Judges

Zack Richard

Main Judge

Zack got into dancing the good old way: through family. His mother and father were ballroom dancers, and used to bring him to dances for as long as he remembers - actually, his mother was his very first ballroom dance partner!

He later discovered swing dancing - through the movie "Swing Kids", nothing less - , and immediately fell in love with the energy, the music and the unique movement of the dance.

Zack is recognizable on the floor as the dancer most likely to smile, if not laugh, at any given moment. He pairs this love and enthusiasm for the dance with precise and sound technique, as well as a keen eye for aesthetics that makes him a fierce coach that settles for little less than perfection.

Founder and director of the Swing ConneXion Studios in Montreal, he teaches to literally thousands of students every year, both in his studios and during his travels around the world (he visited Berlin, London, Paris, San Diego, Sydney, most of them several times).

Proficient in all styles, Zack can not only do Balboa, Shag, Lindy Hop, Blues and Charleston with the same ease, but is also knowledgeable in most styles of solo dances and, of course, his ballroom and latin dance roots, all of which he spices up with his unique flare and style. Considered one of the best Canadian swing leaders, he is certainly the most versatile, being a Canadian Swing Dance Champion in all major divisions: Blues, Balboa, Lindy Hop Showcase, Solo Charleston, Lindy Hop Improv, Team, Shag... The list goes on!