Daniel Ponickly

Daniel Ponickly is an American ballroom dancer, dance instructor, and actor known for founding and directing nonprofit programs that teach social ballroom dance to elementary school students in public schools, as well as for his appearances in film and documentary projects. 

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ponickly graduated from New York University with a bachelor's degree in political science and government and began his career in dance education in 1994 in New York City, where he was one of the early teaching artists for Dancing Classrooms, teaching fifth-grade students in the ballroom dance program that inspired the 2005 documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, in which he appeared. 

He relocated to Los Angeles in 2006 and founded Ballroom Madness, a nonprofit organization that introduced similar classes to local public schools, teaching dances such as foxtrot, tango, rumba, swing, and merengue over multi-week programs that culminated in inter-school competitions while emphasizing posture, etiquette, confidence, and respect.

Ponickly has also pursued acting and filmmaking, appearing as a dancer in Mona Lisa Smile (2003), where he performed alongside Julia Roberts, and contributing to independent projects including writing and producing roles in short films and features such as Raw Cut (2013) and Mining for Ruby (2017).  He later co-founded Conga Kids through a merger/partnership with an existing arts organization, expanding ballroom dance education across multiple Los Angeles-area school districts. As of the mid-2010s, the program served nearly 10,000 students annually across seven school districts through classes held twice weekly for nine weeks, teaching dances including merengue, foxtrot, salsa, tango, and swing, with a focus on social skills, teamwork, and emotional development.

Born and raised in New York City, Daniel Ponickly graduated from New York University with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government, then moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to create several arts-in-education organizations.

Through his Dance Education Project, Daniel brought dance to hundreds of schools and dozens-of-thousands of students across the US, while also serving as a Dance and Performing Arts Specialist with the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

As a performer, Daniel has appeared on stages across the country, from MidSummer Night's Swing at Lincoln Center to the Kodak Theater's 80th Annual Academy Awards in LA.

Film and Television work includes: Mona Lisa Smile (2003) and the award-winning documentary Mad Hot Ballroom (2006), as well as having produced, written, and starred in the feature films Raw Cut (2012), and Mining for Ruby (2013), in partnership with UAF.

Daniel currently resides in Fairbanks with his family and serves as Executive Director of the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra.