Dancers

Italy based Leysis Smith was born in La Havana, where she started her artistic career at 7 years of age at the Alicia Alonso’s national dance school. She moved on to ENA (la Escuela Nacional de Arte), and then she entered the world famous Tropicana’s artistic school, directed by Santiago Alfonzo.

She has danced for the Cuban TV ballet and many important theaters and cultural centers in Cuba, and she has performed together with several famous cuban musical groups, such as Chucho Valdés, Maracas and Cesar Pedroso. Today she is training dancers and teachers on five continents, and she is a very valuable contributor to the rueda.casino channel with her vast knowledge and views on the Cuban dance traditions. We are completely in love with this amazing dancer!

Cuban dancer Saul Perez Valdes is one of the real mentors of Cuban dance tradition in Europe, and an important contributor to our rueda.casino videos. In 1986 Saul started dancing Afro-Cuban and popular dances in the Conjunto Folklórico at the University of Havana.

In 2005 he made the choreography “Soyí,” which was performed at the International Festival of African Roots Weimilere in Cuba. The same year he moved to Sweden and has since then been teaching Afrocuban and Cuban popular dances as well as performing as a dancer and musician.

Cuban dancer Erodys Borrero Castillo has over 25 years experience teaching Cuban dances, both in Cuba and internationally. Since 2008 he has been running his own dance academy Baila Siempre, in Denmark together with his partner Tenna Qvist. In addition to being professionally trained, he has lots of street competence, making him an important contributor to rueda de casino knowledge in the rueda.casino videos. He also has a fantastic dance style, with clear movements, making him an excellent learning image for correct, Cuban dance movements.

Maité Myking Tomasen is a professional trained dancer from Cuba. She was one of the instructors at the SalsaNor dance holidays to Cuba before she moved to Norway. In Cuba she was a part of the famous dance company Compañia Folklorica Cubana J.J., performing both Afro-Cuban and bailes populares (popular dances in Cuban). In Norway she has been teaching in her own school for several years, and she is now one of the main teachers in SalsaNor Oslo.

Cuban dancer Yuliet Estrada Linares is one of the leading female Cuban dancers and a leading instructor of Cuban dances in Europe today, with an extraordinary energy and elegance.

She grew up in Havana, where she danced in the compañia “Conjunto Folclórico de la Universidad de La Habana”. In 2008 she moved to Norway, and teaches Salsa, Son, Rumba, Afrocuban, Reggaeton and more all over Europe and other continents.

Cuban dancer Livan Rondon has been actively dancing since he was 14. He is probably the only Cuban in Norway with two licenses as professional dancer, one from the Universidad de Arte de la Habana in Cuban folkloric dances, and one from the Norwegian National School of Arts. Before moving to Norway he was part of the prestigious international Tropicana dance group in Cuba. Now he is living in the city of Drammen where he is running his own dance school.

Yordano Bulgar is another Cuban Star, recently moved from Havana to Oslo, Norway. Many affectionate Cuban style dancers already know Yordano well, as this unique street dancer stands out with his fantastic energy and charm. He also became well known all over Cuba, as runner-up in the Cuban version of “So you think you can dance” in 2018, and the only dancer in the program without a professional dance background! Now, that is something to be proud of!

Miguel Carrazana is a professional dancer and instructor from Cienfuegos, Cuba, where he was part of a Rueda de Casino group before moving to Norway. Miguel is also one of our few performing dance artists, as he is one of the main dancers in Show de Vida, possibly the most successful, professional latin dance company in Norway.

Mario Acea is a professional dancer from Cuba with a strong passion for Afro-Cuban dance, rumba and the traditional popular dances like son, cha cha cha and mambo. He comes from the city of Cienfuegos,where he used to lead a rueda de casino dance team.

He has most of his professional career as a professional dancer from various dance companies in Trinidad. During his years in Norway he has been teaching for different schools and at national and international events. He has strong educational qualities and a popular teacher of Cuban dances and movements.

Cuban dance instructor Maikel Angel Oñi has broad experience both as a performing cabaret dancer in Havana, Cuba, and as a dance teacher. In Norway he is a popular teacher and also dj, invited to most dance schools and dance event throughout the country.