About Edie, The Salsa FREAK!!
Edie has traveled to sixty-four (64) countries teaching the world to dance,
and has been the FIRST AMERICAN to teach in 18 of those countries.
She was recently named one of the Top Ten Salsa / Mambo Instructors in the world by Dance Planet Daily.
How Did Edie Discover Salsa?
Edie has been awarded three International Lifetime Achievement Awards in Europe and the United States. She was voted by her peers and students “Best International Instructor” at the Los Angeles Congress, British International Salsa Festival (two years running), and Switzerland Congress in Zurich. She was the Guest of Honor at the Curacao Salsa Festival and the First Annual Swiss Congress. She has taken first place in numerous dance competitions, most notably the famous Mayan competition out of Los Angeles, California, and the International Salsa and Hustle Pro Salsa Championships in Miami, Florida.
Edie’s passion is to share her talents with both students and audiences throughout the world with her gift of teaching, stunning performances, and down-to-earth Internet advice columns and stories. She holds a 3rd Degree “Black Belt Salsa™” Master Instructor license and is an expert in business marketing strategies. She is also the Master of Ceremonies at many events throughout the world, and has appeared on television and movies in several countries.
She has created over 60 instructional DVDs with some of the world’s finest social dancers. Her entire instructional DVD series is a documented catalog of her progression as a professional dancer with a list of stylized moves, combinations, and turn patterns that will keep students challenged and entertained for years to come.
Her Instructor Training and Certification Continuous Education Program is second-to-none. Instructors from over 80 countries attend her Dance Business Seminars and Webinars throughout the world. She also hosts online Mentorship and Coaching Programs for students and instructors who wish to excel to levels beyond what they could do on their own.
Her World Famous Full-Immersion All-Day Intensive “Salsa Bootcamps” are held on weekends all over the world for those who want to learn and Stylize their Salsa in just ONE DAY.
Edie coordinates, plans and hosts dance camps, festivals and congress with different promoters throughout the world. They are aimed primarily at teaching people how to dance “Latin Nightclub Style” at ANY age level. Edie now DJs her incredible music collection from all over the world at nightclubs, parties, and events as well.
Edie plays music dancers CRAVE!!
How Edie Developed the
Dance Business Management Academy
and Black Belt Dance
Over a period of twenty years training students in hundreds of cities throughout the world, Edie revealed a “system” of conducting classes and systematizing dance moves (not just Salsa) that magically created some of the best social dancers where ever she traveled.
Upon her retirement from touring in 2009, she decided it was time to roll up her sleeves and reveal her SYSTEM to the masses. With a background in information technology, she developed a worldwide teaching support mechanism called the “Black Belt System™”so that instructors in every nation could, AS A COHESIVE TEAM, more effectively develop themselves individually as World Class instructors, and in turn, create some of the finest social dancers in their regions.
In 2012, with the help of a core group of dedicated instructors, students, beta testers, and professional advisors, the Black Belt Dance™ Online System was born. Now students from every corner of the globe can share the in joy of learning from some of the best instructors the world has ever known… the Black Belt Instructor team.
What Edie Does Best …
Online Store
Management Training
Instructor Training
Curriculum Development
Black Belt Salsa
Coaching
Accomplishments
- 3rd Degree Master Black Belt Salsa Sensei
- 3-Time International Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
- Voted “Best International Instructor” in both Europe and the United States
- Voted #7 in the Top 10 in the World of Dance by Dance Planet Daily
- Invited as Master Class Instructor for International Festivals and Congresses
- Accomplished Principal Chair Flautist and Symphony Musician.
International Experience
- Voted #7 in the Top Ten Salsa / Mambo dancers in the world by Dance Planet Daily
- Performed and Taught Workshops
in Sixty-four (64) Countries and hundreds of Cities Throughout the World - Created over 60 Instructional DVDs of how to dance various Latin Dances, and Black Belt Salsa.
- Created the World Famous Black Belt Dance System and Curriculum Concepts
- Founder of the online Dance Business Managment Academy
- Emcee for various major Latin Dance events throughout the United States and Abroad.
- Music DJ for various Latin Venues all over the world.
Interviews
-
Alamosa State University Business School
Social Proof
T.V./Cable
- Miami Vice – Feature Film – Dance Choreographer
- Samsung Commercial
- Mexicanisimo
- Fox Films Digital Camera Video
- Telemundo
- Univision
- Coke Commercial
- Payless Shoe Commercial
- “Oye Listen” Magazine
- Various HBO, Galavision Salsa Specials
- SBS National Television – Seoul, Korea
Coaches
- Hector Berrios – RMM Dancer, Dance Dimensions Dancer / Choreographer, Descarga Latina Dance Company
- Donald Johnson and Katarzyna Kozak – 1999 Blackpool International Latin Champions
- Ron Montez – World & British Finalist. Seven Times United States Latin American Champion
- Kevin Cruz – Theatrical Lifts and Tricks
- Henry Herrera – Cuba
- Mary Ann Nunez – Champion, and Hall of Fame Member West Coast Swing, LA
- Sandor – Tango Champion
- Enio Cordoba and Terryl Jones – Ballroom Champions
- Susanna Montero – United Kingdom
- Super Mario – United Kingdom
- James and Milton Cobo – North Carolina
- Duplessy Walker – New York
- Stracy Diaz – New York
- Bernard Martinez – Theatre Arts, NY and Los Angeles
- Joby and Luis Vazquez – Los Angeles Jazz / Salsa Instructors
- Josie Neglia – Latin Ballroom Coach
- Salomon Rivera – Latin Ballroom Coach
- Joe Cassini– Jazz, Ballet, and Mambo Instructor
- Laura Cannelius – Los Angeles Salsa Instructor
- Janette Valenzuela– Los Angeles Jazz / Salsa Instructor
- Eddie Torres – Mambo Instructor, NY
- Ava Apple & Luis Rosa – San Francisco
- Seaon Bristol – Mambo Instructor, NY
- Angel and Addie Rodriguez – Mambo Instructor, NY
- Nelson Flores – Mambo Instructor, NY
Performances
- Performances
- Special and Unusual Youtube Clips
-
– Edie Teaching “In French” in Paris France and Resulting Interview– Edie Dancing with Two Salseros at ONE TIME in Las Vegas.
Ambassador
With over sixty instructional DVDs to her name, twenty years of instruction under her belt, and winner of three Lifetime Achievement Awards, Edie’s Accomplishments are legendary.
“She is a True Ambassador of this Dance.” L.Perez, SJ PR
Competitions
- 1st Place – Mayan – Los Angeles, CA
- 1st Place – IHSC International Professional Salsa Champion – Miami, FL
- 1st Place – Fantasia – Los Angeles, CA
- 1st Place – Rudolphos – Los Angeles, CA
- 1st Place – La Mirage – Los Angeles, CA
- 1st Place – El Paraiso – Los Angeles, CA
- 1st Place – El Planeta – Los Angeles, CA
Where Edie has Taught
- South Africa
- Aruba
- Bonaire
- Latvia
- Singapore
- Slovenia
- Romania
- Cyprus Island
- Israel
- Bermuda
- Austria
- Aruba
- Bonaire
- Jordan
- UAE
- Dubai
- New Zealand
- Switzerland
- Jordan
- United Arab Emirates
- Australia
- Holland
- Wales
- India
- Philippines
- England
- Turkey
- Canada
- Japan
- France
- Germany
- England
- Ireland
- Spain
- Mexico
- Italy
- Curaçao Island
- Puerto Rico
- Haiti
- Sweden
- China
- St. Thomas
- Denmark
- Belgium
- Norway
- Korea
- Puerto Rico
- Hawaii
- Florida
- Nevada
- Ohio
- California
- Texas
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Washington DC
- Colorado
- Arizona
- New York
- Alaska
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Seattle
- San Francisco
- San Diego
- Florida
- Alaska
- Georgia
- Kansas City
- Boston
- Maryland
- Virginia
- Ohio
- Utah
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Washington
Song about Edie
“The Edie Song“
with compliments from composer, Russell Kleintjies from Capetown, South Africa
Edie's Blog
“Dear Edie…” Advice Column
Edie’s Dancer Blog
Favorite Quotes:
“Information is Power, but Relationships are Life Itself…”
– Edie, The Salsa FREAK “You’ve got to Bloom where you’re Planted.
“Surround Yourself with Possibility Thinkers and Watch Your Life Blast Off Like a Rocket!!
– Edie, The Salsa FREAK
“People blame circumstances for where they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who succeed in this world are the people who go out and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Worldwide Workshops and Performances
- Instructor Training – Maui, Hawaii
- Salsa Bootcamp / Instructor Training – Aruba Island
- Master’s Class – Singapore
- Salsa Bootcamp – South Africa
- Salsa Congress – Anchorage, Alaska
- Salsa Bootcamp – Bonaire Island
- Salsa Bootcamp / Instructor Training – Ottawa, Canada
- Salsa Congress – Bangalore, India
- Salsa Congress – Latvia
- Salsa Congress – Slovenia
- Salsa Bootcamp: Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, Romania
- Salsa Workshops: Island of Cyprus
- Salsa Congress: Burgos, Spain
- Salsa Congress: New Zealand
- Workshops: UAE
- Workshops: Dubai
- Workshops: Vienna, Austria
- Hamburg Congress, Hamburg, Germany
- Workshop: Sligo and Westport, Ireland
- Paradise Club Hotel, Eilat, Tel Aviv & Jerusalem, Israel
- Regensburg Salsa Congress, Regensburg, Germany
- World Salsa Festival, Rome, Italy
- Milan Salsa Congress, Milan, Italy
- Israeli Salsa Congress, Israel
- Salsa Workshop – Wales, Great Britain
- Congress, Workshops and Bootcamp, Zurich, Brug, Switzerland
- Various venues – Dublin, Ireland
- Innsbruck Salsa Congress – Innsbruck, Austria
- Australia Salsa Congress and Bootcamp – Sydney, Cairnes, Australia
- Vancouver Salsa Congress – Vancouver, Canada
- Toronto Salsa Congress – Toronto, Canada
- Korea Salsa Congress, Seoul, Korea
- Congress: Turkey
- Japan Salsa Congress – Tokyo, Japan
- Various venues in Brean Sands, Pontins, Burmingham, Manchester, Bogner Regis, Blackpool, and London, England
- Off-Broadway Musical, “Latin Madness” New York, 2002
- Various locations – Bermuda
- Hawaii Salsa Congress – Honolulu, Hawaii
- Puerto Rico Salsa Congress – San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines – The Islands of The Caribbean
- Berlin Salsa Congress – Berlin, Germany
- Congress: Philippines
- Tarragona Salsa Festival – Barcelona Spain
- World Salsa Congress, Tokyo, Japan
- Hard Rock Cafe – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- ‘The Place’ – Studio 10, 17 Dukes Road, Euston, England
- Stads Hotel, “Caliente” Salsa Club in Vasteras, Sweden
- Center for Afrikansk Kulturformidling, Oslo, Norway
- SAS Radison Hotel, Margrethepladsen 1, Århus, Denmark
- Various Hotels and Niteclubs, Amman, Jordan
- Momos Nightclub, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Columbus: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Sabor Latino, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Club, El Latino, Gent, Belgium
- Club Le Siècle, Brussels, Belgium
- Salsa Bootcamp: Calgary, Canada
- Curacao Salsa Congress, Curacao
- Akalla Träff, Stockholm, Sweden
- Club Asi, City of Haarlem, Holland
- Salsa Festival – Albequerque, New Mexico
- Carisma de la Salsa / Academia de Salsa, Amsterdam, Holland
- Zico’s in the city of ARNHEM, Holland
- Amanné, in Nymegen, Holland
- Paris Salsa Congress, France
- Club Samba, Florence, Italy
- World Salsa Congress, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Carnival Cruise Lines – The Mexican Riviera
- Saarbrucken Pyrmide Kultural Center, Incognito Discothek,Hamburg, Saarbrucken, Germany
- Workshops, Congress, and Bootcamps in Munich, Germany
- Alasitas Bar Latino, Stuttgart, Germany
- Los Mexicanos Paris France
- Wild Palms & Bistro Latino New York
- SBS National Television – Seoul, Korea
- Hotel Harrahs Mansion – Malibu California
- Windsor Hotel – Los Angeles, California
- Page Museum – Los Angeles, California
- Santa Monica Pier Salsa Stage Performance- Los Angeles, California
- Macey’s Department Store- Newport Beach, California
- Texan Multi-Millionaire Event- Orange County, California
- Arthritis Foundation Benefit – Torrance, Aman, Jordan
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Workshops: Washington DC
- Salsa Bootcamp: Atlanta, Georgia
- Workshop: Augusta, Georgia
- Salsa Bootcamp: Chicago, Illinois
- Salsa Congress: Alaska
- Salsa Bootcamp: Orlando, Florida
- Salsa Bootcamp: Miami, Florida
- Salsa Bootcamp: Denver, Colorado
- Salsa Bootcamp: Manhattan, New York
- Salsa Bootcamp: Portland, Oregon
- Salsa Bootcamp: Boston, Massachusettes
- Salsa Bootcamp: Kansas City, Missouri
- Salsa Bootcamp: Atlanta, Georgia
- Salsa Bootcamp: All Over Florida, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Myers
- Workshops: Seattle, Washington
- Workshops: New Jersey
- Toronto, Canada
- Salsa Workshop – Stanford – California
- Salsa Workshop – Cambridge – England
- West Side Story Salsa – Swing Festival, Anaheim, California
- Disneyland- Los Angeles, California
- Salsa Workshop – Harvard University – Cambridge, Mass
- Salsa Workshop – Oxford – England
- Salsa Workshop – Berkley, California
- Salsa Workshop – UCLA – California
- Salsa Workshop – Harvard University – Cambridge, Mass
- Brio’s Bistro – Dana Point, California
- The Riviera – Las Vegas, Nevada
- The Colorado Belle – Laughlin, Nevada
Photo Gallery