Your Kids are in the Care of Our Expert Dance Instructors & Educators

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.

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!

Aniah Moore is a passionate and experienced dance instructor with over 15 years of dance training and 6 years of teaching in the DMV Metro Area. She brings a blend of ballet, jazz, hip hop, West African dance, and majorette to her classes, always aiming to inspire and uplift her students. Aniah has choreographed for schools and high-profile performances, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Baltimore Ravens pregame show, experiences that have shaped her dynamic and engaging teaching style.

Aniah has a proven track record working with children of all ages, and parents love her ability to create a classroom environment where every dancer feels seen, supported, and challenged. Her classes are not only fun and high-energy, but also help students build confidence, discipline, and teamwork—skills that benefit them far beyond the dance floor. With a strong background in performance and a deep commitment to education, Aniah is excited to share her love of dance and help each child grow in their own unique way.

Sofie began training in hip hop, jazz, ballet, and contemporary at the age of 11 years old, and went on to compete nationally with The Company at C-Unit Studio throughout high school, refining her technique and stage presence at competitions across the country.

After high school, she expanded her repertoire into ballroom, training and competing in cha cha, rumba, samba, and jive. She discovered her love for Latin dance while studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, where she began training in salsa and bachata. Since then, she has trained extensively in both styles and continues to grow as a performer and instructor. She was an active member of the University of Maryland’s Latin Dance Club, Pa’Lante, and is currently a member of Muevete, the virtual worldwide salsa team led by Michelle Morales. Through this team, she performs at events across the country.

Beyond performance, she is deeply committed to working with children and fostering a love of movement from an early age. She began teaching in a high school child development program, leading preschool classes throughout her time in high school. She later worked in a preschool classroom at KidsCo Jr., supporting children ages 2–5 in their growth and development.

With her diverse training, competitive experience, and natural ability to connect with students of all ages, Sofie creates a positive, encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, technique, and a lifelong love of dance.

Originally from Honduras, Soad Flores discovered her love for dance at a very young age. Even before receiving formal training, her smile and passion for dance were always among her most distinctive qualities.

Throughout her training, Soad explored different styles, including rhythmic dance and modern dance, experiences that helped her develop her creativity and artistic expression. Over the years, she has participated in performances, created group choreographies, and worked with students of different ages and experience levels, strengthening both her skills as a dancer and her ability to guide and inspire others.

Soad has a special passion for working with children. She firmly believes that a child’s desire to dance should never be discouraged. For her, every child deserves the opportunity to express themselves freely and discover their unique potential through movement.

To Soad, the dance studio is much more than a place to learn choreography; it is a second home and a teacher in itself. Her goal is for every student who enters her class to feel valued, inspired, and motivated to reach their fullest potential.

Kayla Gray is a ballet, modern, and jazz dancer and dance educator from Pueblo, Colorado. She began her formal dance training in Pueblo, Colorado, at the Sangre de Cristo School of Dance. There she joined the Sangre de Cristo Ballet Company through the pre-professional program, dancing semi-soloist and soloist roles in The Nutcracker, Carmina Burana, and Romeo and Juliet. In 2017 and 2018, she attended the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshops at the University of Colorado Boulder. She continued her dance education at Belhaven University, where she had the privilege of performing as a member of Erin Scheiwe Rockwell’s Imag[(I)n]e cast at the Kennedy Center and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance May 2020.

After graduating from Belhaven University in 2020, Kayla began serving as a dance teacher, costume assistant, and performer at Sangre de Cristo School of Dance, where she taught Dance With Me, Pre-Ballet, Creative Movement, Jazz, Modern, and Ballet.
Upon relocating to Virginia in 2024, Kayla has been teaching with Local Motion Project and Dancing Little Stars Nova and performing with DanceArtTheater, Ballet Embody, Virginia Dance Theatre, and Alchemy Performing Arts.

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.