Daniella Finkenauer : dance biography
Daniella has over 30 years dance and performance experience. Daniella spent 15 years training and working in Paris. This journey led her through a myriad of dance genres that include; Cabaret, Hip Hop, Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Body Popping. She also worked behind several French Icons as part of the corps de ballet for theatre and television. Daniella’s experience extends to professional dancer and modelling working throughout Paris and Europe, which included TV, Films, Commercials and Fashion Choreography. Since moving to the Northern Rivers of NSW, she has developed her teaching practice and specialises in Salsa partner dancing, Hip Hop and Women’s Cabaret. She taught Jazz Ballet at the Conservatorium of Lismore for 2 years.
Daniella has been trained in community cultural development skills through a program organised by NORPA and funded by Australia Arts Council using Hip Hop Dance, Theatre and Emceeing to mentor youth in the region. Homebase 1 and 2 mentored the participants, with their personal projects, bringing Hip Hop workshops and performances all over the region. This culminated in a successful Hip Hop theatre, dance and multi-media performance at Lismore City Hall. Projects like these have honed Daniella’s artistic director skills.Daniella is creative and innovative. Locally she was involved in ‘Splendour in the Grass’ for 3 years. She has taught dancers and actors on the ABC series ‘East of Everything’. She choreographed parade dancers Lismore Lantern Parade, several Byron Bay New Years Event and fashion shows. The Cabaret Women performed at Gold Coast ‘Big Day Out’. She has made her mark on the Australian Salsa Scene with Hip Hop and Salsa Fusion.
Leyla Roberts : dance biography
Leyla has been teaching dance on the far North Coast for the past 9 years, specialising in salsa and other Latin styles. She is a partner in the successful dance school, Sassy Salsa. She has performed with the Sassy Salsa Pro Team dance troupe at local events as well as the Sydney Salsa Congress, Coffs Harbour and Byron Latin Fiestas, Bravo Productions in Brisbane, Splendour in the Grass in 2007 and 2008, and most recently the Doudoule Latin Festival on the Gold Coast in May 2010. She is also a member of Real Woman Productions, a cabaret troupe situated in Byron Bay.
She currently enjoys classes in Jazz and Contemporary Jazz ballet and attends Latin workshops to keep constantly updated in that genre.Leyla has a diploma in theatre costume design and pattern making she also has a Bachelor degree in Communications and shows a keen and active interest in the development of the Arts and Entertainment industry. Always fashion conscious, Leyla has a passion for costume design and plays an active role in creating and producing costumes for the Sassy Salsa troupe and Real Woman productions cabaret shows.
Tim Roberts : dance biography
Tim’s love affair with latin music began at eight years old when he bought his first vinyl album “Whipped Cream and Other Delights” by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass for $5.50 in Cessnock, NSW. He was a tap and ballet dance student then, and has since gone on to learn Rock and Roll, Latin Ballroom, Swing and more recently Street Latin versions of Cha cha cha, Bachata and Salsa, which has become his specialty.
Tim and his equally talented wife and dance partner Leyla have been teaching street latin dance for the past nine years around the northern rivers region of NSW and currently conduct weekly classes in the cities of Ballina and Lismore. They have developed a unique and successful methodology for learning LA style salsa, where they combine technical strength, styling and fun, the essential elements for people of all ages to enjoy each other’s company on the dance floor.
