Almost 50 years ago, 12-year-old Eddie Torres, son of a Puerto Rican family in Spanish Harlem, NY, got rejected by a girl because he didn't know how to "do Latin". In that embarrasing moment, when the other guy led and spinned the girl of Eddie's adolescent dreams, he decided to learn how to dance.

In those days, and for many years to follow, there were no Latin dance schools or proper classes. The only education available was in clubs. By the time he turned 15, Eddie was a regular. He went out every night, hung out with the dancers, and learnt by watching and imitating the best ones. It wasn't easy, as some dancers didn't allow anyone to look at their feet, for fear of having their moves and steps stolen. Luckily, Eddie had a talent for learning just by watching.

Soon, he started to teach. He didn't have any idea of neither timing or technique nor names of the steps. His main guideline was to break forward on the accent and then to break back on the following one. The accent was the famous "2" in the music. Without realizing it, Eddie was teaching and dancing salsa on 2, or mambo. Some time later, Eddie's friend and mentor, June Lamberta, a ballroom dance teacher, offered to help him with his teaching. She invited him to teach at her ballroom classes on Friday nights. Ballroom adepts were used to a systematized way of teaching, expecting no less from Eddie. This forced him to learn the counts and teaching vocabulary. Cumbersome at first, in the long run it made him a detailed, precise and devoted teacher.

Meanwhile, he continued his crazy going-out lifestyle. Apart from social dancing, he took part in competitions, at one point winning so many that he was asked to judge instead.

One night, Eddie approached Tito Puente to pay him compliments after a concert. The master complimented him back, saying that Eddie had a talent. He advised him to seek his own style, develop ideas and create a show. Eddie pounced on the idea and suggested collaboration right away. He wanted to perform with Tito. From then on, it was his biggest dream, soon to become true.

Several years later, Eddie was a recognized, slick dancer with his unique style. This is when he met Maria, his future wife and partner. Shy at first, Maria quickly became Eddie's brightest student and the best partner he'd ever had. Full of enthusiasm, Eddie choreographed his first two routines, to Tito Puente's Cayuco and Palladium Days, and approached Tito. Without event looking at a demonstration, Tito introduced Eddie to his musical director and featured the couple in his next concert. The performance in New York Coliseum proved to be a huge success. Eddie and Maria continued to perform with Tito at ever concert. Later, they called themselves Tito Puente Dancers, a great honour and a sign of respect.

From the 80s through the 90s and until now, Eddie Torres has been one of the most iconic New York Salsa personas. His students included Frankie Martinez and Juan Matos, to name a few. At every festival, his classes attract hundreds of participants. People come to see the legendary Mambo King", to learn Pachanga" and to get some Nuyorican flavour. He is a charming, detailed, attentive and passionate teacher. When he performs, people leave their seats and approach the stage. Once you meet him, you will start planning your trip to New York.

Shani Talmor, born and raised in Israel, has traveled worldwide presenting her sensual and sexy Salsa style. Trained in a variety of dance styles, including Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Samba and Afro-Cuban, Shani is an energetic and explosive dancer. She is world-renowned for her unique, sensuous styling and body movement on and off the dance floor. She has powerful stage presence and a passionate love for teaching. Certified in Simonson Jazz Technique By Dance New Amsterdam, NYC and graduated of the Intern summer program at Broadway Dance Center, NYC.

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Yamulee Dance Company is one of the most significant representatives of the original NY-Salsa style. They are known around the world for their impressive musicality and patterns, fast paced choreographies sprinkled with tricks and feats of flexibility from the ladies. They are currently the most popular salsa team in the International Salsa Congress circuit, dancing at events worldwide. They have performed in music videos for artists like José Alberto, and rap artist Eve. Yamulee is directed by Osmar Perrones, who has had a very successful career as a dancer for Descarga Latina Dance Company, Combinación Magica, Fuerza Latina Dance Company, a choreographer for Santo Rico Dance Company, and is a judge at the World Salsa Championships.

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Maykel Fonts is a product of one of the most prestigious dance schools in Cuba, the Tropicana, where he studied Classical and Contemporary Dance along with Afro-Cuban dances, including Cuban Rumba (Guaguancó, Yambú, Columbia). After moving to Italy in 2000, with the group "Ire Batá", he continued his dance education with Virgilio Pitzalis, Marco Macchetti, Steve LaChance, Gus Bemberry, Christopher Uggins, Chacalli, Paganini and many others. In 2006 he participated in World Salsa Congress, winning the "best choreography" and "best dancer" awards. Maykel’s vast dance experience includes working as choreographer and a dancer at various festivals, sharing the stage with groups such as Mercadonegro and Buena Vista Social Club, and performing in numerous TV shows.

Maykel's charismatic personality and transfixing music interpretation make him one of the most wanted Cuban teachers/performers on the international salsa scene. His unique style, strong and masculine, yet light and springy, is imitated and mastered by most European Rumberos.

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Juan "Pachanga" Matos was born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. He moved to the United States in April of 1996. Little did he know that within three years he would become one of New York's top male dancers.

Not of legal age yet, Juan started visiting clubs to watch his parents, who were at the time Santo Domingo's top hustle dancers. They were his prime influence and main inspiration in dancing, which slowly became Juan's dream. He was never quite sure which dance form he wanted to pursue until 1997, when he saw mambo. He visited Victor "La Magica" Pacheco's class and was instantly hooked. However, after just 2 months of mambo classes, Juan was forced to take a break due to a back injury. After being noticed at a club when social dancing, with only street knowledge and little technique, Juan was able to learn and perform a whole mambo routine in less than seven days. A lot of hard work and dedication helped Juan to progress to the next level; becoming a performer in a group called, "Magic Combination Dancers."

At the beginning of 2000, Juan was invited to join a dance group, directed by Osmar Perrones, who was one of the instructors last year (Yamulee Dance Company). A couple of months later, Juan was also invited to train with, "Santo Rico Dance Company" (founded by Wilton Beltre and directed by Thomas Guerrero). After a year of training with Santo Rico Dance Company, Juan developed what is now called "Pachanga style." This unique style is why all eyes are fixed on him in New York's mambo scene. Whether it is during a social dance or a dance performance, Juan is considered to be one of the best, hottest and most influential dancers of his generation. He has been a huge inspiration for the majority of the "on2" professionals in the salsa world. Natural talent, pure, smooth, classic, and fast feet best describes this talented young man. Juan has created a name for himself on the international platform as a teacher as well as a performer.

See Juan & Amneris dance:

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Adolfo Indacochea is an explosive and energetic dancer who is known all around the world for his smooth and unique style. This unique style combines traditional mambo with elements of jazz/modern, flamenco, and ballroom dances. His sense of musicality and flow is evident through his choreography and improvisations.

Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Adolfo moved to Monterrey, Mexico when he was 19 to study Industrial Engineering. There he began taking salsa classes "On 1" as a hobby in 2001. In less than two months, his talent was quickly recognized by Adrian Arellano, a well-known performer and instructor in Mexico, and so he was asked to be one of the founding members of Salzumba Dance Company. After ten months, he began dancing and teaching on his own and later formed his first dance company named "Mamboss,” which is now recognized as one of the biggest salsa companies and schools in Mexico. In search of developing his talent, Adolfo moved to San Antonio, Texas in January of 2004 and was invited to join and teach with Semeneya Dance Company as well as work independently with his former partner Claudia Vazques. It wasn’t until 2003 that his passion for dancing "On 2" developed after seeing Eddie Torres and his Dancers perform at the New York Salsa Congress that year. With much determination and ambition, he taught himself how to dance "On 2," New York Style, with the dream of becoming an Eddie Torres Dancer within the next few years.

In pursuit of his dream, he moved to New York City in September of 2004 and was invited to be the exclusive partner of Amanda Estilo in addition to training with Karisma Dancers, directed by his friend Victor Mayovanex. It wasn’t until December 2004 that his dream of becoming an Eddie Torres Dancer was fulfilled. His mentor Eddie Torres discovered his talent and potential instantly and invited Adolfo to join one of the most prestigious teams in the world. After 8 months, Adolfo began to perform exclusively with Jessica Ortiz at the same time becoming one of the elite dancers in the Eddie Torres Company and rising to be one of the newest stars in the New York Mambo scene. After 2 years, his mentor Eddie Torres gave him his blessing to move on and to strive to be one of the top mambo dancers in the world. Shortly after, Adolfo teamed up with former Eddie Torres dancer Melissa Rosado and now teaches and performs all over the world with her.

Adolfo has had the fortunate pleasure to dance at venues such as Lincoln Center and Lehman College and has shared stages with well-known artists such as Gilberto Santa Rosa, Larry Harlow, and Frankie Vazquez. He has performed and taught all around the world including the top cities in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Peru, United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, France, Germany and Italy. Adolfo has had the wonderful opportunity to perform with divas such as Amaryllis Cintron, Nancy Ortiz, Amanda Estilo, Duplessey Walker, and Jessica Ortiz.

In addition to his enthusiastic personality and genuine love for mambo, Adolfo's unique teaching style brings flare and fun to any class. He introduces elements of timing, styling, shines, body movement and original turn patterns for all levels. Because Adolfo believes that anyone who is interested in dancing mambo should familiarize themselves with music and its roots, his music selection in class varies from different artists, eras and regions. Adolfo has shown commitment to evolving his talent and ability and bringing something new to the dance scene, with an emphasis on conserving the mambo tradition but with a new flare. Adolfo captivates the audience with his extraordinary stage presence and passion for this form of art. He truly has a genuine love for mambo and always dances "from the heart."

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For many years now, Super Mario has been a household name on the international Salsa scene, recognised and respected by students and fellow professionals for his amazing lead, unlimited database of fantastic moves/combinations and his teaching ability. His classes and workshops have always been extremely popular both in the UK and in countries as far as Australia, Japan and the USA, specialising on technique but always maintaining an element of fun.

Mario was born in India but moved to the UK as a teenager. He settled in London, where he continued his education, taking a degree in mathematics and also qualifying as an accountant. In 1998, a friend took him to a salsa club where the teacher immediately saw his potential. Mario was hooked straight away and has never looked back since. Still based in London and travelling to teach nearly every weekend of the year, Mario specialises in cross body style, dancing on the 1 or the 2 and focusing mainly on moves and combinations, with special emphasis on leading techniques.

Despite no previous dancing or teaching background, he was able to observe the unnecessary power used to lead turn patterns, and began focusing on breaking down routines to understand the techniques and signals that are essential to good leading. His natural talent for both producing and executing so many imaginative moves led to an invitation to teach at the first congress that he ever attended. His big break came soon after, when asked to give workshops at the biggest salsa congress in the world in Toronto, Canada.

Mario has earned himself the title Million Moves Man through his ability to create any number of unique combinations, that are lead with expertise and are always comfortable to follow. His dancing style is smooth but fast, giving him and his dance partner extra freedom to improvise. His amazing presence on the dance floor sets him apart as a social dancer and his outgoing, energetic personality has also been instrumental in getting him known in the Salsa World.

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Your favourite mambo teachers, Burju and Victor Perez, are returning to Warsaw to astound you with their styling, music interpretation and body movement.

H.Y.M. Dance Company (Hacha Y Machete) was Boston's first Professional, New York Style "ON 2" Salsa dance company. The group was formed in 2000 by a group of four friends with the intent of enriching and educating New England about the New York Style of dancing salsa/mambo through performances and classes. Since then their vision has expanded further to include: inspiring others, youth in particular, to dance; continuously providing the best quality in training and instruction for all; and of course to continue to interpret music and create choreography in a way that speaks to and moves people. The company has become well known for their innovative and dynamic choreography, highest caliber of dancers, and award winning instruction and performances. Their dedication and passion has earned them spots on some of the world's most prestigious stages and along side the salsa music's greatest bands.

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"Ramark Dance Company" was founded in 2005 by Dom and Marion. Their unique style which alloys speed and spectacular moves with an outstanding energy and rarely reached mastery. Their creations are built upon the salsa language but include also many other artistic influences like classical, hip-hop, jazz and modern dancing... Their originality is based on the fact that they do not only demonstrate, but they really make a show. They direct, they act and they play with the audience and always put fun in their shows. They are in every way complete artists. Thanks to all of those elements, they are largely and immediately acclaimed by the public and attract many congress organizers.

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Although she only made first international appearance in 2009, Yenisley Molinet De Armas already enjoys a well-established position as an authority on all things Afro-Cuban throughout Europe. Yeni is not only a professional and highly experienced dancer but also a competent instructor with excellent teaching methodology.

Yeni began her dance education at the age of 5 at a dance course in a community centre in her home town, Placetas (province of Villa Clara, Cuba). In 1999, after 10 years of studying and performing at festivals and provincial carnivals, she was admitted to Samuel Feijóo School of Arts in Santa Clara, the only professional school of folk dances in the country. With the school's corps de ballet "Oshea" she continued to participate in competitions and festivals at the national level, obtaining high results and rewards. One of the highlights of the career at that time was her performance in the celebrations in memory of Beny Moré, when she interpreted Yemaya in a "Fiesta de Orisha" choreography. She completed her studies at Samuel Feijóo in 2002, obtaining the professional title of a Folk Dancer and Teacher.

In the same year Yeni auditioned for the presitigious Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba and received the highest scores thus finding herself amongst the only three females selected. She spent the following years dancing with Conjunto's main corps de ballet. One of her important performances was the "Oriki for Obatalá" choreography in 2003, with the famous Cuban Folk Singer Lázaro Ros. She also appeared regularly in the Sabado de la Rumba shows, participated in all the national tours of the company and danced at the capital's major theatres, including Gran Teatro de La Habana, Teatro Karl Marx, Teatro García Lorca and Teatro América. The theatre shows were often attended by the Cuban President Fidel Castro Ruz and his international guests. In 2006 she participated in two of Conjunto's international tours - across Mexico and in Quito (Ecuador).

The years spent in Conjunto Folklorico allowed Yeni to learn various Cuban folk dances, ranging from Tumba Franceza, through Comparsa, to Congo dances. She also had the extraordinary opportunity to study under many renowned choreographers, such as Domingo Pau Despaigne (Founder, Teacher and Choreographer in the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional) and Santiago Alfonso (Teacher, Choreographer and former Director of the Cabaret Tropicana de La Habana) to name a few. A full list of Yeni's choreographies and teachers can be found on her website. It is interesting to note that the website also includes skans of documents confirming Yeni's education and employment in Cuba. However, it's enough to see her in action to appreciate her skill and experience.

In 2007 Yeni she moved to Udine. In Italy she received the title of "Master of Caribbean Dance" at the highest level (Gold) from the Italian Dance Sport Federation and is registered as a member of the International Dance Coucil (13667). She curently works at her own school, Academia de Baile Yeni y su Danza Estelar. She is recognized throughout Europe for her talent, charisma, grace and elegance and is regularly invited to international conferences and festivals.

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Tanja "La Alemana" Kensinger began her dancing career in April of 2005, and has since made a name for herself in the Salsa & Bachata dance communities. With her partner, Jorge Burgos (ATACA Jorgie), they have become one of the most recognizable couples in the Bachata scene. Their world famous routine to "Te Extrano" by Xtreme, has taken the Bachata world by storm. Tanja's dance background includes training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Ballroom; she commands the dance floor on and off stage with her high energy and infectious smile.

Jorge "ATACA Jorgie" Burgos is of Puerto Rican decent and naturally, dance has been a huge part in his life. He began his professional dance career in 2006, and has since won over the hearts of thousands of dancers with his charismatic smile and wonderful dancing ability and style. Along with Tanja "La Alemana", he has traveled the world performing at various Bachata and Salsa festivals including: Poland, France, Belgium, Bermuda, England, and all over the United States. They even have performed for Bachata artists such as Toby Love and Xtreme. Jorge is not only known for his unbelievable dancing ability, style, and charismatic smile, but also for his incredible teaching ability. His classes are always filled with not only great instruction that is easy to follow, but with high energy and lots of laughter. Some are great dancers, and others great instructors – Jorge is both.

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Nuno Furtado and Vanda Gameiro are originally from Portugal, the country they represent at international salsa congresses and festivals. They are professional salsa dancers and teachers but they have formation in several kinds of dance, such as contemporary, jazz, funk, dance, tango, etc, which they beautifully incorporate in their salsa, creating versatile choreographies, each with a different feeling. They definitely stand out on the international scene. Their work in salsa is based on styling, dynamics, excellent technique and musical interpretation. They have travelled mostly in Europe and Middle East but they have also been to New York and Puerto Rico. In Portugal they have their own school and a group called JDfreestyle.

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Black Energy was created by Enrique Aguero from Cuba and Edwar Ramos from Dominican Republic, former members of Latin Black, the most well-known formation in Europe promoting salsa, rumba and reggaetón. Enrique and Edwar's new project mixes elements of street dance with traditional Cuban folklore. Their trademarks are: perfect technique, acrobatics and hip hop flavour, everything spiced up with Afrocuban sauce.

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Tamambo's dancing originates from the African/American Rn'B/Hip Hop scene of the 80s. By incorporating his own flavour into the Puerto Rican style Salsa, he promotes what is now recognised around the world as "London Style" Salsa. His influences lie in Flamenco and Contemporary dance, in which his interpretation of the dance has taken a theatrical form.

Tamambo was one of the driving forces behind the London salsa scene before exploding onto the world stage. Performing and teaching On1 and On2, he rapidly earned his reputation as one of the very few instructors in the UK to raise and develop the new generation of salsa dancers, instructors and performers in the nation.

As one of Europe's top all-round instructors teaching both On1 and On2 and specialising in teaching complex, yet leadable partnerwork routines for the dance floor, he has fast become a very sought after name in Salsa.

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Ania Chagowska is one of the few New Generation all-round female "Instructor, Performer and Choreographer" icons in the Salsa scene today. Having professionally trained from a young age in various dance forms she was able to get solid foundations to prepare her for what was to come. Her passion and love for Latin music changed the way she perceived dance, suddenly becoming a lifestyle.

Ania launched her international Salsa career after partnering world renown performing artists such as Neeraj Maskara (2005) and later Tamambo (2008), performing breath-taking preformances over the years, further contributing to her success as a solo artist.

Ania specialises in Contemporary influenced Ladies Styling footwork and body movement. She is as well one of the few female instructors that can actually teach "executable" Ladies Styling in partnerwork. Also, her application of technique encourages the ladies to understand their own bodies and be in control of it even when the man is leading. This methodical approach to Salsa has fast made Ania Chagowska the new "Must Have" name in Salsa today.

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Neeraj Maskara is currently one of the most popular salsa instructors and performers in Europe.

Born in India and a financial markets consultant by profession, he lives in Switzerland and enjoys the balance between being a workaholic and a salsaholic. His dance background has been mainly Jazz Ballet and Salsa with influences from several other dance forms. He has been teaching and performing at salsa congresses around the world since 2003.

His shows are characterised by excellent musical interpretation, creative moves, great energy and expression. His workshops are always well structured, personalised, entertaining and motivating for salsa dancers at all levels. Moreover, Neeraj is well known for being a great social dancer, who always manages to leave a lasting impression on you with his friendly and fun-loving personality

His partner Gosia Kulpa is from Poland. Gosia is a trained dancer since the age of 6 with a background in Ballet, Modern Jazz, Contemporary and Salsa. She is well known as a performer as well as an excellent social dancer who combines creative styling moves while following a lead flawlessly. She is easily recognized as a smiling, friendly and energetic dancer at any party.

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If I start to tell you what I did... or what I can do... or what I think that I can do... I will tell the truth, I will probably lie, I will probably tell what you want to hear... I don't know... I will try to impress as much as I can... etc..., but let's skip this for now... this "CV thing"... this does not mean that I do not value the "CV"... yours or mine... In fact, I do value it! For sure! ...more than anybody else... simply because I do value what life gave or is giving me until now... and that is beautiful...

In fact, the point is what I am going to share with you... I just want to reduce your expectation about myself or anything else, which can make you "blind"...

I would love to have you here with all your heart open... able to receive and to share with us the moment... for us to be able to enjoy the art of dance... for us to enjoy the energy of every single person beside us... I want you to focus on the journey... the art of dance... not just part of me, of my past... what I did... or what I can do... but in what I am now with you... in this moment... which is simply ME... Kwenda Lima! Thank you so much!

Kwenda L. M. Lima

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Afro-Latin dance company founded in September 2005. Paula Loureiro and Ricardo Sousa, its artistic directors, choreographers and dancers, have danced together since 2000.

The company is currently made up of 8 dancers. Due to wide knowledge and diverse training they acquired along the years, their show is a unique mixture of different styles of dance.

In 2007 and 2008, they won the title of the best Portuguese teachers. In 2009, they won in the category of best Portuguese Show at the Top Dance Awards and were nominated for best choreographers at the I Portugal Dance Awards in the world dances category. They are also the official judges of the international kizomba competition "Africadançar".

They have performed and taught at many salsa/kizomba congresses and festivals, public and private events, in countries like Portugal, Spain, Poland, UK, France, Tunisia, Serbia and Puerto Rico.

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Originally from the Dominican Republic, Frank Santos learnt bachata from his grandfather, at the age of 3. Later on, he continued to develop his tance skills in Italy, where he grew up. With a background in hip-hop, merengue and bachata, Frank started to dance salsa in 2001 and went on to study various styles including Puerto Rican, New York, LA and Cuban. He has taught and performed throughout Europe and beyond - in France, Holland, Poland, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Israel, Brussels, Denmark, Sweden, Bulgaria, the U.S.A and Cuba to name but a few.

Frank has made appearances on television and stage throughout the UK and Europe. His television appearances include the BBC's "Strictly Come Dance Fever" and the "Trisha" programme. He has performed with the Leon Rose Project, Iris de Brito, Andrea Stewart and Irene Miguel. His achievements include winning the UISP Italian championship for Cuban and New York-style salsa in 2003, taking part in the Havana Club Tour and performing in Iris de Brito's "El Barrio" musical. More recently Frank's dance group "A Yemaya" (for which Frank is the director and choreographer) won the 2008 award for the best UK performance.

Julie Camous is a French dancer based in Paris. She began her education as a child, learnig jazz dance in a dance school. Later she was accepted to a graduate level dance school, where she perfected her technique and learned other dance forms, such as contemporary, modern, ballet, afro, flamenco and tap dancing. After graduation, she took a call to teach at a dance school herself. She also danced in various dance companies (contemporary, jazz, operetta) and in cabaret. In 2005 she discovered salsa and after practicing for a few weeks she teamed up with Farid Ferchach. Together they have travelled the world to teach and perform at salsa congresses. In 2009 she joined UTribe and performed with them for a year.

Even though she has a great passion for salsa, she usually works as a choreographer and dancer at a cabaret in Paris, and as a dancer in a TV series. Thanks to her skills in different dance styles, her classes have become very popular at congresses. Julie has lately teamed up with Frank Santos and with him she is now taking the international bachata scene by storm.

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Dancing with a style as only he can, Edelmar Pieternelle aka Pasty brings a new flavour into the Caribbean dances.

Starting on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, Pasty's dancing career involves a wide array of different dances, from the local Tambu, Ritmo Kombina and Tumba, to Merengue, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Salsa to the Brazilian Zouk on which he now focuses his main attention. In his years of professional dance experience Pasty has worked with the most respected salsa and zouk artists and developed a unique dancing and teaching style.

Currently Pasty teaches and performs, beside his study Skin Therapy, under his own name Pasty Dance and different big dance schools in the Netherlands, where Pasty is a famous face both in the Salsa and the Zouk scene.

He performed at the 1st Brazilian Dance Congress in Amsterdam and won the 2nd place at the 2nd Lambada/Zouk Dance Competition in 2005. Furthermore he has performed and taught at numerous national and international congresses and parties from the Netherlands to Curaçao, Switzerland to Czech Republic, Spain to the UK, to Germany and Poland, and from Suriname to Australia, Mallorca and New Zealand.

As an artist Pasty values emotion, technique, innovation, body movement and musicality, both in his shows and his classes. His classes are full of energy, so his students have to be prepared to work it! In his shows he always aims to add something new to the dance and create a mixture between the traditional Caribbean dance and his own interpretation of what the dance could be. Pasty is very well known for his innovative style and supple movements. He keeps surprising his students and audiences.

Josta Ruby O'niel started dancing Zouk eight years ago. In 2001 she won the Corona Lime contest and in 2004 the BrasaZouk contest in Amsterdam. In 2004 she graduated from the Jazz department in the Theater School, Amsterdam. Since then she has worked as a professional dancer for various companies, projects and styles from musicals to contemporary dance. In the Zouk world she is currently working with Vicky Derks and Pasty by conducting workshops and performances. She seeks to enrich her classical form by combining it with various other dances styles, ways of presentation and themes.

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The artistic careers of Wilmer Najarro Mora and Maria del Carmen Moreno Torres begin in Havana, Cuba's vibrant capital city, where the country's rich cultural, historical and artistical heritage is still strong and thriving.

Wilmer, born in Havana in 1983, studied dance at the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Arte del Habana (ENA). The dance forms he mastered include Afro, Rumba (Guaguancó, Yambù and Columbia), Classical, Modern and Contemporary Dance. He graduated in 2000, obtaining a diploma of a teacher of Cuban Folk Dances. While still at school, he joined the Cuban National Television Ballet Company. After graduation he continued his artistic career working at the Macumba show and at Conjunto Folklorico Nacional.

Maria Moreno Torres was born in Camaguey, Cuba in 1982. She studied Cuban Folklore and Classical, Modern and Contemporary dance. She danced at the Tropicana cabaret and at the Macumba.

Wilmer & Maria arrived in Italy in 2002. Their first stint was a show entitled "El Niño de Fuego", presented in a restaurant in Marcelli di Numana (Italy). Since then, they have cooperated with various schools and have been invited to some of the largest Latin events throughout Europe.

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Farid started dancing salsa in 2001. He discovered Mambo style in 2002 during the Paris Salsa congress and was impressed by the Vasquez brothers' style. One year later he presented his first show, "the X-Men", during the same congress. The show was a big success. Since then Farid has performed in many countries such as United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Germany, United States (New York and Los Angeles). In year 2003 Farid founded his own school and dance formation - Salsa Conga.

Farid's dance style is a mix of speed, seduction, humour and craziness. Farid is also a musician - he sings and plays the percussion. A natural born performer, Farid loves the crowd and the stage, and his performances are always original and dynamic.

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An explosive mix of styles!

The history of the Salsa Libre Dance Company goes back to 2003, when salsa was just beginning to take off in Poland. That is when Ania Chagowska and Marek Domański, now the owners of the Salsa Libre Dance Studio in Warsaw, started dancing and performing together. Soon they were joined by other salsa enthusiasts, and thus, in 2004, the Salsa Libre Dance Company was born.

Currently, the group comprises 11 dancers with diverse dance experience and education, brought together by their passion for dancing and a will to reach new levels of expression in salsa. Each of them is a regular salsa instructor, teaching classes and workshops at the Salsa Libre Dance Studio in Warsaw, and an established figure on the Polish salsa scene.

Ania Chagowska, now an accomplished and acclaimed salsa dancer, remains Salsa Libre's principal dancer and choreographer. Coupled with her extensive dance experience and excellent pedagogical skills, the group's hard work and dedication resulted in the creation of Salsa Libre's unique style. Their New York Style performances incorporate elements from various dance forms, ranging from afro, through jazz, to classical and contemporary dance.

The diversity and talent of Salsa Libre dancers have not gone unnoticed at international salsa festivals both in Poland and abroad. The group are regularly invited to perform at salsa congresses in Hamburg, Berlin, Regensburg, Prague, Stuttgart, Egypt, London, Minsk, and others.

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Iza and Jose Torres are the founders and representatives of TORRES SALSA GROUP, whose aim is to unite the promoters and aficionados of Cuban culture. Unofficially dubbed the ambassadors of Cuban Salsa, they have spent almost two decades in their unceasing efforts to propagate not only Cuban dances, but also Cuban culture in the broadest sense of the term.

In 2000, they founded the first Polish Salsa Orchestra, Jose Torres y Salsa Tropical. The following years saw the formation of two more groups specialising in Cuban music: ConSONantes and Havana Dreams.

Year 2002 was marked by their CARNAVAL THE SALSA, the first Salsa festival in Poland and one of the few in the world where the lovers different styles of Salsa could come together and share their passion.

The first concert at Carnaval de Salsa in 2003 was broadcast live on Polish national TV (TVP2) reaching an estimated 2,5 million viewers. The concert was also projected on a large screen at the sea side in Niechorz to an audience of over 10 thousand people. In July 2006 the 5th Carnaval de Salsa featured Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco, a top Cuban orchestra. The program recorded for TV during the festival was seen by over 600 thousand viewers. Another well-known Cuban orchestra which recently headlined their festival was Maikel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor.

In 2007 Torres Salsa Group organised the I International Primavera Salsa Open dance contest. In the same year, they made a foray into fashion, opening the Nona Torres fashion gallery.

Last year, they produced the first Polish Salsa musical, entitled "Jak Brama..." (Like a gate...), which had its premiere in may 2010 at the Entertainment Theatre in Chorzów.

Last year, their own Torres ART Studio opened its doors in Wrocław.

Hector Del Rio Torres is a strong pillar of the Torres Salsa Group both as a DJ specializing in Cuban music and as teacher of casino, son, cubaton and cha cha cha. He was born in Havana to a pair of dancers, soloists of the famous Danza Nacional de Cuba, currently coaches and dance teachers. "Hecti", as he is affectionately called by his Polish friends, grew up surrounded by the sounds of Afrocuban drums and often watched his parents rehearse and perform. Over time, he began to perform himself with various youth dance groups directed by his parents.

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Salsa Sabrosa is a name identified in Poland, as well as beyond its borders, with unforgettable colourful fantasy choreographies with a high dance standard that imaginatively combine different dance styles and forms into one magical whole.

Salsa Sabrosa Dance School was founded in Cracow in April 2004. The founder was Małgosia Kulpa, who invited Michał Zakrzewski for cooperation.

Both Małgosia and Michał had been surrounded by different dance styles from an early age, which allowed them to create a school not only characterised by high dance standard but also filled with a lot magic and passion. And they were able to pass this passion to a lot of salsero-generations in Cracow.

Modern dance with elements of hip-hop and funk, which Gosia studied from an early age, and Latin dance, which Michał grew up in, turned out to be a perfect mixture and bore fruit in stunning, multifaceted, surprising choreographies, which sink deep into the memory of the audience.

In December 2004 Salsa Sabrosa was joined by an old friend Grzegorz Przetocki. Grzegorz started his salsa adventure 6 years ago, and already after a couple of months he became a member of one of the first salsa formations in Poland - Salsa Ventura.

In February 2005, having some of the best instructors of Cracow and amazing dancers, Małgosia set up one of the first salsa formations on Poland, Salsa Sabrosa. Since then, the instructors of Salsa Sabrosa, as well as the members of the show-group, have constantly been improving their skills, taking part in and performing at the most prestigious salsa congresses and festivals in Poland and Central Europe:

- Carnaval de Salsa - Wroclaw / Poland
- Salsa Festival - Berlin / Germany
- Salsa Festiwal - Warsaw / Poland
- Salsa Festival - Frankfurt /Germany
- Salsa Festival - Karlsruhe / Germany
- Salsa Festival - Prague/ Czech Republic

See them dance:

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Project Salsa it the first studio promoting Latin dances in Łódź. Initially the studio offered salsa classes only but their offer has expanded to include a wide array of dance techniques, from Jazz and Contemporary Dance to Argentine Tango.

Marta Rolnik, the leader and founder of the studio is a qualified psychologist and a soft skills trainer. She is also a graduate from Łódź Academy of Music, specialising in Choreography and Dance Techniques. Her knowledge, experience and the ability to build a professional team of dancers and teachers made Project Salsa a recognisable brand on the Polish dance scene, known for high quality classes and shows, as well as innovative teaching methods.

Project Salsa team has established regular cooperation with theatres in Łódź (Music Theatre, V6 Theatre). They have also produced their own dance spectacles, staged at V6 Theatre and Nowy Theatre.

See them dance:

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Agnieszka and Paweł have been dancing together for two years. While they specialise in Casino and in LA Style Salsa, they have recently taken an interest in NY Style Mambo. As members of various Poznań-based dance teams, they have won Primavera Salsa Open championships (Rueda de Casino and Salsa Show Style categories) and Polish Salsa Choreography Contest. Nevertheless, their true passion are Bachata and Kizomba.

In 2011, Agnieszka & Paweł won the national level of Bachata Stars championships thus earning the right to represent Poland at the European finals in the Canary Islands. In the same year, they founded Hot Steps - probably the second Bachata dance team in Poland. This year they won a kizomba contest at Afrocuban Festival in Warsaw.

Apart from teaching regular classes at the Art of Move dance studio in Poznań, they give out-of-town workshops and run weekly Bachata/Kizomba/Salsa parties at one of the most successful Latin clubs in Poznań. Thanks to their tireless efforts, the Bachata/Kizomba community in Poznań keeps growing and thriving.

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Joanna Maciejczyk-Morańska and Bartłomiej Szymczyk are a professional dance couple, qualified choreographers and dance instructors. They teach regular classes and workshops in Kielce, as well as at festivals and dance events. Joanna runs Studio Dance Factory, she is also the promoter and organizer of the first Latino Festival in Jędrzejów town. Bartek is the owner of a dance-consulting company, Go4Dance. He is also the co-organizer of the second edition o Latino Festival.

As a couple Joanna and Bartek have been dancing and teaching since 2007, when they both became greatly fascinated with LA style salsa. Their unique style and versatile technical skills supported by fifteen year dance experience, passion and amazing determination in achieving their goals have been quickly appreciated by Polish and international jury of the salsa dance floor.

J&B also dance and specialize in Latin show, Latin duos, bachata and tango. They are frequent winners of IDO Polish Championships and European vice-champions in Salsa. As active dancers they teach present and future generations of champions in couple dances and dance formations.

The couple is known among dance enthusiasts for their passionate dance shows and performances which are full of expression and feeling. Fun and informal, with a strong focus on quality, J&B bring a great enthusiasm to the dance world always offering a varied and exciting show! Baila Conmigo!

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Aleksandra Świerszcz-Porębiak and Rafał Porębiak, the owners of SALSAme Dance Studio in Lublin became enthralled with dancing at a very early age. Both took their first dancing steps in a Ballroom class. Aleksandra went all the ways up to the highest levels of competitive dancing, succesfully reaching gold standard. Then they decided to bring their talent and experience to Salsa dancing. They began with Casino but it was Los Angeles Style Salsa that captured their hearts. Leaning from the co-founders of LA Style, the one and only Luis Vazques, and his amazing partner Melissa Fernandez, allowed them to develop a deep passion for the dance and to reach a high level of dance skills, which they have exhibited in numerous competitions.They are three-times winner of the prestigious Primavera Salsa Open contest in Wrocław in the LA Style category and twice runners-up in Poland Salsa Championships. Additionally, their Rueda de Casino team has been crowned Polish champions and, in 2010, Aleksandra achieved the title of Polish Salsa Solo champion. They are most proud, however, of their guest performance alongside Luis Vazques and Melissa Fernandez during 4th Wrocław Salsa Festival in 2011. They keep broadening their skills at international salsa congress, always trying to learn from the best. They have extensive teaching experience, which allows them to share their passion for their favourite style with everyone.

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"We are a dance company based in Marseille (France), that was created in July 2008. Our name comes from a song that the original member loves: Omele by "La Sonora Poncena". We are pround to present our third routine at Warsaw Salsa Festival. More info on www.omele.fr"

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Founded in October 2011, Hot Steps are the first Bachata dance team in Poznań, and probably the second one in Poland. The team comprises a total of 9 couples and is led by Agnieszka Algemissel and Paweł Zwanzig. Their choreographies are based on various syles of Bachata, blended with Kizomba, Bachata, Broadway Jazz and Funky. They aim to show that Bachata can be danced to any kind of music.

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Sebastian Stolarski, an experienced dancer and an even more experienced teacher, is the co-founder of the first Salsa school in Szczecin. He sees dance as a form of communication, a pleasurable pastime and a passion that makes life more exciting. His motto is "Just dance!".

Ewa, Sebastian's partner on the dancefloor and in real life, caught the Salsa bug in 2005 and hasn't looked back since. She is open to various dance forms. She shares her passion for Afro-Cuban dance and music with everyone she meets.

Ewa and Sebastian are both actively involved in the promotion of Salsa in Szczecin, co-organizing dance events and workshops. They draw their inspiration from the best and keep developing their skills. They have been invited to teach and perform at salsa festivals both in Poland and abroad. Their latest project is Kimama Dance Studio, the first and only school to provide New York style salsa classes in Szczecin.

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