Ludivine Stsepaniuk
Head Coach
To reach coach Ludi, please email [email protected]
Born in France, head coach Ludivine Stsepaniuk has a storied synchronized swimming career. The European trained athlete began synchronized swimming at age 6. Her love for the aquatic sport magnified when she attended "Sirella" the first French water show starring Muriel Hermine, a French Olympic medalist and pioneer of French aquatic entertainment. Starting in a small club in the south of France, she was rapidly recruited to swim for one of the top clubs in Aix-en-Provence. Following numerous national titles, Ludivine moved to Paris to swim with the senior national team at INSEP where she competed for 2 years and earned national titles.
Ludivine moved to Las Vegas in 2004 where she joined the creation team of Le Reve, an aquatic themed show created by Franco Dragone until 2015. After performing, she return to synchronized swimming and is now head coach of the Nevada Desert Mermaids and the 13-15 US National team.
Qualified 6 athletes into USA National teams
Head coach 13-15 Team USA Gold Overall FINA Youth World Champsionships 2022
Head coach of Youth USA national team 2021, 2022, and 2023
Head coach of Junior National team 2021
Gold medal at Panam games 2021
Head coach of Southern Nevada Desert Mermaids since 2016
Head coach of 12 & under USA national team since 2018
Owner and director of Ovia entertainment
Sag-aftra Stunt performer since 2016
Le Reve-the Dream performer and captain 2004-2015
Member of the French National team 1998-2004
2020 USA artistic swimming Developmental Coach of the Year
2019 Top 100 women of influence of Las Vegas
High score award UANA Pan American 2018
2018 West Zones Coach of the Year
2018 40 under 40 business honoree
Admin chair of Nevada association
Member of the National Team committee
Member of the USAAA Membership committee
Member of the USAAA LTAD committee
Chair of the West Zones nominating committee
Coached over 50 athletes for TEAM USA
Coached over 150 athletes at National development camps
Coached over 100athletes regional and state level
Benoit Beaufils
AG Juniors Coach
Benoit comes to us from France where he was born and raised. His artistic career began at the age of 7 when he started practicing artistic swimming and became the first male artistic swimmer the country had seen. He was France Champion in 1995 and got to participate 20 years later in the first ever Mixed Duet competition at the World Championships in 2015 and in the European Championships in 2016 where he placed 4th.
He moved to Las Vegas in 1998 and was part of the creation of Cirque du Soleil’s “O”. After 7 years in that show, he moved to “Le Reve-The Dream” in 2005 and is currently performing back at “O". While being part of “Le Reve-The Dream” he got to participate in many National TV shows, movies and music videos. His credits include “America’s got Talent”, “The Ellen Degeneres Show”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “The Tonight Show”, “The Latin Grammys”, “Paul Blart’s Mall Cop 2”, Brandon Flowers’ “Only the Young” music video and was part of the underwater stunt team for "Avatar: The Way of Water."
Coach Ben has been coaching the Nevada Desert Mermaids since 2019 and passes on his love and passion for artistic swimming to our athletes.
Kaitlin Naomi Staines
11U and 12U Coach, Technical Coach, Judge, Controller, Master Athlete
- Is the freedom of artistic expression, using your body in quintessential timing with the perfect piece of music to engage an audience, to make them feel something.
- The day in and day out strive for perfection and the mental and physical energy it takes to achieve excellence.
- 2009 Age Group Nationals: 13-15 Solo 2nd, Figures 5th
- 2010 Age Group Nationals: Jr Solo 1st, Figures 2nd
- 2010 US Open: Jr Solo 2nd, Figures 5th
- 2011 Junior National Championships: Team 1st, Combo 1st, Solo 3rd, Figures 3rd (Walnut Creek)
- 2011 Senior National Championships: Team 2nd, Solo 9th, Combo 1st
- 2011 US Open: Team 1st, Combo 2nd, Figures 7th, Solo 6th
- 2012 Jr/Sr Nationals: Figures 5th, Team 1st, Combo 1st, Solo 4th
- 2012 US Junior National Team Member
- 2012 Junior World Championship: Team 10th, Combo 9th, Figures 42nd
- 2015 Sr Nationals: Team 2nd, Combo 2nd, Solo 5th (Santa Clara)
- 2021 Masters Championships: Solo Free 1st
- 2023 Masters Worlds Participant Solo
Maya Plotnitskaya
12U and AG Youth Coach
Maya has been swimming for over 10 years and coaching since 2021. She swam for the Nevada Desert Mermaids and later moved on to the Senior National Team, in 2018 she competed in the Pan American Championship where she took 3rd place in the technical solo and 5th in the free solo. Maya trained with the National Team for 3 years and competed at the 2020 French Open.
Connie Alvarez
13-15 Intermediate Coach
Born in Minneapolis, MN. Moved to Las Vegas in 2022. 10 years experience doing artistic swimming and 8 years of artistic swimming coaching experience including highly competitive club teams, private lessons, the 10 year 1st place reigning state championship team in Minnesota, and the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Additional experience includes 5 years working as a swim instructor. Recently graduated with a Masters of Social Work in 2022 at Simmons University. Swimming is my life, pride, and joy. I am more than happy to share.
Brianna Barber
Sharks & Mermaids Assistant Coach
A seasoned aquatics professional with over 20 years of experience in YMCA leadership, Brianna Barber is recognized for her strategic and operational expertise in swimming, aquatic safety, fitness, and youth development. With a focus on enhancing the quality of swim programs and coaching at all levels, Brianna has successfully overseen and led aquatic initiatives that prioritize safety, skill development, and community well-being.
Currently serving as Executive Director at the YMCA of Southern Nevada since 2012, Brianna Barber has been instrumental in driving the growth of aquatics programs, implementing water safety initiatives, and expanding access to swimming lessons for underserved communities. Her leadership has ensured the YMCA's aquatic programs consistently meet the highest standards of safety and quality, while also fostering personal growth and skill development in swimmers of all ages. Their extensive training and expertise position them as a key advocate for the
importance of swimming and water safety in promoting overall health and lifelong skills. As Aquatics Cabinet Chair since 2014, Brianna has overseen the training and professional development of YMCA aquatic staff, including swim instructors, lifeguards, and coaches. Her efforts have led to the expansion of the Y’s Safety Around Water program and special-needs swim lessons; her leadership has provided free swim lessons for over 1,400 youth from at-risk and diverse backgrounds. These programs emphasize drowning prevention and promote water
safety awareness across the community.
Brianna’s extensive experience in swimming and coaching includes directing programs that train competitive swimmers and fostering youth development through the sport. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes technical mastery, endurance training, and instilling a passion for movement in the water. Brianna has a proven ability to build strong teams, mentor young athletes, and cultivate environments where swimmers can thrive and achieve their personal and competitive goals.
As a former competitive scholarship athlete for the University of Maryland and mother of an artistic swimmer, Brianna is thrilled to share her experience with the Nevada Desert Mermaids as a fundamentals swim coach for the Sharks and Mermaids team.
Education & Training
- Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, Western Governors University
- Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Performance, Department of Kinesiology,
- University of Maryland
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer
- YOGAFit Level 1
- AFAA’s Mat Science I & II Certification
- Balanced Body Pilates Matt and Reformer I & II Certification
- YMCA Faculty for the YSL Swim Lesson & Diverse Abilities Swim Lesson Programs
- ACE Certified Group Exercise Instructor
Lucija Letts
Recreational Coach
Former The Ohio State University swimmer and Croatian National Champion that retired after 14 years of swimming. In her last year of college (2020), her team won B1G TEN Championship for the first time since 1967, a special time to be part of the Buckeye Family. With many years of experience as a swimmer, she's paying it forward by passing on her knowledge and experience to younger generations. She has also provided private swim lessons every summer since retiring competitively, which brings her joy to be able to give that to our youngest swimmers. Paying forward the knowledge and beauties of swimming as well as seeing progress and the amount of fun every kid has is her motivation.
Ilona Hudzenko
Flexibility Coach
Ukrainian national team member, and Champion in Aesthetic and Rhythmic gymnastics. Participant and medalist of European championships. Ilona brings experience working with children for more than seven years and strives to build healthy athletes for sport, to teach children and adults how to exercise properly, achieve their goals, and be in touch with their bodies.
Education:
Bachelor's Degree in Management, O.M. Beketov Kharkiv National University of Municipal Economy
Bachelor's Degree in Rhythmic Gymnastics, Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture
Joannie “JoJo” Ciociola
Junior Assistant Coach
Born in France, junior assistant coach JoJo brings over a decade of elite synchronized swimming experience to the Nevada Desert Mermaids. She began her journey in the sport at age 9 in her hometown club of Lyon, quickly catching the attention of national selectors and earning a spot in France’s national training camps. By age 17, JoJo had moved to Paris to train with the senior national team at INSEP, where she competed in multiple European and World Championships, including Olympic qualification tournaments.
After retiring from the national team, JoJo relocated to Las Vegas in 2012 to perform in the acclaimed aquatic show Le Rêve for five years. She later coached with the Los Angeles Synchro Club (LASN) and continues to perform with various entertainment companies while sharing her passion and expertise with the next generation of athletes.
