TEACHERS
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Edgar Franco
Artistic Director
Edgar Franco founded Franco Dance as a means to liberate the dancer inside each and every new student who is hungry to move.Edgar's unique teaching style, which focuses equally on fun and achievement, is the culmination of his worldwide studies.
From Ecuador he brings the exuberance of street dancing;
from Argentina, the passion of tango;
from Australia, the value of hard work;
from South East Asia, simplicity and patience as both teacher and student;
and from Europe, technique and discipline.
At Franco Dance these elements are brought together to challenge students while still giving them room to grow at their own pace.
Edgar has represented Canada at international competitions in the USA and Switzerland. In 2002, he placed in the finals at the USA Open in Orlando, and also placed in the final at the World Salsa Competition in Olten, Switzerland, in 2004.
Qualifications
Edgar is a member of some of the world's most prestigious dance associations:
- Canadian Dance Teacher Association (CDTA), Canada
- Dance Vision International Dance Association (DVIDA), USA
- National Dance Council of America (NDCA), USA
- International Dance Organization (IDO), Italy
- Dream Time Dancers, Australia
- Ontario Dance and DanceSport Organization (ODDSO)
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Faculty Team FDS 2008
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Melinda Franco
President
Melinda Franco brings her extensive background in theatre, film and television to Franco Dance. Combining her love of dance with these other media is a passion of hers, and currently she is working on the development of plays using flamenco music and dance in the storytelling. As a ballroom dance teacher she is focused strongly on expression , confidence and personality; she is as passionate in the studio as she is on stage . She encourages her students to imagine themselves performing , because in that private dream is all the boldness, strength and desire that anyone needs to become a dancer.
back to topYulia Kostroma
Event Coordinator
Since Yulia was a little girl she has loved dancing and dressing up. As soon as she learned how to use a needle and thread, she started making costumes for herself and creating dance routines to perform in front of her family members. Yulia’s first serious dance classes were in modern dance and ballet. She enjoyed these styles first but realized there was something missing in her life when she saw a ballroom dance competition and discovered her passion for partner dancing. Yulia has given international dance workshops for the studio, and she also is working on her qualifications as a judge and professional dancing coach. Yulia’s philosophy: “If I really feel bad about something, the only thing that helps me feel better is getting my salsa fix.”
back to topJon Drops
As a dancer, Drops is known for his musicality and fast powerful flow. He is a member of Supernaturalz Crew, Canada’s best Bboy crew, currently ranked one of the top crews in the world. Drops and Supernaturalz represented Canada at the prestigious R-16 2009 International Invitational Bboy Championship in Incheon Korea. They were heralded for their complicated style and creativity. Drops is also the Artistic Director for Break It Down, a not-for-profit dedicated to inspiring youth through the art of Bboying, Dance Director for the Manifesto Hip Hop Festival and Marketing Director for Back to the Underground Bboy Events and Promotions. He is heavily dedicated to spreading the knowledge of the culture to the next generation of dancers and works towards it each day through his community work, dancing and teaching.
back to topJoseph Hersco
Joseph Hersco who's more commonly known as J-Rebel within the b-boy community has been dancing since the age of fifteen. He is a member from an up and coming Canadian B-Boy Crew known as Supernaturalz Crew. His complex footwork and natural flow has set him apart from many other dancers. His footwork is a true testament to the legacy of Supernaturalz Crew, whose members have been known for having unique styles. Many of his accomplishments include, Battle of the Year 2004, UK Championships 2004, Semi Finalist in City vs City (1 on 1 battle), Out for Fame Finals (New York 2002) and currently holds the world record for world's longest B-Boy circle. J-Rebel grew up in Lawrence Heights Community know as "The Jungle"; as the area was set up like an urban jungle with a chaotic environment from architecture to the people who embodied wild spirits due to social-economics and politics. He was from a family of five where every day was a battle i.e. for food, attention and respect amongst his siblings. Because he was raised by a single parent mother on welfare, there was rarely anyone around to guide him and he quickly became vulnerable to the ills of his neighbourhood (drugs, gangs etc). At the age of sixteen Joseph decided that he wanted to take breakdancing more seriously. In the beginning he taught himself the basics by mimicking dancers in videos such as ‘breaker delight’ featuring REDMAN, and watching an unedited underground video of Supernaturalz. It was only when he joined Supernaturalz Crew, his skills and appreciation for breakdancing elevated to a new level. He is now an active mentor in many housing projects where he teaches the art of B-Boying to many youth at risk.
back to topSofia Lascano
Sofia Lascano was born in Ecuador. She started to dance at a very early age, and gained a solid background in aboriginal dances. Throughout her school years, she performed at different events and embassies. Like all South America youth, Sophia started to dance salsa, meringue, cumbia as a teenager. In 1987, she traveled to Colombia and learned to dance Colombian salsa. In 2001, she decided to study salsa professionally, including the Puerto Rican and Cuban styles. From there, she began dancing Casino Rueda. Sofia's former partners went on to become the Australian champions of Casino Rueda.