Joao N. Rocha  & Mafalda Amado

Joao N. Rocha - Dancing, it's my Life Passion!

"I was born in Lisbon, Portugal, where I had my education studying Business administration. Salsa was my 1st love, around 11 years ago. Kizomba came into my life almost 4 years ago, taking the line from my master and friend Kwenda Lima, who told me "Kizomba is danced by two people in just one body" this comment changed my view and these days I say "I love this culture more than my own".

Having inspirations such as Master Petchu, Kwenda Lima and Afrolatin Connection I have developed my own style. In May 2010 I was invited to perform Semba at the prestigious Africadançar. In the last year I've been teaching and performing at several events in Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, Serbia, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Latvia, Sweden, France, Holland, Norway, Austria, Italy, Finland, and most recently organizing the 3rd edition of my own Festival in Lisbon "the LIKE Festival" as well as being judge at Africadançar Finals in Madrid 2010 and Head Judge in Africadançar UK Finals 2011. In October 2010 I moved to London to teach and contribute to the growing kizomba scene in the UK joining the "We Love Kizomba" team. Passionate about dance, love to live life and share moments with good people!"

Mafalda Amado

Mafalda was born in Porto, in 1987. She started dancing salsa in 2001, but soon enough discovered the magic ways of kizomba and semba in which she fell in love with. In 2007, Mafalda became a member of "Afrolatin Connection" group, which she was part of for three years. When she won the first international kizomba championship in the event "Africadançar" in 2008, her career boomed and many opportunities came along from then on. Next year Mafalda was awarded with the third place in the first Salsa Open competition in Portugal. Since then, she has been performing and teaching in numerous kizomba and salsa festivals around the world, as in clubs, weddings and private parties, television shows and videoclips. She developed her own style, specializing in kizomba's body movement, having worked with many different people. All of this happens along with the Fine Arts graduation that Mafalda finishes this year.

Kizomba, workshop: Video 1 
Kizomba&Semba:Video 2
Kizomba&Semba: Video 3

Frank Santos

Frank Santos is originally from the Dominican Republic. At the age of 3 he learnt Bachata from his grandfather and hasn’t  stopped dancing since then. Frank grew up in Italy where he started to develop his talent in dance.

He has taught and performed throughout Europe and beyond – in France, Holland, Poland, Latvia, Bratislava, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Israel, Denmark, Sweden, Bulgaria, the U.S.A and Cuba just to name 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. Most 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 from France and at the moment is based in Paris. She has been dancing since childhood; she began with the jazz and after getting into a graduate school of dance she started to work on her technique and to learn different dances, such as jazz, contemporary, modern, ballet, afro, flamenco and tap dancing. After her formation, she started teaching the jazz in a dance school and danced in various dance companies (contemporary, jazz, operetta) and cabaret shows.

In 2005 she discovered salsa and after few weeks practicing she teamed up with Farid Ferchach with who she still continues to collaborate. Together they have travelled around the world attending salsa congresses where they have taught and performed. In 2009 she joined U-Tribe and performed with them for one year. Even though she has a great passion for salsa, she usually works as a choreographer and dancer at a cabaret in Paris, as well as a dancer in TV series. Thanks to her skills in different dance styles, her classes have become very popular at congresses and different events. Julie has lately teamed up with Frank Santos and together they have taken the International Bachata scene with a storm.

Cécile "Chechi" Ovide
 
Cecile was born in France, to a family Creole from Martinique.

From childhood, she was introduced to the "Dance" and was fast reaching the professional level. The diversity of talent ranging from classical ballet to hip-hop through the Modern Jazz and contemporary dance, allowed her to integrate a number of companies. Today she is specialized in salsa of all genres: Salsa Casino, Los Angeles style, and the New Yorker.
 
After meeting with Terry at a dance school where Cecilia taught before, she, like her partner, continued to work all the styles they were to encounter.
 
Since the founding of her school, Cécile has demonstrated her talents, not only confirmed but also a dancer and choreographer, designer and is responsible for all the costumes for their show and, in tandem with Terry, who choreographed the have made known throughout the world ...
 
Terry "la guagua" Tauliaut
 
Terry was born in France, near Paris. When he was eight years old his family left the metropolis to return to Guadeloupe, where they were originally from. From an early age he developed a passion for dance and soon became an outstanding dancer in traditional Creole. Terry had already proved unbeatable as a dancer in Hip Hop and other dance styles prevalent among young people.
 
At the age of 19 he discovered salsa and this discovery marked a turning point in his life. He
devoted himself to studying and learning the dance. Regular practice of this ever-growing
passion led him to become champion of salsa in Guadeloupe at the age of 23.
Later he was invited to join, as a teacher, one of the most prestigious dance
schools of Paris. And when he met Cecile, they began training together. And soon
they joined U Tribe.
 
In August 2007 Terry and Cecile  decided to undertake an
adventure of a different scale and opened their own dance school, Salsalianza.
 



Ranses startes dancing at the age of six in Havanna, Cuba. He graduates as a dancer and dance teacher from ENA(Escuela Nacional de Arte) in 2003 and has worked with the most known Cuban dance groups, such as Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba, Yoruba Andabo and Havana Rakatan, touring several countries in Eurpe and South America. He has gathered teaching experience when teaching in many international salsa festival in Cuba.

Ranses is specialised in traditional Cuban dances such as salsa and Cuban Rumba and his skills in reggaeton are also very respected  in Cuba and around Europe. As a teacher Ranses is fun and thorough, during his classes you'll learn Latin body movement with an easygoing attitude and accompanied by the original Cuban rhythms. Many Finnish dance students have travelled to Cuba to be taught by Ranses.

Suvi started her dancer career with competitive dancing in which she succeeded very well for over ten years, in both ballroom and latin dances. After falling in love with salsa she concentrated on teaching. Suvi works at dance school SalsaStudio where she teaches together with Ranses Charon and Yusniel Socarras with who she also performs. Suvi is also the main choreographer of the Latin Show Dancers.