Taras wanted to become a professional dancer and musician since the age of five when he began dancing with the “Yevshan” Ukrainian Folk Dance ensemble in Rochester, NY and playing such instruments as the saxophone, clarinet, accordion and finally guitar.  He joined the Rochester Arthur Murray Dance Studios as a teacher in 1995 and was a top teacher for 8 years.  He began competing in 1996 in the rhythm division and in 1998 changed to smooth (fox trot, waltz, tango and Viennese waltz). That year he was the Arthur Murray Smooth Champion for the East Coast Region. In 2000, he became part owner and dance director for the Rochester studio.

Wendy began her dancing career at the age of 7 studying ballet, tap and jazz. In high school, she was involved in many plays, shows, show choirs and was crowned Miss Teen Queen and Miss Congeniality of Brunswick, Maine. She chose to pursue a performing arts major and auditioned for Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana where she began her musical theatre career.  A terminal illness in her family brought Wendy to Rochester, NY where she completed her Bachelors of Arts in Dance at SUNY at Brockport. Upon graduation, she continued in musical theatre and was briefly involved in modeling in Atlanta and Rochester. In 1998 she joined Arthur Murray as a top dance specialist and received the Dick Mundt Super Star Award two years in a row. Currently, she is the manager of the Rochester South Arthur Murray studio.

Taras and Wendy began competing together in the rhythm division (cha-cha, rumba, swing, bolero and mamba) in 2001.  Wendy feels very blessed to share such a romantic and passionate profession with her husband.  The Denysenko’s  professional and personal goal -- to become American Rhythm Champions.