A Team Of Experts Teaching Your Kids () - Salsa With Silvia 4 Kids

OUR TEACHERS

Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz Dance Instructor

Sarah Katherine Hamang danced often from childhood through her time at Indiana University, and re-discovered her love of the art once she moved to DC as a way to disconnect from its fast pace. She has trained in and performed a variety of dance disciplines including hip hop, dancehall, West African, modern, jazz, tap, and ballet. In the DC area, Sarah has performed as a company member with Raediant Movement, Fierce Collabo, UpRooted Dance, and Momentum Dance Theatre in venues including the Howard Theatre and the Kennedy Center. She has over 10 years of experience teaching classes for young movers and enjoys encouraging movement and dance in all ages.

Sarah’s second career and personal passion is in the environmental space, as a fundraiser and advocate for one of the world’s largest conservation organizations.

Lead instructor, Ballet, Jazz, Modern

Kara means Joy in Greek. She has been teaching dance for over a decade and thinks dance is for everyone! She loves helping people find their unique way of moving and boosting body image through dance. Ms. Schmidt has her undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Dance from Eastern University in St. Davids, PA, and her masters degree in Choreography from Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance which was completed in London. She has danced at the Philly Fringe Festival, Martha Graham School for Contemporary Dance and other venues in New York City, as well as several original shows with her non-profit Third Space Dance.

Camp educator/Latin, jazz, contemporary dance instructor

Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Mario began dancing jazz and Mexican folk dance at academies and dance companies in his hometown at a very young age. Dance continued to be an important part of his life as he grew up, and he has trained with instructors from around the World in a variety of disciplines, including classical ballet, jazz, contemporary, Mexican folk dance, and Latin rhythms.

At the age of 15, Mario began teaching Latin rhythm dance classes in his local neighborhood, and used the money to pay for continued, formal dance training that allowed him to become a recognized professional dancer in Monterrey. He has danced for governments institutions and in the city’s top dance companies, and represented Mexico in international folk dance competitions in Italy, Russia and the United States. He has also staged choreography for amusement parks, private events, cultural and governmental institutions, and for television, including Televisa Monterrey, which regularly gave him air time to transmit live classes in a variety of styles of dance and perform choreography with the channel crew and visiting artists.

Currently, Mario has dedicated himself to continuing his study of Latin rhythm dance, including salsa, bachata, cumbia and merengue, in which he carries more than 10 years of experience teaching classes and workshops in his hometown. He has taught groups of children, adolescents, adults, and senior citizens in a wide variety of disciplines in academies, competitive dance groups, and private lessons.

He teaches each class with the ultimate purpose to help others enjoy the musical rhythm and learn to express themselves through dance. Mario joined the Salsa With Silvia instructors team in 2017. Mario teaches adult group and private lessons in variety of styles as well as children dance camps and classes.

Camp Educator/Jazz & Hip Hop Dance Instructor

Deisy Juica, originally from Perú, started dancing Bachata at the age of 5. During her Summers as a kid, her parents would take her to Hip-Hop dance classes, and that became her favorite genre. She would always make little choreographies with songs she would listen to on TV.

Her family knew she loved dancing so they cheered her on wherever she would perform. Once she started high school, she had to choose her career path and she chose dance. Her teachers saw she started off a little shy, but over such short time, she was totally comfortable with dancing on stage. She blossomed!, they said.

She started taking Hip-Hop and Jazz lessons at a higher level, and became part of her High School Latin dance team ‘Calor Gladiator’ winning 3rd place best in show ‘Baile4Life’ in 2019. She studied Child Development, and had the opportunity to teach preschoolers before heading to kindergarten.

After graduating from high school with the help of her teachers, her dance skills have become much stronger. She also teaches little kids at another well-known local dance studio, and has happily joined the Salsa with Silvia team of kids’ dance instructors, as well. Her dream of becoming a well-known dance instructor is sure to be a reality soon.

A quote she goes with is “When in doubt, dance it out,” and since then she never doubted herself!

Camp Educator, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop and Latin Dance Instructor

Yoii has been dancing for 20 years. She is a Colombian native from the city of Cali and raised in The Big Apple.

Her dance background extends from Ballet to Hip Hop and all Latin Dances. Salsa and Bachata have become Yoi’s passion and focus. She loves to work with all levels and dancers of all ages, including those with special needs.

Her grace, musicality, styling, and footwork has made Yoii one of the most sought out female instructors in the DMV.

Yoii’s energy is always guaranteed to encourage young kids to explore dance! Her patience and determination has also defined her as a unique instructor in the Dance Community.

Hip Hop Instructor

Nilton Rodney has 14 years of experience in the urban community of Costa Rica as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and producer of Urban Dance events. He has been invited to teach international workshops in Europe, Central and North America.

He has also represented Costa Rica in several of the most prestigious and respected competitions in urban dance such as Hip Hop International (USA) and Hip Hop Kingz (The Netherlands).

As part of our team of kids’ instructors, Nilton is committed and eager to welcome young dancers to explore movement and hip-hop, as a great way for children to learn social and communication skills through facial expressions and the ability to tell a story through dance.

Ballet, Tap and Jazz Teacher and Choreographer

Jiamond Elizabeth Watson was born and raised in the DMV Area. She began her formal dance training with African dance, tap and ballet in a garage in Fort Washington, MD. Her excitement for movement followed her through adolescence. She declared a dance major at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she trained in Horton technique and Vaganova while acting as Vice President in the student council. She received many awards at Ellington like the Shirley Chisholm Leadership Award from the National Congress of Black Women and 1st Place at the DC Capital STARS Talent Competition in 2015.

Her demonstrated talent and motivation granted her a Director’s Scholarship to attend the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Her undergraduate studies revealed a path to choreographic experimentation and teaching pedagogies. Jiamond excelled in her undergraduate studies which allowed her to perform as an apprentice with BalletX in 2019. Her technique and determination allowed her to act as a guest artist with Alonzo King Lines Ballet during the global pandemic in 2020. She has performed with Spectrum Dance Theater of Seattle, WA and Chamber Dance Project of Washington, D.C.. She creates a light and disciplined environment for young dancers to learn foundational concepts. In modern dance, Jiamond introduces somatic pathways and mindful movement practices with adult students. At the Paula Brown Performing Arts Center, Dance Dimensions and Spectrum Dance Academy, Jiamond enjoyed cultivating a love for dance in students as young as 3 to 13. At the (VC)Bynum Arts and Education Fall 2023 season, Jiamond was able to play with her knowledge of contemporary dance in workshops for adults over 50.

She exercised her choreographic talents as the Teaching Artist for Discover Dance with Pacific Northwest Ballet, an annual workshop for young non-dance students to engage with performance techniques. She choreographed dance works for her students while performing her own work in showcases like Dance in the DMV, Artists at the Center and Walk the Block Seattle. She is most curious about the dual human/spirit existence and prefers to emphasize a connection with nature in her performance works. Jiamond is currently based in Washington, D.C. and is eager to continue investigating the possibilities of dance in our lives as individuals and as a collective.

Ballerina, Choreographer, and Dance Teacher

Ana Cortes is an accomplished ballerina hailing from Colombia. She has an extensive background in classical ballet, jazz, and modern and contemporary dance techniques, including Limón and Axis Syllabus. Ana’s dedication to her craft earned her a Fulbright grant, allowing her to pursue an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa after completing her bachelor’s degree in Biology. Following her studies, she continued her training in Chile and Argentina and danced professionally with companies such as Danta Danza, Nautilus, and The Latin Ballet of Virginia in Richmond.

In addition to her performance career, Ana is a certified Alexander Technique teacher and has delved into various somatic practices, including Body-Mind Centering and Bartenieff Fundamentals.

As a choreographer, Ana has showcased her work at numerous festivals, including Pure Movement in Colombia, and at venues in Argentina and the United States. She has received multiple scholarships to choreograph pieces in Colombia, produced dance festivals, and presented her work at conferences in Chile and Colombia. Her choreography is particularly notable for its reflection of her Colombian heritage, making her a cultural ambassador through her art.

Ana is deeply passionate about teaching and brings over 20 years of experience to her role as an educator. She has taught at private studios and with organizations such as the Philadelphia Ballet and The Latin Ballet of Virginia. Her teaching experience also includes work in preschools, after-school programs, and artistic residencies across the United States. Ana’s enthusiasm, creativity, and nurturing approach help her students grow both as dancers and individuals.

Acro, ballet, hip hop dance instructor

Natasha Therese Czarniewy, originally from Washington DC, began her training as a gymnast with GMS and the Arlington Aerials in VA. She then ventured into the world of dance, studying at the Washington School of Ballet, Joy of Motion, and Dance Place and was a member of Carla & Company’s 2000-2001 season. She performed at the Warner Theater, Kennedy Center, and Verizon Center as a Mystic Mayhem cheerleader with the WNBA.

She began her teaching career in WDC in 2001 at Dance Place and Ballet Petit. With a BA in dance, she began her career in NYC as a principle dancer with the Amy Marshall Dance Co. She toured nationally and internationally performing and teaching in Macau, Poland, and Mexico. She has also been a member of KDNY dance, the Dance Theater Company, as well as a guest artist in residency with the Olga Dunn Dance Co. in MA.

Ms. Czarniewy continued her teaching throughout the NYC area at New York Dancers Studio and Stamford Performing Arts Center as well as universities, studios, schools, and numerous outreach programs along the East coast.

She has been a featured dance model for Lois Greenfield and has appeared in numerous calendars and her new book “Lois Greenfield: Moving Still.”

Ms. Czarniewy has spent the last 6 years performing as a dancer and aerialist with POET Theatricals on Celebrity Cruise Lines elite ships, performing Broadway, Pop, and Cirque style shows around the world. She was the cast Dance Captain, Aerial Captain, and ballroom instructor. While on the ship, Natasha choreographed numbers for various shows and featured as an atmospheric performer and magician’s assistant for Martin Brock’s guest entertainer’s show. Natasha is excited to be back in DC with her husband Brian Delker and daughter Lily, where her love of dance began and to share this love of movement with you!

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Dance birthday parties at the Salsa With Silvia dance studio.

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