Boulder Social Streets: Dancing in the Street
Instructor & Performer Bios
Learn more about the talented dance instructors and performers contributing to the Dancing in the Street event!
Shreya Venkatesh
Shreya is an Indian classical dancer with over 20 years of experience, specializing in a South Indian art form called Bharatanatyam. She is a student of SMT. Nita Mallya with the Sampradaya School of Dance and performed her professional debut in May 2017. As part of Cornell University's premier Indian Classical Dance Team, she performed competitively across the US. Additionally, she has attended choreography and technique workshops by several well-known artists such as Rukmini Vijayakumar, Dr. Seshadri Iyengar, and Guru Padmini Ravi. Follow her at @dancingshreya!
Jennifer Secrist Goran
The Nawaar Marketplace & Dance Company has been a belly dance institution in North Boulder for nearly 20 years. They offer 6 weekly classes for a variety of skill levels and have a large costume shop, featuring everything for belly dancing, including skirts, tops, hip belts, jewelry and so much more. You’ll also find quality workout and festival wear and garments suitable for Renaissance inspired costuming as well. Be sure to check out their website: www.TribeNawaar.com.
Megan Yalkut
Hamsa Arts offers instruction through classes, demonstrations, and workshops as well as performances in traditional and creative arts, world music, and dance. The creative vision of Hamsa Arts stems from the desire to honor and preserve traditional arts around the world. Megan Yalkut, the director, has studied Middle Eastern Dance since 1995 with a variety of master teachers in CA and CO, as well as in Nepal and Bali. Her first primary teacher was the illustrious Alexandra King (voted best instructor in America by The Belly Dance Academy Award Committee, and director of the UC Santa Barbara Midle Easter Studies dance dept.) with whom she studied privately for 4 years as well as attending her group classes at UCSB. In 2007, Megan developed a special love for Persian Classical dance and began studying intensively with master teacher Shahrzad Khorsandi. Megan's in depth studies of Middle Eastern Dance have included cabaret, folkloric, and gypsy styles from Egypt, Turkey, Persia, Greece, Central Europe, and India. Additionally, she has an extensive background in modern, contact improv, jazz and a 10 yr. foundation in ballet and began performing various forms of dance at the age of 14. Her study of belly dance began with the desire to prepare for child-birth and grew into a great love for the dance as an art form and performance venue. Learn more at https://boulderbellydance.org.
Vanessa Gerhards
An energetic, physically fit and confident Dance teacher who has a successful track record of improving a student’s knowledge and understanding of dance and assuring helping students find their passion. Vanessa holds recognized teaching qualifications, has experience of teaching all age groups and not only fully understands the needs of students, but also has the ability to quickly engage with them. During her career she has taught in private dance schools, recreational programs, public schools and Universities, added to this she has experience of teaching ballet, jazz, contemporary dance, creative dance for children, musical theater and acrobatic arts. She has been teaching with Kinesis Dance - formerly with the City of Boulder - for the last 18 years. She also founded KinderDanceHaus, which produces and publishes children’s creative dance music and will launch at the end of July on all streaming music platforms by the end of July 2023.
Kat and Amos Rose from Swingin' Denver
Founded by Kenny Nelson in 2014, Swingin’ Denver arose from the desire for community, collaboration, and inspiration. Learn more about Swingin' Denver by visiting their website and following them on Instagram: @swinginden, Facebook and TikTok: @swingindenver. Photo Credit: Timothy Nwachukwu
Eric "El Cubanito" Freeman
Eric "El Cubanito" Freeman is an internationally known salsa instructor and video producer. His renowned instructional videos have sold over 20,000 copies in 75 countries. Eric has taught salsa throughout Europe, Latin America and at the Puerto Rico Salsa Congress. Salsaville Dance Studios offers new weekly dance classes starting at the beginning of every month here in Boulder, Colorado. Directed by Colorado’s world-renowned salsa dance instructor, Eric 'El Cubanito' Freeman, Salsaville offers every level of salsa dancing from the absolute "scared-to-try" beginner through the super-advanced dancer. We usually run four to six courses each month. Since we have most levels running each month, you can easily progress through the classes and be out dancing like a pro quickly. No previous experience is required to join our salsa dancing classes. All you need are regular comfortable street clothes, some non-stick shoes, and a willingness to learn, have fun, and meet new people! Come join the thousands of other satisfied Salsaville students who have learned salsa dancing from us since 1999, and many of whom have gone on to make dancing a major part of their lives. Please visit http://salsaville.com/teaching.htm for details on all of our course offerings and how to sign-up. We also have several options for private dance instruction. You can reach us by phone at 720-773-1239 or via email at info@salsaville.com.
Romeo Wong Henderson
Romeo is all about diversity, from his Amazonian roots in Cumbia, to Salsa, Swing, funk and soul. His profound connection and inquisitiveness with music led him to a Lindy Hop party in 2009. This began a journey that brought this sense of shared joy and community. Coming from a multicultural background and having lived in 3 different countries, he perceives the world in a different way,
Jean Hertzberg & Gora Gora Orkestar
Gora Gora Orkestar brings the sounds of the Balkans to the Rockies with high energy performances. Formed in the fall of 2009, this 10 piece brass band is dedicated to making the audience dance with its infectious rhythm and own brand of feel-good music. Our sound is an eclectic mix, blending Old World melodies of Eastern European folk, with the back beat of American funk and the sultry sway of South American tango into a genre that we have coined “Brass-Hop”. This happy caravan of musicians is comprised of seasoned veterans in the performance, education, and composition of music. The “Infinite Swag” EP was released in 2011 featuring five of GGO’s most recognizable tunes with a follow-up record slated for release in 2014. Gora Gora Orkestar has maintained a busy performance schedule which includes local and national music festivals along with headlining shows at a wide variety of venues. Community outreach is also a big part of the Gora Gora Orkestar mission as we have visited many public schools, performed for local 5k marathons and continue to participate in fund-raising for local businesses. Learn more and listen to their music: reverbnation.com/GoraGoraOrkestar; facebook.com/GoraGoraOrkestar; twitter.com/GoraGoraOrk; soundcloud.com/GoraGoraOrkestar.