OUR TEACHERS
Frederic (Freddy) Angus began his training with his sister when he was just 8 years old. He started dancing and performing at school and community events, and has been hooked ever since. While in college, Frederic began teaching some friends and the group quickly grew to over 50 people. He has continued his training with notable artists (listed below), and is regularly asked to teach, perform, and DJ at Congresses all around the country.
In 2011, Frederic partnered with Ivana Adler to create Salsannati with the intent to share the love for Latin Dance around the Tri-State area. The belief is that through dance, we can express joy, personality, and the unique connections made possible by the language of the body. Salsannati is the perfect home for both the recreational and serious dancer. We provide multi-level instruction to meet all needs and levels of interest. Since its inception, we have focused on dancer development & passion, musicality, strong technique, and drive for excellence; shown in the accomplishments below:
Sekou Miller (Afro Latin Jazz, NY)
Alexis Zanetti (Afro Cuban Neo Contemporary Movement, Houston)
Rodrigo Cortazar (Mambo, Miami)
Selen and Yosvany (Afro Cuban, Louisville)
Angel Martinez (Mambo, Chicago)
Nelida Tirado (Flamenco, NY)
Eddie Torres (Mambo, NY)
Herrera (Flamenco, Denver)
Jonathan Rodriguez (LA Style Salsa, Dallas)
Katie Seamans (Mambo, Dallas)
Salsa Kings (Casino, Miami)
Salsa Craze (Casino/On1, Miami)
Alex (Ally) Bowden Angus has a classical dance background, starting at the age of 3. She used to watch her sister in class and was desperate to join...and the rest was history! She grew up dancing everything from ballet, tap, jazz, and modern to hip hop, Irish Step, and African.
Alex was awarded multiple prestigious titles through the Royal Academy of Dance in London and even spent a summer dancing at the famous Joffrey Ballet School in NYC on scholarship.
She began her teaching career as a student teacher at the age of 10. Additionally, she worked with dance therapy for special needs children which became an ongoing passion. After attending Ohio State University's top dance program, majoring in Performance, Dance Education, and Choreography, she went on to dance professionally for a brief period of time in Europe, Baltimore, and New York. Additionally she built dance therapy programs through ARC and the League for People with Disabilities, and taught various forms of dance to children and adults from public/private schools and colleges, to private studios and ballroom studios.
Upon discovering Salsa later in life, Alex fell in love...both literally and figuratively! She immersed herself in learning all she could, married the owner of the studio (Frederic Angus), and continued training to become a dancer and teacher in this glorious art form! They share their passion for salsa, teaching, building a welcoming and diverse community, and three beautiful young kids!
Ricky (RJ) Williams Jr. has been dancing since the fall of 2017, exclusively with Salsannati. He started dancing Salsa as a new hobby and fell in love with it. Inspired by the saying "you don’t truly understand something until you have to teach it," Ricky now teaches every week and is dedicated to better himself in the craft and spread the joy that Salsa has brought to him.
Ricky loves to travel to Salsa and Bachata Congresses around the country. When he's not dancing, Ricky plays saxophone professionally from jazz clubs to weddings.
Adam Blevins began dancing in March of 2021 under Diana Hoffman. By the summer of 2021, Adam transitioned to Salsannati, where he's remained ever since! His dance journey was sparked by a therapist’s recommendation.
What Adam cherishes most about dancing is the sense of community - not only locally, but also in other cities. His passion for dance has led him to explore new places. When Adam is not dancing, he might be gaming or reading self-help books!
Galina Matveeva started her Latin dance journey in 2016 at Viva Social Dance Studio in Kansas City, continued learning new styles through 2019 in Toronto, Canada, and then came to Cincinnati in 2022 to join the Salsannati team!
Galina learned a variety of rhythmic styles including folk Russian dance since preschool. But the first time she saw a Bachata performance, she fell in love! Galina dove right in to join lessons and performance teams. Dancing is a lifelong passion for Galina where she believes an open and accepting community allows you to express yourself with movement and meet so many incredible people along the way.
Sylvia Mattingly has been a salsa dance teacher at Salsannati since 2023, and enjoys sharing her lifelong passion for dance. Trained in ballet, tap, and contemporary dance throughout elementary and high school, she discovered salsa in 2019 during college and has been captivated ever since. Sylvia loves dancing and cherishes the vibrant community she’s met through this art form.
When she isn’t dancing, Sylvia loves to spend time doing all outdoor activities. She is obsessed with her two cats Sebastian and Robin, and will gladly show you endless videos of their shenanigans.
Elizabeth Godschalk has been dancing latin styles since 2019, and training with Salsannati since 2021. She grew up dancing ballet, jazz, and tap which she has continued through adulthood. She started learning different styles of partner dancing in college, and once she found salsa she never looked back. Salsa has changed her life in many ways, and has become her passion. You can find her salsa dancing anywhere and everywhere, performing whenever she has a chance, and even traveling internationally to dance and learn from world-renowned instructors.
Heather Sommer started dancing with Salsannati in...
Amanda Wagoner has been dancing salsa since a friend dragged her to a club in Irvine, CA in 2007. She joined her first On1 performance team shortly after, and has been hooked ever since. She taps into the salsa scene wherever she lands, and is on a constant mission of growth and learning, performing On2 with ladies' and partner teams in Dallas and Cincinnati. Her most recent personal growth venture is teaching with Salsannati, and the incredible friendships and fun way to exercise feed her soul and help her live her best life.
Angela Schierberg started dancing with Salsannati in 2019...
Julia Glenn started dancing with Salsannati in January 2019 and had so much fun she hasn't stopped coming back since then! Julia enjoys dancing as a hobby because it includes creative expression, challenges to learn more, and most of all, a welcoming community. Julia helps manage Salsannati's social media, emails, and website!
Outside of the studio, Julia works at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and enjoys boxing, eating, camping, and traveling!