USA Dance would like to thank the 439 dance fans who voted for the top American Dancer 2025 cover. It was very exciting to count the votes. There was a clear winner.
First place, receiving 145 votes, went to the December Cover featuring Daniel Kogan & Elizaveta Tsymbaliuk. This couple was photographed by Eamonn Knights at the 2025 USA Dance Excelsior Cup Challenge.
Daniel and Elizaveta will be interviewed by American Dancer writer Christine Trask. Watch for a story later this month!
Second place, receiving 107 votes, went to the November Cover featuring Mykhailo Roshchupkin & Rachel Rudshteyn. This couple was also photographed by Eamonn Knights at the 2025 USA Dance Excelsior Cup Challenge.
These top two cover couples were closely vying for the top spot. Then we found out why when USA Dance member Nataliya Yankelevich explained it. She noted, “Every dancer/parent/coach I know is getting a kick out of the battle of the favorite covers. I personally don’t recall such an avalanche of comments to a single post. Voting was a great idea!”
We thought so, too! It was a lot of fun watching the excitement.
Honorable mention went to the June cover featuring David Peng & Lilu Cheng.
Managing Editor’s Choice was the October cover featuring Dylan Chi & Isabella Moudry.
Nataliya noted that she was an American Dancer reader and that she knew the couples featured on the November and December covers. Then she offered some insight on these featured dancers.
Daniel & Elizaveta and Mykhailo & Rachel belong to the same dance studio, Basic Ballroom Dance Studio, in Staten Island, New York. According to Nataliya, they “have been training side-by-side, propelling each other’s desire to improve for years!”
“Both couples are 10-Dancers (Standard and Latin), going neck-to-neck as finalists of multiple tournaments.” She added, “All four of the kids are friends in real life. They travel together to competitions, share rooms, and meals.”
Nataliya noted that these couples were a shining example of friendship and competitive spirit, which is “an absolute MUST in DanceSport!”
She is absolutely right!
Congratulations to all the 2025 Cover Dancers! Thank you for all you do for USA Dance! Keep dancing!!
Do you want to see all the American Dancer Covers? Check them out on the Archives Page!
How do we choose the cover of American Dancer?
The covers of American Dancer are not predetermined, unless a member wins a World Championship or makes the podium at the Olympics. When that happens, they automatically get a cover; sometimes it is a special issue cover.
The rest of the covers start with good dancing, a great photo capturing that dancing, and good timing. Remember, there are only 12 months in the year!
Criteria:
- American Dancer needs very clear, strong photos of people dancing.
- We also need to identify those featured in the photo and who took it.
- The photo needs to be taken vertically, and there needs to be room for the American Dancer
USA Dance and American Dancer often have photographers at competitions. If we don’t have a photographer there, we try to arrange with the vendor photographer for competition photos. The better photos are used in the magazine and on social media, and the best ones are saved for covers and future posters. Organizers should consider the lighting at their events if they want great photos to be taken. Obviously, the Excelsior Cup did this. Show Dancers should also consider that poor lighting results in poor photos of their performances.
Social Dance covers are even trickier because Social Dancers don’t send in many photos, and they must meet all the criteria above. Again, lighting at your events might make this tricky.
Covers are complex and time-sensitive because they have to depict all of USA Dance… kids, Adults, Seniors, Latin, Rhythm, Smooth, Standard, and Social Dancers. American Dancer also does not consider photos that have been previously published. So, if you have posted your great photo all over Facebook, we won’t use it.
There is a lot to consider.
Please continue taking photos at your events and sending them to Managing Editor Rose-Ann Lynch at americandancer@usadance.org. Who knows…your photo might just make the cover of American Dancer.
Are you reading American Dancer? You should?
