Liz Chester
Fate can take many directions, change the course of lives and bring individuals together from many countries and continents. That is my story. Dance knows no boundaries.
I discovered a latent passion for the art of dance after a successful career in investment counseling. Ever a high achiever, I had a demanding, yet rewarding, professional life complemented by a full and enjoyable personal life. After early retirement, and the passing of my late husband, I found that I was not being challenged physically nor mentally.
In February 2006, fate stepped in to change the course of my life. Full filling a long time desire, I turned to dance and signed up for ballroom dance lessons. Two months later, I danced in my first competition with my Latin American Instructor, Antonio Daza, and we quickly became great friends, and even better competitive dance partners. We were successful and danced well together. Sharing similar goals and a love of dance, Antonio and I decided to open our own dance studio. Daza Dance Ballroom Academy became a reality in 2008.
Since that time, we have opened our second Daza Dance Ballroom Academy and purchased Hotlanta Dance Challenge. It completes the journey, the pot at the end of the rainbow. We feel that we have achieved the ultimate and that we have now come full circle.
Michael Reeves
After college, I studied for many years under one of the most successful Franchised Dance Studio Owners in history. I, Michael Reeves, became owner of high profile studios including Silicon Valley’s Starlite Dance Club, which housed twenty eight instructors, three hundred fifty private lesson students, twenty group classes and four practice parties weekly, averaging two thousand customers in attendance on a weekly basis.
In 2008, I partnered with Sherri and Cheryl Burke Dance – a California company. Cheryl Burke is the 2-time Champion of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” and her mother Sherri, an entrepreneur of her own right.
This year I have not only moved to Atlanta but I have taken on the position of President of Daza Dance Ballroom Academy and co-owner of "Hotlanta Dance Challenge". Having spent most of my career in the ballroom dance business I entered Daza Dance with unparalleled experience in every phase of studio operations, from teaching and managing to production and development.
I believe the possibilities in Atlanta are endless and look forward to making this city the biggest success story of my career”!
Antonio Daza
I inherited the passion and talent for dance from my parents, who were the soul of the parties in the small Venezuelan town where I grew up. Because of my latin legacy social dancing was a very important part of my culture.
While in college, I was fortunate to train with one the best folk dance performers in the world: Yolanda Moreno. I dreamed of one day dancing with other professionals, like the ones seen on television in my hometown. That dream never faded and I moved to Atlanta in 2003 and continue my dance training as a professional ballroom dancer at one of the nation’s top franchised dance studios.
In 2008, my dream of dancing continued and it took me one step farther. Liz Chester and I opened Daza Dance Ballroom Academy becoming the largest and most beautiful dance school in state. It was always our goal to provide a space which dance instructors feel proud of. As CEO of Daza Dance I strive to make sure that every staff member is taken care of and on his or her way to success.
Now, as one of the owners of Hotlanta Dance Challenge, I am focus on developing Atlanta into one of the main dance cities in the country while I continue growing and learning from the amazing and invaluable people around me.
