Monthly Archives: June 2020
Fuego Y Hielo
Fuego y Hielo
Fuego y Hielo
Fuego y Hielo Dance Company was founded in 2014 by directors Fuquan Ferrell and Candace Joyner. It has quickly become Atlanta’s premier Latin Dance group. They have performed and taught all over world spreading their unique style of dancing.
They specialize in Mambo/Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, Bachata, Afro-Latin fusion, and acrobatic lifts/tricks/and dips. What makes them stand out most is not only their ability to set a stage on fire, but to also burn down the social dance floor too. They have performed and taught at events all over, such as;
The Saigon Latin Fiesta (Vietnam), the Tijuana Salsa Bachata Festival (Mexico), the New York International Salsa Congress, the Capital congresss, the Atlanta Salsa Festival, the Chicago Salsa Bachata Festival, the Tampa Salsa Bachata Festival, the Hotlanta Salsa Congress, the Orlando Salsa Congress, Bachatu (Dominican Republic), the Houston Salsa Congress, the St. Louis Intl’ Latin Dance Festival, the Charlotte Invitational, and many more!
Ismael Otero
Ismael Otero
Ismael Otero
Ismael Otero, New Yorican native living in New Jersey, founder and director of the “Caribbean Soul Dancers”, is also known as the Million Moves Man.
Ismael Otero’s dance style is considered out of the ordinary from the traditional New York style. Over the years, Ismael, coming from break dancing and hip hop background, has created a unique style of dance that includes complicate arm work, unusual and funny hand flips, unique turn patterns, exciting foot work and more, combined with flavor and technique. He is mainly known for thinking outside the box and creating not only new moves used by everyone all over the world but new ideas in choreographies. Eddie Torres calls Ismael the Salsa Composer because of Ismael’s innovative approach to dance routines if you look at all the Caribbean Soul past routines you will notice that they are all completely different
Ismael has a strong connection with the music and he is known for dancing to every note or beat of the music. Ismael has been traveling and teaching since 1996, teaching his unique turn patterns and foot work to thousands of people all over the world.
In addition, Ismael has been performing in numerous salsa congresses and festivals and TV shows all over world. He has won many competitions in various clubs in New York, New Jersey and Miami -one of it was in the famous Latin club “Copa Cabana” in New York City. As well, Ismael came in 2nd place in the Night club style division of the “Dancesport” competition in Madison Square Garden.
Ismael won many awards over the years from Latin associations such as “The best male performer” in the New York, New Jersey Salsa awards. He also received 2 awards from the L.A Salsa Congress in 2002 and in 2011,which is the biggest salsa congress in the U.S, for his contributions to salsa.
Ismael has perfected the craft of individualism and brining out the best of his dancers and since he doesnt teach a distinct style you wont really notice who he has trained but some of best dancers in the world were trained by him, his past dance partners are all on top of their game such as Griselle Ponce, Candy Mena, Yesenia Peralta, Shani Talmor, Irene Otero, Jamie Matos and Natalia Villanueva to name a few.
Ismael’s humble attitude and welcoming personality is what makes him popular amongst the mambo community today.
Brianna Rios
Brianna Rios
Brianna Rios
Based out of NYC with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from St. Francis College, and dancing since the age of 4, Brianna continues to follow her passion for dance through performing, teaching, and competing. At 18 years old, she became the youngest professional World Champion in the Salsa On2 division. Since then, Brianna has become a 10x World Champion (with titles from the World Salsa Summit and the Euroson Latino World Salsa Championship) while traveling to 13 countries, judging international competitions, and even representing the USA in the 2017 World Games in Poland. Aside from stages in the salsa community, Brianna has found a love for theatre as she played multiple roles in New York’s immersive show Carmen, To Havana & Back, and can be found on the big screen as a featured dancer in movies such as Shine and Warner Bros.’ In The Heights (in theaters summer of 2020).
Brianna has always had an eye for detail while learning dance techniques, and thoroughly explains her tips and tricks during her instruction. While sharing her knowledge, her goal has always been to make a long lasting impact on her students’ dancing. It’s possible for dancers to forget an 8-count, but their skills will last forever.
Julissa Cruz
Julissa Cruz
Julissa Cruz has been training, teaching coaching and performing dance for over 20 years. As a child, she would spend hours dancing to videos in front of the tv until her Mother enrolled her in dance classes at the age of 9. She would go on to train in jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop and the Latin dance arts.
At the age of 15, she began to combine her passion for dance with a new found love of teaching at Leggz Dance Academy, first as an assistant teacher and later developing her own youth Hip Hop Program there. In addition, Julissa also served as director of the Salsa Heat Professional dance company, teaching with them for 4 years before venturing out on her own as a solo artist. Since then, she has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and beyond on her own, while collaborating with other world-renowned performers such as Andy Cruz, Gordon Neil, Ana Masacote, Benjamin Cartagena and Liz Becerra.