Meet the
TEAM
Jonas AKA DJ Nas
Being from Democratic Republic of Congo, music has always been a way of life. I moved to South Africa in 2007 without a word of English my journey in South African began.
My first dance life experience was introduced to me 2010, through a school event, by a late professional dancer Mrs Frahm, whose dancing style was rooted in Argentinian Tango. This very elegant style of dancing ingrained a deep passion within me to learn various dancing styles wherever I possibly could. The dance life started for me!
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By the year 2013, I discovered through my best friends Marco Gomes and Kim McGregor that there was a community that shared the dance life passion and soon thereafter I joined the various dance schools in Gauteng where I enriched my kizomba and salsa passion.
I have been part of the Gauteng Afro-Latin Dance Community for almost 7 years as a dancer of salsa and kizomba, DJ of kizomba, salsa and bachata and instructor of salsa kizomba and bachata. I now have a passion for the Afro-Latin community in Pretoria. My commitment to bring the best kizomba beats, energetic salsa and sensual bachata to Pretoria: this is the ultimate dance life dream.
This is the main driver and reason of why Ukudanca was founded.
Helena
My dance obsession started at the young age of 12 with modern dancing in Pretoria, my home town, and evolved to the social dancing realm through friends. The dance life has always attracted me.
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I joined social dance group, Ceroc, in 2011 where I quickly advanced, under the guidance of Finish social dance teachers Christina and Pepe. After 6 months of dance 5-6 nights a week (I was addicted to the social dancing scene) I started my training to instruct. It is in this period I discovered Salsa through a friend, Carrie Milton.
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I taught group and wedding couple classes with Ceroc (salsa/jive) for over three years and gained deep knowledge of social dancing, leading and follow techniques. One of my high lights of my time in Ceroc Pretoria was winning the Ceroc South Africa freestyle and showcase sections in 2014 held at the Pretoria Country Club.
My first class in salsa was in Pretoria in the month of August 2011 and I was teaching beginner salsa by the end of that same year. Kizomba and bachata soon followed and teaching (knowledge sharing) became a passion. Being from Pretoria and starting my Afro-Latino dancing in Pretoria my passion for dancing in Pretoria has always been my passion. Specially to enhance the community within Pretoria and through this identified the need for a platform like Ukudanca that myself and Jonas founded in January 2019.
Arlene
I am originally from Cape Town and have been dancing forever since music and dance played a big role in our house.
Coming to Gauteng I have been on the salsa seen since 2010. I love dancing and all it brings to my life. Teaching is a new direction for me, so let’s learn together and keep on dancing. Looking forward to meeting you on the dance floor where the most important thing is to always have a party!! So come and party with me!.
Brenda
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When did I start dancing? The answer - I always have. The rhythm of music has always caught me, the words I do not need to understand - for the spirit of the music my teacher. My journey into dance started with ballet, I side stepped to modern dance and hip-hop and in university the dynamic and coastal sounds of Angola caught me one afternoon on the way to the library. From then on, I was enamoured by Kizomba.
It was in Pretoria that I learnt Spanish, Cuban salsa and Bachata. I also rediscovered my Kizomba feet in Pretoria, after a brief break. Pretoria is a global village and some of my best friends I met while dancing. For me - I dance to have fun, to escape, to connect, to travel, to laugh and to love. I dance to live
