ANA & JOEL MASACOTE (BOSTON, USA)
The Masacote Salsa Dance Company has earned a remarkable reputation as one of the most lauded international ambassadors of Latin Dance and Music and is shaping the perception of Salsa and Latin Dance today.

Led by husband and wife team Ana & Joel Masacote, the company performs to music written specifically for them by Ritmo Masacote.

In 2006, Masacote Dance Company became the first Salsa dance company in the world to perform and choreograph to music created by them and for them by Joel Masacote himself. In 2008, they became the first to create a scripted dance theater production, entitled "Fantagious," with all music and dance compositions created solely by Masacote.

Originally founded in Okinawa, Japan, the company is now based in Boston, MA, USA and has since gone on to perform in 14 countries, including appearances in Japan, Korea, England, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Cuba, Canada, and throughout the US.

NESTOR & MELANIE (AUSTRALIA)
Nestor Manuelian, artistic director and founder of Modus Vivendi, a Sydney based Latin dance company who won 5 times Australian Salsa Champions and represented Australia as Australian Champions at the World Salsa Championships (3 Times Finalist) and Asian Salsa Open Champion in 2007. Nestor represented Australia some of the most prestigous congresses around the world.

Nestor is renowned for his world class teaching and choreographies. He has performed in places like London, Milan, Rome, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Las vegas, Auckland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and many more. He is also director of the two of the biggest Latin Dance events in Australia, Australian Salsa Classic and the Sydney International Bachata Festival.

MARSHA YUAN (HONG KONG)
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Marsha has always had a passion for dance. At age 10, she began her training in rhythmic gymnastics at The Los Angeles School of Gymnastics. She competed professionally for 5 years and went on to secure a United States National Team title when she was 15.

Marsha later developed a love for musical theatre and graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Traning in singing, acting, and various dance styles such as lyrical jazz, jazz funk, and musical theatre dance. Marsha works as an actress and model in Hong Kong. She has starred in various martial arts/action movies and has studied different forms of kung fu.

Marsha won 1st place winner of the International Pole Dance Championship in Manila 2008 - "Pole Art" category and 2nd place winner in "Pole Dance" category. "Pole dancing is a great way to make you feel confident and sexy while giving yourself an incredible workout that will tone and shape that body!!!"

BEN LEPP (USA)
BEN is from from Eugene, Oregon. Now he is on a traveling teacher in different countries such as Mexico, South Korea and now Thailand.

Ben started his first dance class in the spring of 2004, it was a savoy lindy hop class. Later, He joined the universities performance group, 'Cool Shoes'. Ben becomes serious in 2006 when he moved to Daegu, South Korea, where he discovered a small swing club, 'Swing & People'. They had a different style of Swing (Ballroom), so Ben began to teach weekend workshops there. He mainly focused on the Charleston, since it hadn't really been taught in Korea yet. Ben was asked to be the club's president when starting my second year. He continued to teach the jitterbug and lindy hop, but also choreographed and taught performances for the swing club parties. He performed at the Salsabangkok Fiesta 2008 and DWOD 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.

ARA HWANG (VIETNAM)
When Ara met Anton Berchenko in Manila in 2005 she first joined his salsa company, Cachimbo, with whom she performed at the Manila Salsa Congress. He then offered to train her in tango and salsa, as he found out she was gifted and seemed to enjoy dancing more than her own job (graphic designer). When Anton asked her to become his partner, Ara decided to quit her job and try it out as a dancer. They performed in Seoul together, and came then to Shanghai, where the re-created Cachimbo with the local Chinese salsa instructors.

In October 2006 she came to Hanoi, Vietnam : the dance couple Anton Berchenko - Ara Hwang, following an invitation from a Vietnamese Salsa dancer, had decided to move to Vietnam to develop Salsa here. Together they've been teaching salsa on 1 and on 2, and tango, and helped out the local 'aficionados' to train and become better, by developing their musicality sense as well as their technics. They also organised 2007 Salsa competition, that was won by Dinh Sy and Sao Mai. Ara has also choreographed a very special chachacha for Bastet Douat.

Ever since, Ara has kept dancing salsa and tango everywhere she can, including in Shanghai where she got to meet and dance with Pablo Veron - a memory that she is going to keep in her mind and cherish forever ! Ara has also developed tango as a fusion element, and combine it with salsa while dancing with a partner (mambo-tango) and bellydance (belly tango). You can check out www.arahwang.com

BASTET DOUAT (VIETNAM)
Bastet's soul is engraved by members from different backgrounds, which gives it a very special characteristic in its performance. Each girl shares the same commitment and love for the art of dancing. From Egyptian and Turkish traditional style, the troupe has moved forward by bringing flamenco and various forms of dance to belly dance. It has also challenged itself in jazz dance, especially in famous Bob Fosse style and received many acclaims. More recently it has successfully performed a Cha Cha Jazz fusion choreography by Anton Berchenko and Ara Hwang and surprised Hanoi's dance community with is Belly dance Jazz fusion performance.

The first belly dance festival ever in Vietnam organised and directed by Ara Hwang and Bastet in Hanoi in October 2007 was an important landmark to the troupe's road to develop this dance in Vietnam. The event attracted biggest media coverage then and many more women have followed Bastet's example. Its unique show Oriental Dreams, which was run three times in a row in 2008, was the first belly dance show ever in Vietnam to successfully experiment the combination between dance and light effect on stage.

MONTANA DANCE TEAM (PENANG, MALAYSIA)
Montana Dance Team was formed in year 2006 by Chen and has performed in various Salsa events such as the prestigious 2007 Malaysian World Salsa Congress & 2008 Malaysia Salsa Festival and many private and corporate functions in Malaysia such as Cultural Festival Opening Ceremony, products launching events, festive season celebrations programme. The dance team also has been performing in various corporate annual events such as Intel & Toshiba annual dinner, etc in hotel Equatorial, Hotel E & O, Hotel Park Royal, Hotel Tanjung Bungah in Penang Island, Malaysia.

Salsa Chen, team lead and the founder was trained to be an Indian Classical Dance performers since young. She then worked as a part time Bollywood dancers during her college years. Later Salsa Chen worked as a stage performance choreographer for children and teenager concert and festival performances in Kuala Lumpur in year 2002 to 2004. Until 2006, she she formed Montana Dance Team to send the team to perform in various dances at many events and functions.

KEVIN Q (VIETNAM)
Kevin was trained to be an actor for musical play during the childhood in Hanoi children musical garden. He has become the first male bellydancer of Vietnam in 2005. He spicalizes in Tribal Fusion Bellydance. Kevin was one of 7 dancers who joined the project about HIV campaign of BBC Vietnamese services world and also performed in Vietnam belly dance festival.

Kevin is also a model of Vietnamese fashion magazines. In 2008, Kevin was a first dancer of Vietnam who is advertised on Yomiuri Simbun Japanese magazine.

Kevin has danced salsa for 3 years and hope to give the performance, mixed between the basic steps of salsa and Afro belly dance movements during the Bangkok salsa Fiesta, 2009.

PRITHVI & REE (INDIA)
For many years now, Prithvi and Ree have been a household name on the international dance scene, recognized and respected by students and fellow professionals for their amazing lead and follow, unlimited database of fantastic moves/combinations and teaching ability.

Their classes and workshops have always been extremely popular in the UK, Germany, France and in our very own India, specializing on technique but always maintaining an element of fun.

Prithvi and Ree have been trained in Russia, UK, Germany, France, Scotland, and Italy by some of the finest international dancers in the world.

DOMINIQUE WANG (CANADA)
Classically trained, Dominique has brought years of ballet, gymnastic and ballroom experience into her new found passion of Salsa. She has been travelling and performing internationally for the past three years. You can see her on stage at the Miami International Salsa Congress, Montreal International Salsa Convention, Canada Salsa Congress in Toronto, New York Salsa Congress and Puerto Rico International Salsa Congress. Currently, Dominique is dancing professionally and teaching for Comomango Dance Company in Montreal, founded by Canadian Salsa Champion Katia Morales and Victor Contreras. Dominique also trains with world-renown salsa master Jayson Molina in Puerto Rico and performs internationally with his Rompecabezas dance troupe.

SALSA HACHA (BANGKOK, THAILAND)
Salsa Hacha Dance Company was founded by Roj and Aoy in July 2005 after both have been performing and teaching together since 2000. The team is specialized in L.A. Style Salsa.

Hacha (axe in Spanish) represents the shape of Thailand. Salsa Hacha is in other word “Salsa Thailand” with a bit of twist to think about. The team has performed in various local and international salsa events, including 2006 West Cost Congress (LA), 2006 Hong Kong Salsa Festival, 2005 Salsa Bangkok Fiesta, 2005 Hong Kong Salsa Festival, 2003 Thailand Salsa Festival—Bangkok. More information on rumPUREE at www.salsahacha.com

rumPUREE DANCE COMPANY (BANGKOK, THAILAND)
Founded by Apple who lived in NY over 10 years, rumPUREE is the first studio in Thailand offering classes in world dances. Apple has extensive experiences in New York Salsa, Belly Dance, Afro-Caribbean, Carnival Samba, Zouk, Striptease and Pole Dancing. For Salsa, she trained with top Salsa instructors in New York such as Eddie Torres, Frankie Martinez, Santo Rico, Carlos Konig, Mambo D, Duplessy Walker, Jimmy Anton, etc.

Apple credits her excellent following skills to Aochan Nagamoto from Tropical NY who she seriously trained with between 2001-2004. Among Salsa dancers in NYC, Apple is known for her incredible smooth movements and following techniques. She has a unquie style of Salsa dancing and body movement where rarely found from other Salseras on the dance floor.

Apple performs and teaches in various venues in New York, Hong Kong, India and Thailand. Recently Apple performed at the Hongkong Salsa Festival 2007, the Indian Internation Dance Festival 2007, the New Orleans Dance Festival 2007 and The Egyptian Dance Academy Gala 2007 in New York City. More information on rumPUREE at www.rumpuree.com

SOMAPA THAI DANCE COMPANY (WASHINGTON D.C., USA)
Suteera Nagavajara spent her childhood in a family which strongly valued arts, music, and literature. Suteera studied Thai classical dance under the most prominent dance masters in Thailand including Mom Rajawongse Orachat Songthong, the late National Artist in Performing Arts Ms. Jamrieng Phuthpradab, and Mrs. Komkai Klinpukdee from Thailand’s Department of Fine Arts.

In 1999, Suteera co-founded the Somapa Thai Dance Company based in Washington D.C. Since then the company has performed extensively in the U.S. at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Arthur M. Sackler and Freer Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Suteera also toured several cities in Mexico with her dance group and performed at Teatro Juárez in Guanajuato, the World Trade Center and Teatro Angela Peralta in Mexico City, and Teatro Angela Peralta in San Miguel de Allende.

In addition to Thai dance, Suteera regularly trains with the Cambodian Heritage dance troupe based in Arlington, Virginia and performed Cambodian dance at venues such as the Strathmore Hall Performance Arts Center and the U.N. Headquarters in New York. Suteera is also an avid Salsa dancer. She is a member of a D.C.-based all ladies mambo performance group Las Mambo Mamis. More information on the Somapa Thai Dance Company at www.somapadance.org

OY & JAMES (BANGKOK, THAILAND)
James has developed a unique style of Tango mixing traditional Salon and Nuevo. Added with his musical background, he's become one of Thailand's top Tangueros.

Oy or Worapa Jariyathammarat is currently a professional Latin Ballroom dancer. She has won many titles in professional Latin Ballroom in many competition. Oy recently won the 3rd in the Asian Closed Professional Latin (2009 Macau Open in Macau) with her partner Denys Demovskyy.

James and Oy are on the mission to perform Argentine Tango at Salsabangkok Fiesta 2009.

CAMILLE & LYNN (BANGKOK, THAILAND)
Lynn started to take Argentine tango lessons three years ago when she was still doing ballroom and latin dances regularly. Tango has since captivated her completely.

Camille is a French interior designer and artist who has no previous dance background. As soon as he discovered Argentine tango three years ago, he was hooked.

Here's what they both have to say with such enthusiasm, "tango is the dance that gives you beautiful music so you can express the moods artistically with so many possibilities. Tango is very macho. It is a dance for any man who wants to lead. It is a dance for two. Two men. Two women. A man and a woman. It is a dual ! It is a conversation. It is passion. A challenge and a surrender with passion to your partner." Finally they said, " we are not seasoned dancers and, for sure, not performers, but with our simple moves, we hope to inspire more people here to tango. Before you know it, you are hooked, like all of us."