Louis Van Amstel

Louis Van Amstel is a Dutch-American dancer, Emmy-nominated choreographer, and competitive ballroom champion widely known for his appearances on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” A twelve-time dance champion, Van Amstel has built a global career combining elite competitive dance with television, stage production, and dance education.

Van Amstel first trained in theatre dance disciplines including ballet, tap, and jazz before advancing his ballroom and Latin technique at the University of the Arts in Amsterdam. Mentored by Dr. Ruud Vermeij, he studied Laban movement theory and human movement dynamics, which continue to influence his choreography. During his competitive career, he earned numerous titles, including Dutch National Amateur Champion, European and World Amateur Latin Champion, Grand Slam Professional Latin Champion, and U.S. National Latin Champion in 2000 after moving to the United States.

In addition to multiple seasons on “Dancing with the Stars,” Van Amstel has expanded into television and stage production. He served as creative director and choreographer for the Dancing with the Stars live tour and has choreographed across other entertainment projects, including work connected to “So You Think You Can Dance,” marking a crossover from ballroom television to freestyle competition programming.

In 1999, he founded VanDance, a company dedicated to dance performance and production. Through VanDance, he created and staged productions such as “Latin Fusion,” “Latin Revolution,” and the touring show “Ballroom with a Twist,” which blends contemporary entertainment with ballroom dance.

Today, Van Amstel continues performing, choreographing, and promoting dance education worldwide while sharing his passion for movement and artistic expression.