Carolina CortezStaff InstructorGrowing up in Guayaquil, a tropical city in Ecuador, I've been steeped in all styles of Latin music and dance. My dancing career began when I was 4 years old trying to imitate my mom Salsa dancing while she did chores around the house. Music is an integral component in the fabric of society in Ecuador, and no family gathering is complete without some music and dancing.
After moving to the United States in 2000, I joined a belly dancing troop in 2002 whom I trained with for two years. Dancing has always been a passion but it was just a social activity until I met Pepe Gonzales at atomic ballroom in 2014 and was invited to join his performance team - 'The Melomanos'. Under Pepe I developed my craft and was given the opportunity to perform on some of the biggest stages in the world like the San Francisco Salsa Congress and the Las Vegas Salsa Congress . I'm also part of a ladies team directed by the extremely talented Valerie Ann Olivas. Despite having come a long way, I'm always trying to learn and improve by taking classes from other instructors and wish to share my love for dancing with the world.
