INSTRUCTORS

Patty Vo

As one of the most creative and dynamic dancers around, Patty Vo is known for her unique style of dance. She has been dancing for over 16 years and is recognized as one of the top female West Coast Swing Dancers on the scene. Through her versatility she is able to mesh her unique styles of dance to create a distinctive style of her own.

She is known for her incredible “feel for the music”, creativity, versatility, and especially, her footwork on the dance floor, also a highly respected international instructor, judge, and competitor. She competes at the Showcase Division and Champion level and has won numerous national competitions and awards, including placing five times at the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships.

Patty teaches all over the World including; France, UK, Australia, Russia, Canada, USA, and many more.

She is a tough teacher that focuses on technique, music, timing, creativity, and most of all, having fun. Her classes are very challenging, innovative, and extremely insightful. Her methods have produced some of the fastest moving and best dancers in the country.In her teaching style, Patty focuses on connection, centering, musicality, footwork, and lead/follow techniques, also incorporating various aspects of her favorite dances: West Coast Swing, Country, Salsa, Shag, Ballroom, and Jazz. Her dance training includes West Coast Swing, Ballroom, Salsa, Jazz, Lyrical, Hustle, Shag, and Country.

Veronica Castilla

With multiple widely recognized hustle titles, Veronica has earned her stripes of an esteemed hustle dancer and instructor over the years. As a 7X World Salsa Champion, Veronica has extensive training and expertise in partner-based dances.

Through the tutelage of Paul Pellicoro and many other instructors, she began her hustle and salsa training in 2006 at DanceSport in NYC, prompting her partnership with tricks and lifts specialist, Rainer Trubiere and salsa pioneer, Nelson Flores. Soon after, she partnered up with Billy Marti. Together they have numerous hustle medals.

While specializing in lifts and tricks, Veronica is also known for her keen attention to detail and effortless style of hustle dancing, which has amassed the wide/ranging student base she possesses today. Influenced by prior hustle pioneers, Veronica hopes to bridge the gap between the younger and older generations of hustle to further develop and grow the hustle communities. You can catch Veronica in the highly regarded Lin Manuel Miranda directed dance film, In the Heights.

Wendy Nielsen

One of our local highly certified dance instructors with over 30 years of professional ballroom and successful competitive career. Wendy has Top Teacher awards in American style, Rhythm, and Smooth.