Early Days
Nadia Eftedal
Nadia Eftedal (née Piponniau) was born on 29th of August 1962 in Los Angeles, USA, to a French father and an Armenian mother.
She began dancing at the age of eight in Hollywood, California. Her first competition was the historic California Star Ball, where she achieved an impressive 2nd place in the “10 years and under Cha-Cha-Cha” division.
Her first dance partner was Byron Schreiber, and her last partner before moving to Europe was Jon Hogan. Nadia trained at the Sloan-Sloan School of Dance and, throughout her junior, amateur and early professional years, competed in both International Standard and Latin styles. She turned professional at just 17 years old.
Before partnering with Johan, Nadia’s highest achievement was tying for first place in the U.S. Rising Star Standard Championship at the 1982 USDC. However, due to Rule 11, they were ultimately placed second.
Johan Fredrik Eftedal
Johan Eftedal was born on 27th of September 1954 in Oslo, Norway.
He began dancing at the age of five and, already as a juvenile competitor, represented Norway internationally. His first dance partner was Vera Bjørklund and his first teacher was Per Rødtvold, father of Svein Rødtvold.
As an amateur competitor, Johan reached the semifinal at Blackpool and placed third at the European Championship.
Career Together
Johan and Nadia began dancing together in 1983, representing Norway.
In the early years of their partnership, they lived in Oslo for nearly three years, where they taught, trained intensively and competed across Europe. For the first two years, they competed in 10-dance to broaden their exposure. They placed in the top twelve at the World Professional 10-Dance Championship and won several Norwegian Professional titles.
As they broke through to become regular finalists at major international events—including reaching the final of the International Professional Latin—they moved to London, England, to continue their development under some of the world’s leading teachers.
Their teachers included Michael Stylianos and Lorna Lee, Alan and Hazel Fletcher, Espen Salberg, Joan Knight, Doris Lavelle, Walter Laird, Lorraine and Peter Maxwell. Throughout their entire careers, their mentors remained Sheila and Ken Sloan, Nadia’s teachers from the very beginning.
Their growing success took them around the world to compete, lecture, perform and teach across Asia, Europe, Australia and the United States. Their partnership became one of the most successful in Latin-American dancing and left a lasting legacy.
Some of their most significant achievements:
• Open British Professional Latin Champions (1993)
• U.K. Professional Latin Champions (1993)
• European Latin Champions (1992, 1993)
• Winners of the Super Japan Cup
• Winners of the German Open Professional Latin Championship
• Winners of the French Latin Masters
• Winners of the Russian Invitational Latin Championship
• Five-time Silver Medalists at the World Professional Latin Championship
Life After Their Competitive Career
After retiring from competition, Johan and Nadia moved to the United States, where they continued to teach, lecture and adjudicate worldwide.
Eventually, their paths separated and they divorced. Johan later returned to Norway.
Johan speaks openly about the personal struggles he faced after losing his father at the age of 15. Carrying that pain for many years, he developed an alcohol addiction and, in his own words, lost fifteen years of his life.
With the support of family, close friends and professional help, he overcame his addiction. On 17th of December he will celebrate 12 years of sobriety—a milestone he deeply values. Today, he lives a happy and fulfilled life, surrounded by loved ones. He continues to teach and adjudicate and in his free time enjoys golf, skiing, gardening and fishing.
Johan is also open to supporting others facing similar struggles and welcomes private contact from those seeking guidance.
He has received the WDC Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the world of ballroom dancing—an enduring testament to the respect he commands within the dance community.
Over the past two decades, Nadia has developed a distinctive and influential approach to serving the dance community. Following her retirement, she continued her studies under the mentorship of Maximiliaan Winkelhuis and Ruud Vermeij, both of whom have been highly supportive and instrumental in her development.
From 2009 to 2013, she owned and operated The Rhythm Room dance studio in Sherman Oaks, which became highly successful, particularly through its children’s program for dancers aged four and above. The studio offered group classes, private lessons, dance camps and showcases, fostering a vibrant and supportive environment.
She also organized the renowned annual “Beverly Hills Holiday Ball & Dance Camp,” attracting dancers from around the world for competitions, workshops with leading coaches, and elegant gala events.
Since 2014, Nadia has continued her global impact as a traveling coach and a respected member of the International Dance Council within the Fred Astaire Dance Studio organization. She is also an Examiner for the United States Terpsichore Association, further affirming her authority in the field.
She is currently planning to open a new studio in San Jose.
Nadia’s exceptional achievements have been recognized with the prestigious John Monte Lifetime Achievement Award.
Despite their separation, Johan and Nadia have maintained a respectful and professional relationship. Last year, after many years apart, they reunited to lecture together at the Blackpool Congress.
Their expertise and discerning eye have made them highly sought-after adjudicators at world-class competitions. Their legacy—as dancers, teachers, lecturers, and mentors—continues to inspire generations.
Personal Note
I could easily write an entire blog about our friendship.
We first met in 1987, when Johan and Nadia performed several shows at the grand opening of our first private dance centre, Urška, in Ljubljana. At the time, they were already a top Professional Latin couple and it was a great honour for us to host them in Slovenia. The studio flourished and Johan and Nadia returned to teach our first generations of dancers while they were still based in London.
After their move to the United States, we lost touch for a few years.
We reconnected with Nadia when she opened her studio in Sherman Oaks—a beautiful space filled with passionate dancers. I also attended her “Beverly Hills Holiday Ball & Dance Camp” twice. It was there that I met Tony Meredith and a year later, in 2014, Nadia and Tony joined my project “Cuban Experience” in Havana.
During this project, we explored authentic Cuban dance forms in comparison with International Style and American Rhythm. Nadia and Tony led the American Rhythm component and over five years—until the project concluded in 2018—hundreds of dancers from around the world gained invaluable insight into integrating these styles into their competitive routines.
About ten years ago, I reconnected with Johan as well and we have since judged some wonderful events together.
In just a few weeks, the three of us will celebrate nearly 40 years of friendship at the British Open in Blackpool. I can’t wait to hug them both.
Step into a powerful and personal conversation with Johan and Nadia Eftedal. In this podcast, they share untold stories, insights from their legendary careers and reflections on life beyond competition. Honest, inspiring and deeply human—this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
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