LADIES STYLING WORKSHOPS
Miriam Oppel is a highly sought after teacher and performer in the UK and is regarded as one of the best for ladies' salsa styling. Her background in dance is eclectic. She holds a degree in Dance and Culture from the University of Surrey and has trained in a variety of genres including urban jazz, contemporary, classical Indian dance, African and ballet. She is known for her versatility and charisma, being able to easily switch from elegant to funky styles.
Her successful dance partnership with Marchant Birch led to their being awarded Top UK Dance Act at the UK Salsa Congress 2006. Miriam has also performed in a number of salsa dance troupes including Rhythm Symbion, Iris de Brito and the Latin Soul Sisters, and the Leon Rose Project. She is currently performing with Tamambo.
Andrea teaches and performs regularly at festivals and congresses throughout the UK, Europe and Scandinavia and is the Director of the all-girl UK dance company, Duende.
In 2002, Andrea joined Manhattan Mambo, training, dancing and performing with this unique New York Salsa On2 style dance company. In 2003, Andrea formed a partnership with Marchant Birch, later performing, to great acclaim, at the UK Salsa Congress and received the award for Outstanding Newcomers at the British Salsa Congress. Andrea has worked with international companies and performers including Manuel Mascarell (Spain) and Robert Charlemagne (UK).
Currently, she teaches and performs regularly in the UK and at Congresses around the World. This year 2005 Andrea has premiered 3 new routines El Regreso, Candela Part 1 and Part 2.
A 2X UK Salsa Champion (99/03), Iris teaches in the UK and abroad. She is originally from Angola, a country in the south west of Africa. Trained at "The London Studio Centre" and with the late William Louther (one of the original members of the Alvin Ailey company. Iris has also worked with "Badejo Arts" and "Kokuma Dance Company". Iris is trained in Jazz/Contemporary/Street Dance & Salsa Dance.
Iris has a reputation for style and her coaching and performance precedes her. Performing since she was 7 years old, she has danced in theatres, TV, Videos for pop artists and for two African dance companies in the UK while being featured in Magazines like Pride, Dance Today, and newspapers like The Stage and The Daily mirror.
With an amazing International, TV and Commercial experience, Iris De Brito brings a real exciting flavour to the stage, great passion and knowledge to her classes without loosing a sense of fun.
Mayana's love for dance started at an early age. She followed her heart and went to one of the best Russian Dance Academies where she studied from traditional dances to contemporary. She continued teaching various dance styles until she found Salsa. She was a 2007 UK Professional Salsa Champion. Mayana has trained and performed with Duende Dance Company. Her current dance partner is Miguel Rico.
What really makes her unique is her her dance style where she combines all the knowledge she has of various dances, creating her own signature which portrays her as an elegant and stylish dancer.
Salsa is her passion and profession and she has spend a lot of time researching and developing her own way of dancing with style and flavour. She currently teaches in the Uk and Europe.
Davina is the dance partner of Marchant Birch and a founder member of Alchemy Dance Company. 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. With Marchant and the company she also performs and teaches at events around the country.
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.
The combination of Davina's training and experience has given her a passion for teaching, with an infectious enthusiasm which is passed on to her students. Her approach to ladies styling is to encourage her students to allow freedom of expression, which is ultimately what dance is. She provides the tools to express through a variety of take-home exercises using body movement, arm styling and musical appreciation. Davina's style is smooth, sophisticated and sexy! She teaches how to style working with the natural flow of partnerwork, which allows following and styling to be felt rather than thought.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE DELIVERED BASED ON PERCUSSION (also known as on2 or mambo).*
Lisa has been running salsaOxford since 1996 and is known around the UK for her teaching and dancing. She has been invited to teach around the UK and abroad. In 1999 she received a special award for "Services to Salsa in the UK" at the Salsa Personality Awards. In 2000 she achieved 3rd place in the professional category of the first salsa competition in the UK at the Bacardi Congress.
She has performed with London-based groups in the UK and abroad and assisted some top international teachers at various events and congresses. She has been working together with her husband Mark since 2004 and together they have expanded their knowledge of salsa by going abroad to train with Hacha Y Machete in Boston and by learning more about the roots and history of Latin music and dance. Over the past year they have performed their first show together, "Las Costumbres", at many UK venues including the MamboCity 5* Congress (London), the Scala May Bank Holiday All-Nighter (London) and Mambocity's Salsa Splash Weekender (Hayling Island).
In her teaching Lisa includes understanding of Latin rhythm and instrumentation, Afro-Cuban body movement, technique for spins/turns, and musical interpretation. For further details please visit Lisa at www.salsaOxford.com or www.ConTambor.com. You can also access Lisa's website by visiting our links page.
Shelley has taught with SuperMario and trained and performed with Iris de Brito and her Latin Soul Sisters, the Manhattan Mambo dancers, Leon Rose and Richard Marcel, with numerous appearances on National TV including the Kiss FM Urban Music Awards. Shelley and her dance partner Lee Wright are currently the UK South East Professional Salsa Champions. The couple were silver medallists in the Professional European IDO Championships 2006 and Semi-finalists in the Professional World IDO Championships 2006.
Shelley aims to make ladies' styling accessible to all and to provide the tools to make every dance fun. Her teaching incorporates tips for memorable shines as well as following and spinning technique. She is known for her down-to-earth attitude and infectious enthusiasm.
Eva started dancing ballet and learning gymnastics in the Czech Republic at the age of four. Threee years later she swapped ballet for ballroom and Latin-American dance and, as a child, won many national competitions. While at university, Eva and her dance partner reached international masters level in Latin-American dance, were classified in the top twenty couples from the Czech Republic and successfully competed in many national and international competions.
After moving to the UK, Eva began dancing salsa with the Mundo Latino Team and after a couple of months was chosen to perform with the Laith Sami Diablo Dance Company. In 2004, she was a finalist in the Tropican Salsa Competition and was a member of the dance cast in the West End musical Murderous Instincts' directed by Puerto Rican choreographer Jesus Aponte. Eva was also invited in 2005 to dance with the Leon Rose Dance Group and performed as part of his dance project.
Eva currently teaches and performs, both within the UK and internationally, with Mauro Casali and together they were finalists in the South East Championships in 2006. Eva and Mauro teach classes with the Latin Collective and SOS teams and also run their own weekly styling and partner-work classes in London.
Fritha Fallon trained in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance at the Godalming School of Dance and to professional level at the Laban Centre in London. Fritha gained an in depth understanding of the roots of Salsa dancing when she trained in Cuba with Omi Aralbi Dance Company learning Son, Rumba, Templeke and Casino Rueda. She learnt Cross Body Lead style from Chandy David (UK) and Luis and Joby of Salsa Brava (Los Angeles). She mastered New York On2 style when she joined the Manhattan Mambo Dancers and worked with Jason and Amanda.
Fritha has developed her own unique style of dancing Salsa and communicates the importance of correct posture, alignment and technique. She also emphasises musical interpretation and personal expression. Fritha has helped her students to gain confidence and to get more enjoyment from their social dancing. She encourages people to try new ways of moving, to exceed their boundaries and helps them to feel and look more sexy.
Colleen Daniels has emerged from a highly successful career on the Street dance scene. She started learning Salsa in 2000. She has taken Salsa and ladies styling to a new level in the Berkshire/ Buckinghamshire area.
Colleen possesses a unique blend of style, technique and sheer charisma on the dance floor. She has recently taught with many of the UK's top professionals including Marchant Birch and Leon Rose and has performed a very well received show with Patrick Marinho. She was also a principle dancer in "Iris de Brito's Elbarrio the real Salsa Musical" in London.
Coleen currently provides a monthly ladies styling workshop in High Wycombe and fast developing a loyal following.
Yolande Lewis was immersed in dance as a young child studying ballet; tap modern, jazz ballroom and Latin American as well as gymnastics. She was first introduced to salsa in the mid 1990's when she trained with Elder Sanchez of Salsateca in London. She was swiftly snapped up as a performer, subsequently touring with various dance companies around the UK. She has worked in various schools and colleges in London and Essex as a teacher and choreographer to children aged eight years to fifteen years.
Her style, enthusiasm and genuine warmth attract people of all levels to her classes and she teaches intricate moves and techniques with flair and understanding with the emphasis on practical application of styling for the dance-floor at all abilities. Yolande runs the successful Salsa Chillout dance school based in Essex with her husband Terry. They were nominees for the UK Best Teacher Award & winners of the Top Regional Salsa Promoter Award at the UK International Salsa Congress 2005. They teach regularly throughout Essex and have guest taught around the UK and Ireland.
UPCOMING DATES
Rueda Mondays - 3 levels
Ladies Styling Workshop
With Miriam Oppel
23rd Jun and 25th Jun
Maidenhead
6 Week Course for Abs Beg
Last Friday's Party Night
With Marchant & Davina