Professional salsa and bachata dancer, teacher, and choreographer.
"Lorenita Andrade," a Mexican national, has nearly 20 years of experience in the artistic field.
She has won both national and international salsa and bachata competitions, and is one of the most important Mexican dancers representing her country on the global stage, bringing her essence, rhythm, and elegance to various venues.
Together with fellow Mexican dancer Enrique Jarquín, Lorenita was one of the top Mexican dance couples contracted abroad.
At the age of 22, Lorenita was contracted for almost 4 years as the principal dancer for one of the world’s most renowned salsa groups based in Milan, Italy, led by maestro Adolfo Indacochea, with whom she also danced as a partner.
Currently, Lorenita is the director and founder of L.A Dance School, her own dance school in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she trains competitive dance groups to continue raising Mexico’s level on the international stage.

Ricardo Murillo : Champion of the Cabaret division at the World Salsa Championship (WSC) held in Las Vegas in 2005. He is a skilled dancer with a track record of placing in numerous salsa world competitions. He served as a judge at the 2007 WSC in Beijing and was selected as the image character and special guest for the 2008 Salsa World Congress in Switzerland.

Claudia Nuñez : A native of Cali, Colombia, she achieved numerous first and second-place finishes in national salsa competitions before participating in international competitions such as salsa world championships. She is currently an active dancer and instructor at Baile Stilo y Sabor, the dance academy founded by her instructor, Ricardo.

He is the one of the most important representatives of the Afro dance in the world. He has danced for 21 years in the national folklore of Cuba, becoming first dancer from the year 2005. He has not only danced in the best stages of the world, but also given his knowledge to the professionals who dance today, teacher of teachers.
He is a percussionist and multifunctional dancer, not only dances Afro Cuban, manages all Cuban popular rhythms. He knows the history of the dances, including in his classes or his dances the history of the Black Dance, in the other word, He is the living culture of Cuba.

Born in Cuba, the home of salsa, he grew up immersed in Latin dance from an early age. He gained prominence as a member of the Havana University Dance Team and came to Japan in 1996.
In 1997, he founded the "HERMES SALSA DANCE SCHOOL," where his activities as an instructor and dancer attracted media attention, leading to appearances on TV and in magazines, further boosting his reputation.
He is a pioneering figure who greatly expanded the popularity of salsa in the Tokai region and trained numerous instructors and dancers. His sophisticated dance style, which combines elegance with dynamic movements, has been highly praised.
Currently, he continues to work as a salsa instructor and dancer, conducting workshops in Tokyo and other locations. Additionally, he is active as a producer for stage and video productions for the Bellydance Team SaharaLayla, where he has also received high acclaim.

FUSAFES Artistic Advisor

After graduating from university, she moved to New York alone. There, she was selected as the first and only Asian professional member of the Yamulee Dance Company, the world's top salsa team, since its founding. After four years at Yamulee, she went to France and worked in Europe as a professional dancer invited by the Alegria Dance Company.
Her beautiful long limbs, expressiveness, and precision in spinning are the best among world-class professional salsa dancers.
She has been invited to congresses and competitions in more than 20 countries and has performed on many big stages. From 2018 she will challenge the world competition. She has won World Salsa Solo, Canadian International Competition, Liberty Dance Championship, etc. In 2020, she won 3rd place in the world's largest salsa competition, the first Asian to do so. She is now a mother of two child, but while performing overseas, she is the only one who combines a method for Asians to dance like Latin people and a salsa dance training method that has been prepared in Japan. The second lesson is being developed nationwide and around the world.

RAVSHAN VALIEV : Mambo Dancer / Instructor / Choreographer / Rav & Yuko Mambo Academy Director / Adolfo Indacochea Mambo Excellence Certified Instructor

Originally from Uzbekistan.
Since his days at the Palaidium, he has pursued the modern mambo in both dance and music, and is energetically disseminating it. As a mambo dancer, he has appeared on numerous stages in Japan and abroad. He is also active as an invited instructor. His energetic dance style unique to men and powerful and gentlemanly pair dance leader lessons are popular.

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Yuko Akiba

Salsa Dancer / Choreographer / National Public Safety Commission Approved / Japan Dance Sports Federation Certified Instructor / Japan Salsa Association Certified Instructor

Rav & Yuko Mambo Academy Director / Adolfo Indacochea Mambo Excellence Certified Instructor

Born in Yokohama City.
She has performed on stages in North America, South America, Europe, Russia, Asia and Oceania. She is also works as an invited instructor and competition judge. She has also appeared as a salsa dancer in TV commercials, variety shows, national programs, Univision, and music videos.
She also visits numerous salsa music live stages, and her motto is to convey the relationship and enjoyment of music and dance.

Since 2019, they have been active as a sensual bachata and salsa dance duo, primarily based in Okinawa, while also conducting various workshops and performances both in Japan and abroad, including in Asia. With a dynamic and musicality-rich style, they are dedicated to conveying the joy of dance to both dancers and spectators. Their workshops are known for being fun and easy to understand, as they skillfully teach the charm of bachata with humor and clarity.

Andrés, a Japanese-Peruvian, has been living in Japan since 2009 and has more than 10 years of experience as an instructor of salsa and bachata. He actively participates in international bachata congresses, such as in the U.S. and South Korea, and performs as part of the men's team AndroLatino, both domestically and internationally.

Yuno, born and raised in Okinawa, began dancing salsa in 2013 and was later captivated by sensual bachata. She currently teaches bachata and salsa alongside Andrés, conducts boot camps, and performs as part of the ladies’ team Yunicas.

He has various experience of performing dance performances at the opening of the Salsa World Congress and many other shows. He has contributed greatly to the spread of salsa and casino in Fukuoka as a dancer and lecturer since he visited to Japan in 2000.
Currently he lives in Fukuoka. He is not only an experienced dancer and lecturer, but he has also worked as an event producer, director, DJ and choreographer.

She has been learning Latin dance at Tiempo Iberoamericano since 2013.
From the fall of 2015, she studied abroad for about 9 months in Cuba at the Afro-Cuban Dance Course at Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) where she studied with local students. Additionally, Yuka was taken under former National Folkloric Company of Cuba top dancers such as Israel Valdés, Yenis Flores and Ernesto Trujillo.
She is Tiempo Iberoamericano's Latin Dance Troupe "Anacaona" member since 2017.
From November 2019 she went to Barcelona and returned to Japan in March 2020.

Representative of San'in Salsa
In May 2019, she started promoting salsa in the San'in region from scratch. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, she transformed her home’s old traditional house into a self-renovated studio, “Studio Mundo,” steadily establishing a Latin dance hub in her hometown.
At the age of 16, she went to study in Argentina. After living in Okinawa (MambOki) and joining the professional team of Majesty in Motion in the U.S., dance became her lifestyle. She also collaborated with dancers of various genres in Mexico, Peru, and Cuba. With a dream of sharing the potential and beauty of dance, she returned to her hometown in Shimane.
She continues to perform salsa, hold workshops, and lead classes both in Japan and internationally.

Current Main Activities :
• Every 3rd Saturday: Dance Lovers’ Night, Hiroshima
• Every 4th Friday: Dance Lovers’ Night, Yokohama
(Mio Fire) NIGHT FIRE In Shimane :
- Monthly Latin Night, Matsue
- Water Month Latin Fest (June)
- Kamiarizuki Latin Live (October)
- Dance in English (for preschoolers)
- San’in Chuo Culture Classes
- Salsa experience classes at the Citizens' Activity Center

After exploring street dance styles such as Hip-Hop, House, Pop, and Soul, she encountered salsa in 2010. Through Cuban salsa, she discovered Afro-Cuban dances like Rumba and Yoruba, gradually becoming captivated by their charm.
From 2015 to 2016, she traveled to Cuba alone to undergo intensive training in Afro-Cuban dance. Upon returning to Japan, she began spreading the allure of Cuban dance.
Currently, she holds classes three times a week in Umeda, Osaka, and once a month in Kyoto.

Dancer, percussionist, vocalist.

Born in Kagoshima Prefecture. Influenced by his grandfather who was a music teacher at Amami Oshima and his grandmother who was a dancer of the folk music of Satsuma (a town in Kagoshima Prefecture), he traveled to Cuba, the Republic of Guinea in Africa and Spain to study dance and music (percussion).

Continuing to study the fusion of dance and music, he performs in his own style.
Currently based in Tokyo, he works as a musician and dancer all over the country.

Representatives of HIDE & PEKO Dance Company.
Salsa dancers, instructors, and choreographers.
Four-time All Japan Champions.
First Asian couple to become finalists in the professional category at a world championship.
Their salsa journey began in 2010 when salsa was incorporated into a musical they performed in. Formed as a university dance duo in 2013, they have since pursued both short- and long-term training in various countries and participated in numerous competitions. They have won the All Japan Championship four times. In 2018, they achieved a groundbreaking feat as the first Asian couple to place 4th in the professional salsa category at the prestigious World Latin Dance Cup.
In 2023, they were selected as the Asian representatives among the world’s top dancers for FANIA Records' "We Love To See You Dance" project, honoring the record label that popularized salsa music in the 1970s. The same year, they were invited as sponsored guest performers by the city of Cali, Colombia, to participate in a world championship held in Cali.
Currently, they perform shows and conduct workshops both in Japan and internationally. Their activities extend beyond their own performances to include being backup dancers for singers and producing wedding performances. Additionally, they are dedicated to promoting salsa and contributing to education; in 2021, they served as special temporary instructors teaching salsa dance at a public junior high school in Tokyo.

Led by Balodia, a dancer and percussionist known by everyone in the Afro-Cuban scene, an Afro-Cuban project is coming to life with the participation of three percussionists—Kouta, Kenta, and Chino—from Tokyo and Osaka!

Balodia Rodriguez

One of the most important dancers in the world of Afro-Cuban dance and a skilled percussionist as well. He was a member of Cuba's National Folkloric Dance Company for 21 years, serving as principal dancer for 10 of those years. In addition to performing on various stages worldwide, he has trained professional dancers who are active globally today, earning him the reputation of a "master of masters." With an exceptional depth of knowledge about dance history, his lessons and performances make him a living cultural treasure of Cuba.

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Kouta (Hirota Seki)

Graduated in 2006 from Showa University of Music with a degree in percussion, studying under Shoko Shintani. He has performed in religious ceremonies, outdoor parties, weddings, and naming ceremonies across Cuba, Mexico, and Senegal. In Senegal, he performed alongside the late Sabar player, Doudou N'Diaye Rose. In 2015, he won the first-place prize in the "three-batá drums" category of the competition at Cuba's Fiesta del Tambor. He recorded two albums in Cuba with local musicians in 2016, both of which are currently available. In 2021, he released his leader band ACJP's first mini-album, La Luz, and is now teaching Afro-Cuban drum classes in Tokyo.

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Alayn Hernández (Chino)

Born in Havana, Cuba. He began performing as a musician for religious ceremonies at the age of 13. He has played as a percussionist in Cuba's prestigious folkloric dance troupes, including Raíces Profundas, Grupo Orolun, and Compañía Folklórica Orishaoko. During his time with Raíces Profundas, he also performed internationally in Singapore, Vietnam, and Laos.

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Kenta (Kenta Yamazaki)

Started playing drums in 1992. From 2000 to 2003, he studied jazz and funk music at M-Audio Music School. From 2007 to 2009, he traveled through Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, New York, and Latin America, exploring vibrant musical regions to prepare for future music studies. He studied in Cuba for two and a half years from 2010 to May 2012, focusing on batá drums and Afro-Cuban rumba, dedicating himself to the study of rhythms and techniques in religious drum ceremonies. From 2013 to 2015, he spent another year in Cuba. From 2015 to 2024, he founded the Afro-Cuban group Ireire. Currently, he performs, teaches, and conducts online classes on batá and rumba, aiming to play abroad as much as possible. He also continues his studies in Mexico, Spain, and other countries.

A cutting-edge 10-piece band from area 60Hz that brings the rich, dramatic flavor of NY SALSA to the dance floor.
Fueled by an unwavering love for salsa, they charge forward at the signal, reaching a thrilling climax that erupts with electrifying energy.

Members:
- Manny Mendez (Vocals)
- Tohru Nakajima (Piano)
- Buntei Sakata (Bass)
- Takuya "B" Arakawa (Conga)
- Kaori Iwatsuki (Timbales)
- Mirai Hirose (Trumpet)
- Kosuke Okada (Trumpet)
- Tokunori Kajiwara (Trombone / Music Director)
- Tetsuro Onishi (Trombone)
- Tokujirou Hamano (Bongo [Support])

Formed in 2015, this Latin jazz band brings together members from diverse musical backgrounds to explore the possibilities of Latin music. They have composed many original songs, and their repertoire ranges from traditional styles to contemporary numbers. The band has previously performed at Isla de Salsa.

Passionate about Bachata, Salsa, and Latin Jazz.
Started DJing in 2013.
Adheres to a selection philosophy that prioritizes the ambiance and flow of the dance floor, aiming to convey a storytelling experience through the music.
Furthermore, began remix production in the spring of 2018 with the desire to create tracks that are enjoyable to dance to.
Has already produced over 60 remixes in Bachata, Salsa, and Kizomba genres.

Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina. He has been involved with Tiempo Iberoamericano´s project in Fukuoka, Japan since 2002.
He is a key-player in the development of salsa in Fukuoka being undoubtedly the local main tango DJ for 20 years.
He is one of the organizers, producer and has played as DJ in FUSAFES since the first edition.

He began experiencing Latin music and dance in 1998 and simultaneously started DJing. In 1999, he traveled to Spain, and upon returning to Japan, he based his activities in Fukuoka. He has been actively DJing in Fukuoka, Kokura, Iwakuni, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo. From classic Latin to contemporary styles, he continues to create spaces where the audience can't help but dance, crossing over various Latin genres.