G E T I N S P I R E D
• keep learning and stay inspired
• live to inspire others
F O S T E R C O M M U N I T Y
• be inclusive
• promote collaboration
B E I N N O V A T I V E
• take pride in being unique
• be creative and take risks
B E C A R I N G
• take interest in the well-being of others
• lend a helping hand
E M B R A C E G R O W T H
• try something new
• never settle for comfort
Wayne Barbaza
Owner/Instructor
With gifts of rhythm and musicality, Wayne has quickly excelled and created a name for himself in the dance scene over the last few years. Having trained in Salsa since 2008 in Toronto and now teaching since 2013 in Vancouver, he has become one of the leading teachers in the city, known for his strong foundational knowledge and his own groovy flavour. His choreographies have garnered international praise and his Baza teaching style always results in students asking for more, both locally and internationally. As he gains more and more exposure, look for Wayne to make more waves in the dance scene!
Kristal Wei
Owner/Instructor
Kristal has been dancing since the age of 4 and has a strong background in Ballet, Jazz, Hip-hop, and Latin dance, with experience in other styles. She is now one of the leaders in the Vancouver dance scene, having been teaching and performing since 2013 with Wayne. Her attention to detail is admired by students in her classes, and also shows in the quality of her performances. She is passionate about always continuing to learn different things and forever being a student. Kristal currently teaches Salsa, Bachata and ChaChaCha and co-directs the Baza Salsa teams.
Arely Santana
Instructor/Studio Manager
Born and raised in Mexico, Arely started dancing at the young age of 12. At the age of 17, she moved to Vancouver Canada, where she expanded her dancing and learned Salsa On2 at Dance Vancouver and later continued her growth as a dancer with Bachata Vancouver. She partnered with Ronald Martinez where she gained further experience in Bachata, Salsa On2, Zouk and Kizomba and performed and instructed.
Arely has also traveled around Canada to teach and perform at festivals and congresses.Her flow, her technique, her styling, and her movement have no limits!
Abigail Rios Galindo
Community Engagement Manager
If you haven't met Abi, you will when you come in! She's usually greeting you at reception with a friendly smile and uplifting energy. She heads our community engagement initiatives, from planning outings to liaising with community partners. Aside from that, she is a salsa superstar in the making - she trains on our Baza Soul Salsa Team as well!
Joe
Instructor
Born in Dubai, Joe brings an international flavour to his Cuban salsa dancing technique. He has over a decade of dance training and performances in Dubai, Vancouver, Toronto and Cuba, has trained and performed with world renowned instructors & performers such as Bailame Cuba, Estilo Cubano, LFS Dance, Toronto Casino Rueda and SaborDKY. Joe has expanded his repertoire by dancing in many cities as his job as a project manager in healthcare requires him to travel extensively. He established his own Rueda group 3 years ago, Rueda W, which aims to teach/fine-tune the skills and technique of intermediate-advanced Casino La Rueda dancers. His students' first class feedback is usually "that was sooo much fun!" Joe brings humuor & fun to his classes and is an expert in making everyone feel at ease!
Marilu Retana
Instructor
With a degree in Contemporary Dance, and over 10 years of experience performing internationally as a solo artist and for Latin American icons, she's got the talent to match her energy. Watch out!
"Beyond body movement, I believe that dancing is the best way to connect with ourselves and other human souls. Dance makes us free and happy. I want my students to believe in dance as a way to share energy and connect."
Antonya Raymond
Instructor
Given the chance to be exposed to Latin and Caribbean styles at a young age, Antonya has been part of many fundraisers, events, music videos and classes. She has worked with the BCCancer Foundation, InspiredHealth, Tapestry Living, and creating a Deaf Zumba® Program, sharing her passion for wellness. Art, movement, and inner beauty are the fundamental concepts of why we do what we do in Zumba®. Get ready to move your hips faster than Beyonce and Shakira combined, get a great workout, meet some awesome new faces, and feel energized!
Lennora Esi
Instructor
Born in Filderstadt, Germany in 1991. At the age of eleven, she started doing Musicals and fell in love with the performing arts. Throughout her teenage years she took singing and piano lessons, starred in Musicals and Theaterplays and took different dance classes. After graduating from High School she went to Berlin to study acting and graduated from the International School of Acting for Theater and Film in Munich in 2014. She took her first African Dance class in 2012 and fell for it right away. She started dancing with the Dance Company "Umoya" in Munich and performed with dancers and drummers from South Africa and Ghana. In 2015 she joined the African Reggae Band "Kim Azas" and started giving workshops and substituting dance classes. She started teaching regularly at her dance school in Munich in 2017 before moving to Vancouver.
Pamela Podmoroff
Instructor
Pamela began dance at the age of 2 1/2 at the Canadian school of ballet in Kelowna BC. With over 14 years of training in ballet, jazz, tap and modern, dance led to her love of theatre performance and ultimately to dance instruction. Pamela started partner dancing in 1998, along with Ballroom teacher training, which paved her way towards her passion, West Coast Swing. She has been teaching partner dance full-time for over 14 years, locally as well as across Canada and the US. Pamela teaches a variety of dances including west coast swing, Carolina shag, east coast swing, country 2-step, nightclub 2-step, salsa and non-partner club freestyle dancing. Pamela is not only a technically knowledgeable instructor, and first dance wedding choreographer, she is also one of Canada's top West Coast Swing competitors. She has had many wins, including a 2 nd place finish at the Holy Grail of swing, the US Open Swing Dance championships. Pamela loves sharing all that inspires her. Both her enthusiasm and passion for dance are infectious. Her ability to keep things fun while learning the fundamentals, is what has always made her classes popular. Dance has always been an integral part of her life and she hopes others get to find their own magic on an amazing dance path!
Celina Villarroel Whiting
Instructor
Celina began her dance journey at the age of 8, starting with Modern dance and then eventually expanding her training to include Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet, Street dance, Hip Hop, Salsa, Ballroom, West Coast Swing, Afro fusion and Brazilian Samba. She is a professional dancer and teacher with past credits that include music videos, corporate performances, live shows and dance competitions. She is a graduate from SFU with a BSc. Kinesiology and a highly sought out fitness professional. She utilizes her extensive background in the science of movement and the human body when teaching dance and fitness. Her expertise in both dance and kinesiology allows her to help her students master their own unique movement. She strives to live her passions of captivating audiences with her dancing as well as teaching everyone how to move and dance.
Ty and Shay
Instructors
Get fit, get funky, and learn some street dance movements with Ty and Shay!
They host a beginner hip-hop fitness dance class consisting of street dance movements fused into a cardio workout! Choreographed songs will consist of 5-8 moves which combine the latest hip hop dance trends with aerobic movements. Their students LOVE them!
Reeva Calanza Barbaza
Instructor
Experienced in teaching, performing, and competing, count on Reeva to bring out your hip-hop flow and groove! Bio coming soon.
Narmana & Nathan
Instructor
If you have seen a tall white guy and a little brown girl grinning from ear to ear on the kizomba dance floor, you've probably just seen Nathan and Narmana. After training underneath their mentors Cesar Salazar and Tracie Yee as performance team members and instructors they have begun teaching at Baza Dance and are thrilled to share their joy and delight for partner dancing with you. Dance changed their life. Let it change yours.
Zahara M
Instructor
Zahara has been dancing and performing since the age of 7, participating in performing arts shows throughout her life. She has received several accolades from Bollywood/Indo-Canadian Dance Competitions. Moreover she learned Middle Eastern dance at the age of 12. Zahara’s dance training over the past 17 years includes Egyptian Raks-Sharki, Moorish Flamenco, American Tribal Style Bellydance (ATS), Tribal Fusion Bellydance and Raqs Siniyya (Moroccan Tray Dance). She has trained dancers of all levels and ages in the dance style of Bollywood and Bellydance, as well as had a role of Movement Coach in a local production. Zahara has acted and danced in 2 Theatrical Productions, one which traveled across Canada and the second held here in BC. During her 3.5-year term as Performing Arts Convener she not only managed local shows and events such as the Ismaili Walk, but became the Artistic Director of 3 of her own Dance Productions that took place at the Pacific Coliseum. Zahara is a member of MEDA, Middle Eastern Dance Association and feels it’s important to stay connected to the current and local dance events and enhance the art and skill of her dance so she can enjoy sharing these with her students. Her love of dance and admiration of various genres led her to start her own company called “Unity Dance” and aims to bring ‘Bellywood’ to Canada! Zahara is very excited to share her dance knowledge and love of belly-dance with you all at Baza Dance Studios!
