Jacob Heiss website DJ Jacob Heiss is Chicago's leading Kizomba and Zouk DJ.  DJ Jacob retired from his day job in 2016 and has been on the DJ road ever since.   ...

Ebonie Lee (aka Firefly), is an Atlanta-based Brazilian Zouk instructor and part of Zouk Atlanta. Ebonie has trained extensively in a diverse range of dance modalities. Growing up in NYC influenced her eclectic worldview. Pursuing a B.A. in Japanese, she lived abroad in Kyoto in 2005-06 and studied classical Japanese dance. Upon her return to Williams College, Ebonie pursued African, Latin, contemporary Indian and Modern dance. She moved to Washington, DC to immerse herself in an evolving arts community, interning and dancing at the Dance Exchange and the DC Dance Collective. Eventually, Ebonie added Contemporary, Jazz and Blues to her repertoire. Ebonie joined Tanya Kianda Fiske’s all-female YemaShun Dance Company, studying and performing Mambo and Afro-Latin dance with Fiske and Psyon D. Scott. Introduced to Brazilian Zouk in 2010 by Atoro on a Mambo dance floor, Firefly immersed herself in the form, studying under Atoro. Upon her return to NYC in 2012, Ebonie continued to stud...

Nashville Zouk Nouveau Justin Henderson, aka "Mr. Zouk," has been Latin dancing since 2009 and began Zouk studies in 2011. For Justin and Zouk, it was love at first sight.  Justin has led a weekly Zouk class for the last two years and has taught more students than anyone else in Nashville.  Last year, Iliana and Justin joined forces and since then, they command the Zouk dance floor!  With Justin's hilariously-entertaining teaching style and Iliana's gracefulness, they make Zouk an awe-inspiring, FUN adventure.   Iliana Armstrong moved to Columbia, Maryland at the age of nine with her family in pursuite of a dance career in ballet. One of the first to be selected for a pre-professional program at The Kennedy Center, Iliana began her training under Suzanne Farrell with Dance Theatre of Harlem Pre-Professional Residency. It was evident, even though a late bloomer, Iliana was a natural dancer and a quick study. She continued training in this program for four years and...

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 th...

Born in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico, Luis Angel Loredo came to the states when he was 9 years old. Although, his family is filled with musicians, it wasn't until his freshman year in high school that Luis Loredo began to tune into the sounds of music. But once he did, music took over his life very quickly. Bass guitar was his instrument of choice and like any other musician, he began exploring a multitude of other instruments including piano, organ, flute, guitar, and drums. He played in his church band as a bassist while traveling around the states for 10 years. At age 25, Loredo found himself in a club listening to bachata. The heavy bass beat and acoustic guitar stole his heart. But there was one problem: he couldn't dance at all. His body could not translate what his heart was feeling. So he began training with Arlington's Marcus Negron, who taught him salsa on 1 for about one-and-a-half years. Right after, Loredo began to train with the well-known Roberto Lay and his Dall...

Cynthia Mendez was raised in Austin, TX and graduated from St.Edward’s University. She has been with Austin Inspired Movement since it’s inception! Her time with Austin Inspired Movement has included teaching salsa, bachata, kziomba and ladies styling. In addition, she has co-directed numerous student teams, including Seduxion, Inspired Movement, and Daniel and Desiree World Team project and is currently a member of the dance team Pasiones Semi-Pro team. She has taught throughout the US and internationally at numerous festivals, congresses, and workshops. With a passion for dance and a love of teaching, she enjoys sharing that love with the Austin Inspired Movement family and her students. Cynthia Mendez is Luis Loredo's Zouk partner for the Nashville Dance Congress 2017. Enjoy this video of Cynthia Mendez and Favian Bustos at her Austin-based studio Inspired Movement. ...

  Brad Meccia is a very dedicated Zouk instructor. In June 2016, Brad trained with Zouk Legend Renata Peçanha in Brazil.  With a PhD in biomedical engineering, Brad's ZOUK is detailed and well-instructed.  Brad travels weekly between Nashville and Knoxville, as well as having performed with Lotus Folk in the 2016 New York Zouk Festival.   Lotus became deeply rooted in the therapeutic life of dance back in 2009 when she found Brazilian Zouk. Since then she has learned and taught in the US, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. Zouk has helped her to grow into the person she is today by illuminating the nature of connection. Before her life as a dancer, Lotus was a strong competitive swimmer. At age 19 she was already ranked 43rd in the world and received a scholarship to the University of Tennessee. Around this same time is when she fell in love with Zouk. It served as an outlet from the life of a Division 1 athlete. In the winter of 2011 a shoulder injury caused Lotu...