School Faculty

Anthony Auffret - Athlone, Kilkenny, Sligo

Anthony was born in Brittany, France, where he started dancing at an early age. His first dance steps were taken in Fest Noz (traditional dancing).

By the age of 13 Anthony decided it was time to rebel and learn something "cooler" so he went on to learning Le Rock.

In 1999 Anthony discovered Salsa and got hooked. In 2001 he travelled to Latin America and gained a better understanding of the roots and the culture behind the dance. That same year he started competing with his partner Coral Perez Garcia.

In 2002 they represented Ireland as semi-finalists in the World Salsa Championships in Miami. Anthony created SalsaNation dance company in 2002.

He teaches L.A. style. He beleives that as a Salsa teachers is primary mission is to convey his love of the music and dance. The learning process should always be fun.

web: www.salsanation.net

Patrick, "Cubanito", was born in Brazil where he started to move his first steps on Lambada and brazilian rhythms.

He moved to Italy where he started to work in latin discos. It was here that he discovered his passion for salsa dance. In 2002 he started to teach and performs salsa cubana dances, since that time he couldn't stop and was here that started to grow in him the interest for his originally culture, orichas and its application in rumba dances.

In 2008 Patrick moved to Ireland and here he decided to found with Samantha the Dance Project group to bring his experience and latin feeling to irelands rich culture.

Samantha took her first steps in the world of dance in Italy when she was 13 years old. She began her path with classical dance including modern jazz and contemporary dance.

After 2 years she moved on to flamenco. In 2000 she decided to try ballroom classes and she really enjoyed this style. In 2002 she started to work in Italy as animator in a Cuban disco and it was there that she met Patrick, her partner. It was an inseparable union. She was impressed by his style, his sensuality and his movements! It was thanks to him that she got addicted by the "Latin fever", discovered and fell in love with Afro, Reggaeton and Rumba.

In 2004 Samantha and Patrick won the Regional Salsa Competition in Italy and they were admitted to the National Salsa Competition. She started to teach salsa in Italy. In 2008 year ago she moved to Ireland and she is teaching here with Patrick. She has an incredible energy that she wants to share with everybody. It is her philosophy that "two left feet" does not exist because with her everybody can dance!

web: www.danceproject.ie

Vanessa started dancing at 6 years old and trained and competed in Rhythmic Gymnastics and various Martial Arts until she was 21 and moved to Ireland.

She has been teaching Salsa in Ireland since 2005. She has performed and taught internationaly. A full-time dance teacher and a complete dancer, she has tried out most types of dance and likes to use them in Salsa.

She is known for her elegant style and body movement as well as for her precise lead (as a leader…). She teaches smooth friendly moves and likes to create multiple variations of simple moves.

web: www.RnMdance.com

Irelands “Mr Salsa” Chris is one of the most exciting, inspiring and entertaining characters from the Emerald Isle. Ensuring everyone has a great time whilst learning to dance his classes focus mainly on technique, natural body movement, and FUN. Chris regularly teaches, DJ’s & hosts Salsa Festivals in Belfast and has made a numerous appearances on BBC and RTE. Chris says ”Everyone can Salsa and its all about having fun!”

web: www.salsa-ni.com

David has been running successful club nights and events in Belfast for several years. He is well regarded as a teacher and as a DJ he prides himself in keeping the dancefloor full whenever he’s playing.

David was a co-founder of Nu Salsa and is constantly striving to learn more about Salsa as a dance and also about the music. He is a UKA qualified salsa instructor and travels constantly throughout Ireland and the UK to take lessons from the best teachers there are.

web: www.nusalsa.com

U-Tribe - France

U.TRIBE ("Urban Tribe") was created through the meeting of two born artists and both madly in love with arts, Erell NIANE and Mick VIRY, in January 2005. The union of these two natures, strong and distinct as fire and air, takes us into a world of music and dance fundamentally mixed and diverse. U.TRIBE is a subtle mix between quite technical urban dances, such as hip-hop or contemporary dance, and primary african dances inherited from our ancestors ("the Force is in our Roots"), all of the latter brought in the context of salsa and of the various parallel latin rythms. After a great deal of personal experiences, Mike and R.elle gave U.TRIBE its first choreography ("Niña"), a tribute to salsa-ancestors afro rythms. In February 2005, this show was presented at an European level a the Zurich congress, Switzerland. This springboard performance took both artists and "Niña" all the way to various spots of the world, and to renown salsa congresses such as London, Milan, Paris, New York and others.

web: http://www.u-tribe.fr/

Marchant was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. He has been living in England since 2000. Trained from an early age in Ballroom and Latin American, he is a much sought after performer and teacher both in the UK and internationally. Marchant has acheive success with a number of different dance partners over the years. He was winner of the Best UK Dance Act award at the UK Salsa Congress 2006 with his then partner Miriam Oppel. His 'Take Five' show also received high acclaim from the mambo king himself, Eddie Torres. At the UK Congress 2007 he received an award of recognition for his contribution to salsa and for raising the standard of teaching in the UK.

As well as founding the dance company, Marchant also started the Alchemy Dance Academy in 2006 which provides the opportunity for the general salsa public to improve their dancing by way of the Alchemy method of dance training. It is pioneering the Alchemy Way that is now Marchant’s main focus with his partner Davina. The most recent development being the release of their first instructional DVD ’Alchemy Way Partnerwork’.

Click for Marchant’s full bio

DAVINA is Marchant’s dance partner for solo couple shows, and is project coordinator for Alchemy. She is the female exponent of the Alchemy Way of dancing mambo & salsa, teaching the style and grace of this method at the Alchemy Dance Academy and as the featured lady on Marchant’s instructional DVD.

From a trained background in Ballet, Tap, Modern and Jazz, Davina is a qualified ISTD teacher of Modern and Tap. She has a degree in Drama & Theatre Studies and a range of fitness teaching qualifications. For 10 years she has taught in a variety of capacities, mainly as freelance teacher/choreographer at dance schools and colleges around London. In 2003 she took up salsa, attending classes with Marchant who soon spotted her potential and undertook her training. It was from this that Alchemy Dance Company was formed, Davina’s jazz dance experience being part of the core technique training for the company. She also co-choreographed, with Marchant, Alchemy’s debut show ’Timbalito’.

web: www.alchemydance.co.uk

Inaki Fernandez - UK

Inaki was born in the North of Spain but grew up in Madrid. He moved to London in 2004, bringing with him several talents, including experience in Argentinean tango, Salsa and of course Bachata.

Soon after arriving in London, Inaki performed with the ’Diablo Dance Co.’ in energetic routines combining Hip Hop, Jazz and Salsa. From here he moved towards dancing ’on 2’.

Since joining the ’Leon Rose Project’ in 2005, Inaki has been performing with the group at congresses worldwide, including Holland, France, Spain, Ireland, Brussels, Sweden, Latvia, UK, Texas, Switzerland, Geneva, Surinam, Germany, Miami, Italy and many more.

Inaki teaches Salsa, Bachata and Kisomba at a number of venues including the ’Latin Dance Academy’. The LDA founded by world renowned teachers, Susana Montero and Super Mario, focuses predominantly on technique.

Although Inaki has extensive experience of teaching Salsa and Tango, he is widely known for his popular Bachata workshops and has even teamed up to perform and teach with Susana Montero. His unique style of footwork and body movement combined with energy and intensity have earned him the title, ’King of Bachata’! His enthusiasm for Bachata has encouraged and developed a strong community of Bachata fans on the London salsa scene.

web: www.bachata.uk.com

Fritha Fallon - UK

British dancer, choreographer and teacher Fritha Fallon is based in Surrey, England.

Fritha focuses on making Salsa accessible and appealing to wider audiences. Her style embodies authenticity of Afro-caribbean body movement with an edge of elegant refinement. Many people find her choreography easy to relate to and her dancing something to aspire to.

As a teacher, Fritha communicates the importance of correct posture, alignment and technique. She also emphasises musical interpretation and personal expression. She has helped her students to gain confidence, to get more enjoyment from their social dancing and has even coached several adult students, who participate in Salsa purely as a hobby, to the point of performing in front of friendly audiences.

She helps people to achieve things that they never thought were possible, and most likely, had no previous inclination towards. She encourages people to try new ways of moving, to exceed their boundaries and helps them to feel and look more sexy.

Fritha ran a posture and body isolations class last year which was by far the busiest class of the whole weekend which went down a storm. Again we are delighted to welcome her back this year.

web: www.salsadiva.co.uk

Wyn Morris - UK

Wyn has been dancing salsa for fifteen years and has been teaching for 11 years. He dances the following styles: Cuban, NY On2, Colombian, and Rueda de Casino.

He regularly teaches in London and at salsa weekends. Wyn has been with Mambo City team for 10 years, where he teaches Salsa and Rueda de Casino.

He has gained in-depth knowledge by attended dance courses in Cuba and Colombia, and has taught and performed at international events in Miami and Sweden.