2012 Capital Congress Instructors
The Leon Rose Project
Leon Rose is an innovator. Embracing the sensual art of salsa, Leon has been at the vanguard of the British salsa movement, since 1997. He was first introduced to salsa by his mother, an avid fan of the style, which has its roots in African, Caribbean culture, particularly Puerto Rico and Cuba. “Mum took me to my first salsa class one Sunday at a club called Villa Stefano’s in London.” Says London-born dancer and choreographer. “A girl asked me to dance and that was all I needed. The following week I started classes.”
Soon Leon submerged himself in the genre and was eagerly seeking out the innovators. Rose embraced salsa and delved deep into its roots. He sought out the most influential teachers in the British scene. At the time, though salsa had a loyal following, it hadn’t yet burst onto the mainstream, but thanks to the innovators who inspired Leon, salsa’s mainstream acceptance was at hand. With his natural flare, refreshing style and engaging personality, Leon was soon tapped for dance projects, including an appearance on the long-running BBC TV staple, Top of the Pops, where he performed with Spanish pop sensation, Enrique Iglesias.
DOTTY was born in Hungary, spent her childhood in Santiago de Cuba. This time brought her directly to dancing, started with ballet and ballroom dances. These two lines were her main style until she finished the Professinal Ballet School of Ballet Győr. When she won ’The best graduated dancer in Hungary 2002’ award, and became the first couple in the Latin Ballroom Raking List in 2001 with her partner, Andras Faluvegi. After the school she joined Budapest Dance Theatre for 4 years directed by Béla Földi, and became one of the main dancers. They were touring around Europe, Italy, France, Holland and Israel. She spent impressive years with Badora Dance Company Eger, where she was the main character of the Nutcracker, and had some experiance in acting too. From 2006 was working beside the dancing as a Stott Pilates Personal Trainer at the Balance Studio Budapest. Moved to London at the beginning of 2010, where she met Leon Rose, and joined the Paris based Project. Salsa was always the part of her life since she finished the ballroom dances, but she comitted herself to the cross body style since she moved to London. Choreographed a few contemporary pieces in Hungary, such as ’One body with two souls’, which was the early bird of her own style called ’Consla’. Recently she works on develope the technique which is an interesting fusion of contemporary, contact and salsa dancing.
A Leon Rose routine is as exhilarating to watch as it is to dance, and it seems that dance fans around the globe agree. Leon has taken his unique and innovative style to as far afield as Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East and travelled extensively in South America and the Caribbean, inspiring salsa enthusiasts to add their own unique flavor to the art form.
It seems that, when it comes to his beloved genre, there are no limits. “Salsa is my life. Every day involves salsa some how. Whether it’s rehearsing for a show or jumping on a plane to go teach in another country…” He enthuses. “I’m in another world when I’m creating and each time I dance, whether it’s on the dancefloor, in the rehearsal studio or even on stage, I’m creating…Within salsa there is not much I won’t do…As long as I’m being true to the art and myself