International Latin & Ballroom Dance Instructors
Working Competitors.Personal Coaches.
Kye Rivers and Ann-Marie “Anna” Bakanov are professional ballroom dance instructors and working International Latin competitors. They bring the precision of the competition floor into private lessons built around the dancer in front of them.
Ballroom Dance Instructors in Illinois & Wisconsin
Built Around The Work, And The Dancer Doing It.
Next Legacy Ballroom is the teaching partnership of Kye Rivers and Ann-Marie “Anna” Bakanov, professional ballroom dance instructors and working International Latin competitors serving dancers in Illinois and Wisconsin.
They built Next Legacy for dancers who want serious training without feeling like they have walked into a sales pitch. Kye and Anna teach each lesson themselves, shape the work around the student’s goals, and explain where the training is headed along the way.
Built on the Fundamentals“Progress and innovation are strongest when they remain grounded in a deep understanding of the fundamentals.”
Your instructors
Kye Rivers & Ann-Marie Bakanov
Two competitive careers. One shared standard for the student experience.
Co-Founder · Professional Ballroom Dancer · Instructor
Kye Rivers
A third-generation ballroom dancer, Kye brings 15 years of experience and a deep technical inheritance into his coaching.
- Top 20 Amateur Latin in the United States
- National and international competitive experience
- 15 years of dance experience
- Third-generation ballroom dancer
Co-Founder · Professional Ballroom Dancer · Instructor
Ann-Marie Bakanov
Anna pairs International Latin technique with a feminine, powerful coaching presence shaped by 17 years in dance.
- Junior National Latin finalist
- Top 40 Amateur Latin at Blackpool
- Top 20 Amateur Latin in the United States
- 17 years of dance experience
How they teach
Classic Foundations. Modern Application.
Kye and Anna’s “old-school English approach” means protecting the technical principles on which International Latin was built while leaving room for the art to keep evolving.
In practical terms, posture, foot pressure, hip action, timing, partnering, and musicality are not afterthoughts. They are the structure that lets a dancer become more expressive, more assured, and more individual.
Explore the teaching methodPartners in the work
Training, Performing, Teaching.
The discipline Kye and Anna bring to their own partnership becomes the structure behind each student’s progress.
Partnership
Presence
ConnectionOwn The Next Count
Bring Us The Goal. We’ll Build The Work.
Kye and Anna teach private ballroom lessons in Prospect Heights, Glen Ellyn, and Madison. Your first lesson starts with a conversation about where you are and where you want to go.
- Tell us about your experience and goals.
- Choose the location that works for you.
- Meet Kye or Anna for your introductory lesson.