Marcos and Tabitha

Representing the Midwest out of Chicago and Milwaukee,  Marcos and Tabitha bring their own “Sabor a Mambo.” Focusing on both Salsa and Bachata, #TMT, teaches and performs through out the United States with their next goal in mind of going International. 

Delia Madera

Charlie Garcia

Charlie Garcia is a world-renowned salsa dancer, instructor and choreographer based in NYC.  At an early age, he began training at the prestigious Bronx Dance Theater and later on at Usher’s Camp dance program.  He was exposed to Latin dancing at his parent’s nightclub as a teenager which drove him to take on Salsa as his biggest passion.  Soon after, he began training and performing with the best groups in the Salsa scene.  His dynamic and authentic style gained him recognition and has allowed him to showcase his talent at some of the greatest performance venues for Latin dancing.  Charlie has danced alongside Latin music icons such as Richie Ray, Bobby Cruz, Oscar D’ Leon, Gloria Estefan and others.  Some of his latest work includes both choreographing and dancing for the upcoming film “SHINE”, and being featured as dancer on NBC’s Best Time Ever w/ Neil Patrick Harris.

Edwin Rivera

Edwin is one of the most influential salsa dancers, choreographers, instructors and musicians of our generation. With a career spanning almost two decades he brings his Puerto Rican swag, with an innovative and creative style to the dance floor, the stage and to our ears. He has worked mainstream films with his idols Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony in this film “El Cantante” as the only solo dancer for the feature film. Edwin has also worked with celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Ben Stiller Jennifer Anniston, Rob Schneider just to name a few. Edwin Rivera the Musician & Music Producer. In 2009 Edwin launch his first album Soul of a Dancer in Japan, the country that gave him his first big break as a dancer. In March 2013, he launched his sophomore album MIME ~ Music Is My Everything with Latin sounds infused with today’s dance music of House, Hip Hop, Dubstep and R&B.

Rey Collazo

Considered to be a prominent up and coming artist, Rey Collazo is known for his musicality, teaching presence, and a silky smooth lead. Over the past two to three years Rey has become not only regionally requested at Latin dance congresses and festivals but nationally as well. Charlotte Salsa Bachata Festival, Tucson Salsa Bachata Dance Festival, Rocket City Latin Dance Festival, and Tallahassee Latin Dance Festival are just a few places where you can find him. Always striving to get better, Rey continues to train with champions and world renowned artists such as Sergio Jasso and Gaby Equiz (Alma Latina), Tomas Guerrero (Santo Rico), Jonathan Troncoso (Agape), and many others to hone his craft. Although it’s hard work, he never loses sight of why he dances and loves to teach… “Inspire, motivate, and for me it’s an opportunity to have an escape from reality. Everyone has stresses and situations in life. Why not allow someone to possibly have the same escape?”

Anhelo Tango

Founded in 2011, Anhelo Tango focuses on teaching and sharing the art, the passion, and the embrace that is Argentine Tango. The Anhelo Tango  wishes to create an “Anhelo” which means desire in every one of their students, so that every dance can become a conversation between the souls.

Frankie and Nesh

Being born & Raised in Southbridge Massachusetts, Frankie, at a much younger age, studied and trained in many forms of dance such as; Salsa, Bachata, Puerto Rican Folkloric. Nesh, originally from Puerto Rico, also had many factors of dance incorporated throughout her younger years. In 2012 Frankie and Nesh together became instructors and directors at Central Florida most Prestigious Dance School, Salsa Heat Dance Studios. Frankie and Nesh transitioned into forming a dance partnership and became one of Central Florida’s most recognized Bachata couples. Frankie & Nesh have performed and taught at congresses in Florida, Atlanta, D.C., and Puerto Rico throughout their partnership. They truly enjoy sharing their love for their translation of dance.

Davidson St Fort

Liquid Rhythm Inc

Liquid Rhythm is a dance company out of New Orleans with 6 core members consisting of local dancers with various dance backgrounds such as Hip-Hop, House, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, Folkloric, and Ballet to name a few. LRI wanted to set itself apart from other Salsa dance companies by infusing movements each member already knew from previous dance forms into the technical frameworks of the many styles of Salsa they were currently studying. It is led by Derik and Mariangel Dollis. Born and raised in New Orleans, Derik’s salsa dancing career began in Arizona! Introduced to this beautiful, powerful  and sexy dance over a decade ago, Derik has truly embraced this amazing artistic form of expression.  Derik has effortlessly blended his natural dance background of hip-hop with the technical framework of Salsa and has produced a masterpiece of smooth movements. He has further improved his knowledge of salsa and other genres of dance to provide a wealth of information when breaking down LRI’s brand of Salsa. Thus, making learning salsa with Liquid Rhythm “easy”! Derik has traveled the nation (Las Vegas, Miami, L.A., Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, South Carollina etc.) performing and teaching for countless students and lovers of this art! Mariangel’s dance career has its roots in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She began studying modern dance and ballet at the age of 6. She trained with DANZALUZ for ten years before moving with her family to New Orleans in 1997. Mariangel graduated from N.O.C.C.A. (New Orleans Center of Creative Arts) two years later. Her passion for dance would not stop there. She fell in love with Salsa in 2001 and has not looked back since. Mariangel has managed to achieve a level a salsa many dancers aspire to reach. Her technical dance background has been infused with her smooth and sexy style of salsa to create a beautiful work of moving art. Mariangel has traveled across the U.S. performing and teaching Salsa with Liquid Rhythm Inc. for the past decade.

Ben “Iceman” Lopez and Cynthia Kessler

From Orlando, Florida. Ben (Iceman) and Cynthia have danced together for five years and are part of the UA Latin Dance Team. Together they have performed at major salsa events in Canada, Berlin, Athens, Munich, Manila and more. Recently they won third place in the Rising Star Cabaret division at the World Salsa Summit. This couple is quickly becoming recognized for their dazzling lifts and high risk acrobatics.

Sean and Katrise

Sean Steele is the Co Owner of Tumbao Dance Studio in Jacksonville, Florida. He was born in Jamaica and has loved dancing all his life. He has taught Rueda de Casino (Miami Style) along with Salsa and Bachata but has a love for many styles of dance as he has received training in West Coast Swing, Argentine Tango, New York Style Salsa (On 2), and Club Cha-Cha-Cha.

Widely regarded as one of the best leads in Florida, Sean believes that dancing skill should be built on a strong foundation of fundamentals and that dancing should flow, be effortless and enjoyable through your connection with your partner and music. His dance motto “dance from within” embodies his passion for dancing, teaching and music.

Katrise Armour-Kalugin was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina and is of Cuban American descent. Born into a military family and exposed to music, dance and art from a young age, Katrise truly appreciates exposing one’s heart to all the world has to offer.

With nearly 13 years of dance experience, Katrise has training in Latin dance, ballet, ballroom, jazz, modeling and acting. What truly sets her apart is her experience in education where she taught for over 10 years throughout Duval County at various levels in middle-school, high school and junior college in mathematics and accounting. This knowledge, combined with her dance experience allows her to explain nearly any dance move, step, isolation or combination in its simplest form. Katrise is not only an amazing follower, but a skilled dance leader which makes it easy for her to explain dance from both a leader’s and follower’s perspective – invaluable!

Azúcar Dance Company

Established in the year 2000, ¡Azúcar! Dance Company is a non-profit student organization from Florida State University (FSU) which teaches the Cuban dance of casino to the Tallahassee community. ¡Azúcar!, whose literal meaning in English is “sugar,” offers free lessons every semester and encourages students to not only advance as dancers, but to integrate as part of the ¡Azúcar! Team. The team is active in the Tallahassee community through the hosting of casino lessons, performing, and participating in community service endeavors, which are all open and available to the public regardless of age, race, sex, religion, student status or school affiliation.

Corazón Dancers

Established in 2001 by four passionate Salsa Dancers, Corazon Dancers goal is to provide the Tallahassee community with the knowledge of Los Angeles (LA) Style Salsa. The Corazón Dancers is a Non-Profit Latin dance student organization from Florida State University where they spread their passion for salsa and teach others to dance con el Corazón.

Tallahassee Salsa Dancers

Tallahassee Salsa Dancers, founded in 2012, was developed as a community based latin dance team that focuses on sharing the love of latin dance with the Big Bend Area. Previously, the latin dance scene was built by student run teams. TSD was created to keep the scene active in Tallahassee year round. This includes group or private lessons, dance workshops, latin dance social events, and performances. TSD is comprised of 3 active dance teams Mambo Team, Bachata Ladies Styling Team, and Mambo Ladies Styling team. Only existing for32 years, performances include Atlanta Bachata Fest, Unity Dance, Jacksonville Salsa Jam, Tallahassee Latin Dance Festival, Paradise Dance Festival, Texas Salsa Congress and many more.

Christian Sola

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Christian performed with hip-hop and folkloric groups throughout the island. In 2006, Christian launched his distinct style of Bachata, “Sensual Bachata”. The style focuses on connection and blends traditional techniques while drawing on influences from Tango, Waltz, Bolero and Rumba. In 2009, Christian founded Sensual Bachata out of Orlando Florida. This group has performed domestically and internationally. Christian has been featured as a headlining instructor and performer at various events throughout the U.S., and abroad, and is recognized as one of Florida’s top dance instructors specializing in the Bachata genre. Christian teaches and performs with his dance company Sensual Bachata, headlines as a DJ, host and personality at major venues throughout the U.S., and producing entertainment events through his events and promotions label Bahari. He spearheads two major events in Florida, Unity of Dance and Paradise Dance Festival.

Jorge Alberto

Jorge Alberto and his partner Christina Farrell are the dynamic leaders of Ritmo Urbano in Tampa, Florida. Jorge has loved to dance all of his life and has pursued his career within the salsa and bachata scene in West Florida. He has been instructing students around the country and is known for his fun and instructive personality in the classroom. He was also part of one of the top salsa and bachata dance companies in the world, Island Touch Dance Academy. While having strong leading abilities, Jorge is also well- versed in following and ladies styling. While having a passion for salsa, Jorge also developed a strong passion for bachata. He is currently the Bachata and salsa Director at Flava Fitness Studio in Tampa, Florida and is director of Ritmo Urbano. He strives to share his love for salsa and bachata with all dancers around the world.

Fuego Y Hielo

Fuquan Ferrell, director and founder of Fuego Y Hielo is classically trained and a martial artist of 14 years. He  possesses an extensive knowledge about the human body and its mechanics. He incorporates this knowledge to produce incredible routines for the stage and keep follows coming back for more on the social dance floor. His charisma coupled with his dance expertise make him an incredible instructor. He has developed a strong ability to incorporate afro movements in social dancing.

Amy Figueiras Dominguez

In 2005, Amy was introduced to the Salsa scene. Raised in a Cuban, Amy’s connection with salsa/mambo was instant. Amy’s experience in dance genres are wide including jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, modern, and african dance. Amy was the youngest dancer of DC ShowBiz, an inner city dance company and was trained by masters of dance genres, which include, Napolean Dumo, Brian Freeman, Fatima, Rhapsody, Toni Lombre, Debbie Allen, George Faison, and various Alvin Ailey dancers. Amy also worked on BET’S Teen Summit and danced for artist such as B2K, Lil BowWow, Mary Mary, Terror Squad, Charlie Baltimore, Genuine, Wu Tang, Lil Wayne, Ja Rule, DMX, and Black Eyed Peas. In 2009 Amy relocated to Orlando Florida and began studying Mambo at Universal Mambo dance Academy. In 2013, Amy transitioned to a solo artist and founded her Ladies Styling dance team Es El Amor.

DJ Rudy Max

DJ Rudy Max was born in Yauco, Puerto Rico.  He is a pure salsero and started DJing  at 18 years old in New Jersey (1988), his best music is Salsa classica  from Colombia , New York, Cuba and Puerto Rico. He is always looking for the perfect event for the dancer and keeping everybody on the dance floor dancing. His concern is always to reach as many Salseras/Salseros as possible with the music he plays.  He is always searching for the best music to reach salseros from all over including Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Peru, etc.

DJ Mike Calderon

Mike Calderon is a native born and raised in the Magic City of Miami with descendents from Quito, Ecuador.

From a very young age, Salsa music with Puerto Rican and New York roots is what he listened to the most. The more bands and artists he listened to, the more his love for latin music grew and more passion came along with it.

At 21, he started taking Casino salsa lessons and that is where his journey to become a very popular local DJ began. Mastering Casino, he took his dancing to the next level with LA Style and On2 on his own with no classes, just by being in the socials and with other dancers.

DJ Mike Calderon has been doing weekly and monthly events since 23 years old in the salsa scene in Miami.  He has worked with many dance schools and owners and has been invited to DJ at Congresses multiple times such as, the New York Salsa Congress, the Orlando Salsa Congress, International Salsa Bachata Congress in Tampa, Born To Salsa Social, just to name a few.

DJ Oso

Amaury ‘DJ OSO’ Diaz  is born and raised in Orlando and has family all from Puerto Rico. Being no stranger to turntables, he spent hours behind the ones and twos before mixing his first salsa and bachata playlist. He was inspired by a gifted uncle Pedro Diaz who was a popular DJ in Puerto Rico. He would watch his uncle heat up the dance floor, then cool it back down again, always monitoring the  flow of the dancers as his uncle blended tracks from merengue to salsa and bachata.

Amaury ‘DJ OSO’ Diaz participated with Salsa heats training team and bachata teams. DJ OSO got his first start with the help of Mike Beriberi, by DJing at some popular Salsa Heat Friday and Saturday Night Socials. Amaury has expanded the Orlando dance scene; by starting his own new regularly attended “MatriX” Social held at the RhythmXStudio.

In keeping with his uncle’s philosophies, Amaury ‘DJ OSO’ Diaz is the ‘Dancers’ DJ; always putting the musical needs of the dance community first. As a dancer, and as a DJ, DJ OSO’s number one priority is  taking dancers into a different world when they are on the dance floor and playing the music to make that happen.