Dance Instructor : Kizomba & Semba

John began his dance journey in 2018 when he began taking salsa classes at the Mambo Room after a long and stressful senior year in college. For John, the desire to salsa dance spawned from an interest to explore unfamiliar cultures. Dance then quickly became an important aspect of his life. In his first year of dancing he spent the majority of his free time either at the dance studio, at a social, or desperately trying to find a dance partner. 

"I love dance because it allows me to explore other cultures and have experiences that I would never experience otherwise. I’ve travelled for dance and found myself watching the sun rise in hotel room after-parties, sharing home cooked meals from other cultures, and partaking in traditions that most people would never dream of! When you dance Salsa, Bachata, or Kizomba it is like a little slice of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, or Angola was picked up and dropped into your hometown. For me, that is what makes dance special.”

 

While Salsa was his first love, John discovered Kizomba by chance while taking an intro class at a Friday night social. Kizomba, and later Semba, quickly became his primary focus. He began to spend more time traveling and learning from international instructors, going so far as taking a course with one of the founders himself - Mestre Petchu. John’s love of Kizomba and Semba radiates in each and every one of his classes.

 

“Anyone who has taken the time to learn Kizomba can see why it is so enrapturing. From its creative freedom, intoxicating smoothness, or even just its simple meditative connection. Kizomba is special and I enjoy instructing because I get to help other people find what Kizomba means to them.”

 

John subscribes to the “life is to be lived” mentality. Outside of dance, John is a Mechanical Engineer and spends his free time wandering till he is lost on a hiking trail, climbing mountains because they’re there, or teaching people how to jump out of “perfectly good” airplanes.

 

“For me, Kizomba is the ‘yin’ to the ‘yang” that is my regular life. Engineering can be extremely stressful, and my other hobbies are much faster paced. Kizomba gives me that chance to slow down and be in the moment.”

 

John instructs Kizomba and Semba on Thursday nights and can usually be found at Friday night socials. If you see him feel free to ask him about Kizomba or a dance.

 

John's Upcoming Workshops & Progressive Series