ABOUT US

Saint Patrick's Charity Salsa Weekend Team
	Karen GD	Director and Organiser Floor Manager & overall Boss :-p
	Sharon Kelly	PA to KGD prior to event Stage Manager and Artist Liaison
	Sue Watson	Booking In Manager Volunteer co-ordinator
	Mike Parr	DJ & Sound Manager
	Alison Jones	Domestic Logistics Manager
	Vicky Blackburn	Assistant Stage
	Angela Millar	Assistant Floor
	Alison Raynor	Tuck Shop & Domestic Assistant
	Ali B	Security Manager
	Karen O'Reilly	UNICEF Contact
	Gaynor Jones	Breast Cancer Care Contact
VOLUNTEERS	Sue, Helen, Paul, Peter, Emma, Rosslyn & more (TBC)

St Patricks Charity Weekend - Aims for this festival are 3 fold...
1. To raise awareness and funds for 2 chosen charities:
- Haiti Relief fund (UNICEF - Charity Number 1072612)
- Breast Cancer Care (Charity Number 1017658). *All profits will be split between these charities.
2. To bring people together - not only dancers, but local teachers and esteemed professional dancers too...
3. To provide something new for existing Salsa dancers/students and provide exciting learning opportunities in Liverpool.

CHARITY
We are committed to giving - HELP GIVE HOPE

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Liverpool Salsa Festival Team

Karen aka Salsaroja - Director & Organiser
Karen aka Salsaroja is a Salsa teacher, DJ and promoter based in Liverpool, UK . She is also a proud mum to 3 sons... She heads the Salsaroja Team of dance teachers who provide Salsa Liverpool Salsa classes and Salsa events in Liverpool and Warrington. Director & Organiser of Liverpool Salsa Festival 2009.
Karen is a qualifies teacher - Certificate of Education (Hons - Adult Education) and used Latin dance as her teaching basis. She also has a degree in Psychology/Sociology, and holds qualifications in IT, Web Design, Law and Business courses.

Dance Background
With a background in Ballet and Flamenco dancing, her passion over the years is for Salsa and Latin dance.  At the beginning of her Salsa journey - over 10 years ago…she attended Topaz Dance School in Liverpool, before discovering lessons in ‘Club Salsa’ with Jose Cardoso, Jane Griffith's and Nigel. After living in USA for a year, Karen returned and trained as an apprentice teaching assistant to Jane and learned to become a Lead dancer.
She eventually started her own classes, joining forces with her business partner, Mambo DJ Mike Parr. Together they formed ‘Salsaroja & The Latin Experience’.

With dance experience gained in Salsa clubs in California, Europa and Cuba, she now teaches both 'Lead & Follower' roles for ‘Salsa Fusion’ (blending CBL On1 & Cuban Salsa), La Rueda, Cha Cha, Merengue, Bachata and increasingly popular ‘Salsa Aerobics’. Her working knowledge is increased each year with regular trips to Cuba and Europe to dance, perform and learn. She then brings this information back to the UK and brings elements into her scheme of work. Lessons are fun, with student centered, no ego approach...
"I feel very proud to know that many Salsa dancers in Liverpool learnt their first Salsa steps and how to enjoy Salsa with the Salsaroja Team... "

Past dance partners include, Michael Antony (Merseyside), Paris Allen (Manchester – specialising in CBL On1 style, Tango and Cha Cha), and Yosney Banderas (Cuba - authentic Cuban Salsa, Casino La Rueda).

Major influences, friendship and sheer admiration she lists Edie ‘Salsa Freak’, Eddie Torres, Angel Ortiz, Osbanis, Moe Flex, Lee Hunter, Mo T, Nicky LG, George ‘Dr Salsa’, Emma Moore and Paris.

"Not to forget my wonderful team of friends who are listed below... this festival would not be possible without you and I thank you everyone for their time, energy and support" xxx

Contact
07973 728513
karen@thelatinexperience.com
www.salsaliverpool.com

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DJ Mike Parr - Dj & Sound Manager
Mike, along with Karen (AKA Salsaroja) is the co-founder of The Latin Experience, Liverpool.

A well known and respected Salsa and Mambo Dj throughout the UK and Europe, Mike has worked in recent years at the Cypress Salsa Festival, BritFest, GBSEx and is resident DJ for Salsology events, and was up until summer 2009 the resident Dj at the weekly Sunday Opus event in Manchester. Mike together with fellow Dj Gillian of Salsa Fix, runs a popular monthly Mambo event in Manchester - Sunday M.A.S.S. (Mambo and Salsa Social).

 

07967486150
www.thelatinexperience.info ______________________________________________________________________________________

Sue watson - Booking In Manager & Volunteer Co-ordinator
Sue has been dancing salsa for 12 years. Having trained under Karen aka Salsaroja is a key member of the Salsaroja Team of teachers.

Sue is also a trained music teacher for the past 25 years, with a degree in music – BA (Hons), Certificate of Education and more recently she gained her BWY Diploma to teach Yoga...
“I teach yoga now with emphasis on body alignment and strength for adults”

Sue is a key member of the Salsaroja Team and Liverpool Salsa Festival team. She will also be teaching a specialised Yoga and Dance Class alongside Rosslyn Falconer our other yoga teacher, with an emphasis is on dance movement building alignment and strength, incorporating centering and being mindful - also all my classes cater for people with ailments such as back problems

www.susan-watson.co.uk
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Sharon Kelly - Fabulous PA to KGD prior to event. Also Stage Manager and Artist Liaison during the event. She also plays a key role in event promotion.

Sharon has worked with several large scale Salsa Companies, including Club Cubana Pontins weekenders. Having danced for many years she has a deep love of Latin dance and music.

Full Bio to follow soon

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Alison Jones - Domestic Logistics Manager
Alison is a key member of the Salsaroja Team of teachers and leads our Cuban Salsa classes in Warrington.
She has danced salsa for 6 years and learnt pure Cuban/Casino style salsa directly from Cuban dance teacher Yosney Banderas (Cuba), acting as his dance assistant and beginner’s teacher for 3 years.

Since then Alison has been personal assistant and an apprentice teacher to Karen aka Salsaroja;  learning Salsa fusion (a blend of Salsa CBL ON1 with the fluidity of Cuban Casino style) both as a leader and a follower specifically with the intention of further teacher training... She has now progressed to instructing her own classes to Intermediate level, teaching Salsa fusion, Cuban casino style and La Rueda.

"As a mental health worker I face challenging behavior on a daily basis so working with Karen is a breeze"
Very funny Alison... :-p
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Vicky Blackburn - Assistant Floor
Is a Nuclear Physicist currently working as a Radiation Protection Advisor and Waste Management consultant (yep we did not make it up, we really do have a dancing Nuclear Physicist on our team!).
Vicky has been dancing Salsa for just over 15 months with Karen and Alison in Warrington and says she enjoys every minute... She dances as both the lead and the follower, and makes a pretty good man :-)

"it's a great way to keep fit and make good friends! I volunteered to help out with the Salsa Liverpool Festival to ensure that this event is a success, both for those already dancing Salsa and those who have not yet discovered their secret passion!"

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Angela Millar - Assistant Stage

 

 

 

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VOLUNTEERS

Paula Zwaap

Susan Garrity

Helen & mum

Alison Raynor