From Friday, August 30 to
Monday, September 2, 2024
DISCOVER OUR ARTISTS
INTERNATIONAL
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Bruno and Fae started dancing together in November 2015 and have since taught and performed at numerous events nationwide from local workshops to large international congresses.
In 2016 they took second place in the semi-pro division of the Zouk US Open with their popular choreography piece “Worth It” and shortly after got featured in the “Fences” movie, that’s currently in production stage.
Fae has a rich dance background in classical ballet, modern, contemporary and commercial jazz, as well as hip hop and heels choreographies. She is also an All-Star west coast swing dancer.
Bruno is trained in hip hop, salsa, kizomba and of course brazilian zouk. He has been on the social dance scene of his hometown Braga, Portugal since he was 14 years old.
Together Bruno and Fae are one of the high ranking Brazilian zouk couples in the US - dancers, instructors, performers, choreographers and certified judges for Brazilian zouk competitions. Bruno and Fae are also the directors of the Elevation Zouk Festival in Denver CO and the Dream Zouk Week dance camp in Clearwater, FL, along with smaller events and classes in Central Florida.
Having combined their knowledge and experience as dancers and teachers, Bruno and Fae have built a unique and memorable style, which they are always eager to share
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Alex de Carvalho began his dance career in 1996 by joining the Jaime Arôxa Dance Academy. Soon after, he started to gain his popularity and participated and performed in dance and TV shows, serials and soap operas in Brazil. He then became a dance reference and was requested to coach many Ballroom Dance Schools in Brazil.
One of his most prominent jobs in TV took place at “Dança Dos Famosos”, a Brazilian version of the worldwide TV show “Dancing With The Stars”. There he taught and partnered Hortência Marcari – a former internationally known basketball player.
In 2009 he earned the “Medalha Tiradentes” the most prestigious award in Rio de Janeiro, for his dedication to dance on behalf of the Culture, Education and Social Inclusion.
Alex de Carvalho is a Director of the International Council of Brazilian Zouk (BZDC), President of the “Salão Brasil” Association in Paris and registered in the Sindicat of Dance Professionals of Rio de Janeiro.
For 18 years he has been the owner of CDAC, one of the most popular dance schools in Brazil and for 10 years also DBAC – Brazilian zouk in Paris, France.
Training and mentoring dance professionals all over the world, Alex, who currently resides in Paris, is one of the greatest international artists in his field who created many of the world’s leading Brazilian Zouk dancers.
NATIONAL
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In September 2018, Gaétan, having a strong background in Martial Arts, West Coast Swing and Blues, and Deanna, having compiled her experience from Cheerleading and Latin + other dances (Funky, Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba), join forces to restart Brazilian Zouk classes in Quebec City.
To do so, they were coached at the beginning of their teaching by Eric Marrapodi, then took off for a 6-year journey of continuous involvement and development of a new and still growing community.
Representing the independent organization "Zouk Québec", they strive to maintain collaborative and mutual support relationships with the local Latin dance schools, as well as with the various Brazilian Zouk leaders from their city or elsewhere with whom they have the honor to work with.
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Iva and Eleonora decided to join their dancing and knowledge, becoming dance partners since the beginning of April 2022. Combining their teaching skills from the start, both of them brought their own teaching backgrounds and a lot of drive to be active parts of the dance community.
They have been teaching locally weekly classes and for Canada Zouk Congress since 2022 and gained their MAC certification in May 2023. They keep growing in their skills under Pedro and Ana’s mentoring since July 2023.
Iva and Eleonora are most known for their fun and energetic flavor in both their personality and dance. They enjoy teaching a variety of topics with a strong emphasis on connection and body awareness.
Their current repertoire includes Brazilian zouk (follow & lead), Kizomba (follow & lead), Bachata (follow & lead), Salsa (follow), Afro (basic), Contemporary (basic), Belly dancing (basic), ballet (basic), jazz (basic), and hip-hop (advanced).
Iva and Eleonora are really passionate about continuing to grow in their craft, and seeing their students grow with them.
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Smoothee founded Ilha Lambada in 2018 where he offers regular lambada classes. His journey started first as a DJ. Since 2012, he is invested in the Brazilian zouk scene in Montreal as a dancer, DJ and event co-organizer. Smoothee got his first dance instructor certification with Interfusion Dance school and then moved on to specialize in lambada. He followed numerous lambada instructor certifications, such as with Braz dos Santos, a lambada pioneer in Key West (USA), with Zen Zouk school in New York, the Lambada Viva program in Portland and the Lambada Mastery program in Poland. Smoothee has also been mentored by renowned instructors in Brazil and Argentina. Smoothe has performed as a DJ, dancer and instructor in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
Artist at heart, Prisca started training in latin dances in 2018 at Salsa Attitude school in Quebec City. In 2021, she discovers Brazilian zouk and then Lambada in 2022. She has participated in numerous festivals as a dancer and official photographer and videographer. She finally got into her first teacher training, Lambada Mastery, with Ariel Parachin and Leticia Castro in Poland. She has joined Ilha Lambada dance school in Montreal where she teaches regular lambada classes with Smoothee since 2024.
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Kyle & Meg are directors and co-creators of Navi Dance from Ottawa, Ontario. They are often recognized for their approachable teaching style and balance in lead/follow techniques.
Kyle started dance as a child and competed in jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, and lyrical. He found Zouk while pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology where he met Meg at a workshop. At the time, Meg was fully immersed in performances and competitions for Salsa & Bachata, but not too busy to recognize the perfect partner.
Meg helped introduce Kyle to the world of partner dance techniques, and Kyle brought his understanding of classical styles into their movements and the concepts that they teach. Together, they enjoy the versatility that Brazilian Zouk has to offer. They like to explore connection, comfortable mechanics, and creative variations.
Kyle & Meg are always grateful for the opportunity to share their experience and help others grow. They feel honored to be included among such an incredible group of instructors at this event by ZE Montreal.
DJs
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Native of the island of Réunion where he began his DJ adventure; SamXsaM (also known as Samuray) is a DJ based in Quebec city. More known for his DJ’ing in Kizomba since 2015; SamXsaM joined the big zouk family to propose music influenced by hip-hop, RnB, electro, jazz, lyrical and of course Kizomba. Through his international experience, he will offer mixes ranging from delicate to more rhythmic sounds, while working on smooth transitions. Hence, he’ll invite you to dive into an original and exotic universe…
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DJ Peac3, originating from the serene mountains of southern Peru, is a dedicated member of the global zouk community. Rooted in the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of his homeland, DJ Peac3's journey into music was shaped by the rhythmic traditions of the Andes. These early experiences instilled in him a profound appreciation for the power of music to unite and uplift communities.
Inspired by DJ Lov3, DJ Peac3 has embarked on a journey to share the soul-stirring rhythms of Brazilian zouk. They bring together diverse influences to create harmonious musical experiences that resonate deeply with dancers.
DJ Peac3's true education came from the dance floors and communities he encountered along the way. DJ Peac3's expertise lies in his ability to craft sets that speak to the hearts of dancers, drawing on a diverse palette of sounds and rhythms. His intuitive sense of connection with the zouk community ensures that every performance is a shared journey of discovery and joy.
Beyond his musical pursuits, DJ Peac3 finds fulfillment in fostering connections within the zouk community, whether through social events, workshops, or simply sharing stories and experiences. He cherishes the bonds forged on the dance floor and strives to create spaces where everyone feels welcome and valued.
DJ Peac3 is dedicated to nurturing the growth and vibrancy of the zouk community. With a vision of fostering deeper connections and understanding through music and dance, he continues to spread love and positivity wherever his journey takes him.
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DJ Ocho Z is a Brazilian Zouk DJ and Remixer based in Washington, DC. With over 7 years of experience, DJ Ocho Z has become a rising star DJ in the International Brazilian Zouk community, specifically, the east coast of the US, Canada, and Europe. He is known for his motto siempre para sentir, always to feel. He plays everything Zoukable, and listening to his sets is like a journey taking you to all the different global sounds and powerful emotions of Zoukable music.
Originally from Spain, while living in Washington D.C., Ocho was the resident DJ at several local events for Kizomba and Zouk. Most notably, he was the resident for 6 years at Sunset for Dancers a Zouk and Bachata outdoor social. Ocho began first as a Kizomba instructor and DJ, then later became a Zouk instructor and DJ. After 5+ years of teaching and DJing Zouk, he began organizing national events such as the Boston International Zouk Festival and the DC Zouk Marathon.
During his time, he has performed at these festivals
DC Zouk Festival 2019
Zouk Heat Festival 2019
Prague Zoukmass 2019
Warsaw Zouk Festival 2020
Toronto Zouk Marathon 2022
Boston International Zouk Festival 2022
Dança Zouk Fest Montreal 2022
And so many more.
To listen to his sets:
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Dj Friday (Kevin Friday) was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where he still resides. The son of Trinidadian immigrant parents, Kevin credits his style of dj'ing to his exposure to Caribbean music (particularly Calypso and Soca) growing up and his fascination with beat mixing since he was a teen. He has dabbled with dj'ing ever since and his stints included, working for a wedding dj company during his college years, briefly dabbling with University radio, playing for family and friends as well as corporate Christmas parties.
His genre of focus during those years ranged from Soca/Calypso to Hip Hop / R&B, House and Dancehall. He started dj'ing Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba in the summer of 2018 and was also introduced to Brazilian Zouk shortly thereafter. He started dj'ing Brazilian Zouk in January of 2019 and fell love with the dance and the various styles of music blended into the zouk genre.
Dj Friday sees overlap with traditional Carribean Zouk love and other Caribbean sounds like the slower version of Groovy Soca, Dancehall, Reggaeton and Afro-beat. He has also grown fond of Neo-Zouk with its emphasis on the "chill" electro sound. He enjoys sharing his passion for the above with the dance community.
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DJ DANM started DJ’ing in social dance events in 2017. Initially with Brazilian Zouk, a form of partner dance created in Brazil. Since then, DJ DANM has played music for other styles of social dancing such as salsa, bachata, west coast swing and kizomba. DJ DANM also performs in private events for families and businesses and is active in promoting Brazilian music in a variety of cultural events.
VIDEOS
BRUNO & FAE
ALEX DE CARVALHO