‘E wa jo’ means ‘let’s dance’ in Yoruba, a West-African language.
At Ewajo we specialise in Bronx Style Mambo, a style of salsa designed for performance on stage, rather than social dancing. This style is all about fast footwork, exhilarating spinning, and complex patterns. Bronx style mambo originates from the Bronx, New York City, and is currently pioneered by world famous Yamulee Dance Company.
We teach weekly open classes on Mondays to equip our students to conquer the stage. We also run performance teams, the very heart of Ewajo. Even if you are not in our teams, Bronx Style Mambo will equip you with essential skills - spinning, stepping, keeping your frame - that are essential for social dancing and other styles of salsa.
Ewajo is directed by Dr John.
Our Why
At Ewajo we truly believe that the sky is the limit. We want to empower dancers that are stage-hungry to fulfil their potential. It takes consistency, determination, hard work, discipline, mentorship, and encouragement to be stage ready. All these also help us become better humans. We want to create better humans by creating better dancers.
Meet the Team
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Dr John
Director and Dance Instructor
Dr John has been dancing salsa professionally just short of a decade. He learnt Bronx Style Mambo when studying with Yamulee Dance Company in New York. He has performed and taught in numerous congresses and festivals worldwide.
He is known for his creativity and energy on the dancefloor. He has a commanding presence as a dance teacher. He is eager to help his students develop their confidence, technique and musicality.
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Gabriella Sandoval
Principal Dance Instructor
With a rich background in various dance styles, Gabriella's training spans ballet, contemporary, Latin and ballroom, samba no pe, with a special focus on mambo, salsa, and bachata.
Gabriella’s salsa career began in 2015 at one of London’s leading Latin dance schools. She has trained with several of the world’s top salsa dancers to develop her own unique feminine flow and style. Gabriella has taught in a number of teams and partnerships throughout the UK as well as internationally .
Teaching is a huge passion for Gabriella whether it is working closely in a one-on-one session on details or group classes for all different levels and techniques. Her warm personality and patience combined with a lifetime of experience helps get the best out of each student.
At Ewajo, Gaby is the Principal Dance Instructor, delivering classes and coaching the performance teams with Dr John.
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Kasia Zielinska
Dance Instructor
Kasia has been dancing since 2006. She took her first dance classes in styles such as hip-hop, dance hall and jazz. After discovering salsa and other Latin dance styles she completely fell in love with them and they became her passion.
Kasia has been a dance instructor since 2014, teaching mostly salsa, pachanga and bachata. She has trained with Yamulee Dance Company and Empire Mambo Dance Studio in New York. She teaches regularly with City Academy and Sanura Dance.
As well as being an accomplished dancer, Kasia is a professional salsa flutist. She regularly plays with several Latin bands in London. She has played with Jimmy Bosch and the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Pinero.
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Keoni Azra
Marketing Director and Manager
Keoni is a marketing professional with a lifelong passion for Latin dance and a proven track record in event planning, dance instruction, and digital marketing. Her journey began at the age of 15 when she attended her first Salsa class. Since then, she has taught and performed across Europe.
As the director of Azra Holidays & events, Keoni specialises in creating dance events and holidays designed to inspire dancers of all levels. Her vision is to provide a welcoming, high-energy environment where participants can thrive.
Keoni excels at coordinating events, developing strategic marketing campaigns, and managing digital content.
At Ewajo, Keoni takes care of all the behind the scenes organisation and manages the marketing of the dance company.
