Dancesport California home dance studio Dance Instructors & Performers Dance classes and lessons schedule Dance Classes Lessons Fee Schedule Dance Events & Parties Dance shoes supplies store Dancing Glossary & Tips contact us for dance classes lessons and events Dancing Events for Salsa Tango and Bacchata
12062 Valley View, Suite 108, Garden Grove, California 92845 Telephone: 714.903.5175 info@dancesportca.com

Instructors

Bernard & Sonyo Martinez

Bernard & Sonyo MartinezBernard Martinez is a choreographer, coach, performer and instructor of salsa/mambo, cha-cha and theater arts. With over 20 yrs. of teaching experience, Bernard's teaching style is technical and flavorful - filled with creativity and musicality. Sonyo, trained in various of classical dances as well as music adds her own style and musicality to their partnership. Sonyo also adds her expertise of over 20 yrs. in business management experiences from Wall Street into their dance partnership. Together this power couple with their diversified dance training travel all over the world teaching their fundamental techniques and smooth style in men & ladies styling, partnering and shines.

Known throughout the world for their fluid and elegant partnering style, Bernard and Sonyo are also known as the “teacher of teachers”. Their combined background in theater arts, jazz, ballet, folk-dance and martial arts add to the rhythmic flavor of salsa/mambo that can be artistically expressed in formal to club-social style of dancing.

Bernard and Sonyo have successfully managed and organized major dance festivals and events throughout the US. Bernard is also a professional DJ and sound engineer with his talents in re-mixing and authoring compilations in Latin music. In 2005, Bernard & Sonyo opened their first dance studio in California named DanceSport CA, Inc. They plan to open additional locations in Southern California.


Alejandra Montano - Salsa Instructor

Ben Morris & Melina RamirezAlejandra has 14 years of training at Ballet Nacional de El Salvador in Salvadorian Folk-dance.  She began her training at DanceSport California in 2007 as a scholarship student achieving her professional status as instructor and performer in the Latin Social Dances in 2009.  Alejandra has performed in various events in Europe and the US and currently a staff instructor at DanceSport CA and Salsa Mambo Festival held in Palm Springs, CA.  Alejandra has been featured on television shows like Telemundo, Univision, Telefutura and Abriendo Puertas. 

Class Description:
Salsa –  A style of Latin dance originated in Cuba made into a popular social dance throughout the world today.  This dance is rhythmic and percussion allows for intricate musicality and partner dancing.  This class will focus on footwork and partner patterns leading to performance choreography. 

 

Ben Morris & Melina RamirezCynthia Howell – Jazz Instructor

Cynthia began her training in dance at the young age of 3 in Minnesota. Her training was primarily with Larkin Dance Studio and included intensive classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Musical Theatre, and Hip hop.  She has also trained across the country with various conventions and master classes. Since moving to California in 2000, she has continued to perform and choreograph in all styles of dance. Her choreography has been set on RhetOracle Dance Company, MMSDance Competition lines, and the Wilson High School Advanced Dance Program.  She also continued her performance career with RhetOracle Dance Company under the direction of Nate Hodges from 2007-2009 and previously as a member of BARE Dance Company under the direction of Mike Esperanza from 2004-2006.

Class description: Jazz – Since it’s conception in the late 1800’s, Jazz dancing has developed to include several new styles, which include aspects of ballet and modern dance. As in most forms of dance, technique is the foundation for all modern jazz dance movement. In particular, jazz dancers benefit from knowledge of ballet technique and, consequently, jazz dance curriculum will commonly include elements of ballet training.

 


Eloise DeLuca - Hip-Hop Instructor

Ben Morris & Melina RamirezEloise trained for twelve years at Marrillyn McDowell Studio of Dance (MMSDance) and also trained in Advanced dance at Wilson High School where she performed and choreographed for seasonal shows.  She is currently achieving her BA in Dance at California State University of Long Beach where she has been awarded three scholarships, performed in various faculty shows as well as at the American College Dance Festival.  She has taken intensive workshops with Bare dance co., Keith Johnson, and the Alvin Ailey school.  She is deeply grateful and inspired by her mentors Nate Hodges, Bryana Verner, Cynthia Clemmensen, Andy Vaca, Susan McLain, Keith Johnson, Holly Johnston, and John Pennington.  She hopes to continue pursuing her dream of dancing and touring professionally.  

Class Description:
Hip hop –  A style of dance developed in the 70’s to accompany the new sound of hip hop music. This style of dancing includes such feats as breaking, popping, locking, gliding, ticking, vibrating and krumping. Today it is a very popular style of dancing that can be seen in various forms of media entertainment.

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Ben Morris & Melina Ramirez

Ben Morris & Melina RamirezBen and Melina brought their talents together for a West Coast Swing routine in the summer of 2003, and have since won many titles together - most notably the Young Adult division of the 2003 and 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships. They are both 2 time World Swing Dance Champions, California Swing Dance Hall of Fame Nominees, and 3 time US Open Champions. Known for their smooth style, infectious personalities, and enjoyable workshops, they have been teaching together since 2003 and now travel both nationally and internationally to teach, compete, judge, and perform.

A graduate of UCLA with a degree in Business Economics and Accounting, Ben Morris now lives in Los Angeles, California. Maintaining an uncommon dualism with West Coast Swing, he is also a Champion Lindy Hopper; receiving the Spirit of Lindy Hop award at the 2004 National Jitterbug Championships, and winning the Showcase division at the 2006 US Open with a Lindy Hop routine. His current goal is to continue to improve his dancing in both West Coast Swing and Lindy Hop, while expanding his horizons into other dance forms.

Ben and Melina brought their talents together for a West Coast Swing routine in the summer of 2003, and have since won many titles together - most notably the Young Adult division of the 2003 and 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships. They are both 2 time World Swing Dance Champions, California Swing Dance Hall of Fame Nominees, and 3 time US Open Champions. Known for their smooth style, infectious personalities, and enjoyable workshops, they have been teaching together since 2003 and now travel both nationally and internationally to teach, compete, judge, and perform.

A graduate of UCLA with a degree in Business Economics and Accounting, Ben Morris now lives in Los Angeles, California. Maintaining an uncommon dualism with West Coast Swing, he is also a Champion Lindy Hopper; receiving the Spirit of Lindy Hop award at the 2004 National Jitterbug Championships, and winning the Showcase division at the 2006 US Open with a Lindy Hop routine. His current goal is to continue to improve his dancing in both West Coast Swing and Lindy Hop, while expanding his horizons into other dance forms.

Edmundo and Elizabeth Thomas - Argentine Tango Instructor

Edmundo and Elizabeth ThomasEdmundo and Elizabeth were both born and raised in Buenos Aires. Anyone growing up in Argentina hears a lot of tango music from an early age. They have been teaching together since 2004 and currently live and work in Los Angeles.

Edmundo was introduced to Tango in 1988 by Héctor Mayoral, the original star of the first "Tango Argentino" stage production. Since then he has studied under the likes of instructors such as Carlos Gavito, Raul Bravo,Carlos Borquez, Jorge Firpo,Ernesto Balmaceda, Julio Balmaceda, Gustavo Naveira, Chicho Frumboli, Omar Vega and Alejandro Suaya, among others.

Edmundo is known for his distinctive teaching of technique, precision, clear leading and vast knowledge of the music.
Social tango dancing is supposed to be improvised and personalized. The goal is to help each tango dancer develop the understanding, patience and a solid command of the fundamentals (technique, musicality, and connection) needed to experience the joy of improvisation.
Armed with the knowledge to execute the logical options at every turn, the dancer can complete an entire dance sequence based on the ability to navigate a dance floor and self expression. This allows the interweaving of music with the synchronized motion of two bodies: a source of extreme pleasure.
Individual style is not constructed by one's teachers. A teacher can point the way, but other variables factor greatly: personality, ability, musicality, experience, physical traits, sensibility, taste, affinity, and aesthetics. All of which build not just the ability to dance tango , but to do it in a personalized style and hence the need for a solid foundation.

 

 

Julie Simon - Afro-Samba Instructor

Julie SimonJulie Simon has been a professional dancer for over 18 years, performing styles ranging from Brazilian, Caribbean and Latin dances, to African dance styles. Julie has performed internationally in 11 different countries.

A native of California, she was based in San Francisco for 7 years where she toured and performed all over the Bay Area as well as touring internationally. Then it was off to Paris, France, where she danced for 7 years touring all over Europe as well as the Caribbean and Africa. She also danced at several dinner shows and various cabarets on the world renowned Champs-Elysses. She was a featured salsa dancer in a Yuri Buenaventura music video. She also danced for several European television programs, a movie, she was featured on the cover of Nova Magazine (an entertainment and arts magazine in France) and did countless gala events.

On her off time, she taught dance and dance fitness to teens and young adults for two years in Paris as well as choreographed their annual performances. Back in California, Julie has been teaching and performing for over six years throughout LA, Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Performing Team (Mambo Caliente)

Mambo CalienteMambo Caliente is our Semi-Pro team. The team as of today consits of 4 couples. They have performed at wedding receptions corporate events both domestically and abroad. Their latest performance was at the Irish Salsa Congress in Ireland.

The teams dance repretoir includes salsa, mambo, cha cha cha, bachata and more.

Team Members: