Miami Salsa Dance Instructor: OSCAR OCHOA

Born in 1976 in Caracas, Venezuela, Oscar Ochoa began dancing salsa at the age of 9. In 1986, Oscar moved to New Jersey with his family, later relocating to Miami in 1991. His formal salsa training began at 18 at a local gym in the heart of Westchester where he took a class and was instantly hooked. Two private lessons later, he had learned the most popular Cuban style turns and was hitting the salsa club scene.

At age 23, Oscar started dancing with Salsa Lovers, a popular Miami Casino Rueda school. One year later he began competing, winning first place in the Novice Division Salsa-Hustle Competition 2000. Oscar also placed 2nd in the Sabado Gigante Open Dance Mixed Pro-Am competition, broadcast on national and international television, and has won more than 10 club competitions in South Florida. Oscar first began teaching Casino (Cuban-style) at Salsa Lovers in 2001 and continued until 2003.

Through many workshops and salsa congresses, he learned and developed a passion for L.A.-style salsa. Following Salsa Lovers, Oscar went on to teach private lessons until joining Salsa Mia on Miami Beach in 2005, where he currently teaches and performs on a regular basis. Oscar’s credits include various shows and workshops for venues such as Bongo’s Cuban Café and L’Oreal; and he has been featured in over 10 different TV shows and commercials, most recently on Janice Dickenson’s Modeling show. He is currently one of the lead instructors and choreographers for Salsa Mia.

Over the years Oscar has taken workshops from world-renowned names such as Tropical Gem from Italy, Salsa Brava (the originators of L.A.-style salsa), and Mambo legend - Eddie Torres. As a result of his extensive experience in martial arts Oscar has developed his own modern style of dancing. Students love Oscar’s unique style of L.A. which includes Afro-Cuban roots, making his classes fun and energetic, truly one-of-a-kind.