Two Palm Harbor Residents Become 2026 Fred Astaire World Professional Champions

PALM HARBOR, FL — Every community has stories that deserve to be celebrated. This year, Palm Harbor has one of its own.

Palm Harbor residents Roger Romero and Arismel Naya have been crowned the 2026 Fred Astaire World Professional Champions, earning the highest professional title awarded by Fred Astaire Dance Studios, one of the world’s largest and most respected ballroom dance organizations.

The championship took place in Las Vegas during the Fred Astaire World Championships (FAWC), where the organization’s finest professional dancers compete for its most prestigious title. After years of dedication, discipline, and competition, Romero and Naya achieved what every Fred Astaire professional dreams of—becoming World Professional Champions.

For Palm Harbor, this accomplishment is more than a personal victory. It is a point of pride for the community.

Although they now proudly call Palm Harbor home, Roger and Arismel’s journey began thousands of miles away in Spain, where both discovered ballroom dancing at just seven years old. What started as a childhood hobby became a lifelong passion and ultimately an international career.

Over the years, they competed throughout Europe, performed in international productions, entertained audiences at events and world-renowned theme parks, and became members of the professional cast of Dancing with the Stars Spain, performing alongside celebrities and some of the country’s most accomplished dancers.

Their careers took them around the world, but they chose to build their future in Palm Harbor.

Earlier this year, the couple opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios – Palm Harbor, bringing nearly three decades of international experience to the local community. Their vision was simple: create a welcoming place where anyone—regardless of age or experience—could discover the joy, confidence, and lifelong benefits of ballroom dancing.

Just months after opening their doors, they returned from Las Vegas with the highest professional honor in the Fred Astaire Dance Studios organization.

Founded in 1947, Fred Astaire Dance Studios has introduced millions of people to ballroom dancing through a network of more than 170 studios across the United States. Its annual Fred Astaire World Championships represent the pinnacle of professional achievement within the organization, bringing together elite instructors from across the country to compete at the highest level.

To earn the title of Fred Astaire World Professional Champions requires years of relentless training, artistic excellence, technical mastery, and the ability to perform under the pressure of world-class competition. It is a distinction achieved by only a select few professionals.

“We’re incredibly honored to represent Palm Harbor on the world stage,” said Roger Romero. “We’ve been fortunate to dance all over the world, but there is something especially meaningful about bringing this title home to the community where we live and where we’re building our future.”

Arismel Naya added, “Palm Harbor welcomed us. This championship isn’t just about us—it belongs to everyone who has supported us, our students, our neighbors, and our local community. We hope it inspires people to discover everything dance can offer.”

Their story is one of perseverance, passion, and believing that excellence can flourish anywhere. From two children taking their first dance steps in Spain, to international performers, to world champions, Roger and Arismel have never lost sight of their mission: sharing the transformative power of dance.

Today, that mission continues every day inside their Palm Harbor studio, where beginners, wedding couples, children, and competitive dancers all learn from instructors who have reached the highest level of their profession.

For the residents of Palm Harbor, it is a reminder that world-class talent doesn’t only exist in major cities or on television—it lives right here in our community.

As Palm Harbor continues to grow, stories like this highlight the remarkable people who choose to call it home. Roger Romero and Arismel Naya’s journey is not only a celebration of personal achievement but also a testament to the vibrant, diverse, and ambitious spirit that makes Palm Harbor such a special place to live.

Two Palm Harbor residents have become world champions. And now, they are sharing that experience with the very community they proudly call home.