Billy Fajardo (Confirmed Lifts, Tricks for Salsa) has over 30 years of dance performance experience. As a young man, he was the founder and lead performer of the Dance Dimensions, the internationally acclaimed dance company who appeared on Don Kirshnerís Rock Concert from 1978-1982. He has appeared at Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, Radio City and numerous top venues around the world. He has worked and choreographed for numerous headliners, including Gloria Gaynor, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Bob Hope, the list goes on. Film credits include Carlitoís Way, Cross Over Dreams, and the recently released Summer of Sam. He is the 2000 US Open Cabaret Champion, 1999 United States Hustle Champion, 2002 NADC Cabaret Champion. In addition, he has been three time invitees to the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival Open Exhibition Championships, an honor reserved for only a select few throughout the world. He has been featured performer in many far off destinations, including Singapore and China, and has been featured at home in the US at such well known venues as Radio City Music Hall and Lincoln Center. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Miami Salsa Congress by Albert Torres, featuring VH1. He perfomed with instructor, choreographer and director Ralph Mercado in the "Combinacion Perfecta Tour". He has worked with Tito Puente, La India, Mark Anthony and Celia Cruz.

Neri Torres, (Confirmed Rumba & Guaguanco): Born in Havana, Cuba, Neri Torres, founder of BAILA USA Beats of Africa In Latin America has toured with and has been the principal dancer and choreographer for Gloria Estefan since 1996. Trained in jazz, ballet, modern, contemporary and Afro-Cuban dance, Torres is a graduate of Havana's Instituto Superior de Artes where she majored in choreography. Boasting a successful career that spans more than twenty years, she has performed on every continent in the world and in dozens of countries. Torres, an award winning dancer and choreographer, founded Florida's leading Afro Cuban Dance and Music Company, IFE ILE Dance and Music Ensemble in 1996. Torres has choreographed, written and performed numerous shows before thousands of captivated audiences.

After defecting from Cuba in 1991, Torres turned her passion for dance and cultural advocacy into a successful career, becoming an important leader in the Latin community. Torres' work has earned her numerous awards, including a Proclamation by the City of Miami and a Fellowship and Certificate of Artistic Merit from the State of Florida.

In 1998, Neri founded the IFE ILE Afro-Cuban Festival, now entitled BAILA USA "Beats of Africa In Latin America" to include others Latin people who share cultural roots in Africa.

Neri has appeared in magazines, newspapers, movies, commercials, and on HBO and television. She has performed for Calle Ocho, the Orange Bowl Parade, the Super Bowl, the Latin Grammys, the Latin Billboard Awards, and Gloria Estefan's Evolution World Tour. As an actress and personality, Neri has worked with Andy Garcia and Charles Dutton and has appeared on the Barbara Walters Show, The View, David Letterman, El Show de Cristina, The Today Show and Rosie O'Donnell, to name a few. In 2000, Glamour magazine named Neri Torres "Woman of the Year."

Eric Suarez: (Confirmed Salsa Casino Rueda) Erik was born in Havana, Cuba, and started dancing at age 9. He continued learning by practicing with his Mom who danced all her life in many of the famous Cuban Night Clubs. His family taught him traditional Cuban style which he still practices today.

At age 19, Erik was very well known in the local south Florida night clubs because of his dance style. That is how others gave him the nick name of Mantequilla. In 1996-97, he joined and started performing with Salsa Casino, one of the most respectable dance groups at that time in Miami. They went to perform with artists such as Celia Cruz, Rey Ruiz, Larry Harlow, Hansel y Raul, and Albita. At age 21 after finishing college, he opened Salsa Fever Dance Studio in Miami. Since then, Eric has traveled to teach and perform both nationally and internationally. Eric have also been selected to judge several national and international salsa championships along with local ones.

In 2000, Eric’s partner Vivian and he created the Salsa Fever Teen Dancers, a group of teenagers with ages ranging from 12-17 years old and very well respected. This group of kids has performed in many big salsa events like IHSC, Miami Congress, WSF, and many local Dance events. The team was invited to perform at The Puerto Rico World Congress. Salsa Fever Dance Studio is responsible for teaching over 9000 students each year, and performs all year round.

Ignacio and Ivette Murga: (Confirmed Salsa Casino Rueda)

• Mambomania in Los Angeles, CA
• First Salsaweb Convention in DC, the IHSC in Miami, FL
• Bacardi Salsa Viva Competition in Budapest, Hungary
• Eddie Murphy’s The Holy Man
• Taught workshops at Rumba Latina, Greensboro, NC
• Salsa Odessy 2001 & 2002
• performed in several Television shows, commercials and. His style combines the best of Miami style salsa with the sleek moves of mambo New York style "on 2”. In July 2000, Carlos became the founder of Salsa Heatwave Dance Studios in Davie, FL.

Barbara Bernstein (Confirmed Salsa Casino Rueda) grew up in Maryland and always loved to dance. She took modern, foreign folk dance, and ballroom dancing before finding her way to Salsa and Casino Rueda. A couple of years ago, Barbara began a group called DanceInTimeProductions which promotes Casino Rueda through classes and performances. She currently holds regular classes in both Baltimore and northern Virginia, as well as teaching sometimes in other locations. Barb has taught Casino Rueda to teenagers at their high school, Salseros at nightclubs, and given lessons at county recreation departments, sports facilities, dance studios, etc.
As director of DanceInTimeProductions.com, Barb arranges shows which bring Rueda dancing to remarkably varied audiences. In March, 2003, she brought a show to the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.'s most prestigious stage. (You can watch the entire one-hour show right on your computer by visiting: www.DanceInTimeProductions.com and clicking on the appropriate link.) In September, 2003 she collaborated with Casineros from the D.C./Baltimore area and from New York to create a three hour show for the National Zoo's Annual Hispanic Festival. Then earlier this year, she produced a show with about 70 dancers for the MCI Center in Washington. This is a 20,000 seat arena that houses major sports and entertainment events. For this show, Barb assembled local Salseros as well as Rueda dancers from Richmond, New York, and Baltimore. They all danced together on stage between quarters at an NBA game. It was a spectacular show with Salsa routines and Rueda groups covering the basketball court.
Barb has also conducted a Rhythm Workshop and produced a CD titled "Rhythm Reminder" to help students with their timing. The CD features original music with a voice-over that marks the "quicks" and "slows" for dancers. It is a great tool for teaching and learning. Formerly a college teacher, Barb loves teaching and even her shows often have an educational twist. She has written and published a short booklet to educate audiences on the history and rhythms of Salsa, Rueda, and other Latin dances. She also writes articles on dance topics for websites and electronic publications such as Salsaweb.com, SalsaFreak.com, and Candela magazine as well as for printed magazines such as Sabor. For her efforts, Barb recently received D. C.'s "Annual Tribute to Women in Salsa" Award. This is given to those who show "outstanding...dedication to the promotion...of a vibrant Salsa community."

Hips On Fire Dance Team ( Confirmed Bachata Rueda)

Rueda de Bachata is a creation of Hips On Fire, with a similar idea to Rueda de Casino, but with Bachata music. It consist of a circle of couples that dance following the directions of a caller. This style of dance has become very popular in the New England area. From the moment of it's conception until now, we have created more than 62 steps and it is still growing.

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