I come from the colourful twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago; known for its beautiful weather, food, culture and Carnival.  My 20 years of dance experience and over 10 years of fitness instruction and personal training experience, combined with that rhythm that runs deep in my Trini veins, is sure to captivate you and have you movin’ and shakin’ in my classes!!  As a Mother of two, I most definitely remember wanting to enjoy every moment of my daughter’s first days and now I am delighted to be dancing with my little boy!  It  is my passion for dance and fitness that I hope to bring to you during your first few months with your baby and beyond.  I look forward to continuously providing some of the most outstanding and fun-filled programs available for Moms and their little ones.  Let’s dance!

Yoga and swimming were on the top of my list when searching for an activity to get back into shape with my then 3-month-old daughter, Reyna. After reading about Salsa Babies in a magazine article on Salsa Babies, my search for mommy and baby exercise ended! I signed up for one session after another, during which my daughter fell asleep every class! I credit the workouts from Rachael's classes to getting me back to pre-pregnancy size and then some, in no time! Now, as an instructor for Salsa Babies, I aspire to motivate mommies and babies to spend quality time together through dance.

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I have always loved dancing and all types of music. Working in the travel business for the past 12 years and being able to travel to Mexico, Cuba  and the Caribbean Islands has exposed me to all different types of music and all types of dancing, especially Latin music and salsa dancing.   As a mother of 2 children (a 5 year old boy and a 15 month old girl) I want to make sure that music and dancing in all forms are present in their lives. So when I heard about Salsa Babies I couldn’t wait to sign up with my daughter Chloe.  Both Chloe and I were hooked during the 1st class.  It was a great way to stay active, listen to great music, learn fun & easy dance steps and meet other moms.  Bringing home the music and energy of Salsa Babies has given me the pleasure of watching both my children enjoy the music and try out the dance steps with me.  I am very excited to be part of the Viva Salsa Babies team as an instructor for both Salsa Babies and Salsa Tots.  I look forward to seeing you and your little ones and can’t wait to bring my love of music, dance and fun to each class

Julieta Tabares Sanchez
Instructor
Oakville, Burlington
 
Being a native of Colombia, I grew up with Salsa, Merengue and all the other dances and music my country is famous for.  When I arrived in Canada, a couple of years ago, I decided to turn my long standing dedication to personal fitness into something more professional. I’m a Personal Trainer certified by The Alliance Fitness Corporation and by CAN-FIT-PRO as well.  I’m also a certified CAN-FIT-PRO Group Fitness Trainer.  As a ZUMBA fitness instructor, I host ZUMBA fitness classes on a regular basis in the Oakville/Mississauga/Milton area. I’m a happily married mother of a ten year old son. I’m very happy when I’m with my family, my friends and when I’m teaching too. My objective is to bring creative energy to the dance and fitness industry. As a fitness professional, my career mission is to educate others in exercising and empower them to improve the quality of life through physical fitness.  Being a part of the team from Salsa Babies gives me the opportunity to share with you my passion for music and dance.

Lydia Lemus
Instructor
Oakville, Burlington

I am of Irish and English decent, born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario.  I have always been a fan of tropical places, and in particular the latin ones.  I love the sand under my feet and the ocean breeze so much that I got married on the beach in Mexico on the Mayan Riviera!  I was introduced to salsa dancing over 10 years ago and I fell in love with the dance and the music, especially the music by Marc Anthony!  I have been teaching Salsa, Merengue and Bachata for about 9 years and was a member of the Hamilton Salsa Dance Team from 2003 to 2006.  We performed at various venues, including the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, the Leander Boat Club in Hamilton and also at the Atlanta Salsa Congress in 2005.  I am also an assistant dance instructor at a nightclub in Hamilton.  My love for salsa dancing and my teaching experience will surely inspire you to get your feet movin’ and your bodies shakin’ in my Salsa Babies Class and get your tots up and playin’ and dancin’ to the music in my Salsa Tots Class.

I graduated from Mohawk College and have worked as a legal clerk in criminal, civil litigation and family law for over 15 years.  My daughter, Siobhan (pronounced Shi-von), was born in June of 2007, and I absolutely loved dancing with her and getting fit at the same time.  I hope to make your time with me fun and rewarding.  As your Salsa Babies and Salsa Tots instructor I will provide you with a stress-free environment while you and your little ones dance to the Latin beats.  Just relax and have fun!

Sarah Vachliotis
Instructor
Mississauga

My ethnic background is a mix of many things.  My father is Greek and Chilean and my mother is second generation Canadian with an English and Scottish background.  I must say, that the Chilean part of me is very prevalent in my blood.  I have recently lived 6 months in Chile and loved it.  I fell in love with the music, language and most importantly - the dancing.     I am a graduate of Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts.  To graduate from Randolph you have to be a Triple Threat, which is a singer, dancer and actor.  I have been dancing since the age of three.  I have studied various types of dance: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Ballroom, Belly Dancing and Salsa.  I have competed in many dance competitions in Canada and the USA.  My greatest highlight as a dancer was the honour of being taught ballet by Karen Kain and filmed for a TV show called Class Act with Gregory Hines.  Since Randolph, I have been a dance instructor for children and adults.  My other passion is working with children.  For the past 4 years, while teaching dance, I have worked as an Executive Nanny. Now I have my own little boy, Isaiah, who was born March 12, 2008.  I am really looking forward to teaching Salsa Babies and Salsa Tots and meeting all of your little angels.