Our Staff
Robert Eisenbach joined us from Vienna, Austria in Fall of 2010, where he attended Technical School for industrial engineering and management. He developed his social dancing skills navigating Vienna’s crowded ballrooms, which often attract several thousand attendees at a single event. In 2009, Robert was invited by Fred Astaire Dance Studios to teach in the United States. He has represented our studio dancing for several nonprofit organizations in the area, including the Rotary Club. When he’s not dancing, Robert enjoys sailing, biking, skiing, and mountaineering.
Diane Samuelson is a native of Annandale, VA. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh, and spent a semester of her undergraduate years living in Chengdu, China. Diane’s love of dance began with her first ballet class at age three; she is also a lifelong musician, having played the cello since age nine. Teaching dance allows her to engage with music and dance on a regular basis, and share her passions with others. Diane has an eclectic range of interests outside of dancing, including trivia games, science, and travel.
Missy Nilson, Studio Director, came to us from Indiana where she started her career in dance. A graduate of Indiana University, she began teaching dance in 2001. She has previously been a Studio Counselor and has taught dance at the college level. Missy most enjoys making a positive change in people’s lives by increasing their poise, confidence in social situations and strengthening relationships. She believes that no matter what other people may have told you, you do not have “two left feet” and at Fred Astaire Dance Studio you can have fun learning to dance.
Dmitri Naiman was born in Russia and spent twenty years in Israel before emigrating to the United States. He comes from a family of dancers – both parents were professionals – and holds a BA in choreography from the National University of Art in Russia. Dmitri has been teaching various forms of dance, including ballet, jazz, hip hop, and ballroom, for more than twenty years. He enjoys teaching ballroom dancing because he loves helping people to understand the connection between partners, and to have fun.