Guest Artists! | Latin Sol Festival

Violeta Anderson

Violeta Anderson, known as Violeta Salsera, is based in San Diego, California. She specializes in Salsafro— a unique fusion of salsa and Afro-Cuban music.

Violeta will be teaching TWO salsa afro workshops. We are excited to have her at Latin Sol 2023!

Shola K . Roberts

Shola K. Roberts is an international performing professional dance artist, dance educator, choreographer, and fitness instructor based in Arizona and Brooklyn, New York by way of Grenada, WI. She serves on the Arizona State University Herberger Institute Music, Dance, & Theatre Faculty, as an Assistant Professor.

Shola is also the Founder and Artistic Executive Director of Dance Grenada Incorporated an organization rooted in creating a network for international and local Grenadian dance artists. Shola, a proud Grenadian American & is extremely passionate about the arts and her Caribbean culture and is grateful for the opportunity to share her passion for dance to inspire, to touch and change lives.

Lia Robertson

For almost 2 decades, Lia has been a passionate and dedicated Afro-Latin dancer, performer, and educator. Through the avenues of education and performance, her focus is on the preservation and development of Afro-Latin dance as both a legitimate art form and an inclusive, creative outlet for all to study and enjoy.

Lia will be joining us this year at Latin Sol and she will be teaching TWO Afro-Latin Funk workshops and she will also be participating in a discussion!

Laura Fernandez

Laura Fernandez is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Arizona. She is a native of Cuba and was born into a dance-loving family. In 2013 she graduated from the University of the Arts of Cuba as a Dancer and researcher of Cuban Folklore.

As an artist, she has dedicated herself to transmitting to others her passion for dance and the richness of Afro-Latin rhythms and dances.

Tanya Dimitrov

Professional dancer with over 20-years of experience. Dedicated choreographer working with artists of all ages and experience levels for 9 years. Participated in various professional dance companies and performances. Striving to organize live and innovative dance performances that intertwine various dance styles and forms.

Edgar Amaya

Eddie Peligro is a Dominican Bachatero in the local Phoenix area. He is the director and founder of Flow Con Candela and the director of Que Candela Dance Company. His specialization in Dominican Bachata will help support the training and education of Bachata dance.

You guessed it right! Eddie will be teaching a Dominican Bachata workshop at Latin Sol!!

You won’t want to miss it!!!

Mike & Nikki

Mike & Nikki have been teaching, training and performing Kizomba with an emphasis on Urban Kiz since 2013. Kizomba is an African partner dance that primarily comes from Angola. They have been teaching community classes in Phoenix since 2015. They taught Kizomba at ASU, (Spring 2022) and currently teach weekly for the ASU Kizomba Club.

Mike and Nikki will teach a Kizomba workshop on Saturday!!!

Mike & Nikki have devoted many years to learning the history, culture, music, and different styles/forms of Kizomba & Urban Kiz. They both have a passion for teaching, dancing, performing, and cultivating/promoting an active dance culture in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Carla Leon

Carla León is a local Phoenix artist from Sonora, México. She is the co-director of Stilo Dance Company, as well as the creative mind of roaring steps photography. She is inspired by the communication that takes place in partner-work and enjoys exploring its transformation in different spaces and environments. She currently focuses on Latin dance styling and the different progressions to develop endless entries of movement in the upper body.

Julio Saran

Julio practices in Poplock, House, Hip Hop, Krump, and Hustle. We will have him provide a Hustle and Hip Hop element to the attendees and we believe he would be a great addition because his bringing an element to Latin Sol that we don't normally have. Salsa's collaborators that helped the movement to want it is today were Hip Hop and African inspiration. We want to be able to showcase how much salsa has grown but also show the communities and groups that helped Salsa get there Julio is a community member from it will be great to have him teach and take about the history so the attendees get a great lesson.

Mario B

Meet returning guest artist Mario “B” Gonzalez!

Mario is the founder and director of Salsa Fever On2 Dance Academy in New Jersey. Aside from teaching, Mario is also a performer, choreographer, MC, mentor, and event promoter.

Mario will be teaching the following workshops:

•Shines

•NY Flavor

He will be giving a lecture and MCing in ALL of our socials along with DJ DLo!!

Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn from the mambo master!!

Ahtoy & Edwin

Edwin and Ahtoy both serve as inspiring educators, creative artists, and are deeply passionate about sharing their knowledge of Latin Hustle to our students.They are well respected and admired for their inclusive practices and learning environments.

Ahtoy Julian is a top International Latin Ballroom competitor and instructor, winning several world championships, and is an integral part of the Latin Ballroom scene. She is a founder of the BAILA Society, a dance company recognized for pioneering online dance instruction, teaching in over 47 countries worldwide.

Her partner Edwin will also be joining and Edwin and Ahtoy will be teaching Latin Hustle workshops, connecting the development of Palladium Mambo from the 1950s to its inclusion of Hustle turns that we know today as Salsa dancing. Their lessons will consist of partner work and performance choreography.

Eder Avila
Born and raised in Peru, Eder moved to the US at the age of 15 and started his training in Salsa dancing in 2008. Eder is 2x Champion at LA’s Top Social Dancer Competition, 2nd Place LA’s Top Male Solo Salsa Dancer 2014 and took 1st Place at LA’s Salsa Team Competition 2010 with Alma Latina.

Eder is the director of On2ourage, a Latin Dance Company based in Los Angeles, CA.

We are stoked to have Eder teach again at Latin Sol!! He will be teaching 3 WORKSHOPS and will also participate in a discussion!