Biographies

Edie, The Salsa FREAK is one of the most sought after instructor / performers in the world. She has traveled to over 50 different countries teaching the world to dance, and has been the first American to teach in 18 of those countries.

Today, Edie, The Salsa FREAK is currently on a world tour. She is definitely taking the world by storm with her powerful dance style, precision, and amazing speed.

Edie’s passion is to share her talents with both students and audiences throughout the world with her stunning performances, instructional DVDs, and down-to-earth Internet advice columns and stories.

Her entire DVD series is a documented catalog of her progression as a professional dancer with a list of stylized moves, combinations, and turn patterns that will keep students challenged and entertained for years to come.

Edie, the "Salsa FREAK"

Background: Edie was recently awarded the International Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Salsa Congress in England and voted Best International Instructor at the British International Salsa Festival in 1999. She was the Guest of Honor at the Curacao Salsa Festival in 2000, and the First Annual Swiss Congress in Zurich, Switzerland in 2002. She has taken first place in numerous dance competitions including the famous Mayan competition out of Los Angeles, California, and the International Salsa and Hustle Pro Salsa Championships in Miami, Florida.

Bernard & Sonyo Martinez

Bernard Martinez is a choreographer, coach, performer and instructor of salsa/mambo, cha-cha and theater arts. With over 20 yrs. of teaching experience, Bernard's teaching style is technical and flavorful - filled with creativity and musicality. Sonyo, trained in various of classical dances and music adds her expertise of senior corporate management experiences from Wall Street into their dance partnership. Together this power couple with their diversified dance training travel all over the world teaching their fundamental techniques and smooth style in men & ladies styling, partnering and shines.

Known throughout the world for their fluid and elegant partnering style, Bernard and Sonyo are also known as the “teacher of teachers”. Their combined background in theater arts, jazz, ballet, folk-dance and martial arts add to the rhythmic flavor of salsa/mambo that can be artistically expressed in formal to club-social style of dancing.

Bernard and Sonyo have successfully managed and organized salsa/mambo events throughout the US. Bernard is also a professional DJ and sound engineer with his talents in re-mixing and authoring compilations in Latin music. In NYC, Bernard is the founder and director of "MamboCaliente Nights" held in NYC since 1999.

DanceSport California

On November, 2005, Bernard and Sonyo opened their first dance school in Orange County, DanceSport California in the city of Garden Grove, CA. DanceSport California specializes in social dances featuring salsa, mambo, cha-cha-cha, bachata, afro-cuban, afro-samba, west coast swing, lindy hop as well as special Pilates and Yoga for dancers. DanceSport CA offers all levels of social dances as well as specialty workshops by the diverse staff and guest instructors. Bernard and Sonyo hope to open additional locations in other local counties of California.