Dance to Live Studio

About the Studio

Paula & José
Dance to Live was founded in 1996 by Paula Videla-Rodriguez and joined by Jose Rodriguez in late 1997. This Latin American husband and wife team both choreograph and dance professionally: Paula since 1990 and Jose since 1995. To maintain and enrich their high caliber of instruction, they have attended, instructed and performed at various International Salsa Congresses, including the L.A., Puerto Rico, New York and Canada Salsa Congress. Paula and Jose continue to travel extensively to learn from the world’s best dancers and instructors. They also judge and compete in Salsa competitions, including winning 2nd place in the Professional category at the prestigious Berlin’s 2001 Salsa Competition. Their training also encompasses International Latin Ballroom and Flamenco; Flamenco being one of Paula's passions which she teaches and dances professionally as well, first with Esmeralda Enrique’s Spanish Dance Company and then with Ritmo Flamenco Dance Company. Paula's dance background also includes gymnastics, ballet, Latin American folklore and 23 years experience in the Performing Arts. She co-founded the 'first ever' Bi-Annual Women's Salsa Retreat, and co-directs with her husband their very own performance dance company. As a FULL-TIME instructor, choreographer, and performer, this professional dancer has a wealth of knowledge that is passed on to her students.

Pheonia
Pheonia Camacho holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, but her true passion lies within the art of dance. She began her dance training at the age of 5 and by the age of 7, she made her first television appearance on the 'Tiny Talent Time Show', performing a Tap solo. She continued her study in the areas of Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and in July 2002 she added Salsa to her dance repertoire with Dance to Live Studio. Pheonia has competed at the Peel Music Festival, the BATD (British Association Teachers of Dancing) and the CDTA (Canadian Dance Teachers Association) annual competitions where she received several first, second, and third place awards. In 1989, the Peel Music Festival presented her with a trophy for the ‘Highest Tap Soloist Score’. She passed all BATD and CDTA examinations with Honours and Highly Commended standings. Pheonia is the co-founder of McMaster University’s Hip Hop Troop at the University’s recreation centre. In 2000, she founded the dance program at the Durham Family YMCA in Oshawa, where she instructed classes for pre-schoolers, youth, teens, and adults. In 2003, she joins the teaching staff of ‘Dance To Live’, bringing her expertise in Hip Hop instruction and choreography with her.

Click here for more information on Pheonia and her classes

Tammy
Tammy Travassos joined Dance to Live in June of 2002, bringing to the Studio her 6 years of experience in Salsa as well as Ballroom dance. Shortly after joining Dance to Live, she quickly became a member of the Studio's Dance Performance Team. In addition to this, she was also a member of Salsa Team Canada 2003. Tammy has taught American Rhythm/Social Ballroom since 1999 and has had intense training in International Latin from North American and World Champions. An energetic, dedicated and dynamic individual with a strong passion for dance, Tammy is an invaluable addition to Dance to Live Studio.

Ivy Cuervo
Ivy is a vibrant salsa instructor, performer and choreographer. She is the founder of On Beat Latin Dance Company, Toronto's first On 2 all women Latin Dance company. Ivy is the co-founder of the popular website OurSalsaThing.com and has recently founded the Mambo Initiative, a one day New York style On 2 Salsa extravaganza. Ivy has been involved in dance and the performing arts since her early teens. Her diverse and extensive training ranges from hip-hop, afro, Peruvian Folklore, jazz, salsa, merengue, cha-cha, and of course mambo/salsa On 2 (New York style). One of Ivy's biggest career moves happened when she moved to New York in 2000. There she learned from the best dance instructors in the business. As an instructor Ivy has taught all around Toronto and was one of the few instructors who taught at the 1st Ottawa Salsa Congress. She teaches group and private classes, specialty workshops, wedding/special event classes and also teaches workshops and classes at Toronto high schools. With the birth of her son in 2002, Ivy has incorporated children's classes into her repertoire. Aside from teaching, Ivy also choreographs for all types of events including competitions, shows, weddings, comedy acts and much more.

Robert
Ever since Robert Grenaway was bitten by the salsa bug in the year 2000, it's been a non-stop love affair with salsa, merengue, cha cha and bachata following closely behind. Being with DTL studio since 2000, and a member of DTL's performance group since 2002, Robert has been able to further develop and enhance his own unique style and interpretation of the dance, putting an emphasis on precision, accuracy and styling to ensure both team and couple dynamics. Robert's infectious passion for salsa has not only led him to showcase his talents at the Toronto Salsa Congress, but also puts him first and foremost on the dance floor at the clubs, where he can be found most nights, dancing until the last eight count is done. With a solid base in both Toronto and New York style salsa, and a tried and true self-professed salsa-holic attitude, Robert's dance experience not only makes him a sought after dance partner, but also a great teacher.