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| About Us
Our Vision Enriching the community of Central Iowa through salsa dance and all forms of Latin social dance by offering skillful instruction and making it a sought out experience for all ages. Our Mission We provide high quality dance education experiences for all ages and levels in order to expand the dancer community through technique and knowledge. We coordinate with local organizations, institutions, and venues to provide social dancing opportunities for the communty and the students. About Us Salsa Des Moines is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that offers the most comprehensive instructional program in salsa in the State of Iowa. The group offers salsa dance instructions in all the salsa styles - ON1, ON2, Cuban Style, and the Salsa Rueda and organizes salsa dance and music events in Des Moines and Ames. The group also offers dance instructions in other dances (Argentine Tango, West Coast Swing, Hustle, Cha Cha, and the ballroom dances). Salsa Des Moines works in partnership with various community-based cultural diversity groups, the Des Moines Public Schools, entertainment and festival organizers, local non-profit organizations, wellness centers, assisted-living communities, and local businesses in order to build a better, more culturally-conscious and -involved community in Des Moines. Join Salsa Des Moines and experience how much salsa music and dance can bring about a refreshingly healthy and invigorating lifestyle change for you. Salsa Des Moines dance classes and events are made possible through the patronage and contributions of its members. | Luisito CABRERA, Artistic Director |  | Luisito Cabrera established Salsa Des Moines out of a passion to teach the art of salsa dancing and desire to incorporate salsa dance into the mainstream Des Moines entertainment and social scene. He focuses on teaching students how to be a better salsa dancer by understanding the concepts of rhythm and timing, musicality, lead and follow, partnerwork, and styling. Luisito taught all the ballroom dances at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in New York City and was involved in competitive dancing. His passion for latin dancing brought him to focus primarily on teaching salsa, chacha, bachata, merengue, hustle, east and west coast swing. In addition to teaching in NYC, he has also taught salsa dance in Switzerland (Geneva, Bern, Lausanne, Zurich) and has attended numerous salsa congresses all over Europe and the United States. |
| Melanie RIVERA, co-Artistic Director |  | Melanie Rivera has a foundation in hip hop and jazz, and has been dancing salsa for the past ten years and instructing for the past 5 years with Continuing Education and at the DMBDS. She was the founder and president of Descarga: Latin Dance Club at Iowa State University. And has performed throughout central Iowa, including at the Inaugural Ball of former Iowa Governor, Chet Culver and as the lead salsa dancer in the production of Swing! at the Des Moines Playhouse. Melanie has also participated in the Chicago Salsa Congress for more than five years. She specializes in teaching beginner, intermediate, and ladies styling/shines in salsa, and beginner cha cha, merengue, and bachata. She will teach couples, groups, and individual males. |
| Allison PETERSON, Dance Instructor (Salsa) | 
| Allison Peterson has been doing jazz, tap, and modern dance since she was three years old. She has been training in ballroom dance for four years but has been focusing on salsa and other latin dances for the past two years. She is also active in the Iowa State University (ISU) hip hop dance group. She specializes in teaching salsa ON1 and is President of Iowa State University's salsa dance club, DESCARGA. She teaches salsa in the Ames and Marshalltown areas and other points north of Des Moines. |
| Annalyn VIDA, Dance Instructor (Bachata) | 
| Annalyn Vida is Salsa Des Moines' specialist in teaching the Bachata - hence her nickname "BachateraVida". Her teaching style in Bachata has been influenced by many things including a variety of Bachata music and dance artists and native Dominicans. She teaches all types and levels of Bachata in Des Moines which includes Modern/Social style and Dominican/Caribbean style. |
| Jessica IRELAND, Dance Instructor (Salsa) | 
| Jessica Ireland has been dancing salsa since the fall of 2009, and is living proof that anyone can dance! She learned to dance in San Francisco and brought her passion for salsa with her when she moved back home to Iowa. She joined up with Salsa Des Moines in the summer of 2010 and became a member of the performance team that fall. She teaches beginner classes and will work with individuals, couples, or groups. |
| Alric and Madeleine ROTHMAYER, Dance Instructors (Argentine Tango) |  
| Alric and Madeleine Rothmayer are intermediate/advanced tango dancers from central Iowa. In addition to having participated in national festivals in Denver, Seattle and Minneapolis and numerous workshops and classes taught by well-known professional instructors, such as Tomas Howlin, Maxi Gluzman, Tete Rusconi, Mario Consiglieri, Homer Ladas, Alex Krebs, Somer Surgit and Javier Antar among others, Alric and Madeleine have been students of Florencia Taccetti since 2003. Alric and Madeleine primarily dance a close embrace tango which is focused on improvised social dancing, floorcraft, fundamental technique and musicality. |
| Salsa Des Moines Performance Dance Team | 
(front row) Luisito Cabrera & Melanie Rivera (back row from left to right) Lupe San E Lias & Vicki Salgado Rogelio Castro & Jessica Ireland Patrick Weeg & Rachel Weeg Marc Caron & Sara Schryver Brady White & Chelsey Lepley Charles Brubaker & Sara Reimer (not in the photo) Emily Feekes, Xiaorong Liu, and Ray Guzman |
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| About the Des Moines Ballroom Studios (DMBS) | Salsa Des Moines classes are held at the Des Moines Ballroom Studios located at 2745 Douglas Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310 unless otherwise indicated. DMBS holds classes in classical ballroom dance and sponsors dance workshops given by guest professional ballroom dance instructors. DMBS also features showcases and special dance performances. For more information on the DMBS, please visit their website at: www.desmoinesballroom.com. |
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