A love for dance and a passion for the Arts at a young age are what led Jaimee Gray Simon to a career in the Performing Arts with the non-profit organization Youth With A Mission in Tyler, TX. There she studied and taught the Arts, including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, mime, acting, and playwriting. She has traveled and taught all over the world in places such as Bulgaria, Israel, Azerbaijan, and Colombia, even studying in Russia under a former Bolshoi ballerina.
After returning home to her native Nashville in 2000, Jaimee discovered a passion for the art and sport of ballroom dancing. She has spent the last eight years training, teaching, competing, and choreographing in the areas of Latin, Swing, and Country under some of the nation's most esteemed ballroom dancers.
Jaimee also has an extensive background in acting and television hosting. She has worked on feature films, music videos, and commercials. She has also appeared on CMT's "Top Twenty Countdown" as a dance instructor/co-host, and on NBC's "Nashville Star" as a guest dance coach.
In 2008, Jaimee and her partner won a World Title in the Open 8 Dance division in the United Country-Western Dance Council World Championships. She also holds several UCWDC Division One Champion titles, and she is also very proud of her award-winning competitive dance students. Jaimee's favorite dances and specialties include West Coast Swing, Country-Western, and American Smooth.
Mark began dancing at the young age of 6 in his small hometown of Beebe, Arkansas. Through many years of piano lessons, dance lessons, school plays, and theater, Mark's love for the Arts guided him to the University of Central Arkansas where he majored in music and theater. However, dancing was always in the stars for him.
He began his ballroom dance career in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 18, working at the local ballroom dance studio for a number of years. At first, his main professional interest was the American Rhythm style, in which he competed for about 6 years. Through travel around the world competing both professionally and with students and eventually owning his own studio, he began to make a name for himself in the ballroom world. After much coaxing from his coaches, Mark was convinced to take a whirl at the American Smooth style, which resulted in attaining the honor of U.S. Rising Star Finalist.
At the request of the owner, Mark recently made the decision to move to Nashville, Tennessee, and work at one of the premier dance sport studios in the country. He is currently training with the U.S. and world's top coaches to give the Professional American Smooth division one more try with Jaimee Simon.
