VITO & STEFANIA - ITALY

(Italian Salsa Champions)

Oswald (aka Ozy Shyne), of Haitian origin, created Deuce in 1996 and has been the choreographer since then.

For several years Oswald has trained many talented dancers in hip-hop and worked with some of the biggest artists all over the world through his different experiences as a professional dancer.

In 2001, he was crowned World Champion in Street Dance. Since then, he is widely globally within the Hip Hop scene: he has danced in several musicals and French television programmes including "Gone With the Wind", "The 10 Commandments", "Star Academy", and also alongside international stars including Eminem, Destiny's Child, Jay Z, and many other artists music videos and on stage.

In 2002, he realized his childhood dream of starring in a movie, directed by Blanca Li "Le Defi", enabling him to express his talents as a dancer and an actor. Following this experience, he was contacted by Marc Jolivet and offered the main role in a French TV movie "Concours de dance a Piriac.

He discovered Salsa in the same year and feels he has a real connection and passion for this dance. Today, Ozy is one of the rising stars of Salsa and he still continues his hip-hop career doing workshops and being invited to many different projects around the world.

With Deuce, the Salsa scene was exposed to a musical and artistic diversity marked by an urban style. Since 2005, Ozy’s choreographies reflect the variety of dance styles learned during his career: hip hop, jazz, contemporary, African, Zouk, dance-hall, mambo and on1 and on2, cha cha cha

JC & Tellina of AFINKAO Dance Co, USA

(Former Members of Award Winning On2 Team, Mambo Romero)

ABOUT AFINKAO DANCE CO. - San Francisco, CA

Afinkao Dance Company was formed in May 2005 in pursuit to combine Afro-Cuban, Mambo, Jazz, and Hip-Hop genres to create soulful, yet playful performances. Under the direction of Jaycee Labio, Afinkao tries to bridge the gap between the younger and older generation of dancers.

Afinkao Dance Company is composed of former Mambo Romero Dance Co. dancers, along with other Bay Area talents who have diverse dance backgrounds. Our main focus is to integrate and harmonize traditional rooted dance styles with contemporary movements. We hope to express flavorful and emotional dance movement through our performances, adding to the ever-growing dance talent in the Bay Area.

JC & Tellina are the Co-Directors and Founders of San Francisco Bay Area's premier dance company, Afinkao Dance Co. They have extensive experience in Puerto Rico's World Salsa Congress, and for years, the Bay Area Champions

Both JC and Tellina began their true training efforts with Mambo Romero Dance Company, and had successful runs as part of the Principal Dancing Team.

They performed at various salsa events such as the San Francisco Salsa Congress, New York, and Puerto Rico. After a successful term with Mambo Romero, JC & Tellina decided to pursue their dream of collaborating different styles and genres by forming the Afinkao Dance Company.

Afinkao currently enjoys a large student base throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and host one of the Bay Area's most successful Dance Socials/Party - Latin Fever Friday. They also perform regularly in the San Francisco, Houston Salsa Congresses. For more information about JC & Tellina, please visit: www.afinkao.com

Dani is one of the new innovators in the salsa scene. One could say that dancing with Dani allows you to discover another way to appreciate salsa dancing. His main quality is finding different ways to explore the unlimited possibilities to lead and make his partner comfortable whilst interpreting the music.

From the French Indian ocean’s island (Mayotte), Dani start dancing on stage at the age of 11, and grew up with R’n’B, Hip hop and Zouk, singing and dancing. He started dancing Cuban salsa 6 years ago in Bordeaux. After 6 months, his teacher asked him to join his salsa company, after one year he became a salsa teacher in the same club where he'd learnt his first steps, and after two years he formed his first salsa group, including his first teacher ;-)

Dani is just one of those young dancers who always looks forward to learning. One of his favorite quotations is : “Dance is like knowledge, the more you learn the more you realize that you have a lot to learn again and again”. Dani is now widely recognized in the Paris salsa scene for his abilities. From February 2008 he decided to start a new life in London and become one of our main LONDON-SALSA teachers as well as a choreographer and performer. His classes and workshops have always been very popular and professional, specializing in Mambo (on1 & on2), amazing partnerwork technique, leading, timing class, and musicality, blended together with his background of street dance, New York, Cuban, LA style, and fun to create his own unique salsa style.

Dani is one of the new innovators in the salsa scene. One could say that dancing with Dani allows you to discover another way to appreciate salsa dancing. His main quality is finding different ways to explore the unlimited possibilities to lead and make his partner comfortable whilst interpreting the music.

Joseph is a former European Amateur Salsa Competition winner and is Director of Hong Kong Salsa Festival, Hong Kong Salsa Congress, World Cup Salsa and Macau Salsa Festival as well as international coordinator of Singapore Salsa Congress and Africa Salsa Festival

Joseph is well travelled on the international salsa circuit and enjoys all the various roles he is priviledged to play such as instructor, performer, mc, dj, judge, social dancer. A seasoned salsa dancer, Joseph enjoys driving salsa ever more into the lives of new enthusiasts to salsa all over the world.

DJ Will, Hong Kong

DJ Will developed the love for salsa in Toronto where he grew up. After his trips to Cuba and Dominican Republic in year 2001, his interest in the world of salsa became his passion. Now living in Hong Kong his salsa passion continues with various group performances at the Hong Kong Salsa Festivals in 2005 and 2006.

His DJ career started after winning the Latin Salsa Night DJ Challenge at Club’97 in HK. “Listening to salsa music makes me happy always…it only make sense to return this happiness to the dancers and club goers.” He spins regularly at various salsa venues in HK and was the resident DJ at Club 97 from 2006 –2008 for Club Salsa nights. In a short period of time as a Latin DJ he has developed into one of the favorite Latin DJs in Asia. He was voted as one of the top three favorite Salsa DJ in HK in the year 2007. Currently, he is the Saturday night resident DJ at Club JJ’s Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.

DJ Will has made his first debut as one of the official DJs at the Hong Kong Salsa Festival 2007, “that was one of life time dreams come true”. He was also featured at the Hong Kong Salsa Congress summer of 2007 & 08. He was invited as a gust DJ to spin along with some of the best at the Singapore International Salsa Festival 2007. In 2008, he spin at the HKSF again, and was invited to DJ, Conduct Salsa & Bachata workshops, and to MC at the 2nd Annual International Salsa Event in Chandigarh (India) so grab your dancing shoes and be prepare to dance all night long at the Hong Kong Salsa Congress 2009. Viva La Musica!!

Javed comes from India, a land where music and dance is an inherent part of the culture from ancient times. His affinity to music is born natural, while dancing has been part of his daily diet even before the salsa fever took root. Learning to dance Salsa was a childhood dream which was fulfilled three years ago during the Hong Kong Salsa Festival 2005. His transition from a Salsa dancer to a Latin music DJ has been very exciting and fulfilling. “I can’t decide whether I like salsa dancing more or DJ – ing more” . Javed is thoroughly enjoying churning out red hot salsa and Latin tracks such as Salsa,Mambo, Reggaeton, Merengue, Bachata, Latin Hip Hop, Jazz and Zouk for the dancing pleasure of all the salseros and salseras around the world especially in Hong Kong where he currently resides. “It’s a different high altogether to make people dance to your tunes”. He has been recently awarded the “Best Latin Music DJ 2008” in Hong Kong by the salsa community. He has had the honour of being invited to the Taiwan Salsa festival 2007 and the Malaysian Salsa Festival, 2007 as the guest DJ. He was also the official DJ at the Hong Kong Salsa Congress, June 2007 and the Hong Kong Salsa Festival 2008, Macau Salsa Festival 2009. He was also one of the official DJ’s at the India International Salsa Congress, Bangalore, India

Javed is resident DJ for many Salsa events organized by Quick Step Productions in Hong Kong such as “Sugar”, Club Avenue, Club Cliq, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, The Kee Club, and previously at “Club 97”, “Heat”, “C Club”, “One-Fifth”, “Sin Bar”, “California”, “Club Xperience”, “Swindlers” “Q97” and Makumba Lounge, Africa Bar. He is looking forward to spinning sensuous latin tracks at the Hong Kong Salsa Congress 2009

Linda Yang

Guangzhou

P R O G R A M

FRIDAY – WELCOME PARTY

@ VERTIGO ULTRA LOUNGE 26/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen's Rod East, Wanchai

8:45 PM: Door Opens

9:00 – International Instructors to teach two levels of Salsa Classes for Novice & Experienced

followed by Salsa Party with World Class DJ’s and International Dancers

SATURDAY & SUNDAY– WORKSHOPS

@ Chinny Studio, 10/F, 496 Jaffe Road, Richmond Plaza, Causeway Bay

12:00 PM – 5 PM: WORKSHOPS: Covering, Salsa, Mambo, Bachata,

Shines (Fancy footwork), Street Dance, Styling For Ladies & Men, Show Moves

SATURDAY – INT'L PERFORMANCES + PARTY

@ Regal HK Hotel, B1/B2, 88 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay

9:00 PM: Door opens

9:00 PM – Late: Salsa Party Featuring World Class PERFORMANCES.

Internationally Renowned Latin/Salsa DJ’s to make you dance till you drop

Before 10:30pm is hot snacks, 2 standard drinks and super performances

After 10:30pm is standard drink and party with international guests

SUNDAY – FAREWELL PARTY

@ VERTIGO ULTRA LOUNGE 26/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen's Rod East, Wanchai

9:00PM: Door opens

9:00PM – VERY LATE: A smoking night of hot Salsa Performances and social dancing with World Class Latin/Salsa DJ’s

to end this great International Salsa Congress Weekend in Hong Kong.