being filmed in Knoxville called Club Dance. So the family went on the show and his grandmother was able to see both her grandsons dance!!! On set, PJ met a bunch of new dancers and trainers. He stayed on this show for the next 3 years. During his TV career he learned 2-step, triple two, waltz, cha cha, polka and then he saw WEST COAST SWING!!!! This dance suited him perfectly, so quit other dances to focus entirely on developing his WCS. In 2015, PJ quit his job and commenced dancing professionally full time. It’s a decision he has never regretted. PJ loves dancing and is extremely passionate about teaching and social dancing. Now PJ travels all over the world teaching, judging, performing, competing, and always learning! Despite his rigorous travel schedule, PJ NEVER forgot that the most important thing is family. He has an AMAZINGLY SUPPORTIVE FAMILY that is his rock and cheers him on.

Karin holds a university dance degree, has been dancing all her life and teaching for more than 14 years. Choreographer and performer, she teaches WCS, Hip-Hop, stretching, pole dance and she was the Israeli salsa champion. Karin started her WCS career in 2014 and from the first moment she fell in love. She is now competing both in All Star and Champion divisions and teaching in Israel, where she directs a West Coast Swing line of classes. She travels and teaches all around Europe.