Find information on the officials, judges & their bios below
Officials – Select a name for more information
Bio coming soon
Peter Meager works as a professional Master of Ceremonies (emcee) for international dance competitions all around the World.
With his experience of Professional, Amateur, Pro-Am as well as the Equality Dance scene, Pete is often at the helm of large competitions such as the Holiday Dance Classic – Las Vegas, FloorplayLA – California, NASSPDA North American Championships, WDO World Formation Championships – Blackpool, and the IFSSDA World Championships & International Trophy. Pete is delighted to be part of Gay Games XII in Valencia and part of yet another fantastic World Championship.
Bio coming soon
Ferran Rovira is a highly respected DanceSport official, adjudicator, and administrator with more than two decades of experience at national and international level. He serves as Chairperson of Adjudicators for both the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and the Spanish DanceSport Federation (FEBD), and is an International Adjudicator across Latin, Standard, Formation, and Showdance disciplines. His leadership roles have included President of the Spanish DanceSport Professional Association and President of DANDI DanceSport Club.
Actively involved in education and coach development, Ferran has also played a key role in organising numerous World and European Championships, Grand Slam events, Spanish Opens, and national championships, contributing significantly to the growth of DanceSport in Spain.
M. Soledad Farré serves as Chairperson of Adjudicators for the Spanish DanceSport Federation (FEBD). She is involved with the Catalan DanceSport Federation (FCBE), contributing to event organisation, education, and the delivery of training courses and seminars.
M.Soledad is also a qualified Sports Technician from the University of Vic (Barcelona). Serving alongside Ferran Rovira as a board member of DANDI DanceSport Club, she has been instrumental in supporting the continued growth and promotion of DanceSport at both regional and national levels.
Judges – Select a name for more information
Eddie Alba is a professional ballroom dancer, choreographer, coach, and adjudicator with more than 35 years of experience in the dance industry. He is the owner and director of Century Dancesport, one of Southern California’s largest ballroom dance studios. A former American Smooth Champion, he has dedicated his career to the development and promotion of ballroom dancing at all levels. Certified through both the NDCA and NAEDA, he adjudicates across all major ballroom disciplines.
Within the LGBTQ+ dance community, Eddie is a multiple Gay Games World Champion, including the International Ballroom title in 2014. In 2018, he and his husband, Sérgio Brilhante, were crowned Gay Games World Champions in both 10-Dance and International Latin. He is honoured to serve as an adjudicator at the 2026 Gay Games, celebrating excellence, inclusion, and diversity in DanceSport.
Sérgio Brilhante is a Portuguese dance professional with over 30 years of experience and holds ISTD Fellow status in International Ballroom and Licentiate status in International Latin. His achievements include Portugal’s Professional Latin Vice-Champion, European Same-Sex Latin Champion, International Same-Sex Latin and 10-Dance Champion, and multiple international title wins.
A pioneer of same-sex ballroom dancing, Sérgio and his former partner, Jonathan Morrison, were the first all-male couple to compete in the professional division of mainstream ballroom competitions. Since relocating to California in 2018, he has co-managed Century Dancesport alongside his husband, Eddie Alba, where he teaches, coaches, adjudicates, and competes.
A highly respected DanceSport coach, judge, and educator with over 25 years of experience, Lorena Costa Lozano has been a leading figure in Spanish and international competitive dance since 1999. An international adjudicator since 2005, she has officiated at World Championships, European Championships, and Grand Slam events.
As Director of Elite Dance Studio in Valencia and a member of the Spanish DanceSport Federation training team, Lorena has coached athletes to more than 35 Spanish Championship titles and developed numerous national team members, European finalists, and World Championship Top 10 competitors. She has also played a key role in training the majority of Valencian dancers who have appeared on successful Spanish television programmes, including Mira Quién Baila and Bailando con las Estrellas.
Darryl Davenport OAM is the Principal of Ballroom Fit and Chairman of Para and Ability Dance Western Australia, organisations dedicated to providing inclusive dance opportunities. Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to DanceSport, he is a Championship Accredited Adjudicator with DanceSport Australia and an International Certified Adjudicator with World Para Dance Sport.
Since retiring from competition in 2011, Darryl has regularly adjudicated at the Australian DanceSport Championships and serves as an examiner for both the Australian Dancing Society and DanceSport Australia. A long-time advocate for LGBTQIA+ dancers, he was a founding member of OUTdance Perth and enjoyed notable competitive success in same-sex DanceSport.
Juan Manuel Gómez is a WDSF International Judge (Active AJS Adjudicator), National Judge and Coach with the Spanish DanceSport Federation, and Director of Ritmos Dance School in Valencia, Spain.
A former WDSF Professional Division athlete representing Spain, he enjoyed a distinguished competitive career, becoming a four-time Spanish Champion in the Adult and Professional Latin categories. He was also a two-time Professional Latin World Championship finalist and a two-time European Championship medallist. Drawing on extensive experience as both an elite competitor and international adjudicator, Juan is dedicated to promoting excellence, integrity, and the continued development of DanceSport at the highest level.
Karen Hilton started dancing at the age of 4 and with her husband Marcus she has won a total of 16 World Championships in Ballroom, Latin American, 10 Dance and Ballroom Show dance. She is a highly respected and renowned dance teacher, lecturer and adjudicator in the UK and internationally.
Karen is also regarded as an influencer with the field of Ballroom and Latin American dress design and couture.
She is the current Vice-President of the British DanceSport Association (BDSA).
Marcus Hilton is a highly respected and world renowned dance teacher and adjudicator. He started dancing at the age of 8. During this time with his wife Karen, he has won a total of 16 World Championships in Ballroom, Latin American, 10 Dance and Ballroom Show dance.
Marcus was previously the Chairman of the World Competitior DanceSport Organisation (WCDC) and the British Competitors DanceSport Organisation (BCDC), British Open & British National Dance Festivals and President and Chairman of the British Dance Council (BDC).
He is the current President of the British DanceSport Association (BDSA).
Ralf Janssen is a highly experienced DanceSport adjudicator and former S-Class competitor, having competed at the highest level of the German DanceSport system until 1997. Since then, he has served as an adjudicator in Standard, Latin, and Formation disciplines, earning recognition both nationally and internationally.
Ralf has officiated at numerous European and World Championships in Equality DanceSport and is a valued representative of the Blau-Silber Berlin DanceSport Club and DanceSport Germany. His extensive experience as both a competitor and adjudicator reflects a longstanding commitment to excellence and the development of DanceSport.
Born in New Zealand, Wendy Johnson is a former New Zealand Ballroom and Latin Champion as well as 6th British Amateur Latin Championship.
Wendy has been a choreographer for Dancing with the Stars USA.
She is currently co-organiser of Holiday Dance Classic, Las Vegas and Kiwi Dance Classic NZ.
A highly accomplished DanceSport professional, Marina Mangione is a WDSF International Judge and Trainer and Director of Ritmos Escuela de Baile in Valencia. During her competitive career, she was a four-time World Championship finalist, including the 2017 World Professional Latin Championship, and a two-time European Championship finalist.
A four-time Spanish Champion and two-time Italian Champion, Marina also won the GOC Professional Rising Stars title and achieved a Top 20 Amateur World Ranking between 2013 and 2017. Her success began in youth competition, where she was an Italian Youth Champion, World Championship finalist, and European Championship medallist.
Bio coming soon
Diego Navarro is an experienced 10-Dance competitor, international coach, and adjudicator representing the Spanish DanceSport Federation (FEBD). Throughout his career, Diego has coached numerous champion athletes across a range of dance disciplines, guiding them to success at national and international competitive levels.
In addition to his coaching and adjudicating work, he is a committed advocate for inclusion within the dance community. As an LGBTQ+ activist, he is passionate about creating safe and welcoming environments where dancers can express themselves freely, promoting diversity, respect, and equal opportunities through movement and sport.
Bio coming soon
A highly respected dance professional, educator, and adjudicator, Isabel Pérez Bermudo combines extensive academic qualifications with a distinguished career in DanceSport. She holds degrees in Special Education, Psychopedagogy, and Secondary School Guidance and Counselling, alongside professional dance qualifications from the United Kingdom Alliance, FEBD, and WDSF.
A Spanish Professional Latin Champion in 2002 and 2003, she is a WDSF Adjudicator A, Chairperson A, and Professional Division adjudicator. Her expertise has also been recognised in the media, serving as a judge on the first Spanish edition of Dancing with the Stars (Bailando con las Estrellas) in 2018 alongside Joaquín Cortés and Moira Chapman.
Jeffrey van Meerkerk is a WDSF A-Level Adjudicator accredited to judge all DanceSport disciplines, including official World Championship events, he brings extensive experience as both a competitor and sports administrator. A former Latin American dancer, Jeffrey competed at the highest levels in the WDSF Adult and Professional divisions.
From 2010 to 2023, he served as President of the Dutch National DanceSport Federation, and from 2021 to 2024 was a member of the WDSF Presidium, holding the position of Vice President for Communications. Jeffrey’s career reflects a longstanding commitment to the development and governance of DanceSport at both national and international levels.
