Our Mission:

A former World Ballroom Champion gives back to her community by supporting animal welfare via care and rescue, and by providing Affordable Housing Opportunities for NYC tenants and their “Little New Yorker” pet Dog or Cat.

Board of Directors:

Bonnie Diaz & Little Gabriel

Bonnie Diaz, Executive Director

Visionary, Humanitarian, Animal Activist, Producer, Director, Choreographer, Ballroom Dancer. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, she has been a true “New Yorker” all her life. She relocated to New York City permanently in the early eighties after a long and successful career in New England. With her former partner, Richard Diaz, she captured many titles in her competitive career. These titles include having the honor of being the first World Champion for the United States in Mambo; three times United States Ten Dance Representative; and Eleven Times Undefeated Basic Latin Champion.

She has toured the world in numerous stage, screen, and TV productions as a performer and choreographer, with her favorites being Countess in Grand Hotel and the American Ballroom Theater. She is former faculty, guest teacher, and choreographer for Ballet Hispanico, Gelsey Kirkland Ballet Academy, and the Joffrey Ballet School, as well as NYU.
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She was awarded the Unity Ball Life Time Achievement Award sponsored by the United Nations for her contribution to dance, and is a featured columnist in Dance Week. She was one of the original organizers of the United States Dance Congress. She is an accomplished Fellow in all styles of dance, as well as a certified Master Yoga, Pilates, and Fitness instructor. She is a well-known coach and adjudicator.

She has recently created and published her e-book, Ballroomology: The Study of Ballroom Dance, encapsulating her ballroom experiences resulting in her transformation of spirit, mind, and body. She produces events, galas, and scholarships at dance competitions year-round. Ms. Diaz has also traveled to Albany to rally for animals and their causes. She tirelessly volunteers at kill shelters, rescuing and adopting many animals. She continues to assist many animals in need of vital veterinary care, as well as their owners who face extreme veterinary bills.

Her earliest joy since childhood, besides dance, has been her intense love for all animals and nature on our planet. It is with the utmost joy and bliss that she has finally been able to bring her greatest passion to date of Providing Affordable Housing Opportunities that accept your "Little New Yorker" pet Dog or Cat. ""

Patti Panebianco & Sandi

Patti Panebianco, Treasurer
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Patti's dynamic energy and passion brought her from Social Dancer, to Amateur Performer, to Elite Amateur Competitor, Professional Competitor, right on through to her current status as an adjudicator, coach, chairperson & invigilator.
 
When she’s not serving as an Official at one of the many USA Dance Championship and WDSF events, Patti can be found volunteering on numerous committees to help dancers and USA Dance.  Most recently she is the Director of the College Network Committee which helps to organize the National Collegiate Dancesport Championships.  She has also been an avid member of the Greater NY Chapter since 1987, helping the board with any number of projects ranging from the MAC, when it was the country’s largest amateur event to local dance lessons and performances to bring the joy of dance to the community. She’s also donated her time teaching at the Green Mountain Chapter’s monthly dances.

Always interested in helping at the National level, Patti is the former treasurer & national committee member for the US Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (USISTD). Her expertise has called to choreograph & perform in various stage, TV & movie productions, throughout the country, including: A Tribute to Gershwin, Wallflowering, Marconi Brothers, All my Children & Yo’Yo Ma’s Soul of the Tango.

Her lifetime love of animals has been a catalyst in working with Ballroom Barks! as the Treasurer. Ballroom Barks! is dedicated to placing fur babies in loving, caring homes.

Working with children brings joy to my soul; She is a former Teaching Artist & Educational Liason with Dancing Classrooms Long Island and has recently volunteered her time judging The Colors of the Rainbow Team Match for DCLI.
She holds licentiate certifications in all styles of ballroom dance with U.S.I.S.T.D, I.S.T.D. and Terpsichore and is a certified teacher in all styles of performing arts and lifetime member of Dance Educators of America. She is a licensed World Class Adjudicator with World Dancesport Federation as well as Chairperson of Judges.

For the Past 24 years she is the founder & owner of NY Dancesport Centre on Long Island, has been dancing for 47 years and teaching professionally for 41 years. Prior to that she worked at various studios in Manhattan, including Stepping Out, Dance New York, Ballroom on Fifth and more.

5 years ago she co - founded Roll Call Wheelchair Dance LI after becoming a certified teacher for Roll Call Wheel Chair Dance. She loves working with people of all types of abilities for numerous years.

Lorri Brizzi & Louie

Lorri Brizzi, Secretary

Voted "Person of the Year" for six years by the readers of DanceTalk, the country's largest newsletter for hustle dancing.

Lori started teaching when she became hooked on the hustle and social dancing. She then branched off to all different styles of partner dance. She has won numerous dance championships in International Latin, Theater Arts, and Cabaret, and is a 2 time winner of the Zacharay's Dance Contest. She was a featured performer of such prestigious dance companies as American Ballroom Theater and Swing Dance America. She has performed at Lincoln Center, the Rainbow Room, the Copacabana, Latin Quarter, and other NYC night clubs. She has also made numerous TV and movie appearances.

Lori has taught and performed all over the world: in Germany, for Club Med, on Norwegian, Carnival, Holland America, Royal Carribbean and Costa cruise lines.

A renewed love of Hustle inspired her to start a monthly NYC dance party, Millennium Hustle, featuring Hustle, Salsa, and West Coast Swing and now Ballroom dancing. Because of its popularity, the party is now held in different locations throughout NY.
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She also directs of a popular national dance event called The NYC Dance Experience which includes the New York Hustle Congress.

Financial Data:

2022_ballroom_barks_final_tax_return.pdf2022_ballroom_barks_final_tax_return.pdfTax Data 2014
Tax Data 2015
Tax Data 2016
Tax Data 2017
Tax Data 2018
​Tax Data 2019
Tax Data 2020
Tax Data 2021
Tax Data 2022

BallroomBarks!sm
343 West 21st Street
Suite 1B
New York, NY 10011

Working Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Connect With Us
(917) 385-8064
BonnieBallroomBarks@gmail.com

Copyright ©Bonnie Diaz
​All Rights Reserved