They will always be my kids. Many of them now grown and with their own kids. Some became professional dancers, some just danced for a few seasons. A few became doctors, attorneys, teachers, Congressional assistants. We tried to instill championship mentality- how to set goals and attain them. We brought in many World Champions for them to train with and learn from. Uniquely we had several families of twins and even triplets. Many of them were brothers and sisters. Best of all they formed great friendships and learned about the class and manners expected of polite society. 

How We Started the Kids Program

Initially, a group of Cuban parents wanted to form a group of kids to perform Casino Rueda. That group became the LA Salsa Kids. Many of the parents though live in Long Beach and relocated the team to that area. At that point my own kids were just starting to dance and so we gathered a few kids of students and formed our first classes. 

The first one to perform was my son Brian. Pairing him with Lacey Schwimmer (the daughter of Swing legend Buddy Schwimmer) they performed at the US Open Swing Championships. Driving back and forth to Moreno Valley, became too cumbersome so Terryl paired him with a schoolmate- Lauren Calderoni.  

Soon several parents brought their kids and our team was born. Especially helpful were Werner Vielman, Pearl Ryerson, Mr & Mrs Eddie Santos, Lorenza Passarella, Laura Calderoni, and Mrs Estala.