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A native of San Francisco, Ken Delmar studied under Harold Christensen and Roberta Meyer at the San Francisco Ballet School. At the age of 13, he became the protege of Richard Gibson. During his teenage years, he was the principal dancer with the Peninsula Ballet Theater and "the wonderkind" of the Bay Area. At 16 years old, Ken received an invitation from the Bolshoi Ballet to tour the U.S. with them, and to study in Moscow afterward.
Ken gave private performances for Rudolf Nureyev & Margot Fonteyn, and for Princess Grace of Monaco at her palace.
Beginning in 1990, Ken passionately embraced the Tango, studying extensively in Argentina under the most renowned Tangueros. Since that time, his success with the tango has mirrored his prior successes in the world of ballet. In 1995, he was awarded 2nd Place in the Buenos Aires Radio Tribu Tango Contest, an unprecedented achievement for an outsider. He went on to win the Supreme Dance Award at the California Winter Festival. In 1999 to 2000, Ken introduced Argentine Tango to four Hawaiian Islands. During the 1990's, Ken founded the five most important milongas (Tango Parties) in San Francisco: Mission Blue Milonga, Monte Cristo Club, Studio 435 Broadway, Verdi Club and Tango Soma at Studio Gracia. In addition, he was the founder of the Argentine Tango Programs at the Metronome Ballroom and Studio Gracia.
From 2000 Ken passionately embraced Cuban Salsa and Afro Cuban Dance which he now teaches both at Cañada, and Skyline colleges.
Here are some highlights from Ken Delmar's Dance Career, from ballet to tango.
Here are some highlights from Ken Delmar's Dance Career, from ballet to tango.
Ken Delmar: Cuban Dance
Ken Delmar has studied Cuban dance and music for 38 years, beginning with an intensive two-week cultural exchange at Stanford University in the 1980s with lead dancers from Cuba’s Danza Nacional. Since then, he has continued studying with master teachers, including Roberto Borrell, Royland Lobato, and Kati Hernández, as well as other leading Cuban dancers and musicians.
What distinguishes Ken’s teaching is his attention to the details that can often get lost when dances are learned simply by following a leader. He has spent decades studying the fundamentals, practicing daily, taking private lessons, developing drills, and studying percussion to deepen his understanding of the music and movement.
His goal is not simply to teach steps, but to help dancers understand the essence of the dance—its technique, musicality, feeling. Ken brings together the historical knowledge and foundational details of the old-school Cuban tradition, incorporating Son and Cha Cha Chá into Salsa, along with the joy, playfulness, and celebration that make these dances so irresistible.
He believes Cuban dance and music are among the most beautiful expressions of human creativity and is passionate about sharing what he has learned with others.
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