Instructors & Classes
Created by DjSammy on 01 Jan 2010
See the information below on Seattle’s Instructors and Classes:
§ Rueda de Casino with Maritza Baida
§ Cuban Popular & Folkloric Dance with Maiensy Sanchez (see below)
§ Casino & Rueda de Casino with Dennis Richards
§ Cuban Popular & Folkloric Dance with José Carrión
§ Betsy’s Rueda de Casino
§ Cuban Partner Dancing with Lance Lu (see below)
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Instructor: Carlos Manuel Lazo
Teaches: Casino & Rueda de Casino
Contact: Email: narvaescu4@yahoo.com
Website: www.kirklanddance.org
Tel: 425-350-2474
Carlos, originally from Havana, Cuba, is currently teaching on the eastside at the Kirkland Dance Center! Please contact Carlos by the email or phone number shown above, for more information on his classes.
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Instructor: Maritza Baida
Teaches: Rueda de Casino
Contact: Email: sbdiva32@yahoo.com
Website: www.funlatindance.com
Tel: 206-300-4523
Dancing since the age of 7, Maritza’s repertoire includes jazz, tap, ballet, Mexican folkloric, hip hop, LA style salsa and Dominican merengue. Six years ago, she turned to Cuban style salsa and since then has not stopped. Now she takes what she knows from having taught at UC Santa Barbara, UPS and Peirce College and brings her experience, knowledge and inspiration to perform and teach in the Seattle-Tacoma area.
Please see Maritza’s website above for class schedule and details. Call or email Maritza to register.
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Instructor: Maiensy Sanchez
Teaches: Son Montuno, Cha-Cha-Cha, Bolero, Timba, Casino, Rueda de Casino, Cuban Rhythm, and Dance Movement
Contact: Email: maiensy@hotmail.com
Tel: 206-931-0485
For a private lesson or semi-private lessons, please contact Maiensy via the telephone or email above.
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Instructor: Dennis Richards
Teaches: Casino, Rueda de Casino, and Dance Movement
Contact: Email: dennisrichards@yahoo.com
Website: www.seattlecasinero.wordpress.com
Tel: 206-450-9004 206-450-9004 206-450-9004 or 206-367-3739
In 2000, a chance trip to Cuba, prompted me to begin studying various Cuban forms of dance such as Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, Son, Casino, and Rueda de Casino.
The majority of my Cuban dance training has been here in Seattle with Maiensy Sanchez, and Dennis Ruiz. I have also studied intermittently with Jose Carrion, CMV Ritmo, Sidney and Ryan(Bay area) and various local Salsa instructors.
My dancing style has been influenced by African, Casino, Afro-Cuban, Dancehall, Son, and Hip-Hop. I am currently teaching Casino, Rueda De Casino, and studying Kizomba.
My style of teaching is designed to help students become better dancers. To that end, the various exercises that we do in class provide students a better understanding of their body mechanics and how to relate to the music.
All of my dance classes are focused on providing dancers with “movement tools” so that they can dance, to any genre of music, as their authentic selves; and not as a copy of their instructor or any one else. -Dennis Richards
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Instructor: José Carrión
Teaches: Afro-Cuban-Haitian Folkloric dance, Cuban Son, Rumba,
Casino, Mambo, Pilon, and Cha-cha-cha.
Contact: Naomi Bierman & José Alfredo Carrión
Website: http://www.cubanfolkloricdance.com
Tel:
Jose is a percussionist, choreographer, and former principal dancer and corps professor of Ballet Folklórico Cutumba de Santiago de Cuba. Learn traditional Cuban dance and percussion from a true master! Classes include Conga Santiaguera and rumba percussion, Afro-Cuban-Haitian folkloric dance, Cuban Son, Rumba, and popular dances such as Cuban-style Salsa (Casino), Mambo, Pilon, and Cha-cha-cha.
For a full schedule of classes, including prices, see the website link above.
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Instructor:
Teaches: Casino & Rueda de Casino
Contact: Website: www.kirklanddance.org
Tel:
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Instructor: Betsy Dischel
Teaches: Rueda de Casino
Contact: Website: Bien Feliz
Email : betsy@bienfeliz.com
Betsy started her dancing journey in Santa Cruz, California, in 2001 with a former student of Sidney Weaverling. She taught Rueda to beginner and advanced students in Santa Cruz, and now continues her passion for Rueda by instructing students here in the Seattle area. Betsy constantly looks to expand her knowledge base of Cuban Salsa and Cuban movement by working with local instructors and national figures, such as Ryan Mead and Sidney Weaverling from San Francisco and Duane Wrenn from the Detroit area. Her years of instruction enable her to advise students at any level, with a respect for each student’s unique style and needs in mind. Betsy has collaborated with UW Experimental College to teach Rueda de Casino Level 1.
See Betsy’s website for current information on classes and a list of moves she will teach at each level. The website also includes a sampling of moves that have links to video demonstrations.
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Instructor: Lance Lu
Teaches: Danzon, Son, Cha-cha-cha, Son Montuno, and Casino
Contact: Email: gourd@teleport.com
Tel:
Lance Lu teaches Cuban partner dancing in private (1-2 dancers) and small-group (4-6 dancers) lessons in his studio in Greenwood. He offers instruction in traditional Havana-style danzon, son, cha cha cha, son montuno, and casino. Lance’s approach stresses developing dance skills for partnering (both lead and follow) and understanding the musical structure of the song. Good dancers reflect and connect to the music they are dancing to. Lance began studying Cuban dance in 1994, inspired by 10 days studying Cuban music with Los Munequitos de Matanzas. Encouraged by the late Ricardo Cane, he began studying Cuban dance with Roberto Borrell, who remains his major influence. He was an early student of Maiensy Sanchez and also traveled to California to study with Jose Baroso. To develop further dance skills, Lance has studied with many stateside teachers, including Ennio Cordoba, Alex de Silva, and Josie Neglia in L.A.; Barry Douglas in Detroit; and Eddie Torres, Delille Thomas, and Leo Garcia of NYC. Lance was an original member of the dance company TropiCuba, in which he called the company’s rueda and was featured dancing son with Maiensy Sanchez. He has also performed as a dancer in concert with Yerba Buena and Charanga Danzon in Seattle.