Faculty

ADRIANA SALOMÃO, from Rio de Janeiro, has extensive professional experience in tap, jazz, and contemporary dance. She holds a degree in Physical Education from Universidade Gama Filho and has worked as a dancer in TV programs, musicals, films, and shows, now also working as a choreographer. She has performed internationally with Cia Steven Harper and Cia Nós da Dança in Europe and the USA. Adriana teaches at the Centro de Artes Nós da Dança, CEFTEM, and the M&B Musical Theater Workshop, and participates as a teacher, judge, and guest artist in major dance festivals in Brazil, as well as serving on the faculty of the Montpellier Tap Festival in Europe. She has served on the board and artistic commission of the SPDRJ. In partnership with Steven Harper, she presents the show Saguibatu, choreographs carnival front commissions, and has directed the Tap in Rio festival for 19 years. Since 2017, she has split her time between Brazil and France.

AYESHA ZANGARO holds a degree in Dance from UNICAMP, with artistic and pedagogical training focused on body awareness, autonomy, and movement as expressive language. She has performed with companies such as Project H(u)mans, Tap New Generation, Cia. Christiane Matallo, Tinkle Group, and Com Passo Cia de Dança, and appeared in productions like Oxygen (dir. Ismael Ivo) and While You Sleep, where she also served as assistant director. Based in Barcelona, she completed the professional tap program at Escola Luthier and worked as apprentice dancer and international manager for UNUM Project (2022–2025). In 2023, she premiered her first original solo, CRU, supported by the Goethe Institute and the European Union. In 2024, she created NIDO, a platform of collaborative laboratories integrating rhythm, movement, and creation, resulting in Tether, a work exploring dependence and interdependence in contemporary tap. She works internationally as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, combining pedagogy, creation, and movement research.

BEA BELO holds degrees in Jazz and Tap Dance from the Escola de Dança Marta Bastos and is professionally registered with the Dance Professionals Union of Rio de Janeiro. As a dancer, she earned scholarships to attend Tap Show 2015, Floripa Tap 2017, and DC Tap Fest 2018 in Washington, performing with a group of Brazilian tap dancers at the DC Tap Fest Gala Night. She is a member of Tap Carioca Grupo Independente.

Bea is an award-winning solo tap dancer, recognized at the Festival de Dança de Joinville (2017) and Prêmio Desterro 2016 in Florianópolis. She trained with renowned national and international artists including Chloe Arnold, Maud Arnold, Roxy King, Derick Grant, Charles Renato, Michelle Dorrance, Melinda Sullivan, Anissa Lee, Steven Harper, Adriana Salomão, Lucas Bazanella, Ana Tomioshi, Assata Madiso, and Melissa Tannús.

She is co-director of Tap Carioca, with which she has received multiple awards and scholarships, including DC Tap Fest 2023. She is also the creator and producer of Tap Carioca Convida 2024, an event that brought together over 150 tap dancers in Rio de Janeiro.

BRUNA MIRAGAIA is specialized in American tap and children’s tap through the “Cartilha do Tap” Methodology Course. She began her dance studies in 1987 in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz at Academia Cristina Cará, later enhancing her training at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and Jazz City Tap in New York. In 2013, she founded COM PASSO Cia de Dança, where she serves as general and artistic director, choreographer, and teacher.

Bruna has participated in the Youth America Grand Prix, choreographed for the programs “Se Ela Dança Eu Danço,” Janas & Friends, UAI Q DANÇA (2018), the new OBS Show, and KS – Cia Kika Sampaio. She currently coaches tap at the Experimental de Dança de Ubatuba and has received numerous awards for revelation, best choreographer, best stage concept, and best tap group at major Brazilian festivals since 2010. She also received the Kika Sampaio Trophy for excellence in her tap dance work.

BRUNO MARIA is a professional dancer, tap artist, and choreographer based in Rio de Janeiro. He has been dancing for 20 years, beginning at age 6 in his hometown of Araraquara, SP, at the social project Ritmus, which later became the Iracema Nogueira Municipal Dance School, where he graduated in 2011.

As a performer, he was part of the front commission of GRES São Clemente at Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, danced in Rock Street Mediterrâneo at Rock in Rio Brazil 2022, and was recently runner-up in the Senior Male Solo category at the Joinville Dance Festival (2022). He has also participated in major tap festivals such as Tap in Rio (RJ), Floripa Tap (SC), Encontro dos Ritmos (SP), and DC Tap Festival (USA).

For the past six years, Bruno has taught regular classes and workshops, including Maratona do Tap (online, 2nd edition) and BLM Brasil via the Syncopated Ladies platform (USA). He currently teaches at Academia La Vie Danse and Studio Art Dance Junior Freitas, and is a member of Cia Trupe Toe in Florianópolis and Cia Giuliano Antônio in Rio de Janeiro.

CHLOE ARNOLD, an Emmy-nominated choreographer and international tap star, was discovered as a child in Washington, DC, by the legendary Debbie Allen. Chloe has performed on stages worldwide, and her choreography has appeared in over 50 episodes of The Late Late Show with James Corden, including Crosswalk the Musical, Aladdin with Will Smith, Mena Massoud, and Naomi Scott, as well as on So You Think You Can Dance, Good Morning America, HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, and national campaigns for Special K, Macy’s, GAP, Aldo/Refinery29, and Cantu.

She is the artistic director and founder of the Syncopated Ladies, a female tap company famous for viral videos with over 50 million views, including tributes to Prince and Beyoncé’s Formation, which Beyoncé shared across her social media and later hired Chloe and the Syncopated Ladies for the Ivy Park launch at TopShop, London. Chloe and her company have performed live on Good Morning America, with sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Dubai, New York City, and Washington, DC, earning praise from The New York Times and others.

DAVI MORAES began to take his first steps in tap dancing at the age of 3. He graduated from Com Passo Cia de Dança, under the guidance of Bruna Miragaia, and is qualified to apply the Playful Methodology of Teaching American Tap Dance developed by Susan Baskerville. Davi is also an integral part of Com Passo Companhia de Sapateado and was a member of the Experimental Group "Katados por Aí" from 2017 to 2021, under the direction of Kika Sampaio. Currently, he is a seven-time champion at the Joinville Dance Festival, accumulating 15 awards in total, a nomination for Best Dancer in 2024 and Best Choreographer in 2025

DENIS MORITA is a professional tap dancer and teacher, with a degree in Business Administration from UNIVAP. He began his dance training in 2002 in São José dos Campos, Brazil, studying tap at Academia Cristina Cará with Samanta Varela, alongside Jazz and Urban Dance. Since 2006, he has participated in national and international festivals and workshops, including Brasil International Tap Festival, Tap in Rio, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and DC Tap Festival.

In 2010, Denis won 1st place in Advanced Solo at the Joinville Dance Festival—the first of six titles—and was honored on the “Dancers Without Borders Wall” at Centreventos Cau Hansen. He founded and directed Com Passo Cia de Dança (2013–2017) and has been a member of Tap New Generation since 2015. From 2017 to 2020, he performed with Tapestry Dance Company (Austin, USA) on tours across the US and Canada. In 2024, he joined the Jazz It Up (ProAC) project, and in 2025, he was honored by the São Paulo City Council for his contributions to tap dance. Denis is currently a Capezio 1887 ambassador, performer with Com Passo Cia de Dança, and an active tap educator nationwide.

DERICK JACINTO is an audiovisual producer and tap dancer with 26 years of experience, having begun his dance studies in Campinas, SP. He currently works as a teacher, choreographer, and performer, leading workshops, serving as a festival judge, and mentoring tap dancers, teachers, and dance school owners to develop their technique. He spent the past two years in Recife, PE, choreographing musicals and promoting tap dance training in the city.

In 2017 and 2018, he taught at the Bojangles Tap Party in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Former member of Tap New Generation, Derick was director and choreographer of Tinkle Group, winning three consecutive solo championships and four group championships at the Joinville Dance Festival, receiving nominations for Best Dancer (2012) and Best Group (2016). He is also one of the choreographers of HOMO TAPIENS for OBS – Orquestra Brasileira de Sapateado (RJ) and creator/director of the Tinkle Group production Ciclo.

ERICA BELO, from Rio de Janeiro, has been active in the dance world for over 30 years. Professionally trained in tap, jazz, and classical ballet, she was a member of the Ballet Company of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Tap Orchestra, as well as participating in various independent projects. She specialized with renowned national and international teachers, including studies in New York at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway.

As a teacher, rehearsal director, and choreographer, Erica has received special awards at festivals both within and beyond the Rio circuit. She has served as juror and guest instructor at numerous events, including Tap in Rio since 2011. A collaborator with the Rio de Janeiro Dance Professionals Union (SPDRJ) in jazz and tap, she has participated in DRT exams as an evaluator and teacher, and recently taught at SPDRJ Dance Week. She coordinated tap at Studio Arte e Dança Betina Guelmann and Escola de Dança Marta Bastos (1994–2018). Currently, she is Co-director of Tap Carioca Grupo Independente, where she directed and choreographed the 2022 show Sou Carioca, sou do Rio de Janeiro alongside her daughter, tap dancer Beatriz Belo.

FERNANDO FLESCH was borned in Florianópolis, he began practicing tap dance in 2003 with Bia Mattar. Developed his skills through tap dance workshops and events in Brazil, the United States, and Europe. Guest choreographer at Deutsch-Sorbisches Volkstheater Bautzen (2025). He has performed in the show CRU (2023–2024), directed by Ayesha Zangaro; in the research project Distorção (2022), directed by Adilso Machado; in the jazz and MPB band Step by Tap (2016–2022); and in Cia. Trupe Toe (2014–2020), directed by Marina Coura.
Director of the event Brasil Tap Berlin together with Mariana Souza — a tap dance event that promotes the diffusion of Brazilian tap and the exchange between Brazilian and German cultures. He currently teaches in Berlin and has taught workshops in several cities across Brazil and Germany, at renowned institutions such as UFSC, IFSC, and UdK Berlin. Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urbanism from UFSC, with his main field of research focusing on the relationship between the body, space, and the city.

GABRIEL DEMARTINE is a producer, performer, choreographer, and stage manager. He holds a degree in Cultural Production from the Federal Fluminense University and completed an extension in Musical Theater (Performer & Choreographer) at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He studied Jazz, Ballet (Classical and Modern), and Contemporary Dance at the Centro de Artes Nós da Dança and trained in Tap Dance under Steven Harper’s methodology. His main works include the Brazilian versions of Broadway musicals Pretty Woman and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, as well as original Brazilian musicals such as Ayrton Senna – O Musical (also adapted into a film), Chacrinha – O Musical, and Kafka e a Boneca. In 2016, he choreographed the original musical O Mambembe in Rio de Janeiro, and in 2022 he was assistant choreographer for Rock Street Mediterrâneo at Rock in Rio. On TV, he appeared as a dancer in Novo Mundo and the series Vicky e a Musa on Rede Globo. With 10 years of experience in Carnival as dancer and choreography assistant, he also serves as production director for the Tap in Rio Festival. Gabriel teaches regular courses, masterclasses, and choreographs university productions at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

GERALDO JUNIOR is a professional dancer who began studying dance in 2001 at the Oficinas Culturais de Sapateado – Projeto Ritmus, organized by the Secretaria de Cultura de Araraquara and Fundart. He has attended tap dance courses with numerous renowned national and international tap dancers. He was a member, teacher, director, and choreographer of Araraquara’s professional tap company, Cia. Shuffle Trips, performing across Brazil and abroad (Ecuador and Bolivia) with four different productions. In 2009, he won the “TAP IN RIO 2009” challenge at the TAP IN RIO event. Since then, he has continued to travel as a teacher and choreographer at top tap dance festivals in Brazil and internationally. Currently, Geraldo is the owner, director, and teacher at Aflora Dança e Arte in Araraquara, SP, and is the creator and producer of the Aflora Tap Festival.

GISELE SILVA is an artist, teacher, and choreographer from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, trained in tap, jazz, and contemporary dance. Internationally recognized, her work has been featured in The New York Times, Dance Magazine, and Forbes Brazil. As Dance Captain of Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies, she has performed at iconic venues including the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, Essence Festival, and BET Awards. She is also part of the company Music From The Sole, performing at The Joyce Theater, Guggenheim Museum, Jacob’s Pillow, and Vail Dance Festival.

Recently, she performed with Dorrance Dance in The Nutcracker Suite at the Kennedy Center and New York City Center, and participated in the White House holiday campaign in 2023. As an educator, Gisele teaches at international festivals, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and the Chloe & Maud Foundation in Los Angeles. She is a member and instructor of the company Viver Brasil and has performed at Disney California Adventure Park, NBA halftime shows, Carnival, Rock in Rio, and in the Apple TV+ film Spirited.

GIULIANO ANTÔNIO is a professional tap dancer from Araguari, Brazil. Trained at the Adote um Artista project and Studio A de Dança, he emerged at age 15 as one of Brazil’s most promising young dancers. He won the “Tap in Rio Challenge” (2011) and “Best Dancer” at Festival Dançaraxá (2015), and has traveled across Brazil, the United States, and Argentina teaching and performing as a guest artist.

Currently based in Washington, D.C., Giuliano was part of the company Sole Defined (2018–2019), which blends tap, stepping, and the rhythm of Black music. He holds a degree in Advertising and Marketing from Faculdade ESAMC Uberlândia (2017) and works as a consultant in marketing and design for artists, festivals, and dance schools. As Director of Giuliano Antônio Marketing, his portfolio includes successful campaigns in Brazil and the US for Tap in Rio, Encontro dos Ritmos, Chloe & Maud Arnold Productions, and DC Tap Fest.

JOSH ANTONIO is a resident teacher at Projeto Spot, Sesc Ramos, and the choreographic director of the group Bonde do Jack. He has led workshops throughout Brazil, as well as in Austria and Argentina, including House Dance classes at Rio Hip Hop Kemp (H2K 2017), Encontro House Dance Campinas (2018), Intensivão de Verão at Casa da Dança Tati Sanchis (SP, 2018), and Urban Conference (RJ, 2015–2018). He was part of the Deborah Colker Movement Center Social Project, performing at the 14th Biennale de La Danse in Lyon, France (2010). Josh also danced with Grupo de Rua de Niterói – GRN under Bruno Beltrão (2011–2014) across Brazil and Europe, and with Companhia Crütz (2015–2017). He served as teacher and choreographer for Dream Team do Passinho (clip “De Ladin” and song “Time que Sonha”), danced in the professional cast of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic opening ceremonies, appeared in Fernanda Abreu’s clip “Outro Sim,” and performed in Moda em Movimento, choreographed by Flávia Tápias and conceptualized by Guto Carvalho Neto. In 2018, he danced Krump on the show Amor & Sexo and assisted in choreography for a TIM commercial.

LUCAS BAZANELLA was born in Itatiba, São Paulo, where he began studying dance and music, including tap, jazz, urban dance, drums, and guitar. He later expanded his training at the Conservatório Carlos Gomes in Campinas-SP. Developing a strong passion for American tap, he made it his main focus, joining the Tinkle Group under Derick Jacinto from 2013 to 2019. Lucas trained at major tap events, including Encontro dos Ritmos, Tap in Rio, and Brazil International Tap Festival, and received international scholarships to study at DC Tap Festival (2017, 2018), Stockholm Tap Festival (2016), and Broadway Dance Center (2015). He studied with prominent national and international artists, including Derick Jacinto, Chris Matallo, Luciana Petsold, Jason Samuels Smith, Michelle Dorrance, and Chloe Arnold. Lucas won multiple awards, including three Solo Senior titles at the Joinville Dance Festival (2012, 2022, 2023), and accolades as dancer and choreographer with Tinkle Group. He currently teaches, performs, choreographs, directs Tap Style Company, is part of Tap New Generation, serves as a festival juror, and leads workshops across Brazil.

LUCAS FREITAS began studying tap dance in 2011 at the Companhia Brasileira de Sapateado (CBS) in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. Since then, he has participated in numerous festivals across the country, learning from leading national and international tap artists. After studying outside his state to complete a degree in Biological Sciences, he returned with a focus on deepening his technical and artistic skills, dedicating extensive hours to classes and practice. He has received scholarships for major festivals, including DC Tap Festival, Jazz City Tap Festival, UK Tap Festival, Tap in Rio, and Encontro dos Ritmos. Lucas is a permanent member of New Generation, a tap company performing throughout Brazil, and currently teaches tap at Com Passo Cia de Dança in São José dos Campos, São Paulo.

LUCIANA PETSOLD is a dancer and tap artist, graduated in Dance from the Tereza Petsold Academy, where she also teaches, and a professional registered with the Rio de Janeiro State Dance Union (SPDRJ). She serves as a juror for festivals and professional qualification exams. Luciana was a member of Cia Carioca de Sapateado, under Thiago Marcelino and Leonardo Sandoval, and has participated in numerous national and international tap festivals, winning the Tap in Rio Tap Battle in 2013. She took part in projects such as Jason Janas and Friends (Curitiba), Encontro dos Ritmos (SP) with choreographies by Michelle Dorrance, and the musical Dercy de Verdade, choreographed by Kika Sampaio and Caio Nunes. She has taught tap workshops across Brazil and is currently a guest choreographer for the new Orquestra Brasileira de Sapateado production. Luciana is also a director and choreographer of Tap New Generation, co-owner of the Tereza Petsold Academy in Nova Iguaçu/RJ, and a member of SPDRJ’s artistic committee.

MARIANA CASTRO is a member of Cia. Giuliano Antônio, a cultural producer and dance teacher in schools across Niterói and Rio de Janeiro. In 2022, she taught at the Festival Copasetic (SP) and performed in Pixinguinha, diálogo de sons e sonhos. In 2021, she won the Bill Bojangles Award in the Free Video category for her choreography Imagens Sonoras, Poesias Cantadas, and was a featured choreographer at Tap Workshop with Fluxo. That same year, she was a guest teacher on the Tap com Giu platform and at the Requebra Festival. In 2019, she performed in Canibal, directed by Steven Harper, and participated in Batucada Brasileira (Cia. Carioca de Sapateado) and Sinergia (Cia. Afetos Sonoros). Mariana received scholarships for several tap festivals, including DC Tap Fest, Brazil International Tap Fest, and Semana do Sapateado de Uberlândia. Her main teachers include Thiago Marcelino, Flávia Costa, Leonardo Sandoval, Steven Harper, and Adriana Salomão.

MARIANA SOUZA is a Brazilian actress, tap dancer, and choreographer, based in Berlin, born in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro. She trained in music at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Música and studied ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary dance. She began her career in Brazil as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer in shows, companies, festivals, and television. In 2007, she moved to Germany, performing in musicals such as The Lion King, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, and Chicago. She has choreographed operettas, musicals, children's operas, and musical theater pieces for Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Chemnitz, Berliner Ensemble, Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, and Philharmonie Luxembourg. Since 2023, she has been co-organizer, with Fernando Flesch, of Brasil Tap Berlin, a festival celebrating the musicality and diversity of Brazilian rhythms through tap dance.

MARINA CARRIJO is a tap dance educator and choreographer since 2012. She began her training at Almagêmea Escola de Dança in Votuporanga, São Paulo, and started her professional career at the Escola de Teatro Musical de Brasília. Since 2015, based in São Paulo, she has continued her professional development under the mentorship of Christiane Matallo. In 2020, she received the Best Female Dancer award at the Brazil International Tap Festival.

Marina currently leads the tap dance department at Grupo Raça, where she has choreographed several award-winning pieces in major Brazilian festivals. Her work earned Best Tap Performance at the Prêmio Desterro 2022, four awards at the 39th Joinville Dance Festival, and a nomination for Best Choreographer at Passo de Arte Regional in Indaiatuba.

In 2021, she worked as assistant choreographer to Kátia Barros in a commercial dance film project combining jazz and tap. Marina holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Communication and Audiovisual Studies from the University of Brasília (UnB).

MAUD ARNOLD is a member of the Syncopated Ladies, with whom she has performed in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and Dubai. She appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America and at the Essence Festival in New Orleans after the group’s viral tap video to Beyoncé’s Formation. Beyoncé shared the video across her social media and invited the Syncopated Ladies to perform at the launch of her clothing line at TopShop in London.

Mentored by the legendary Debbie Allen, Maud became a highly sought-after teacher, judge, and performer worldwide. She has taught at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles and at the Allen’s Dance Institute in Texas, as well as leading tap and Afro-Funk workshops in Dubai, Brazil, Japan, Spain, the UK, Croatia, Ukraine, and Russia.

On television, Maud has appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Today Show, and won Season 11 of So You Think You Can Dance: Dance Crew Battle with the Syncopated Ladies. She has also been featured in several commercials, including alongside Beyoncé. Maud is co-director and producer of the acclaimed DC Tap Festival in Washington, D.C.

PEDRO PAULO BRAVO has trained with renowned dance masters such as Adriana Salomão, Brenda Bufalino, Chloe Arnold, Heather Cornell, Sarah Reich, Jason Samuels Smith, and Steven Harper, among others. He has appeared on various TV programs and performed at major festivals, including Danzamérica (Argentina), the Joinville Dance Festival—where he won in the Senior Tap Solo category—and Tap City (New York). He also trained at Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and the American Tap Dance Foundation in the U.S.

Pedro has taught at leading tap festivals such as Tap in Rio, Encontro dos Ritmos, Tap Day, and Sapateia Brasília. He is the director of the Copasetic Festival and currently teaches at Company Dance Center and Studio Giselle in São Paulo, in addition to giving workshops in Brazil and abroad.

He has performed in musicals such as Singin’ in the Rain and The Producers, took part in Brazil’s first musical theatre concert under Maestro Marconi Araújo, and joined singer Sarah Brightman’s Hymn World Tour ensemble in 2018.

REBECA PEREIRA is a tap dancer and professional makeup artist from Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro. She trained at Academia de Dança Tereza Petsold, where she now teaches regular tap classes, as well as at Centro Coreográfico Cíntia Jocas, both located in Baixada Fluminense. A registered professional dancer (SPDRJ) and member of Tap New Generation, Rebeca is also part of the Coletivo e Quilombo Enraizados, a cultural movement that aims to expand the reach of Hip Hop beyond its traditional spaces.

She has participated in the Joinville Dance Festival since 2016, earning five trophies as both dancer and choreographer. Rebeca has received several national and international scholarships for tap dance festivals, including the DC Tap Festival in Washington, D.C. In 2019, she performed at the Rock in Rio “Palco Favela” stage as part of rapper Dudu de Morro Agudo’s dance ensemble.

Her artistic research extends beyond tap dance into urban dance styles, where she has trained with renowned professionals such as Luciana Petsold, Chloe and Maud Arnold, Caco Aniceto, Flávia Lima, Star Dixon, Anissa Lee, Gisele Silva, Derick Jacinto, Michelle Dorrance, Giuliano Antonio, Roxy King, Quynn Johnson, and Jaqueline Monteiro.

SARAH COUTINHO is a tap dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Rio de Janeiro, specialized in American tap dance and certified as a professional dancer (SPDRJ). She began dancing at age two at La Danse Art & Cia, where she completed her training in 2022 under the mentorship of Patrícia Taranto. Since then, she has been teaching at the school and choreographing for the Junior and Youth Companies alongside Sarah Santos and Patrícia Taranto. In 2021, she began studying Business Administration at PUC-Rio and is currently a Bloch Professional artist.

As a dancer, Sarah won the Teen Tap Challenge at Tap in Rio (2017), was runner-up at the Joinville Dance Festival (2023 and 2024), and received the “Artistic Excellence” award at the 6th Bill Bojangles Awards, along with multiple “Best Dancer” titles in Rio festivals. As a choreographer, her works have been recognized with several awards, including the 1st Bill Bojangles Award (2019), and honors at Joinville and Passo de Arte. She also created pieces for the musical A Vedete do Brasil and Bloch Brasil. Sarah has been awarded four scholarships to the DC Tap Festival and, in 2025, received a grant to the Stockholm Tap Festival, where she also taught a class.

SARAH SANTOS is a 27-year-old tap dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Rio de Janeiro, and a member of the Orquestra Brasileira de Sapateado. She began studying American tap dance 20 years ago and has been part of the tap coordination team at La Danse Art & Cia, where she has taught since 2015, as well as at It Ballerina since 2021. In 2014, she completed the CAP specialization program at SPDRJ.

An award-winning choreographer, Sarah has received recognition at several festivals, including CBDD, Com-Passos, Movi Rio, and Passo de Arte (SP). She was the winner of the Tap in Rio Battle in Joinville in 2018. As a teacher, she has taught at Tap in Rio (2022–2024), Copasetic SP (2023), Tap Carioca Convida (2024), Tap Workshop RJ (2021, 2023, 2024), Tap Day Online (2020), and Requebra Online (2021). In 2024, she collaborated on two projects with the brand Bloch.

In September 2020, Sarah taught an online class for a project by Chloe and Maud Arnold of the Syncopated Ladies. As a performer, she has participated in national and international festivals such as New Jersey Tap Festival, DC Tap Festival, Encontro dos Ritmos (SJC), Tap in Rio, and Tap Workshop RJ. She has also performed at the Joinville Dance Festival (2018, 2022) and Passo de Arte (2023), among others. Sarah continues to refine her artistry, studying with renowned masters from Brazil and abroad in dance and tap festivals.

THANOS DASKALOPOULOS is a leading figure in body music and tap dance in Greece, known for his dynamic global presence as a performer and educator. Mentored by Heather Cornell, Max Pollak, and Keith Terry, he explores the fusion of movement and sound, erasing boundaries between them through improvisation—a core of his artistic and pedagogical approach, which he calls Impromptu Teaching. From 2007 to 2015, he directed Tapmotif, an improvisational retreat for musicians and dancers in Lefkada, fostering an international community. In 2009, he co-founded Kantu Korpu, Greece’s first body music ensemble, performing at major festivals. He later joined the Spanish group Cambuyon, debuting on Broadway in 2015, and toured internationally with Body Music: See Music, Hear Dance. Active in Athens’ jazz and funk scenes, he has led Funkollectiv and collaborated widely across dance and theater. Thanos co-founded PLAYGROUND for the Arts, teaches at the Orff Institute, and continues to perform and teach internationally, sharing his passion for rhythm, movement, and improvisation.

THIAGO FRANCO was born and raised in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro. He began studying music and creative dance at the age of seven and trained in tap and jazz at Marta Bastos Dance School. He has been part of professional tap and contemporary dance companies, including Cia Khoros. Thiago has performed as a dancer and assistant choreographer in Carnival parades’ front commissions, as well as in TV shows and music videos. He is part of the cast of Malemolente, a dance production currently in development, and works as a teacher and choreographer at Centro de Movimento Deborah Colker, Espaço das Artes, and Espaço de Dança Monique Siqueira. A tap dancer with a versatile style, Thiago brings the richness of his diverse dance background into his tap practice. Pop divas are his favorites — but he welcomes all musical styles!

TRAVIS KNIGTHS is a Canadian tap dancer, performer, choreographer, and speaker, recognized for his performances on stages in cities such as Shanghai, Paris, New York, and Vancouver. He began his career in 2000 in the film Bojangles, alongside Gregory Hines and Savion Glover, choreographed by Henry LeTang. He was the principal dancer in the video game Happy Feet (2006) and served as a tap dance consultant for Cirque du Soleil (2007–2008). Knights performed in Diary of a Tap Dancer, Wonderland: A Tap Tribute to Stevie Wonder, and in the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, as well as touring with the acclaimed show Tap Dogs. From 2010 to 2013, he was a principal dancer with Tapestry Dance Company (Austin, USA), receiving the Austin Critic’s Table Award. He created The Tap Love Tour project and its namesake podcast, featuring interviews with major figures in the tap dance world. In 2018, he directed the Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival and later created Ephemeral Artifacts (2021–2022), a work that earned him the Dora Award. He currently lives in Brampton, Canada, where he continues to work as an artist, educator, and advocate for tap dance.

VALERIA LEITE holds a degree in Physical Education and a postgraduate degree in Early Childhood Education and Art Therapy. With 36 years of experience as a teacher, choreographer, and director of tap and creative dance at Batukedopé Espaço de Arte in Marília (São Paulo, Brazil), she began her studies in the 1980s with renowned Brazilian and international tap artists such as Steven Harper, Christiane Matallo, Samanta Varela, and Chloe Arnold.

In 2014, she created Brincatap, a tap dance initiation methodology for children aged 3 to 6, based on playfulness and psychomotricity. She has participated in major festivals in Brazil and the United States, and has produced ten shows and six artistic gatherings in Marília.

Valéria has taught at festivals such as Copasetic, Curitiba Tap Weekend, Sapateia ABC, and Tap Is Black, and was a speaker at the 1st Black Women in Dance Seminar. In 2023, she received the Bill Bojangles Award for her contribution and commitment to inclusion through tap dance.

She coordinates social projects such as Adote um Artista, Batukando Por Aí, and Projeto Sapateando, supported by the Cultural Incentive Law.

“Tap dance is an art of African origin — that’s where its true value lies. The drums of enslaved Black people echo in every sound my feet produce!
The art of tap dancing beats within my being; its tones vibrate deep in my soul. Tap dancing is joy, it is love!
Tap dancing is for everyone!
Long live our ancestors!”