Salsa Dancing in the Bay Area

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Bay Area Salsa Instructors

The Bay Area is lucky to have some of the best salsa instructors in the world. Click on a profile below to find out more information about that instructor.


Arthur Calandrelli Location: San Francisco
Company: Independent
Bio:

Arthur Calandrelli is a dance instructor, choreographer, and performer with over 30 years of dancing experience. He has competed professionally in ballroom in competitions across the US, and holds certifications in American-style ballroom, rhythm, and Latin American dances. As a salsa instructor, Arthur is well known for teaching salsa classes at the Metronome Ballroom in San Francisco for over 10…

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Ava Apple Location: San Francisco
Company: The Latin Symbolics
Bio:

Ava Apple is a dance instructor and founder of The Latin Symbolics dance company based in San Francisco. With a background in salsa, hustle, west coast swing, theater arts and American rhythm, Ava has created a unique salsa style that has earned her numerous titles, as well as performances around the world. Ava was one of the first salsa dancers…

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Beto Da Silva Location: San Ramon
Company: Salsaxe
Bio:

Beto Da Silva has been teaching club style salsa in the Bay Area for many years. An immigrant from Brazil, Beto grew up with the rhythms of forro, samba, and salsa embedded in his blood. He dances with a self described “Brazilian flare” and has trained with some of the top talent out of Los Angeles.

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Carol Davis Location: San Rafael
Company: Carolina's Footloose Salsa
Bio:

Carol Davis (aka Carolina) is a longtime dancer who has experience with many styles of salsa including On1, On2, and Cuban. She specializes in Cuban-style salsa and rueda, and has traveled to Cuba develop her dancing. Carolina teaches classes all over the North Bay, including a lesson every sunday at the Sausalito Seahorse.

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Chris Dieseldorff Location: Santa Cruz
Company: Salsa Gente
Bio:

Chris, Christian Gregor Dieseldorff, co-founded “Salsa Gente” in 2011 but began to dance Cuban-style Salsa in 1999. He continously studies with renowned teachers in the US and in Cuba. These teachers include Isaias Rojas Ramirez from BanRarra in Habana (Cuba), Luis “Titi” Guzman in Habana (Cuba) and Yanek Revilla and Karelia Despaigne from Santiago de Cuba. He also studied folklorico…

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Corey Raynor Location: San Francisco
Company: Bachata Y Mas
Bio:

Corey Raynor is a longtime dancer with years of experience performing with world-class salsa dance companies such as Salsamania and Beyond Dreamz. In addition to his salsa dancing experience, Corey has also trained and competed in ballroom dancing, with numerous titles under his belt. Following the first San Francisco International Bachata Festival, Corey started his own dance company called “Bachata…

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Danielle Sigura Location: San Jose
Company: Dance Boulevard
Bio:

Bay Area native Danielle has been dancing for 8 years, and teaching and competing for 5. She currently teaches with her dance partner Dennis Cao at Dance Boulevard and is a member of Salsamania Dance Company. Danielle started out in the social ballroom dance class at De Anza College when she was 18 years old. She was searching for a…

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Danny Zepeda Location: Santa Clara
Company: Afinkao, Salsa Clara
Bio:

Danny Zepeda was a principal dancer and choreographer for Pretty Boys & Girls, 2005 World Salsa Champions in the teams category. He continued to take a leading role in the team, performing and teaching workshops around the world. Danny also helped to coach PB&G’s amateur team, Rising Stars. Today he teaches occasional classes and private lessons around the Bay Area….

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Dennis Cao Location: San Jose
Company: Dance Boulevard
Bio:

Dennis Cao is an amateur competitive salsa dancer with his partner Danielle, based in San Jose. He has competed at the West Coast Latin Dance Championships, Reno Latin Dance Festival, SF Festival, and performed at many other venues and congresses. Dennis is currently on Salsa Mania, and has performed and competed with Salsa Colombia and Spartan Mambo in the past….

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Edmundo Martinez Location: Santa Cruz
Company: Agenda Lounge
Bio:

Edmundo Martinez is known for his fun and enthusiastic style of social dancing and teaching. He can be found conducting numerous classes at nightclubs around the Bay. Edmundo is also a well known DJ (DJ Mundo) who regularly plays some of the biggest salsa events in the Bay Area such as the San Francisco Congress and the US Salsa Open, as…

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Edwin Banegas Location: San Jose
Company: Salsa With Edwin
Bio:

Edwin Banegas is an avid dancer, performer and a well sought after instructor, mostly recognized in the salsa community by his lucid, charismatic, and elegant style in the many forms of Latin dance both on and off the dance floor, making him one of the most dynamic and independent dance instructors in the San Francisco Bay Area. He explains that…

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Gabriel Romero Location: San Francisco
Company: Mambo Romero
Bio:

Gabriel Romero has trained many of the Bay Area’s top dancers and instructors, and is credited with bringing the New York style of On2 dancing to San Francisco. In many ways his style is a fusion of the old and new – Gabriel has studied salsa around the world including New York, Cuba and Puerto Rico and continues to innovate….

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Garry Johnson Location: Emeryville
Company: Freestyle Salsa
Bio:

Garry Johnson has been dancing and teaching professionally for over 20 years and has developed a unique style which he calls “freestyle” salsa – the style has a heavy Cuban influence. He likes to point out that the goal of his teaching philosophy is to allow his students to dance freely with salsa dancers of any style. Garry has also…

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Hans Schmitt Location: San Jose
Company:
Bio:

Hans Schmitt began his dance journey as a Ballroom dancer, and won the United States Rising Star National Championship in 2000. Since then, Hans has studied many different dance styles, including salsa, during his 20 plus years in the dance industry. Hans is the owner of Dance Boulevard, which is the largest and longest running dance studio in the South…

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Hector Reyes Location: Redwood City
Company: Mambonova
Bio:

Hector Reyes has been a regular face in the Bay Area salsa scene for over ten years. He has danced with some of the Bay’s top teams and is well known as an excellent social dancer with a true love for the music and its rhythms. Hector is the founder and director of the Bay Area’s newest team, Mambo Nova,…

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Helen Vazquez Location: Fremont
Company: Hermosura Dance Productions
Bio:

Helen Vazquez is a competitive salsa dancer and dance instructor based in the South Bay. Helen began her salsa dancing career at the young age of 14, and within months became a member of Pretty Boys & Girls Dance Company’s amateur team. She has since been a principal dancers on a number of local dance companies including MamboNova Dance Company…

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Irene Silva Location: Santa Rosa
Company: Santa Rosa Salsa
Bio:

Irene Silva is a salsa dancer, promoter, and instructor from Santa Rosa. She has been dancing salsa since 2000, and has since become one of the top salsa promoters in the North Bay, teaching and promoting salsa as part of Santa Rosa Salsa. Irene has also danced on several salsa performance teams, including the Couture Dance Alliance.

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Isabelle Rodrigues Location: Emeryville
Company: Independent
Bio:

Isabelle Rodrigues is one of the most renowned and respected female salsa instructors in the Bay Area, and Isabelle has been teaching salsa professionally for over a decade. Located in the East Bay, Isabelle is a regular instructor at Allegro Ballroom in Emeryville, and also offers private lessons for students who want to learn one-on-one.

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Isidro Corona Location: San Jose
Company: Montuno Dance Company
Bio:

Isidro Corona is known for his creative and intricate choreography and energetic delivery. He is a US Salsa Open Professional On-1 Champion and a multiple-time World Salsa Championship finalist. Isidro is the founder and director of South Bay’s Montuno Dance Company which represents his signature hard-hitting style. A seasoned international performer accustomed to the big stage, Isidro’s popular shows are…

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Jeremy Pilling Location: Santa Cruz
Company: Palomar Ballroom
Bio:

Jeremy Pilling is the owner of Palomar Ballroom located in Santa Cruz. he is a Latin ballroom performer and instructor with over ten years experience, and has won several Rising Star and Open Professional Rhythm award to his credit. Jeremy also has a B.S. in Sport Science and currently runs a teacher training program.

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Jessica Dieseldorff Location: Santa Cruz
Company: Salsa Gente
Bio:

Jessica co-founded ‘Salsa Gente’ with Chris inspired by one of their trips to Habana, Cuba in 2011. She has over 25 years of dance experience. She studied ballet for 16 years, and performed professionally with the Harbor City Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Nashville Ballet in the US. Jessica started to dance with “Salsa Rueda Santa Cruz” (SRSC) in Santa Cruz,…

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John Narvaez Location: Alameda
Company: Salsamania
Bio:

John Freddy Narvaez is an internationally recognized award-winning performer and competitor whose passion and drive have seen him place numerous times in the World Salsa Championships, the World Latin Cup, and the US Salsa Open. Together with Liz Rojas, John is the founder of the annual San Francisco Salsa Festival and co-director of the East Bay’s Salsamania Dance Company, which…

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Jose A. Santamaria Location: Santa Rosa
Company: JAS Dance Academy
Bio:

José A. Santamaria (aka JAS) is dance instructor, performer, promoter, choreographer and judge who has performed at salsa congresses and events around the world. He began dancing at a young age, and has been a salsa instructor since 2001, giving him over 10 years of teaching experience. José is the founder of the JAS Dance Academy, a salsa school based…

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Joshua Saenz Location: San Francisco
Company: Señor Saenz
Bio:

Joshua Saenz is an event producer and dance instructor. Currently he hosts weekly events at the Madrone Art Bar, as well as a monthly event at the Eve Lounge. His teaching schedule includes weekly lessons at Madrone as well as a class in San Francisco’s Studio Gracia. Dance instruction focuses on timing within music, footwork fundamentals, basic turns, and “techniques…

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Juan Carlos Camarena Location: San Jose
Company: Grizzly Dance Company
Bio:

Juan Carlos Camarena (aka JC) is a salsa competitor and instructor from San Jose, California. JC has over 7 years of salsa dancing experience, and he has performed with many local salsa dance troupes including Pretty Boys & Girls, MamboNova, and Grizzly Dance Company. In addition to his salsa experience, JC also has training in Jazz and ballet folklórico. JC…

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Juan Gil Location: Oakland
Company: Salsa With Juan
Bio:

Juan Gil has been involved in teaching Latin dance for nearly 15 years. Originally from Guatemala, he has studied salsa in LA and has performed with SalsaConfunkshun. Juan teaches classes all over the Bay Area and has also taught in LA, Mexico, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and South America.

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Kat Kresch Location: San Francisco
Company: SalsaKat
Bio:

Kat Kresch is a previous company member of RicaSalsa, Bay Area Team Champions and World Salsa Finalists. Kat has also danced as an amateur Ballroom and Latin Competitor, and was a core company member of both The Nekyia (bellydance cabaret) and Hot Pink Feathers (Samba/world dance fusion). Kat began her teaching career as a staff instructor at the previous Cheryl…

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Lani Da Silva Location: San Ramon
Company: Salsaxe
Bio:

Together with husband Beto, Lani has been teaching club style salsa in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years now. She is a native Californian with a Pacific Islander heritage, meaning she grew up to the sounds of Hawaiian ukaleles and the rhythms of Tahitian drums. Lani has trained in in jazz, hip-hop, and Latin ballroom, and has danced…

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Liz Rojas Location: Alameda
Company: Salsamania
Bio:

Together with partner John Narvaez, Liz Rojas is an internationally ranked dancer and performer who has placed in numerous competitions including the World Salsa Championships, World Latin Cup, and US Salsa Open. Her unique styling has won her recognition around the world. Liz is the Co-Founder of the Annual San Francisco Salsa Festival as well as Salsamania Dance Company where…

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Luis Aguilar Location: San Francisco
Company: Couture Dance Alliance
Bio:

Luis Aguilar is a two time World Champion salsa dancer and has placed 1st in numerous other competitions including the San Francisco International Salsa Congress and the New York Salsa Congress. Together with partner Anya Katsevman he is a sought-after international performer and instructor who has graced countless stages around the world. Luis is the founder and director of San…

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Marianela Calonje Location: San Jose
Company: Montuno Dance Company
Bio:

Marianela Calonje, also lovingly referred to as “Mari” is one of the lead dancers on the professional team of Montuno Dance Company. Her journey to the professional ranks has been a story epitomizing perseverance and tenacity. Mari began her dance journey with Montuno Dance Company in the Summer of 2010 when she joined the Protégé student team and began working…

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Michelle Castro Location: San Jose
Company: Pretty Boys & Girls
Bio:

Michelle Castro is a celebrated salsa dancer and performer. Together with then partner Ricardo Sanchez she made a name for herself as a talented choreographer, and her unique jazz-influenced style created a whole new brand when she won the 2005 World Championship with her team Pretty Boys & Girls. Michelle is also the co-founder of the San Francisco International Salsa…

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Pantea Majzoub Location: Mountain View
Company: Salsa With Pantea
Bio:

Pantea Majzoub  has been involved in the salsa scene since 1999 and has performed with Gabriel Romero’s Mambo Romero Dance Co., as well as Francisco Vasquez’ famed Rumba Rumberos. She holds a 1st place victory in the 2001 Roccapulco Team Competition as a member of Mambo Romero. Pantea teaches regular classes around the Bay and her weekly socials at Alberto’s…

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Rebecca Chehalis Miller Location: Oakland
Company: Salsa With Rebecca
Bio:

Rebecca Chehalis Miller is salsa instructor and dancer who has been teaching salsa dancing at the Lake Merritt Dance Center in Oakland for over five years. She has a thorough understanding of dancing technique and knows how to communicate it clear to her students, who describe her as “patient”, “caring”, and “fun.” Rebecca’s cheerfulness and enthusiasm for dance help make…

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Ricardo Tellez Location: San Francisco
Company: RicaSalsa
Bio:

Ricardo Tellez made waves in 1998 when he started teaching salsa in his signature On5 style. He later founded San Francisco’s award winning RicaSalsa Dance Company and continues to teach workshops around the country and abroad. Together with partner Tianne Frias, Ricardo is a two time World Salsa Championship Finalist and 3rd place winner in the World Latin Cup On1…

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Rodney “Rodchata” Aquino Location: San Francisco
Company: Rodchata
Bio:

Rodney Aquino has been involved in the Latin dance scene for over 16 years and was one of the first enthusiasts in the Bay Area to establish a web presence with the idea of bringing dancers together in an online community. His salsa style has a strong Cuban influence, but his background includes knowledge of all the Latin club dances…

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Rodolfo Guzman Location: San Francisco
Company: The Latin Symbolics
Bio:

Rodolfo Guzman is originally from Mexico, where he first learned how to dance in his youth. Rodolfo took his first salsa class with Ava Apple, and later joined her team The Latin Symbolics in 2004. Rodolfo became Ava’s dance partner in 2005, and the two have since traveled around the world teaching and performing salsa. Rodolfo is now the co-director…

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Roger Yamat Location: Mountain View
Company: Zumbafest
Bio:

Roger Yamat has been a dance and fitness instructor for over ten years. He has a background in ballroom and nightclub dances, and has a devoted Zumba following as well. Roger is a graduate of Ballroom Dance Teachers college and has received an Associate of Dance Degree with High Honors from Dance Vision International. Roger has been selected to judge…

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Ruby Rumbera Location: San Jose
Company: Independent
Bio:

Ruby Rumbera is a salsa instructor and promoter from the South Bay area. Ruby has been dancing salsa since 1999, and has danced with salsa teams such as PB&G, RicaSalsa, Mantanceros, RumbaRumberos, and Mambo Elite. Ruby has taught all over the Bay Area over the years, including Alberto’s Nightclub, Miami’s, Havana Nights, and Caribbean Gardens. These days she can be…

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Ruth Caspary Location: Oakland
Company: Latin Connection Dance
Bio:

Ruth Caspary is a professional salsa and Latin dance instructor in the Bay Area, with over a decade of teaching experience. She is the founder of Latin Connection Dance and regularly teaches salsa classes in the East Bay. Based on almost 20 years experience teaching students of all levels, Ruth Caspary has created a new teaching method that is proven…

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Sandy Chao Location: Redwood City
Company: Mambo Groovin
Bio:

Sandy Chao has accumulated over 10 years of Salsa and Mambo performance experience. Sandy is thrilled to share her passion and enthusiasm for the love of dance. A technically minded dancer and instructor, she continues to expand her own repertoire through training in classical and modern technique. She has studied with famed instructors such as Alvin Ailey, and rounds out…

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Silke Miller Location: Mountain View
Company: The Latin Bombshells
Bio:

Silke Heleine Miller is a professional dance instructor based in the Bay Area. Silke has wide background in dance, including jazz and salsa, and she was a competitive ballroom dancer until 2003. Silke now teaches several ballroom dance classes at Cheryl Burke’s Dance Studio in Mountain View, and is the director of The Latin Bombshells, an all-female dance troupe which…

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Takeshi Young Location: San Jose
Company: Spartan Mambo
Bio:

Takeshi Young is a salsa dancer and competitor based out of San Jose. He has competed in competitions around the country including the SF International Salsa Congress, Portland Salsa Congress, US Salsa Open Championships, and World Latin Dance Cup. Takeshi has performed and competed various dance teams including Salsamania Dance Company and Pretty Boys & Girls. Takeshi is the founder…

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Tianne Frias Location: San Francisco
Company: RicaSalsa
Bio:

Tianne Frias has been dedicated to the art of dance for over 20 years. A trained modern dancer hailing from San José State University’s acclaimed dance program, Tianne has also taught and studied extensively in Argentine Tango, Ballroom, and now Salsa. Together with partner Ricardo Tellez, Tianne is a two time World Salsa Championship finalist and 3rd place winner at…

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Tiffany Wu Location: Oakland
Company: SalsaDreamz
Bio:

Tiffany Wu (aka Jun Wu) is a salsa instructor in the Bay Area, and one of the few female instructors who knows how to Lead and Follow in salsa and Ballroom Latin Dance styles. Her strong understanding of both dance roles makes her an effective at teaching both men and women how to dance and connect well. Tiffany Wu has…

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Tomaj Trenda Location: East Bay
Company: Salsa With Tomaj
Bio:

Tomaj Trenda is an experienced teacher with a Master’s Degree in Dance Education. He has served as a dance faculty member at several renowned institutions including the University of Washington and the National Ballet of Mexico. Tomaj enjoys sharing his love for dance,  and can be found teaching club-style salsa in classes all around the Bay Area. His unique teaching…

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Vera Quijano Location: Redwood City
Company: Revolutionize
Bio:

Vera Quijano has been a dancer since the age of nine, and takes a holistic approach to salsa. She advocates for the ability of salsa dancing to bring people together, as well as to ignite spark and passion within the body. She believes that dance can heal through the power of movement and self expression. Vera has been teaching dance…

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Victoria Ruskovoloshina Location: San Francisco
Company: Mambo Romero
Bio:

Victoria Ruskovoloshina has been a force in the Bay Area salsa community for many years and is an acclaimed dancer, teacher and performer. She is known for her intricate styling, fierce presence and confident demeanor. Together with Gabriel, Victoria co-directs the well loved Mambo Romero Dance Company and teaches popular New York style mambo classes in San Francisco and around…

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Viola Gonzales Location: Emeryville
Company: Freestyle Salsa
Bio:

Viola Gonzales is an experienced dance instructor with a diverse background including competitive skating, cheerleading, ballroom dancing, and salsa, in which she has over 10 years of teaching experience. Viola currently performs traditional Cuban dances with well known and respected Cuban dancer and percussionist Roberto Borrell, and teaches group lessons at the Allegro Ballroom alongside her husband Garry Johnson.

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Inactive Instructors

The following are instructors who have retired from teaching or are currently not actively teaching salsa:

Anya Brodech Location: Oakland
Company: Anya Brodech Dance
Bio:

Anya Brodech has been dancing salsa, ballroom, and swing since 2005. She also has some background in hip-hop, flamenco and belly dancing. Anya received professional teacher training at the Ballroom Dance Teacher’s College in Oakland, California and studied under the professional guidance of Diane Jarmolow. Whether dancing solo, with a partner, or choreographing a routine, Anya loves the idea of…

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Ariel Lehaitre Location: San Jose
Company: Pilates Sante
Bio:

Ariel Lehaitre is a life-long classically trained ballet dancer and performer who has made a successful transition to salsa. She is known for her beautiful lines and crisp technique. Ariel has since performed with several Bay Area salsa teams including World Salsa Champions Pretty Boys & Girls and has competed in a number of top salsa competitions including the US…

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Cristina Martinez Location: Campbell
Company: PB&G Dance Productions
Bio:

Cristina Martinez is a longtime dancer and instructor for Pretty Boys & Girls Dance Company. She has performed with PB&G Rising Stars and High Maintenance, and currently performs on the PB&G Pro Team at Salsa Congresses around the country. Cristina teaches ladies styling and partnerwork at Hot Salsa Friday alongside former World Salsa Champion Ricardo Sanchez, as well as teaching…

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Darci Everitt Location: Santa Cruz
Company: Palomar Ballroom
Bio:

Darci Everitt is a professional dancer with over 10 years of dance experience. Her background includes ballet, jazz, modern, ballroom, hip hop, and bellydancing, in addition to salsa, which she specializes in. Darci is a former member of the Pretty Boys and Girls dance company, and competed at the 2005 & 2006 ESPN World Salsa Championships, and has competed and…

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Donald Webb Location: San Francisco
Company: Diamond Dance Project
Bio:

Donald Webb was born and raised in the Bay Area. He was first introduced to salsa at the age of 18. Donald performed and competed with RicaSalsa from 2008-2010 followed by Couture Dance Alliance from 2010-2012. In 2013 Donald and his partner Elena made their performance and competitive debut as a couple showcasing their original choreographies. Their first competition together…

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Elena Webb Location: San Francisco
Company: Diamond Dance Project
Bio:

Elena Webb is a dancer originally from the Ukraine. She discovered salsa dancing while studying abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico. At 19 she joined RicaSalsa Dance Company in San Francisco. Elena performed and competed with RicaSalsa from 2008-2010 followed by Couture Dance Alliance from 2010-2012. In 2013 Elena and her partner Donald made their performance and competitive debut as a couple…

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Ernesto Javier Location: Redwood City
Company: Independent
Bio:

Ernesto Javier “El Caballero” is a salsa instructor with over a decade of salsa dancing experience. He has trained with a number of the top salsa teams in the Bay Area, including Ricasalsa Dance Company, Salsamania Dance Co. and Couture Dance Alliance and has performed and competed at events in SF, LA, Las Vegas, and Portland to name a few….

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Evan Margolin Location: San Francisco
Company: SalsaCrazy
Bio:

Evan Margolin is a longtime salsa instructor with over 10 years of teaching experience. He is the founder of SalsaCrazy, a popular salsa website with information about salsa dancing that sells several instructional salsa dancing DVDs. Evan teaches salsa lessons at the Neck of the Woods (formerly the Rockit Room) in San Francisco every Monday along with his co-instructors for…

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Giju John Location: San Francisco
Company: Beyond Dreamz
Bio:

Giju John is a pop music vocalist, producer, and world-ranked salsa dancer. Giju was formerly a principal member of Salsamania Dance Company, and has performed and competed all across the US, Europe, and India. He has also taught salsa classes at Albertos Night Club, and is currently the director of Beyond Dreamz dance company based in San Francisco. In addition…

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Grizzly Hidriago Location: San Jose / Los Angeles
Company: Grizzly Dance Company
Bio:

Grizzly Hidriago is a latin jazz and cabaret specialist. Originally from Caracas, Venezula, Grizzly has been dancing from a young age and is trained in virtually every style of dance from Ballet to the Cabaret and Theatre Arts. He has made a name for himself in the salsa world with two championship wins in the cabaret category at the World…

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Jake Jacobs Location: San Francisco
Company: Salsa By Jake
Bio:

Jake Jacobs is a passionate dancer and instructor who’s popular SalsaByJake brand has served countless dedicated students over the years. He is known for taking great care to educate his students in the intricacies of salsa music and is a veritable fountain of knowledge on its history. Jake has always been an ardent supporter of live music and bands, believing…

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JC Labio Location: Oakland
Company: Afinkao
Bio:

JC Labio has been lauded for his creative choreography and style which places a heavy emphasis on body isolation and rich lyrical movement with an Afro-Cuban flair. He spent several years studying and dancing with Gabriel Romero and others as a member of the Mambo Romero Dance Company before branching out on his own. Together with partner Tellina Rezzoffi, Jaycee…

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Jesus Cruz Location: Santa Rosa
Company: Santa Rosa Salsa
Bio:

Jesus Cruz is a salsa dancer, performer, and instructor who has a long background in dance, starting with several traditional folkloric dances which he learned in his home town of Chiapas, Mexico. He began dancing ballroom in 2004 under the direction world-class competition dancer, Natasha Clarke. Jesus began salsa in 2005, training with Salsa Olé dance company in Sonoma County,…

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Jimmy “JSmooth” Bui Location: San Jose
Company: JSmooth Salsa
Bio:

Jimmy Bui (aka JSmooth) is a salsa and bachata instructor at the Miraido Studio in downtown San Jose. Jimmy has over 14 years of dancing experience, with a background in salsa, bachata, and ballroom dancing. Jimmy has nearly a decade of teaching experience, having started his non-profit dance company, J Smooth Salsa, in 2002. The company is dedicated to offering…

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Margo Gaitan Arroyo Location: San Jose
Company: Independant
Bio:

Margo is an instructor, choreographer, coach, performer and emcee and has been dancing salsa for over 10 years. She danced and performed with many teams, most notably Pretty Boys and Girls Dance Productions. She was a member turned coach of Rising Stars and Co-Director of High Maintenance. Margo has also performed at LA and SF Salsa Congresses and other events…

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Max Shpungin Location: Oakland
Company: Couture Dance Alliance
Bio:

Max Shpungin has performed and competed with some of the top salsa dancers in the world. He is a US Salsa Open Champion, San Francisco International Salsa Congress Finalist, and his performance credits include tours in the Bay Area, San Diego, Salt Lake City and Bremen, Germany. He is also the co-founder of San Jose State University’s salsa performance troupe, Spartan…

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Oscar David Location: San Jose
Company: San Jose State University
Bio:

Oscar David is a salsa instructor at San Jose State University, where he instructs the beginning and intermediate Latin dance classes, which cover salsa, bachata, merrengue, and cha cha. He is also the faculty advisor of Spartan Mambo and the SJSU Salsa Club. Oscar has over 6 years of salsa dancing experience, and has performed with world-renowned dancer Seaon Bristol…

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Tellina Rezzoffi Location: Oakland
Company: Afinkao
Bio:

Tellina Rezzoffi is a lifelong dancer with training in jazz and hip-hop. She has been involved in the Bay Area salsa scene since 2000 when she began dancing with the Mambo Romero Dance Company. After some time she branched off with partner JC Labio and founded what became known as the Afinkao Dance Project. Together with her team Tellina hosts…

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Valerie Demattei Location: San Francisco
Company: Gambe Lunghe Dance
Bio:

Valerie Demattei has been dancing Salsa and Bachata since 2007. She began teaching Salsa in 2010 at Equinox Gym with Antonio Miguel in San Mateo. Shortly after, she joined Pretty Boys and Girls Dance Productions, under the direction of Ricardo Sanchez. Meanwhile, she taught Bachata at Café Cocomos in San Francisco with Orlando Valle. Valerie competed and performed with partner,…

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Wayne Melton Location: San Jose
Company: Independent
Bio:

Wayne Melton was a competitive salsa dancer and dance instructor from the South Bay Area. Wayne had a background in competitive roller skating, in which he holds numerous national titles. He performed on with some of the top salsa teams in the Bay Area, and has competed and performed at salsa congresses around the world. Wayne won numerous titles at…

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Friends of the Bay Area

The following are instructors who used to reside in the Bay Area or visit the Bay Area on a regular basis:

Alyssa Aguilar Location: San Jose
Company: Valle Flora Social Club
Bio:

Alyssa Aguilar is a salsa instructor and performer from San Jose that teaches classes at the Get Down Dance Studio. She began her salsa career competing with San Jose State University’s salsa team, Spartan Mambo. She became a collegiate world salsa champion in 2014. Alyssa has recently returned from a year of dance training in New York City to start…

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Andrew Cervantes Location: Sacramento
Company: Salsamania
Bio:

Andrew Cervantes is a salsa instructor and competitor originally from Sacramento. Andrew began dancing salsa as a teen, and is now one of the top salsa dancers in the world and is an in-demand instructor and performer at salsa congresses around the globe. Andrew is the current reigning champion in the Same Gender division of the World Latin Dance Cup,…

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Anya Katsevman Location: New York
Company: Independent
Bio:

Anya Katsevman is an acclaimed award-winning dancer and performer with over 20 titles in the International Latin circuit. Her many international performance credits include tours with well known shows such as Burn the Floor and Dancing With the Stars. Together with partner Luis Aguilar she also holds numerous titles in salsa. Among them, she is a two-time World Champion as…

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Carolyn Barreno Location: San Francisco, San Mateo
Company: Independent
Bio:

Carolyn Barreno is a professional competitive dancer. She first discovered salsa when looking for a social outlet for her dancing. She has been teaching salsa for over 10 years. She also teaches and has studied extensively in American Style Ballroom. Carolyn performed and competed with RicaSalsa Dance Company in their professional team from 2009-2012. In 2013 Carolyn partnered ballroom dancer…

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Jack Lin Location: Atlanta
Company: Independent
Bio:

Jack Lin is a salsa dancer instructor who has been dancing salsa since 2005, with over 5 years of teaching experience. He studied salsa from Tianne Frias, Evan Margolin, and Alison Hurwitz, and has trained with Afinkao Dance Company under the direction of JC Labio. Jack teaches salsa lessons every week with Tianne Frias and Kat Kretsch in San Francisco….

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Keesha Roberts Buenavente Location: San Jose
Company: D'Vinity Dance Company
Bio:

Keesha Roberts Buenavente is a classically trained salsa performer and instructor, who has performed at Salsa Congresses around the world as a former member of the Pretty Boys & Girls Pro Team. Keesha is an active salsa competitor, and has won numerous accolades at events such as the US Salsa Open, World Latin Dance Cup, and San Francisco International Salsa…

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Kristen Nowakowski Location: Los Angeles
Company:
Bio:

Kristen Nowakowski is a salsa competitor and instructor from the Bay Area. Hailing from the Santa Rosa, Kristen is a largely self-taught dancer who has several years of salsa dancing experience. She has danced with top salsa dance teams in the Bay Area including Santa Rosa Salsa and the Couture Dance Alliance. Kristen made her competitive salsa debut in 2013,…

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Mikko Kemppe Location: Helsinki, Finland
Company: Helsinki Salsa Academy
Bio:

Mikko Kemppe is the founder of Helsinki Salsa Academy. Mikko was a well-liked salsa dancer in the Bay Area social scene and he credits a lot of his early training and development in salsa to many of the instructors in the Bay Area. In 2012 he was selected to the judging panel for the World Salsa Championships held in Hong…

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Ricardo Sanchez Location: Campbell
Company: Pretty Boys & Girls
Bio:

Ricardo Sanchez is the founder and director of World Salsa Championship team Pretty Boys & Girls, and has performed in virtually every major salsa festival around the world. A native of Colombia, Ricardo is also the founder of the enormously successful San Francisco International Salsa Congress and the newly established US Salsa Open. A true icon who has made waves…

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Ricki Anaya Location: Portland
Company: Salsa Dance Now
Bio:

Ricki Anaya is a long time nightclub style salsa and bachata teacher. Among her many classes, Ricky runs a popular “Salsa Bootcamp” and also hosts Fiesta Tuesdays at Mexico Lindo in San José. Ricki also directs a student bachata team and has recently started a student salsa team as well. Ricki recently moved to Portland, where she continues to teach…

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Zaida Aleman Location: San Jose
Company: KFSF & Yamulee SF
Bio:

Zaida Aleman is a salsa instructor and performer from San Jose. She helps organize and teaches the beginner lessons at the Mambo Domingo social in San Francisco. She began her salsa career competing with San Jose State University’s salsa team, Spartan Mambo and is currently one of the principal dancers for KFSF and Yamulee SF.

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