Francesco Arietta and Jessa Mae Briones
Francesco Arietta is originally from Salerno, Italy, where his competitive spirit became evident soon after he began dancing at age eight. As a young dancer, he earned Italian medals in Junior 1 and Junior 2 divisions, became Italian Circuit Youth Champion, and won a silver medal at the South European Championships. In 2015, Francesco moved to Philadelphia, USA, where he continued developing his professional career and gained recognition for his competitive achievements and through numerous top teacher awards at competitions and DanceSport series events. A major turning point came in 2021, when he successfully auditioned with Jessa and began a new professional partnership with her. Outside of competing and teaching, Francesco is deeply committed to his students and studio, balancing his responsibilities as a teacher and business owner with the demands of professional competition.
Jessa Mae Jarina Briones began ballroom dancing in the Philippines in 2007 at age 13 through the Dancesport Summer Workshop outreach program. The opportunity introduced her to competitive dance and eventually led her to become a member of Dancesport Team Cebu City. Jessa competed nationally in 10-Dance and earned numerous awards before representing the Philippines internationally. In 2011, she competed in the USA at the Empire State Dancesport Championships and Nevada Star Ball, winning both International Latin and International Ballroom and becoming an overall Show Dance Champion. In 2012, she returned to the United States to compete professionally. Since then, Jessa has built an extraordinary American Rhythm career, becoming a 17-time Professional Rising Star American Rhythm Champion and the 2017 United States Professional Rising Star American Rhythm Champion. Her partnership with Francesco began in 2021 and marked a new chapter in her career.
Francesco and Jessa began dancing together after a successful tryout in 2021, united by their shared passion for dance and a commitment to artistic expression. Their partnership is based in the Open American Rhythm division, where they have quickly established themselves as leading competitors. Their unique challenge is that Francesco and Jessa live and operate studios in Philadelphia and New York, requiring them to cross state lines regularly just to practice together. They have developed a demanding schedule of weekday morning and evening practices, weekend training days, and travel between their studios while continuing to serve their students. Their dedication has paid off with major victories. In 2023, Francesco and Jessa became U.S. Professional Open Rhythm Champions, and have held that title as undefeated champions since then. They have established themselves as champions in major U.S. competitions, including Ohio Star Ball, Emerald Ball, and many others. Together, they continue pushing the boundaries of their dancing through hard work, determination, passion, and artistry.
2026 — Emerald Ball — Professional American Rhythm — Champions
2023-2025 — United States Dance Championships — US Professional American Rhythm — Champions
2025 — Ohio Star Ball — Professional American Rhythm — Champions
2024 — World Professional American Rhythm — Champions