JAZZY RUIZ | CO-FOUNDER OF SALSAKOMPANIET

• Bachelor Degree in Dance and Pedagogy from “ The Norwegian College of Dance.

• Dance diplom from the National Ballet of Cuba of Alicia Alonzo and ENA - Escuela Nacional de Arte, (Cuba`s National Academy of Arts.

• Dance education since childhood at “Ritmo Latino Dance Academy” By Aura Marina Ruiz Porras

• 35 year of dance experience and 25 years of international dance carrier.

• Choreographer and dancer for TV programs such as: Dancing with the stars, So you think you can dance, Norways Got talent, to name a few.

• Head instructor and founder of Norway’s Largest Salsa and Mambo Organization – Danseklubben SalsaKompaniet

• Pioneer of Mambo in Norway and Salsa On1 cross body lead style.

• The first dance instructor in Norway to intergrate Cha cha cha, boogaloo and Pachanga and Cuban salsa under one company - SalsaKompaniet

• Funder of Royal Tumbao Dance Co. representing Norway’s at international festival and events.

• Manger of JazzSon Sextet, one of Norway’s finest Salsa and Latin Jazz bands

• Co-founder of the biggest Salsa congress in Norway “ The Nordic salsa Experience “ known today as “ Salsa Nordic”

• Co-founder of Mambo Festival Norway and Tumbao Latin Weekend

• 4 times Norwegian Salsa Champion and co-organiser of the official Norwegian salsa championship.

• World Salsa Champion IDO 2023. Silver medal in the World Salsa Championships 2018 IDO, representing Norway

• Percussionist and music coach for dancers, organiser of events for the development of the latin dance and music culture in Norway.
  
  Jazzy started his dance career at the age of 5 at his parents' dance school, where he received a general education in jazz, modern, ballet, breakdance, hip-hop, Latin jazz, flamenco and other Latin dances such as salsa, cha-cha-cha, mambo, Afro-Cuban and show dance.
  Inspired by the family's artistic heritage, he continued his dance training and began teaching at the age of 15 at the family's dance school. He also taught at various cultural centers and other prestigious events.
  
  Jazzy moved to Norway in 1999, and in 2003 he graduated with a bachelor's degree in dance and pedagogy at the Norwegian Ballet Academy. He also has further education in Afro-Cuban dance and popular Latin American dance at the "Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba" and the "Ballet Nacional de Alicia Alonso" in Havana, Cuba.
  
  Since 2001, Jazzy has represented Norway at many different salsa congresses and festivals in 52 countries and over 200 cities worldwide. Here he has had the opportunity to work with some of the world's best event producers, dancers, artists and orchestras in the salsa world. Jazzy has won several competitions at home and abroad, and is currently part owner of Salsa Kompaniet AS - Norway's largest salsa school. Today he continues to work as a dance teacher and dancer, with Latin American dance as his specialty.
  Together with partner Erica Rodriguez, he won a silver medal and 2nd place in the IDO World Championship in Salsa 2018.
  Jazzy has also worked in several TV productions as a dancer and choreographer. For big TV shows productions such "So You Think You Can Dance?" three seasons in a row, as a choreographer in TV2's "Skal Vi Danse", "Norway’s Got Talent", "Adils Hemmelige Dansere", "Stjernekamp" m.m.
  
  Dance background: Jazz ballet, modern, classical ballet, flamenco, cabaret, hip hop, breakdance, ballroom (standard and Latin), Latin hustle, tango. He is specialist in salsa, mambo, cha cha cha, pachanga, boogaloo and bachata.

IRIS REDER

Iris is a trained dancer and pedagogue at the Norwegian Academy of Dance, majoring in jazz dance. Graduated in 2014. Since then she has taught various dance styles at home and abroad. And all ages from children to adults. Iris has extensive experience in salsa and Latin styles. She has taught at Salsakompaniet, Norway's largest salsa school, since 2014. Here she has taught couple dancing at all levels, ladystyling and bachata. Iris took the Worls Salsa Championship title in 2023 with Jazzy Ruiz, and together they also have won 5 Norwegian Salsa Championships. She also took 7th place in the World Salsa Championship Ladies category. Since 2014, Iris and Jazzy have taught and performed at many different salsa festivals in Europe, North Africa and West Asia. Iris has worked as a performing dancer and choreographer for Show de Vida since 2014. Here she has done close to 400 shows for the business world, mainly in Norway. TV appearances: "Skal vi danse" (2019,2021), "Stjernekamp" (2015,2018,2019,2021), "Allsang på grensen" (2019), "Good morning Norway" (2019)

JUDITH CORDERO PEREIRO

Judith Cordero Pereiro er en av Salsakomponaiets mest kjente internasjonale instrukør. Hennes bakgrunn er ballett og rytmisk sportsgymnastikk på konkurransenivå fra hun var 7 år, men fra hun var 16 år har hun danset latinske danser på fulltid. Hun er grunnlegger av Bachata Sensual sammen med sin internasjonale dansepartner Korke. Denne bachatastilen har blitt enorm populær, og Judith underviser og holder show på de aller største salsa/bachata kongresser og festivaler kontinuerlig. Instruktører fra hele verden tar klasser med henne for å lære og dette har gjort at Bachata har blitt en av de mest populære dansene i verden. Judith er kjent for sin elegante og sensuelle stil og er en glimrende pedagog og koreograf. 

LAURA KOLLING

Laura started dancing classical ballet 5 years old, and at the age of 16 she moved to London to continue her studies at Central School of Ballet. She briefly explored urban dance styles before moving on to salsa and Latin styles in 2009. In 2014 she won third place with her dance partner in an international salsa competition in Guatemala, and they qualified to the semifinals in the world championship Salsa Open in Puerto Rico the same year. She has appeared in TV shows like Stjernekamp, God morgen Norge and VGTV, and has performed internationally at salsa congresses. Laura started teaching at Salsakompaniet in 2015 and is a member and performer of Royal Tumbao Mambo Dancers by Jazzy Ruiz & Las Despeinadas.

ERICA RODRIGUEZ

Erica is an international salsa dancer, ex-gymnast and Jazz dancer with Scholarship in Madrid and Los Angeles by World Dance Movement. Erica won 2nd place in Salsa Shine World Championship "La Negra Salsa" in 2013. She is also certificated as Salsa Open judge. 
She has made dance accompanying to different salsa singers andorchestras as Jose Alberto el Canario, Oscar de León, Los Van Van and more.

Erica won the silver medal together with Jazzy Ruiz in IDO World Championship in Salsa 2018.

STEINAR & CYRENA

Cyrena and Steinar are professional Tango dancers based in Oslo. They studied Tango in Buenos Aires with some of the best tango dancers in the world. Cyrena won the US Tango Championship in 2007 and then finished as a finalist in the Tango World Championship in Buenos Aires. She has performed with renowned Argentine Tango companies like Tango Pasión, and has taught and performed around the world. Steinar is a certified teacher and has a bachelor in Performing Arts Jazz which gives him a unique understanding of musicality and improvisation in Tango. They have taught and performed all over the world and are very popular teachers among their students. They are known for their clear and thorough teaching style based on technique, creativity and musicality. Their classes are designed to be fun and challenging for students of all levels.

YULIET ESTRADA LINARES

Yuliet ble født og oppvokst i Havana, hvor dansen har vært en stor del av livet hennes siden barndommen. Hun utviklet seg mer som danser gjennom danseundervisningen på “Conjunto Folclorico de la Universidad de la Havana”. 

Siden hun gjorde ferdig sine studier som danser, har hun opptrådt med shows og undersvist på konkurranser både nationalt og internationalt. I 2007 vandt hun 1.plass på den første “Festival Internacional de Bailes Populares y de Salón” i Havana. 

I 2008 flyttet Yuliet til Norge. Hun har jobbet som danser og koreograf for “Danseglede”, som er en av Oslos største cubansk-salsaskoler. Hun har også gjort suksess med å delta som både danser og instruktør på mange internationale festivaler.

ANDY GONZALO VARONA

Andy was born in Cuba, in the heart of Havana and come from a humble family. He grew up in a neighbourhood where the art was lived and breathed in all it's facets. Since very young he felt a deep connection and dependence to it, being committed to live, breathe and share his art. His heritage led him to accomplish his dreams and goals and gave him the possibility to work with different dance companies and projects like "Conjunto Folclórico Nacional de Cuba", "Raíces profundas" and "Agrupación Músico Danzaria Osain del Monte”, one of the most important rumba groups in Cuba.
Andy travels internationally to teach and perform with his dance partner Yuliet Estrada.

ALIOCHY ARAGON

Aliochy Aragon ble født på Cuba, og vokste opp i byen Cienfuegos. Her var dansen en stor del av livet hans. Det hele startet med at Aliochy danset på gata og tok kurs i salsa, afro og cubanskteknikk, på hobbybasis. Derifra startet han et salsakompani, med venner. De danset og konkurrerte ulike steder på Cuba.

Aliochy hadde store ambisjoner for dansen, og ønsket mer. Han ble deretter medlem av et profesjonelt dansekompani, ”Wilfred Figueredo”. Hvor han jobbet som hoveddanser i 3 år. Stilen de danset i kompaniet var ”Cabaret”. Cabaret er sammensatt av salsa. Afro, jazz, moderne, ballett og hip hop. Alt mikset til en forrykende forestilling. I 2010 flyttet Aliochy til Norge. Her har han jobbet som instruktør, koreograf og danser på ulike festivaler, forestillinger og eventer. Han er i tillegg danser i det største afrikansk-karibiske kompaniet i skandinavia; Tabanka Crew. De har gjort flere forestillinger på Den Norske Opera og Ballett, tv-program og forestillinger i utlandet. Tabanka Crew danser reggae, dancehall og flere ulike afrikanske stiler. I dag studerer han bachelor i dans og pedagogikk på Norges Dansehøyskole.