Where have you found your best teacher? who is/was he/she? And what made them so special?

One of my best teachers is a gentleman who isn't my regular teacher. I have been coached by him some, and he imparted to me some of the best advice I have ever received from a ballroom teacher when I asked him what I should do to improve my ballroom skills: Perry Gingerich advised me to learn ballroom syllabus and dance fundamentals over all else. He inspired me to learn the "nuts and bolts" of ballroom and suggested I avoid the distractions of other's choreography, as there would be time for that later. His advice is paying off because the more I have learned about the various figures, basics, terminology, etc., the more versatile I have become overall. I have avoided many pitfalls since taking his advice. You'll find many good teachers on this site, too.