Jai Knighton is from Tooele, UT and started dancing hip hop in 6th grade and then began training in ballroom, modern, and contemporary dance while in high school. After high school he attended the University of Utah on a full-ride scholarship to the modern dance program in 2009. After serving an LDS mission in Arequipa, Peru he transferred to BYU and started accelerating his training in the ballroom dance program. Jai recently graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, as a former member of the BYU Ballroom Dance Touring Company, and former teacher of Latin ballroom classes at BYU and BYU youth ballroom camps. Jai was a backup dancer in High School Musical 3, has been featured in multiple YouTube projects with Scott Winn, and performed as a guest artist with The Utah Jazz Dancers & Utah Blaze Dancers. Jai and and his wife Brittany Knighton have been partners since 2013 and have competed in Latin, Ballroom, Smooth, and Rhythm categories. Since competing they have been finalists in all categories and winners at local and national competitions. They have continued their training with top international champions including Andre & Natalie Paramonov, Sasha Altukhov & Cheyenne Murillo, Eugene Katsavman, and Ron Montez and are still active competitors. Along with teaching at Charisma, they have taught workshops and choreographed for Tooele HS, Grantsville HS, Stansbury HS Lone Peak HS, and Timpview HS. They have been chosen to adjudicate competitions and teach private lessons in Utah, California, Arizona, and Nevada. Jai and Brittany enjoy helping others succeed no matter where they are in their dance journey!