International Instructors

CRISTIAN OVIEDO

Dancer, Choreographer, Model, Actor. Cristian Oviedo was born November 19, 1979, in Cuscatlan, El Salvador. Oviedo showed remarkable range and depth for such a great performer, impressing audiences with his ability to convey complex emotions.

Behind the scenes, Oviedo pushed his dance to succeed. At first, Oviedo danced local gigs and built a strong following. He has won many competitions since 2003 with different partners. He has also danced to big artists such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, El Gran Combo, Cachao and many more. Working in Hollywood, Oviedo is now a great movie  choreographer, and has been working with Dancing With The Stars.

Showing people how to enjoy salsa and making them better dancers is a goal for this Four-Time World Salsa Champion. The important thing is not to focus on ‘the show’ in salsa but instead in its ‘roots’ and the joy of movement. The pleasure derives from the dancing connection and the great feeling of enjoyment on the stage. What constitutes a good dancer is if he can dance with anybody.

Alien Ramirez

ALIEN RAMIREZ

A professional dancer , teacher and choreographer, The Four-Time Salsa Champion.

JOHN NARVAEZ

Born and raised in Colombia, John is a world-class ground-breaking Salsa dance artist. In the last 10 years, his work ettiquete, presence, and vision have set a precedence in the world of dance which sets himself apart from many others. He continues to innovate, inspire, and redefine, basing his efforts on extensive and detailed training, combined with his tireless energy to share and give.

Do or do not;there is no try
-Master Yoda

Latest Achivements
2005 World Salsa Championships on “2″ Division-3rd place
2006 World Salsa Championships on” 2″ Division-3rd place
2007 World Salsa Championships top 10 finalist
2009 World Salsa Championships top 10 finalist
2010 World Salsa Champion
2011 World Latin Dance Cup Champion (Salsamania Team)
2011 World Latin Dance Cup Champion (Same gender)

Liz Rojas

LIZ ROJAS

Also born and raised in Colombia, Liz is known for her unique extensive styling repertoire and is one of the top female instructors and artist in the world salsa community. These are her humbling words after 10 years of dancing: “Salsa fills your soul with fire that lets you express yourself on the dance floor with freestyle and vigor. I love to pass down the
knowledge and the passion which I have for this wonderful art.

My best experiences so far have been associated with my dance group members – to watch them perform and shine on the dance floor and to witness the amazing improvement that they have shown since the time they’ve joined our salsa family.

Salsa is the best way to bring everyone together without having to compete with each other. It’s all about making real friends. Always have fun and shine on the dance floor, with your own unique style.”

Latest Achivements

2005 World Salsa Championships on “2″ Division-3rd place
2006 World Salsa Championships on” 2″ Division-3rd place
2007 World Salsa Championships top 10 finalist
2009 World Salsa Championships top 10 finalist
2011 World Latin Dance Cup Champion (Salsamania Team)

The Cobo Brothers

CoboBrother Dance Co.

Founded by James and Milton Cobo in 2000, CoboBrother Dance Co. (CBDC) was the first On2 dance company out of North Carolina to explode onto the international dance scene.  James began teaching in North Carolina in 1998. As CBDC’s freestyle specialist, James has lit up dance floors around the world with a fusion of speed, body movement, and musicality.  His brother Milton, known for his unique lead technique, blends power and fluidity to prevail as the “Flow Guru” of salsa.  Initially recognized for their technical precision on the dance floor, the CoboBrothers evolved into one of the most internationally recognized salsa dance companies from the United States, with the addition of Isabel Frieberger and Erin Leger in 2007.  Implementing a balance of power, acrobatics, fluidity, and musicality, the CoboBrothers Dance Co. captivates audiences around the world with electrifying performances.  As the first company to introduce On2 to North Carolina and a major catalyst for the explosive growth in the South East region of the United States, CBDC is dedicated to inspiring interest in salsa and cultivating talent throughout the world especially in their home state of North Carolina.

Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez, born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic grew up dancing salsa in The Bronx, New York. Though he grew up dancing salsa as a little kid, it wasn’t until his early 20s that he began dancing New York style ON2 salsa with Yamulee. For half of a decade, Carlos traveled the world performing with Yamulee at international salsa congresses in Hamburg, London, Manchester, Miami, Acapulco, Los Angeles, Chicago and dozens more alongside legendary Osmar Perrones, former Santo Rico teammate. As Carlos developed his dance, he looked for a more classic style of New York salsa. That’s when Victor Karisma, former Director of Santo Rico asked him to join Karisma Dance Company. Carlos continued traveling and performing with Karisma at salsa congresses in Punta Cana, Boston and Dallas, as well as on T.V. including ColorVision, Telesistema, Univision and Teleantilla. After performing with Karisma for some time, Carlos along with his partner at Karisma, Arlette Guerra, who also began her salsa dance career with Osmar Perrones over 10 years ago, decided to break away and perform as a couple. Today, Carlos and Arlette are performing and teaching around the world.

Arlette Guerra

Arlette Guerra

Arlette Guerra has been dancing salsa for over 10 years and has been internationally recognized for her talents and fierce passion on the dance floor.  Arlette, born in the Dominican Republic moved to New York City as a little girl where she grew up dancing amongst her family and friends.  At the age of 18 she took her first on2 salsa dance class with Osmar Perrones, currently the Director of Yamulee and former member of Santo Rico.  Like Carlos, as Arlette continued to dance, she looked to embrace a more seasoned style of salsa. That was when she and Victor Karisma, former Director of Santo Rico decided to form Karisma Dance Company where she currently dances today. For almost a decade, Arlette was fortune enough to travel the world performing and teaching with Karisma Dance Company.  She has been to congresses worldwide including events in Italy, Japan, Mexico and Los Angeles, just to name a few. Arlette has also had the honor of performing for many renowned artists such as Gilberto Santa Rosa, Victor Manuelle, Grupo Niche, Oscar de Leon and others.  Most recently, she performed in front of our current U.S. president, President Barack Obama. Arlette has now teamed up with Carlos Hernandez, a former Yamulee and Karisma dancer, to perform, teach and travel the world as a couple.

Rumbanana - Mike & Simona

Rumbanana – Mike & Simona

Mike and Simona have studied, danced, performed and taught Cuban Casino Salsa for more than a decade. They are the fearless leaders of Rumbanana Salsa Group. Their mission is to share their addiction of Cuban music and dance and to boldly seek out new information, resources and music. They, along with Rumbanana, have performed (and partied) at the San Francisco Rueda Festival; Salsa Extravaganza in Palm Springs; Mexico City Cuban Salsa Congress; Salsa Rueda Congress in Miami; Cubamemucho in Munich, Germany; Cuba Baila in Vancouver, BC; L.A. Salsa Congress; Honolulu Salsathon; Philadelphia Salsa Congress; Houston Salsa Congress; and many other national and international events. Check them out at www.rumbanana.org.

duane Wrenn

duane Wrenn

duane Wrenn – A specialist in Afro Cuban rhythms and popular dances, is the director of Energetic Soul.

New Orleans, LA native with a BS degree in Exercise Science, duane discovered the world of salsa dancing in 2000. Prior to that he has worked as a Personal Trainer to the stars, and today is still an accredited Fitness Consultant. However, he knew that his true calling lied in dance as soon as the rhythms of salsa entered into his life. duane combines both of these talents to create dynamic Dance and Fitness programs that can be adapted for any age population.

Specializing in Casino style dancing with an Energetic Soul°Sa twist, duane is a gifted artist who takes great pleasure in sharing his wisdom with others. His natural knack for teaching comes through in every single one of his lessons and/or workshops. A very hard-working and creative individual, duane is superb at what he does. Developing unique programs to educate and entertain the masses. Dance is his passion and whatever work he puts into it (be it teaching or performing), he does it from his heart and with an unmatched love for this art form.

His track record speaks for itself. His diverse group of students comes from all over the world. They are appreciative and grateful to him for inspiring and mentoring every day through a mere art of movement – which is DANCE.

Kati Hernandez

Kati Hernandez

is a native of Cuba and an Afro-Cuban Dance Master who teaches different levels of Afro-Cuban dance in Los Angeles. This is a treat for our Los Angeles dance scene and one that, I personally feel, should be taken advantage by all salsa and dance afficionados who wish to improve their control on body mobility, sabor, and style. Her classes are taught with LIVE DRUMMING according to Cuban costumes and are a great experience for anyone who has never seen anything like this. I truly recommend you go if you have an interest in Afro-Cuban! She has shared the stage with personalities such as Cuban jazz master Chucho Valdés. She has also performed painted as the Orisha Elegguá with visual artist Manuel Mendive, danced with well-known choreographer Santiago Alfonso, performed Afro-Cuban dance with the legendary singer Mercedita Valdés, and danced for very popular Cuban orchestras. Surely, one can say that as a dancer, Kati Hernández is highly accomplished, well-traveled, and has been an ambassador of Cuban dance and folklore in many nations. Today, Kati lives in Santa Monica, CA. She performs, choreographes, and teaches Afro-Cuban folklore, Afro-Cuban jazz, modern dance, and other Cuban dance styles around the area, which includes greater Los Angeles. She has given workshops with master percussionist Francisco Aguabella and well-known folklorist and teacher Lazaro Galarraga.

Zumba

Hillary Eyre-McLean

Hillary has been a licenced Zumba instructor since 2009, she loves to have fun, and loves to shake her booty! She can’t wait to get my fellow salseros as excited about Zumba as she is! What better way to get in shape than to dance, have fun, enjoy great music, and completely forget you are working out?!

Dancer’s Workout

Eric Zimmer

Eric Zimmer is active in Portland’s dance community as a fitness trainer, dance teacher, choreographer and performer.  Eric’s extensive training in ballet, jazz, modern, musical theater and ballroom gives him a unique ability to showcase diverse dance styles and combine forms to create new “signature” movement vocabulary.  Eric holds a degree from the University of Montana in Health and Human Performance (1993) and has since earned further credentials as an Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist, Stott Pilates instructor and DVIDA certified ballroom dance instructor.  The popular Dancer’s Workout is a combination of classical dance movement and traditional fitness, integrating the principles of alignment, posture and sound technique.