Hi, I’m Ralph.

I started dancing when I was seven years old. I grew up in my parents’ dance studio, and dancing has stayed with me ever since.

My dad wanted me to get an education alongside my dancing. So I asked him a practical question: “Who are the most expensive people we have to hire for the studio?” His answer came quickly: the electrician. That settled it. I went to school to train as an electrician. A summer job as a roadie introduced me to lighting, sound, and the work that happens behind the scenes. I loved it.

I lost my mom when I was 22, and my dad when I was 24. After their deaths, I became a full-time studio owner.

At 37, a heart attack changed the course of my life. I had to rethink how I was living and working, and find a new way forward. Dance became a central part of my rehabilitation. It was something I knew deeply, and it helped me rebuild.

Greg Smith, who became a father figure in my dance life after I lost my parents, introduced me to the United States. That connection led me to Mark Adler and Stephanie Schlueter, and to work as a pro-am dance instructor. It opened a new chapter in a life that had always revolved around the dance floor.

During COVID, Mark and Stephanie wanted to hold an event. I picked up my old love of sound and lighting again, putting my technical training and roadie experience back to work. What started as a return to a hobby became the work I do today through AVIE Solutions.

Today, I handle production across Fred Astaire Texas events, from smaller gatherings to major competitions. I also work on complete studio installations, connected TV displays, and software designed and developed in-house. I understand what happens on the dance floor because I’ve spent my life there, and I know how much the work behind the scenes matters.

Somewhere along the way, my hobby became my profession, and my profession became my hobby. Dance is still part of my life. Now I also get to create the sound, lighting, and systems that help other people take the floor.