John Glessner

Professional Dancer & Ballroom Dance Instructor

John is one dancer who can truly say he was “discovered.” After mastering the bass clarinet, earning a Bachelors in Music from FSU, he was approached one night at a disco club by someone who suggested that his talent, would make him a terrific ballroom dance instructor. Hesitant at first, he gave it a shot and says now, over thirty years later, that he can’t imagine doing anything else.

John has been dancing, teaching, and competing professionally ever since those first ballroom steps across the floor in West Palm Beach, moving to Jacksonville in 1996 and opening Avondale Dance Directions in 2000.

In 2007 and 2008 he and Susan Walden, his student and dance partner, were the undefeated ProAm United States American Smooth champions at the United States DanceSport Competition in Orlando, Florida. In 2008 they were

also awarded Best Overall, as the number one ProAm couple across all categories.