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your directors.
Stephanie CASE, better known as Steph, IS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS/OWNERS OF MODERNO DANCE. SHE started dancing at the age of 3 years old when her mother enrolled her into ballet and tap. Since then she spent her youth years dancing ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop and modern. She also dabbled in cheerleading for a bit but realized the only parts she enjoyed were the dance choreographies. She picked up Latin dancing over 12 years ago in the southeast. She performed with various dance teams and also received instruction from instructors everywhere from NYC to Miami. Eventually, along with Ace she began passing down some of what she had learned to their own students and dance teams. She has experience performing and teaching at several congresses, festivals, musicals, and productions around the country. Arizona, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, Atlanta, and San Francisco just to name a few. Along with owning and running her own wedding and event production company, she and Ace also served as the directors of dance team program for Salsa Las Vegas for 3 years and they continue to provide direction, instruction, and mentorship to anyone with a passion for DANCE AND CREATIVE ARTS. SHE CURRENTLY IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE KIDS PROGRAM, LADIES TEAMS, AND COMPETITIVE DANCERS. For direct contact for competition information please reach her at info@modernodance.com
Abdiel “Ace” Acevedo IS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS/OWNER OF mODERNO dANCE. hE GREW up listening to Salsa and witnessing the joys of dancing in his home, Puerto Rico. After moving state-side, Ace was recruited to a dance team that specialized in Rueda de Casino, Merengue, and Salsa at the young age of 14. Passion for the music and connection to dance was the driving force from that point on. Ace then started to receive coaching from ballroom dance studios, then attending festivals and congresses where he performed, took workshops and received coaching from world-renowned instructors to further his knowledge in instruction. Stephanie “Steph” Case and Ace decided to pair up and they have both been a driving force in various cities around the country providing direction in social style dance and performance teams for the last 12-13 years. Besides also being a Concierge Supervisor for The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas and Vice-President of the Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association, Ace is just as passionate about teaching, performing and dancing as day one. Their goal is to continue to grow themselves and inspire more new spirits to express themselves through dance. HE CURRENTLY IS THE DIRECTOR OF MENS TEAM, CO-DIRECTOR OF SEMI PRO TEAM.
BILLY MARTINEZ first obtained official salsa instruction in November of 2013 at the San Francisco Salsa Congress. After that, he took classes in Las Vegas from many different instructors. HE THEN Officially joined the salsa Las Vegas team early in 2015, WHERE HE WAS TRAINED WITH Ace, Steph, JACK, TONY, AND GUSTAVO. HE COMPLETED THE instructor training course WITH MODERNO DANCE CENTER AND HAS Been teaching at Moderno since April of 2018.
Lisa Iler has been dancing and training in Brazilian Zouk for 4 years. She is the pioneer of the Las Vegas Zouk scene, started a community from scratch and is teaching studio classes, private lessons, and holding her "Zouk Family" bi-monthly socials. Happy to be putting in the work to start a community because she "just wants to share her love of Zouk with the world," she is no stranger to the intimacy and love of the small, grass-roots dance communities we enjoy here in Las Vegas. She began training in partner dances in 2007 with Argentine Tango, then fell in love with Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, and West-Coast Swing but her ultimate love is touch, the breath, and the heartbeat of Zouk. Zouk is a partner dance from Brazil, derived from Lambada in the 80's with elements from Salsa, Samba de Gafieira, and many more. It is most often characterized by upper body isolations, off-axis turns, body rolls, elasticity, and hair whips, led by very intricate leading and following techniques that allow for constant connection, pattern creation and improvisation. Brazilian Zouk is a dance with well defined basic steps and rhythmic patters, which may vary depending on the dancers' personal styles and musical choices.
Lupita martinez started her dance training at the tender age of 3 until the age of 15 years old in the styles of ballet, jazz, lyrical, flamenco, belly dancing, Tahitian, Tap, and Mexican Folklorico. She then continued her dance career as the artistic director and lead choreographer in the Mexican Folklorico style for Mexico Vivo Dance Company of Ixela Gutierrez. As a choreographer and performer she has had her choreographies performed at the Latin Grammys, a concert for Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Señorita Mexico USA, Miss Mundo Latina Nevada, and the US and Mexico tour for Pedro Fernandez. She began her training in salsa and bachata early in 2018 under the direction of Stephanie Case and Abdiel Acevedo at Moderno dance Center where she continues to train and now teach. She is co-direct a coed bachata team, and instructor of Moderno’s Latin Kids class ages 6-9.
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