:: Javier Concha
A Latin dancer and performer since the age of 18, he has studied various rhythms, including Salsa Cubana, Salsa on 1, Salsa on 2, Bachata, and Argentine Tango. In 2015, while living in the U.S., he discovered Brazilian Zouk and, since then, has trained with some of the best Brazilian Zouk instructors in the world. In 2018, he became an instructor at District Zouk dance school in Washington, D.C. In 2019, he co-founded Impero Zouk Rome (www.imperozouk.com), the first Zouk community in Italy, and has served as its local instructor and community leader ever since. He is also a certified instructor through the MAC Training Project by Alex de Carvalho, a certification he received in 2021.
:: Mari
She began her dance journey with Ballet (Classical), Modern & Jazz Dance, Israeli dances, and traditional Italian dances, particularly the Tarantella, as a dancer and performer. In 2018, she started studying Caribbean dances like Bachata and Cuban Salsa. By 2019, she discovered Brazilian Zouk, which quickly became her passion. She immersed herself in its study by attending congresses, workshops, and learning from international professional instructors. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Impero Zouk Roma community (www.imperozouk.com) and works to promote Brazilian Zouk in Italy. Her passion for dance and teaching led her to pursue professional training, earning certification as an instructor through the MAC Training Project by Alex de Carvalho in 2021. As a dancer and teacher, she believes that dance is a powerful language to communicate with others and connect deeply with ourselves.
:: William
I’m a 33-year-old Zouk dancer from São Paulo, Brazil, now based in Stuttgart, Germany. Dancing since 2015, I’ve competed in BZDC since 2019, reaching Advanced rank. Proud to be part of Alex de Carvalho’s MAC project, I bring a mix of Brazilian roots and international experience to my dance.
:: Lana
Lana Ribeiro is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer specializing in Brazilian ballroom dances, with a solid background that extends beyond dance. Her journey includes formal training in theater and experience in various artistic disciplines such as Jazz Dance and Urban Dances, along with a long-standing dedication to musical theater.
With a career highlighted by performances in musicals and participation in Brazilian ballroom dance competitions, Lana currently resides in Germany, where she actively contributes to the development of Brazilian Zouk and Samba. A MAC-certified instructor, she offers regular classes, organizes events, and is recognized as a prominent figure in the Samba no Pé community in NRW, Cologne/Germany.
:: Simba
Simba discovered Latin dances more than 15 years ago with Cuban salsa.
He learned from Herminio and Carole at Pachanga, Diablito latino or Tout le monde en parle.
Then he started and became a fan of modern and then sensual Bachata in 2015, which he now teaches in the Paris region and abroad.
The sensitivity of sensual Bachata pushed him to discover its origins and he naturally turned to Brazilian Zouk. In 2023, he participated in the world-famous MAC training given by one of the world icons of Brazilian Zouk, Alex De Carvalho, and obtained certification in December 2023.
At the beginning of 2024, he joined Alex De Carvalho’s DBAC team and founded the collective and the Zouk Unity Paris evening with his partner Manon.
Simba participates and has won Brazilian Zouk competitions where improvisation and adaptation are essential.
Simba teaches Brazilian Zouk and Bachata in France and abroad.
:: Manon
Manon has been dancing since the age of 3. She started with modern jazz until she was 13, then moved on to street jazz and urban dances.
She completed multidisciplinary professional dance training, covering academic and urban dances.
She started Brazilian zouk 2 and a half years ago and was lucky enough to join Alex de Carvalho’s team.
Through a year of training, she obtained her teacher certification in 2023.
A professional solo dancer but also a Brazilian zouk teacher, she has participated in several international conferences as a teacher alongside Alex de Carvalho and won several competitions.
Manon enjoys laughter as much as dancing.
She will be able to accompany you in your progress with seriousness, rigor and kindness.
She embodies the joy of living and she loves chocolate in all its forms.
Monika and Dominik started their dance adventure at the age of 12 and are now considered pioneers of Brazilian Zouk in Poland, and among the few Polish international teachers traveling around the world.
In 2021, they became the first certified Brazilian Zouk instructors in Southern Poland through the MAC Project, a teaching methodology course created by Alex de Carvalho in Paris, and since then, they have taught across five continents – South America, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In 2022, they broke another barrier by becoming the first Polish couple in the history of Brazilian Zouk to teach fully in Portuguese in Brazil, coming back to teach there every year since then. They also became the first European couple to teach Brazilian Zouk in Vietnam, Canada, and Australia.
In 2023, they were honored to create a choreography for the International Zouk Flashmob Day as representatives of Europe, being one of just three couples worldwide chosen for this task.
In 2024, they both passed the exam to become judges of the Jack and Jill competition, organized by the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council. That same year, they made history again by becoming the first Polish couple to teach Brazilian Zouk in the United States (Washington, DC).
Besides Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, Australia, and the United States, they have taught in countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Scotland, Portugal, Iceland, Lithuania, Denmark, France, and the Czech Republic.
In Poland, Monika and Dominik organize the Katowice Zouk Meetup, passionately promoting Brazilian Zouk. Their teaching focuses on technique, musicality, movement possibilities, and the joy of dancing, with the ultimate goal of inspiring others to fall in love with Brazilian Zouk.