Cristi Boone and Clinton Lacerda

Cristi & Clinton's website

Clinton Lacerda and Cristi Boone are true pioneers of Brazilian Zouk. They have taught and performed in world-renowned Zouk events throughout Brazil and Europe, such as Uaizouk in Uberlândia, ZimZouk in Porto Alegre, Recife Zouk Congress, BSB Dança Zouk Congress in Brasilia, Zouk in Rio in Rio de Janeiro, International Zouk and Lambada Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Vienna Zouk Congress, Zouktime in Brno, All Stars Festival in Budapest, Prague Zouk Congress, Dresden Zouk Family Meeting, Berlin International Zouk Congress, Zurich Zouk World Cup, Corpo Carioca in St. Petersburg, Oman Zouk Holiday in Muscat, Oman and ZNL Music Festival in Rosarito, Mexico and various other cities around Europe and the USA.

***Clinton Lacerda***

Clinton is a full time professional dance choreographer, teacher and performer of Brazilian dances specializing in Brazilian Zouk Lambada, Samba de Gafiera, Bolero and Forró.

Clinton started dancing in 1999, at the tender age of ten when Leandro Ferreira, a prestigious ballroom dance teacher, offered Clinton an opportunity to participate in his dance company specializing in samba, bolero and east coast swing. Clinton accepted and stayed with the company for four years.

In 2000, with Leandro Ferreira's dance company, he won second place in a competition in Instituto de Educação School. During the next year, he performed at many weddings, festivals, dances, and other events. In 2004, Clinton became a member of Carol Marques' ballroom dance company, in which he performed for two years.

In 2006, he passed a dance test for Renata Peçanha's dance school, where he formed many friendships with people like Freddy Marinho, Leonardo Neves and Jorge Peres, who were important influences in acquiring his detailed knowledge of zouk technique. Renata Peçanha quickly recognized Clinton's natural ability as a dance teacher and after only two weeks at her school, Clinton taught his first dance class. One year later, Clinton was invited to join Renata Peçanha's dance company, and from that day on, he was unstoppable.

Clinton won third place in the II International Zouk and Lambada Congress in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to performing in one of the world's best zouk companies, he also began giving classes in the following schools: Renata Peçanha, Jimmy de Oliveira, Centro de Dança Lóbinos, Alvaro Reis, Academia de Ballet Marilda Flores, Equipe 1.

Clinton complements his dance training with a solid basis of five years of classical ballet with Marcia Pinheiro and Marilda Flores, along with jazz training with Jair Cardoso, Amanda Leal and Washington Cardoso. and circus training in gymnastics, silks, and tumbling with Tiago Ryo and others. Clinton has also been privileged to have the opportunity to perform with key figures of Brazilian dance including Renata Pecanha, Jorge Peres, Kamacho, Grace Wanke, Ingrid Lacerda, Vanessa Rodrigues, Fernando Martins, Freddy Marinho and Andressa Castelhano.

Since beginning his partnership with Cristi, he has had the opportunity to participate in events in Brazil, including Uaizouk in Uberlândia, ZimZouk in Porto Alegre, Recife Zouk Congress, BSB Dança Zouk Congress in Brasilia, Zouk in Rio in Rio de Janeiro, International Zouk and Lambada Congress in Rio de Janeiro, and more. Currently, Clinton is on tour in Europe, participating in world-renowned zouk events such as Vienna Zouk Congress, Prague Zouk Congress, Dresden Zouk Family Meeting, Berlin International Zouk Congress, Zurich Zouk World Cup, and Corpo Carioca in St. Petersburg. He is also administering workshops in various other locations including Utretch, London, Helsinki, Vienna, Paris, Bremen, Munich, among others.

***Cristi Boone***

Cristi Boone is a professional dance choreographer, teacher and performer of Brazilian zouk, forro, salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia and ballroom with 14 years of dance experience. She began her dance career at an early age, in 1998, in Nashville, Tennessee. She studied classical ballet and jazz for five years and by 1999 became part of Kairos Dance Ministries dance company, specializing in ballet, modern dance, and jazz performances.

In 2001, she began performing and teaching her own choreographies. In 2003, Cristi entered the world of ballroom and latin dance and after only six months from her first step on the salsa dance floor, she won second place at the 2003 Club Caliente Salsa Competition. This was followed soon after by earning second place at the Coco Loco Salsa Competition in 2004, and first place at Belmont's Latin Music Street Fair in 2005.

In 2007, Cristi relocated to Los Angeles and joined Diana Sanchez's salsa dance company Cabio Sile, where she performed at Spirit of Dance, the 2008 West Coast Salsa Congress, and other events in the Los Angeles area. She then began focusing on bachata and zouk in 2009, when she joined Bachata Caliente with her partner Anthony Umina as assistant directors of the company. They performed together in events in Los Angeles and at the San Francisco International Bachata Festival. Cristi then traveled to Australia, and only two weeks after her arrival in the country, she performed a bachata choreography by Nestor Manuelian and Katrina Quintal, along with her very first zouk choreography at the LDA Ball in Sydney, and later at Brazil Central in Brisbane. She was awarded first place in the Australian Bachata Championship, Amateur Division with her partner Amit Aurora and first place at the the White Horse Best Social Dancer competition in Sydney, which judged bachata, salsa, and zouk dancing.

In 2011 and 2012, Cristi dedicated herself to studying dance in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Her fast learning ability, skill, dedication and commitment was recognized by her teacher, Renata Pecanha, the "Queen of Zouk" who offered her a position as a dance teacher in her dance school and a much coveted performing position in her dance company. After only one month of partnership and training with Clinton Lacerda, they won 7th place in the 3rd International Zouk and Lambada Congress of Rio de Janeiro Competition along with teaching workshops at the event.

COMPETITION TITLES

1st place White Horse Best Social Dancer Competition 2010
1st place in the Australian Bachata Championship, Amateur Division 2009
1st place at the 2005 Nashville Latin Music Street Fair
2nd place in Instituto de Educação School's competition
2nd place 2003 Club Caliente Salsa Competition
2nd place 2004 Coco Loco Salsa Competition
3rd place in the II International Zouk and Lambada Congress in Rio de Janeiro
7th place in the III International Zouk and Lambada Congress in Rio de Janeiro