Alex Toledo studied theater and has felt at home in many artistical disciplines and on stage from a young age. After having done rhythmic gymnastics and ballet on competition level in her youth, she first danced Salsa en línea before finally falling in love with Cuban dances and rhythms when visiting a festival in 2016.

In 2019, she had the opportunity of being part of YTM, a project under the direction of Yoannis Tamayo, which was a huge milestone and source of inspiration for Alex, who has always been a dedicated and ambitious autodidact. She then trained under Diana Rodriguez Garcia (who is also part of C4LT!) and subsequently started teaching – luckily for us! It’s safe to say that Alex is one of the big new talents, a rising star in the Cuban scene, who brings her very own flavor, great didactics, and unstoppable energy, fitting right in with the C4LT family

Diana Rodriguez Garcia is undoubtedly one of the most successful current artists, representing the new generation of Cuban dance culture that combines traditional elements with new and fresh style and spice.

She was born and raised in Santiago de Cuba and studied both modern and contemporary dances at the School of Dance Arts, where she graduated as a dancer and instructor of Cuban folk dances. She quickly became known internationally through her great performances, amongst others on the famous tv competition show “Bailar Casino”. Since then, she has taught thousands of students at countless festivals around the world and is now based in Spain.

Last year, she brought ALL the energy to Crazy 4 la Timba and we’re over the moon to have her with us for a second time! Do not miss out on her classes, they’re guaranteed to leave you with the biggest smile (and possibly some sweat too )!

For many in the Cuban dance scene, Yoyo Danger Garcia is one of, if not THE best instructor for Afro-Cuban dances in Europe!

Yoyo received his education in folkloric and modern dances at the E.N.A., the National School of Arts in Cuba. He then graduated with honors from the I.S.A., the University of Arts in Havana, as a dance educator in 2004 and went on to teach there as well. Among his successes was winning the first prize at the choreography competition “Danza” in Havana.

Apart from Afro-Cuban dances, Yoyo also specializes in the bailes populares cubanos, such as Son, Mambo and Cha Cha Chá. Since 2008 he has been living in Germany and teaches at Casa Cultural in Bremen when he’s not busy traveling to various Cuban festivals all over Europe.

Yoyo is not only a superb dancer and didact, but also an overall enthusiastic and charismatic person, whose positive vibes are absolutely contagious We’re thrilled to see him make his C4LT debut in Lisbon this year!

Born in Havana, Andy Gonzalo Varona had his dance beginnings in the streets before starting his professional dance journey in 2007. He was a member in multiple prestigious dance companies such as Narciso Medina, Raíces Profundas, Conjunto Folclórico Nacional de Cuba, BanRara, and toured with the Buena Vista Social Club show. In 2014, he was granted the title of First Dancer by the National Council of Performing Arts in Cuba and became part of the famous rumba group Osain del Monte the same year. Since 2014, Andy has been based in Europe (Norway) and has become a well-recognized artist in the European festival scene, often teaching together with his partner Yuliet.

He feels at home in a variety of dance styles from Modern dance to Reggaeton, but his focus is on folkloric/Afro-Cuban dances, placing high value on their tradition and roots. Energetic, dynamic, and methodical are just a few of the words to describe him – needless to say, we’re super happy to welcome him to C4LT for the first time

Luis Duarte, who was born in Portugal, discovered Cuban dances at the age of 17 and quickly went from being a talented student to becoming an even more talented instructor and choreograph. He immersed himself in various dances such as ballet, capoeira and breakdance that now influence his personal unique style.

In recent years, his career has absolutely skyrocketed, and he has been travelling all over Europe to many festivals to share his knowledge and passion. When he’s not travelling, he is based in Hamburg, Germany, where he has his own dance school A bailar, dedicated to spread Cuban dance, music, and culture.

Luis is not only the absolute epitome of great didactics, but also quite literally a walking dictionary – ask him anything Cuban dance and music related, and he’ll give you a 3-hour-long lecture on it off the top of his head And not only that, but he is also incredibly friendly, a machine on the party dance floor and really takes the time to listen to his students – a great example for the new generation of artists in the Cuban scene. Being able to organize a Cuban festival in his hometown is another one of his dreams come true, and we’re incredibly happy and proud to watch it come to life

Yuliet Estrada Linares was born in Havana and dancing has been a big part of her life from childhood. She has a folkloric background as a former dancer of the Conjunto Folclórico de la Universidad de la Habana, has successfully performed in various shows and competitions nationally and internationally and worked with the prestigious Prodanza Academy. In 2008, Yuliet moved to Oslo. Since then, she has worked as an instructor and choreographer at various festivals all over Europe. Together with her partner Andy, she developed the project Bailan2, which has become an important part of the Cuban dance scene in Scandinavia. Yuliet is a super versatile dancer with an incredibly positive personality, so we’re really excited to have her join the C4LT family

They’re back for round two! Emília Pedra and Alexei Ramos, who both hail from Salvador de Bahía, Brazil, have extensively trained in various dance styles and are deeply committed to Cuban culture.

They are known for their focus on musicality, individual expression and fusing the Timba that we all know with influences from their home, creating their absolutely unique style. And did we mention they’re super friendly and charismatic as well? Their classes are both fun and challenging and are sure to provide you with loads of new inspiration, so don’t miss out on them!

They’re back for round two! Emília Pedra and Alexei Ramos, who both hail from Salvador de Bahía, Brazil, have extensively trained in various dance styles and are deeply committed to Cuban culture.

They are known for their focus on musicality, individual expression and fusing the Timba that we all know with influences from their home, creating their absolutely unique style. And did we mention they’re super friendly and charismatic as well? Their classes are both fun and challenging and are sure to provide you with loads of new inspiration, so don’t miss out on them!

For Sofia de Endaya, it was love at first sight when it comes to Cuban dances. Fast forward to 2018, when she and Ariel Lopez opened their own dance school in Augsburg, Germany! Nowadays, Sofia is regularly invited to teach at various workshops and festivals all over Germany and Europe; she is especially known for her incredible Ladystyle, Rumba and Casino skills and her insane musicality.

Not only is she an amazing dancer and dedicated instructor, but also a fire DJ as well as a festival organizer (“Timbalemania” in Augsburg) 🤩 We’re super happy that she’s such an irreplaceable part of our C4LT family and will again enrich our festival experience in 2023

Yusimi Moya Rodríguez is an incredible and versatile dancer, who graduated from the ENA and toured with the famous Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba for 5 years. Nowadays, she’s a hot commodity at Cuban festivals all over Europe, known for being committed to teach the essence of Cuban dance, her dynamic and engaging classes, and last but not least her radiant personality

We’re so excited to have this absolute force back in Lisbon with us in 2023!

Osmel Penton, better known as “Relámpago”, born in Cuba and now based in Vienna, Austria, was principal dancer of the famous dance company Raíces Profundas and feels at home at various styles from Afro-Cuban dances to the latest Reggaeton and Reparto trends.

At last year’s C4LT, Osmel blew us all away with his skills and his contagious energy, so obviously we didn’t have any choice other than to bring him back to Lisbon again in 2023!

Cristian Mauricio, who studied Cuban folkloric dances at the ISA in Cuba, is a passionate advocate for focusing on the traditions and roots of Cuban dances. As director and choreographer of the dance company TIM MANANA, he won the Rueda de Casino world championships twice already.

A word of advice from us - missing out on his incredible Son and Columbia classes would be a crime! A big welcome to C4LT 2023

Ariel López, who was born in El Salvador, started his dance career as an instructor in 2005 and won multiple German Rueda championships with "Cuban Salsa Power". At festivals, he’s not only a valued instructor, but also a super charismatic presenter, translator, you name it!

Ariel focuses on technical and musical know-how and the history behind Cuban dances, which is sure to provide an enriching workshop experience.

We’re happy to have this family member back on board with us for C4LT 2023 again

Like many DJs, our dear Yala first started out as a dancer but quickly wanted to learn and discover more about the music that she was so drawn to. In 2017, after realizing that the Cuban DJ scene was seriously lacking women power, she made the move and became a DJ herself and in 2018 founded her own event \“Azúca\” in Cologne, which is one of the hottest Cuban parties in all of Germany And her next big move, the \“Cuba Alaaf\” festival in Cologne is already in the works as well!

Nowadays, Yala is booked internationally at various festivals to show off her skills and keep everyone’s feet moving, and we’re guaranteed to have some crazy fiestas with her at C4LT

Straight from Amsterdam, it’s DJ Rafi! Rafi is not only a passionate DJ, but also event organizer and of course enthusiastic dancer. He has made a name for himself with multiple residencies in the Netherlands, promoting his events and DJing at major international Cuban festivals.

Communicating with the dancers through the music, Rafi is known to keep them dancing all night long You’ll be moving your feet without even realizing it!

Welcome to the C4LT family, Rafi

Lucio, better known as La Pantera, has been a passionate DJ since 2016, after realizing that was his way to express his love for Cuban music.

He is the creator of \“Street Timba\” in Barcelona, with the aim of bringing the variety of Cuban music to the widest possible public and making it more accessible to all. Moreover, he’s a member of Team PromoMusic Bcn, a worldwide network of DJs who advocate for promoting the latest Cuban music with high quality standards, as well as a DJ for Salson Live Radio, the first European radio channel solely dedicated to Cuban music.

We're thrilled to have him at C4LT again