Salsa Language Podcast

This is the interview with Samuel FunFlow at the 2025 Miami Salsa Congress. Samuel is an international dancer, instructor, and choreographer known for his playful energy and versatility across salsa, bachata, zouk, and kizomba. Founder of Funflow Dance and co-creator of Diversidance, he’s dedicated to breaking gender norms and making dance more inclusive. In 2023, he became World Salsa Champion at Salsanamá in the Impro Social Couple category, earning recognition for his magnetic stage presence and engaging teaching style.

This is the interview with Alien Ramirez at the 2025 Orlando Salsa Congress. She is a 24-time world Latin dance champion, shares Salsa Dancing history from Cuban roots to becoming a global phenomenon. She emphasizes the role of discipline, consistency and the importance of understanding salsa’s Afro and ballroom origins, and the need to connect movement with music’s essence. Alien shows that Latin dance isn’t just about footwork or spins—it’s about the grind, the cultural connection, and the soul of dance.

This is the interview with Jonathan (Guggie) Borges at the 2025 New York B.I.G. Salsa Festival. He is a professional dancer from Connecticut, USA. Jonathan shares his humble beginnings at the Latin Rhythms dance studio, training with Yamulee in New York City, and becoming an independent artist with Ana Garcia. Together, they are redefining salsa dancing by creating innovative choreographies and showcasing their personalities through performance.

This is the interview with Magna Gopal at the 2025 New York B.I.G. Salsa Festival. Magna discovered her passion for salsa dancing while studying at the University of Toronto. She pursued a career in dance, which facilitated travel to over 80 countries and allowed her to teach thousands of students across the globe. Magna learned invaluable lessons about entrepreneurship, relationships, authenticity, and creativity that she shares with her community within and beyond dance. Magna developed a personal brand that focuses on empowerment through movement, communication, and mindset.

Interview with Alien Ramirez at Baila Tampa Dance Festival, February 2025

Peiwei started dancing with CoboBrothers Dance Co. in 2016, and is currently the co-director & choreographer of the company, together with James Cobo, she travels national & internationally to teach, perform & social dance. She is currently dancing Ballet, Tap, Jazz & Contemporary at North Carolina Dance Institute. This is my conversation with Peiwei at the Chicago International Salsa Congress 2025.

Nery Garcia is the founder, owner and director for DanceSWFL. Nery is the original founder and creator of Elegant Rumba Dance Company when he established it in 2008. He is credited with being one of the “World’s Best Leads” by world-renown salsa dancer “Edie, The Salsa Freak,” and is featured on her “World’s Best Leads” DVD series. I spoke with Nery at the Salsa Heat Christmas Gala in December of 2024.

This is my conversation with Anichi Perez in Ft. Myers, Florida where we met for Nery Garcia's 20th anniversary weekend. Anichi is a musician, dancer, instructor and an educator. He has developed unique training programs designed to help dancers understand musicality. His comprehensive yet easy-to-follow approach to teaching sets him apart. Anichi is a rare artist who creates music and performs his creations on the fly. It is fascinating to witness his creativity and expression in person. He shares interesting details about his personal journey, valuable tips for dancers, and the costly mistakes to avoid.

This is my conversation with Terry Salsalianza Tauliaut at the Empire Sensual Movement 2024 Congress in New York City. His viral videos online inspire dancers across the globe and showcase what is possible when passion is transformed into a skillset. There aren't many dancers in the scene who are recognized by their first name, but Terry is certainly one of them. He is known worldwide for his incredible musicality, showcased on the social dance floor, in workshops, and during performances. Terry shares his unique story of how salsa dancing found him and offers a rare insight into his dance career.

In this episode, Juan Matos is sharing his dancing journey starting from Dominical Republic to New York City and beyond. Juan recalling what salsa was in the past and what it has become today. He discusses the "IT" factor in dancers and his way to leave a legacy.

Oliver Pineda is a founder of the Latin Motion Dance Academy based in Sydney, Australia. He is a 10 time World Salsa Champion and a professional musician. Oliver discusses the role of fundamentals, the difference between performance and social dancing, what makes a great social dance, musicality, and much more. 📺 Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vHyNQPi5lXU?si=slQxW_kk8dZAc5YT

Robin Campbell is a founder of the Dance Dojo - an online resource for dancers. Robin is a salsero and a content creator with thousands of subscribers and followers on social media. In this chat Robin shares his personal experiences, challenges in dancing, proven ways to level up your skills and more. 📺 Watch It on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XBt1IkVLKzM?si=zU9jWkqQ89fECTjV

In this conversation with Magna Gopal, we discuss how dancing transformed her into an empowerment coach, technical and mental aspects of dancing, business application of dancing and more. 📺 Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KwgvdV-JrYo?si=7JlpjAV7vGSmXlfz

Ezgi Zaman is professional dancer from Turkey who performed and taught around the world for over a decade. She incorporates multiple styles of dancing in her repertoire and improvises on stage instead of following a predetermined choreography. Ezgi shares interesting stories, her personal experiences, and the importance of understanding cultural meaning behind salsa dancing. 📺 Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/V_q7yWkZFP8?si=9Ln3a7Ku_F6u-E0y

Nery Garcia from Elegant Salsa Dance Academy has been teaching for nearly 20 years. He is known for his elegance, grace and smooth lead on the dance floor. Nery is sharing challenges he had to overcome as a young dancer, his outlook on dancing and much more. 📺 Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/U3BVRZjieVA?si=UZR_2hOFdGyMYG_-

In this episode one of the pioneers of salsa dancing, Frankie Martinez, is sharing his experiences in latin dancing, its history, and current culture. Frankie also explains how martial arts, zen practice and dance are all interconnected. 📺 Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ah-OR7r6wS8?si=MAy9CYRCqbvzIQ_B

This is a conversation with Tomas Guerrero - the owner and director of Santo Rico Dance in Orlando, Florida. Tomas is sharing his thoughts on evolution and history of dancing, New York City's influence, cultural roots of salsa dancing and more. 📺 Watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z-zeHFk3ric?si=VDOKai_wak7dn1xP

This is my conversation with Mike Barbieri. He is the founder of the Orlando's most known latin dance studio - Salsa Heat. Mike is sharing his personal dance journey, tips for new dancers, and skills necessary to become a business owner. 📺 Watch this Interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0lAJiCXHs78?si=s__ApYt_1FJQvsAT