SIX DEGREES SALSA COMPETITION
Judges to be listed closer to competition date

SIX DEGREES SALSA COMPETITION 2010 JUDGES' BIOGRAPHIES

Jennifer Aucoin, organizer, Six Degrees Competition

Jennifer Aucoin is a full-time Salsa instructor, performer, choreographer and event organizer.  She is the founder and director of Steps Dance Studio in Toronto and has taught workshops in Puerto Rico, Europe, the United States and Canada.  Jennifer is the organizer of the annual Canada Salsa Congress, the largest Salsa congress in Canada, as well as the Canadian Salsa Championships, the first qualifier in Canada for the World Salsa Championships.  Jennifer has been part of the judging panel for the World Salsa Championships televised on ESPN for the past three years and has judged competitions in Puerto Rico, New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, Detroit, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.

Celebrity Judge - Jean Marc Genereux

Ana Machado

Ana Machado graduated in Modern Dance, Ballet and Afro-Cuban folk dances from ENA (Escuela Nacional de Arte - Danza Moderna), a famous 8-year program in Havana, Cuba. She toured the world with the prestigious Compania de la Danza Moderna and as the lead dancer with Tropicana Dance Troupe. Comfortable in all various Salsa styles, Ana coaches and leads workshop sessions to bring her varied dancing background and experience to the modern Salsa dancers.
 
Vanesa Stay

Vanesa Stay is the director of Latin Energy Dance Company. She started her dance training at the age of 5 in Argentina where she trained intensively for 7 years in Ballet, Flamenco, Jazz, & Folk.  She has been dancing Salsa since 1999 and has trained with various instructors not only in salsa but other dances such as Argentine Tango and International Latin Ballroom.  She was the 2003 Vice World Champion at the World Salsa Federation Championships and has appeared in TV shows, commercials and movies such as "Take the Lead" with Antonio Banderas and "Style by Jury".
 
Teddy Olaso

Teddy Olaso is the co-director of UnitedSalseros Dance Company, as well as Mambo Mosaic Performance Group.  He has been teaching Salsa for 15 years and has taught Salsa at most major Salsa congresses in Canada.  Teddy was also the first instructor in Toronto to formally run a Salsa instructor apprentice program and has more than 300 apprentices locally and internationally; many of which are now performers, instructors and/or high-level social dancers.  Currently, he is involved in developing new training methodologies for all levels of students that involves a balance of technique, choreography and musicality that produces solid and measurable results with an artistic edge.
 
Jose Rodriguez

Jose Rodriguez co-directs one of Toronto's longest established Salsa Studios: Dance to Live Studio.  He has been dancing, teaching and choreographing for over 10 years.  He has performed on many stages throughout the years including for Gilberto Santa Rosa, Son de Cali and for tough crowds on the wedding circuit.  His passion for dance also includes training in Ballroom, Flamenco and Hip Hop.  His longtime participation in Salsa Congresses worldwide, including Puerto Rico, LA, Washington, and New York,  alongside his travels, have allowed him to witness and experience the various salsa styles in Latin America, North America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
 
Caryl Cuizon

Caryl Cuizon is the co-founder of iFreeStyle.ca, Toronto’s first salsa dance company dedicated to teaching and performing salsa On2. She has been dancing, teaching, performing and choreographing Latin street dances since 2000.  Prior to the creation of iFreeStyle.ca, Caryl spent 9 years in competitive cheerleading and was also a principle dancer with two of Toronto’s top salsa performance groups; Grupo Sabroso and On Beat. Her energetic style is both urban and elegant; influenced by many genres of dance including hip-hop, Afro Cuban movement, jazz and cheerleading.  She was the co-choreographer for the recent stage production "The Weeping Salsa" and has also been a featured dancer/instructor on various TV programs such as Echo on SunTV and Groomed on the W Network.
 
Angus Dirnbeck

Angus Dirnbeck is the co-founder of iFreestyle.ca - Toronto's only school fully dedicated to Salsa on2.  He is a choreographer, dancer and instructor and has worked on stage, film and TV.  With a keen eye for detail and an appreciation for the duality of function and aesthetics, he is regularly sought after as a competition judge. 

Paula Videla-Rodriguez

Paula is director of Dance to Live Studio, one of Toronto’s top and longest established Salsa Studios - since 1996.  Her lifetime of dance and performance experience in various dance disciplines (over 25 years!), aside from Salsa, include ballet, gymnastics, Latin Folklore, Latin Ballroom, and Flamenco.   She has belonged to many professional dance companies over the years ranging from “Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company” to performing with Toronto’s 1st all girl salsa sensation “On Beat” and directing several of her own Salsa Dance Teams.  Paula has also been fortunate to have worked with and trained one of “So You Think You Can Dance” Canada's top 4 finishers!  Her training, performance, and experience as a choreographer and instructor have taken her to countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas as well as locally to share her talents with folklore and theatre groups in Toronto.
 
Tina Nicolaidis

Tina is a co-director and choreographer with City Dance Corps, a professional dance company and school recognized internationally for their choreography, performances and unique teaching styles.  Tina is currently choreographing for Nelly Furtado's South American tour and has been featured in magazines and television shows such as Wedding SOS, Fashion Magazine, Elle, Instant Beauty Pageant and the Toronto Sun.

Juan Alberto

This native Puerto Rican has made Toronto his home base for the last 10 years after a successful career as a dancer, performer and choreographer with prominent Latin network television, including Univision, Venevision and Telemundo.  In Canada, Juan Alberto has been a Ballroom dance Champion in the divisions of Theatre arts, Cabaret and Showdance for five years in a row.   He is the only Canadian to be a two-time finalist in the World Exhibition Blackpool Dance Festival.   Juan Alberto has also worked with Cirque du Soleil and is the creator of Dancirque, which he coaches out of his studio in the north beaches area of Toronto.

Giovanni Torres

Salsa has dictated Giovanni Torres’ entire life.  This Colombian born native has completely immersed himself in the Salsa world by becoming a Salsa and cardio dance instructor, a  choreographer, dancer and a very passionate Latin DJ. He is the director of Los Salsomanos Dance Company, which has been around now for 10 years. Through all this he has been able to perform, instruct and DJ at some of the best salsa venues in Canada, the US and internationally. He is well know for his latin cardio classes at many of Toronto’s best fitness clubs, his main home being Extreme Fitness. Djing has become a huge passion for Giovanni and he takes pride in playing his music from a dancer to the dancers.

Karen Trujilio

This Canadian born Colombian-Salsera comes from a family of salsa and ballroom dancers.  Karen has trained in various forms of dance including jazz, ballet, hip-hop, salsa on 1 and 2 and Cali-style Boogaloo, the latest craze sweeping the salsa scene.  This triple threat has been performing, instructing and choreographing for the last 20 years.  Karen was a principle dancer with the original Los Salsomanos Dance Company and On Beat Dance Company, performing at various salsa congresses and events throughout North America and the Caribbean.  Her work as an instructor began at the age of 14 instructing salsa classes for children and throughout the years she has worked as a freelance instructor for Steps Dance Studio and Dance to Live Studio.  Her love of dance has extended to the world of fitness where she developed and instructed “Salsa Sweat” classes at the top fitness facilities throughout the Greater Toronto Area.  Karen’s natural ability in musicality has made her one of the most sought after choreographers in the Toronto salsa scene, credits include co-choreographing for Salsa Team Canada (2002) and assistant choreographer for the motion picture “Woo” starring Jada Pinkett-Smith (1997).   As a result of her talent, experience and reputation Karen was invited to judge Toronto’s most prestigious salsa competition for 4 consecutive years.