Bumchin Tegshjargal & Michelle Klets

Originally from Mongolia, Bumchin Tegshjargal moved to Oakland, California, in 2010, where his grandmother introduced him to ballroom dancing at age 12. Always drawn to movement, he immediately fell in love with the rhythms and expressive freedom of dance and quickly chose Latin as his specialty. Bumchin is particularly passionate about musicality and individuality while continuing to refine the fundamentals and mechanics that support his dancing. At 15, he began his partnership with Michelle, marking an important turning point in his competitive career. Outside of dance, Bumchin has also pursued a strong academic path, graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in June 2021 with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Finance. Today, he continues to train, teach, and compete while pursuing his goal of reaching the highest levels of the sport.  

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Michelle began ballroom dancing at just four years old. Her earliest lessons were, in her words, “a complete disaster,” and she took a break from dancing for several years. However, she could not stay away from the studio and eventually asked her mother to let her return. From around age 10, Michelle began intensive competitive training and went on to study both International Latin and Standard with leading coaches. She ultimately chose Latin because of its energetic rhythms, individual styling, and opportunities for personal expression. Her competitive career has included major national titles and international success, while her academic pursuits led her to graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in June 2021 with a degree in Economics and Finance. Outside of dance, Michelle and Bumchin share their home with their two dogs, Rosie and Daisy. 

Bumchin and Michelle began dancing together in 2014 at age 15, after both had ended previous partnerships. Their connection developed quickly, and just a few months after forming their partnership, they won their first major title: the US National Youth Latin Championship. Since then, they have built a long-standing competitive partnership in International Latin, becoming US National Youth and Under 21 Champions and reaching the WDC World Youth Latin semifinals. Today, they are based in the Bay Area, California, where they train, teach dancers of all ages and levels, and travel extensively for competitions. Their shared goal is to continue developing their dancing to its highest potential while staying true to themselves. They place particular importance on musicality, individuality, hard work, and expressing themselves fully through Latin dance.