Dance
Javier started his passion for dancing as a member of the Folkloric Ballet of the University of Concepcion, in Concepcion, Chile, while he was doing his bachelor degree in Electronic Engineering. It was there where he learned a variety of Latin American rhythms from 2001 until 2008, performing in several stages around the region. In this period, he learned Cuban salsa and sometimes he assisted the salsa classes organized by his university for students. He eventually joined the salsa team “Son Clave” and the ballroom team “TABÚ” and learned the basics of Argentine Tango.
When he moved to the USA in 2010 to pursue his postgraduate studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology, he was a co-founder of the Latin Rhythm Dance Club, where he acted as a dance instructor (Salsa, Bachata) and co-choreographer and performer of its dance team. He also joined the Chilean dance team “Chile Lindo”. Both teams reached recognition on the local community under his leadership. At the same time, he specialized in salsa New York style and Argentine Tango, attending several congresses and taking workshops with recognized instructors.
Just before moving to Washington, DC in 2015 for work and in searching for a new dance horizon, he discovered his love for Brazilian Zouk after taking a workshop by Jessica “Unicorn” Lambdon. Now in Washington, DC, he has participated in several zouk congresses and festival in the U.S. and Canada, where he has had the privilege of learning and dancing with the best exponent of Brazilian Zouk. He joined the District Zouk dance team in 2016.
What captivated him from Brazilian Zouk was its unique connection, which he has not found in any other couple dance. For him, Brazilian Zouk is the ultimate expression of social (couple) dances.