Evolution of Latin Dance in Australia (1989-2024)

At the start of this year, 2025, I have completed my Master of Research.

My thesis has now been published at Macquarie University:

Dancing with Diversity: Mapping the Evolution and Impact of Latin Dance in Australia (1989-2024)‘ 

https://doi.org/10.25949/29260235.v1


This thesis investigates the Australian Latin Dance scene’s evolution and role in fostering cultural connections (1989-2024). Using mixed methods — autoethnography, community leader interviews across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, plus dataset analysis — the research tracks the scene across three Eras: Unified Salsa (1989-2007), Life Outside Salsa (2008-2018), and Recess & Re-Renaissance (2019-2024). Focusing on Salsa, Bachata and Forró, the study reveals an inclusive community making significant contributions locally and globally. Key findings highlight cultural bridge-builders, organisational dynamics, and pandemic adaptations. This documentation enriches Latin Dance scholarship and establishes groundwork for future research on interpretations of connection. 

All Things Beautiful

I am here writing my thesis about Latin Dance, writing about the difference between Ballroom dancing and Latin dancing. “One stand for the other as Italian stands to Spanish, not the same language even though they both come from the same Latin root, both beautiful in their own way, just different. Translatable, with some similarities, still not the same.”

And my mind went on a tangent… I am here thinking that I find all things beautiful… beautiful. All dances are beautiful in their own way. I like some better than others, and some work better for me, and I connect with dancers more closely dancing Forró at the moment. But I know that each Latin Dancer chooses their own dance style, and feels their own Nirvana through their favourite dance. My dance is not better than others, it’s only better for me, at this moment. I have danced Zouk, Bachata, Salsa, Kizomba…

I find all people beautiful, beautiful… I cannot fathom why it is logical to think that if one person did something wrong, all people of that colour, or ethnicity, or religious belief will be bad or do bad because that one person did something wrong. (To me a good person, an authentic person, a person who does what is good for the world in any little way they can, for their loved ones, who does what is right, not what is easy, a person who listens, a person who is kind to themselves, who is responsible for themselves, that is a beautiful person.)

I also cannot understand why anyone could think that if a community or a country made unwise decisions in the past, they are destined to make bad decisions in the present or future, because of past decisions they may have learnt many lessons and might be able to make wiser decisions. I understand there are many influences, education, and pre-dispositions that could be construed as indicative that there is a chance that bad decisions will be made, but we cannot just assume that a past decision will determine a future decision, that’s prejudice. We need to be able to give future generations a chance to make future decisions.

I just think I want a world where there is more space for love for all things beautiful…

Master of Research: Dancing with Diversity – Mapping the Evolution and Impact of Latin Dance in Australia

I was at the Sydney Writers Festival in May 2024, and we discussed a world in pain.

We spoke at length about the effects of global warming, the devastation of wars, radical religious and political views. Ways of thinking around prejudices and inequality that we thought were disappearing but are rising again. We talked about isolation, that in Australia, 25% of households are of single occupancy, and that online dating doesn’t seem to be working very well. (ABS, 2021)

And yet, I go out every week, I meet and see hundreds of people who break barriers of age, colour, gender, background, abilities, body shapes… People who speak different languages and “would never be in the same room if not for one reason”, to invite each other… to dance…

In 2024 I was honoured to be accepted into a Master of Research program at Macquarie University, in Sydney, Australia. This is my Thesis:

Dancing with Diversity – Mapping the Evolution and Impact of Latin Dance in Australia

I grew up dancing ballet, jazz and contemporary in Brazil. When I came to Australia, I worked as a school manager at a Latin Dance company and fell, with passion and sometimes obsession, in love with Latin Dance. Immersed in the Australian Latin Dance community since 2005, I possess a unique vantage point to document central yet underrepresented events that have shaped the global Latin Dance community through an autoethnographic perspective.

In order to explore and analyse the Latin Dance sector, I engage in an ethnographic fieldwork practice. I will undertake interviews with 6 key personalities in the Latin Dance Scene who established companies and events in Australia. The interviews, analysis of archival materials and primary sources available will enable me to research and write the recent history of Latin Dance in Australia.

For my Master of Research project, I am mapping the current number of Latin Dance Schools, Venues, Music groups, and Events, in the community. I am focusing on 3 Latin dance styles: Bachata, Forró and Salsa. They are representative, most dancers dance at least one of these styles. Lastly, Sydney has regular parties, events, classes and groups for Salsa, Bachata and Forró.

My research questions are:

  • What is the recent history of Latin Dance in Australia, in the last 25 years?
  • In what ways is Latin Dance significant for Australian Society?
    • How does Latin Dance foster inclusiveness and which barriers does it break?
  • How significant is the Australian Latin Dance scene for the Global Latin Dance community?

Latin Dance came from Humble origins as documented by various scholars. Dormani; Carwile; Delgado; said that it was originally danced by the lower classes;Salsa scholars Cabanzo, Hutchinson, and Dormani, documented that it came out of the Latin American “barrios”, the immigrants’ hoods of America. Brazilian specialist in Forró, Fernandes, mapped a similar trajectory for the style when it came from the drought driven Northeast of Brazil to conquer the whole country.
The various styles became accepted by the middle and upper classes and took the world by storm creating a widespread fever, documented in literature by Borland, Wilson, and Sloat, to name a few.

There is a fair amount of Literature on Latin Dance, particularly overseas, but the academic discourse on the history of Latin Dance in Australia is limited, leading to a concentration of knowledge in specific styles and regions: such as Mathews’ PhD thesis on Samba de Gafieira, Couple Samba, with Rio Rhythmics Academy in Brisbane; Samba Queen Lillian Shaddick’s Master’s about Samba no Pé, individual Samba, in Sydney, Bendrups who writes on Latin Music and Dance in NZ and Australia.

This scarcity necessitates caution among scholars to avoid monofocal analysis. However rich the literature worldwide is, it’s not a widespread coverage, and where there are gaps, there are risks. That’s why we need more research and more literature, with more rigour. My research contributes original knowledge to this gap.

The media practically ignores Latin Dance. 

In this gap I hope to register some significant events and accolades that Australia has earned, and are unregistered. Such as:

  • The Sydney Salsa Congress that in 2009 had parties with about 4000 people on one dancefloor.
  • The Sydney Bachata Festival created in 2008, still running, that was the first International Bachata Festival in the world, and their creators were awarded by the government of the Dominican Republic for their contribution to the Dominican culture.
  • The concept of Brisbane as the Brazilian Dance Mecca outside of Brazil; mentioned by Mathews in her PhD thesis.
  • And the many international Samba, Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton champions Australia has.

In a Post-Covid World, of lone households, where many people are so hungry for connection, I believe Latin Dance has much to offer. The benefits of dance have been documented in literature, for mental and physical health, for community, to serve as a conduit between cultures and generations. Studies in articles by Cone & Cone, Iuliano and others, Maraz and others, Aguiñaga and others, are a few specific to Latin Dance.

But the aspects that most fascinate me are the powers of connection, the breaking of barriers I mentioned at the start, and that scholars have registered, Wilson, Carwile, Varea, Arterianus-Owanga, Huthcinson, Renta, have written about this across the globe. Ethnographer Jewett calls the strong connection between couple dance partners, a “semblance of intimacy”, and that is another point for exploration in my research project.

In this power of connection may lie great potential. I agree with this reporter who was listening to salsa in many Eastern languages in the middle of a war region, and thought that Salsa could contribute to world peace.

On the dancefloor, I find what the author Julia Baird calls a sense of awe, in her bestseller “Phosphorescence”, I find it watching other dancers, through the intimacy of my dances, the connection with the community and the people. That is why I keep going back to the dancefloor, to seek connection, to experience the complexities of multiculturalism, inclusion, and the beauty of a world united.

This is what I want to foster with my thesis, create a groundwork by studying and highlighting the benefits of Latin Dance to society in Australia, contributing to the global dialogue and stimulating future conversations.

For any questions, my student credentials are:

Master of Research – 2nd Year – Faculty of Arts | MCCALL – Macquarie University – Sydney, Australia

tania.crivellenti@students.mq.edu.au – tania.crivellenti@hdr.mq.edu.au

The Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature (MCCALL) is one of the largest and most diverse departments at Macquarie University.

The Dancing Bug’s Favourites

I’m recreating my old blogs from the Orble community that disappeared around 2013, taking all my writing with it.

I have just re-published a series of 46 blog posts under my “The Dancing Bug” category.

I’ve also re-plublished the 4 posts I had in the Bachateros Online Magazine.

From those here are some of my favourite articles, and the ones with thoughts I think have ideas that are still relevant and interesting.

The Dancing Bag – has a checklist for dancers for performances

How to Teach Amazing Dance Workshops

The Ballet Dancer’s Toe – An interesting fictional tale

My Clubbing Experience – another account about dancing freely

Sydney Bachata Festival 2009  – A new festival is coming up end of April 2023 – it still an incredible festival

Public Luv – what dancing should be about

Dance of Live – I read what I wrote then, still feel the same

It is a Couple Dance – important tips for Latin Dancers – Very Relevant still

Zouk in Rio – an account of dancing with feeling

Wizard’s Zouk – an account of dancing with no rules

The Dancing Bug the Virus & You – are you a dance addict?

Forró dos Quatro Elementos

[um conto]


A sacerdotiza olhou para seu portal vazio de energia e pediu às Deusas e Deuses uma solução.
A última de suas Dançarinas da Lua havia retornado ao Brasil no mês anterior para estar perto da família e ela ficara sozinha, na terra distante, encarregada de um segredo que energizava o mundo mas que estava falhando. Um portal que se encontrava fosco depois de anos de isolamento de suas sacerdotizas pela pandemia.
Naquela noite, a feiticeira teve um sonho que enviou-lhe uma solução brilhante, tão simples, e o melhor de tudo, não precisaria iniciar ninguém. Nenhum envolvido no feitiço precisaria nem ficar sabendo, tudo que ela precisava fazer para reabastecer o portal era estar presente, levar sua própria energia.
O sonho não teria lhe sido enviado se a solução não fosse viável. Ela fez uma pesquisa online e foi recompensada! Sua alegria ao ver que depois de anos de tentativas, de idas e vindas, de começos e paradas, encontros sociais para dançar Forró tinham tornado-se consistentes e semanais em Sydney.
Era uma noite de lua cheia e sua conexão com a energia divina começou a pulsar no momento que a música bateu em seu peito ainda na base da escada do local onde o encontro se realizaria. Ela olhou para o medalhão no seu peito, e por enquanto, ele refletia a cor preta fosca.
A sofrência da música da Terra-Mãe apertou seu âmago e puxou-a escada acima.

Sendo uma nova personagem no salão, ela não foi convidada imediatamente para dançar. Ela inspirou profundamente olhando os casais se respirando na penumbra, com as luzes que piscavam em várias cores.
Colocou sua garrafa de água da Fonte Eterna por perto e ficou no círculo. Se as pessoas imaginassem o valor daquela garrafa de água!
Primeiro olhou para a parede. Achou engraçado que se alguém olhasse para sua sombra só veriam seu contorno, uma mulher como qualquer outra.
Ela entretanto, via, acima de sua sombra, a a silhueta de um dragão, o dobro de seu tamanho, soltando vapor e pequenas chamas pelas ventas, com asas abertas, olhos incendiados, mesmo na sombra da parede, e cuja expressão era de quem promete não se conter.
O Dragão-Rei, como lhe chamava, era um espírito ancestral que co-habitava sua habitação terrena, e nesse momento mantinha uma expressão de safadeza, desejo, sedenta.
‘Okay meu Rei, vamos incendiar esse salão.’ Disse-lhe a sacerdotiza telepaticamente.
O Dragão então incorporou suas asas nos braços dela, derretendo para dentro de seu corpo e liberando o excesso de energia pelo piso, irradiando por todo o ambiente. A sacerdotiza se virou para o centro do salão, seguindo os raios de luz verde que entravam pelas solas dos pés dos dançarinos, e se preparou para dançar.

A próxima música começou e os dançarinos se aceleram, se animaram, um grande feitiço se espalhou. Como um alinhamento dos planetas.
O primeiro que lhe tirou para dançar era como ar, com ele, seus pés mal tocaram o chão, a sacerdotiza sentia que caminhava nas nuvens, passos pequenos e leves, um sambar pequeno, uma alegria com estilo música popular brasileira, suave mas de alegria calma.
Ele lhe segurava em paradas da música e aproveitava cada sopro de movimento. Lhe sorria quando ela refletia a liderança dele e entendia seus caprichos sutis. A dança dele, um deleite.
Ao fim daquele primeiro encontro de elementos o medalhão já refletia um azul furtacor, como nuvens em um furacão.


Como os cantos de Gaia, o seu segundo parceiro fez com que se sentisse aterrada, pode dançar com ele de olhos fechados quase que todo o tempo. Sua dança não foi de estrepolias. Com poucos giros, e cheio de estilo, movimentos de corpo, a manteve encantada, conectada com a energia central do mundo, da Terra. Ela sentia a vibração vindo do centro do planeta entrando pelo piso correndo por seu centro até o gosto dessa energia no céu de sua boca.
Sabia o que ele ia fazer no momento que ele decidia o movimento. Nunca um passo em falso. Foram como árvores ao vento, dançando com a tempestade. Ao fim da música o mundo rejuvenesceu. Seu medalhão brilhou em cores de ouro e bronze, como Uluru, a pedra do centro da Austrália.


Quando o próximo dançarino se aproximou, o Dragão-Rei de dentro dela rugiu em sua mente. Fogo. Perigo. Como criança da água, era sempre o elemento que ameaçava extingui-la em chamas. Mas era também o que tinha a maior capacidade de recarregar as energias de seu portal, e não há como faze-lo sem a conexão com todos os quatro elementos.
Além disso, não havia como criar uma verdadeira troca de energias com cautela e barreiras, tentando se manter segura. A única maneira de dançar vulneravelmente, é lançando os medos ao vento e se lançando ao abismo. Esses dançarinos, o Universo lhe havia escolhido e enviado, seu Dragão-Rei os havia atraído, com química perfeita de dança. Parceiros ideais para reativar seu portal.
Há uma grande variação de o quanto a dança pode ser sensual, esse dançarino, o do fogo, fez a dança virar uma arte de sedução, um ato vertical melhor praticado na horizontal. A princípio testou as águas, e à medida que percebeu que ao invés de inclinar para trás, sua parceira se inclinou para frente; de que quando ele prendeu seu joelho entre os dele, ela prendeu o dele entre os dela, seus olhos faiscaram.
Não teve giro que ela perdeu, mão na cintura que ela recusou, traceio que ela não seguiu; ele sorriu de canto de boca, olhos brilhando; e prendeu a mão dela atrás de seu corpo tocando a palma de sua mão levemente com a ponta dos dedos dele, o safado.
Depois de um giro, ele deixou seu dedão escorregar para cima do colarinho do vestido dela, para tocar a base da sua nuca e no momento que ela sentiu o contato a energia dos dois explodiu por dentro. Ela o sentiu contra seu ventre.
Ele se viu obrigado a liderar uma série de giros, criando certa distância entre os dois corpos, antes de terminar, quando recuperou um pouco o controle, rosto contra rosto, na última batida da música.
Ela sentiu o medalhão queimando no peito entre os dois, e viu que estava vermelho como brasa quando foi tomar água da Fonte, o único bálsamo capaz de fazê-la manter a compostura, e apagar o incêndio que lhe consumia.
Precisou esperar algumas músicas pelo último elemento até poder se recuperar. Seu Dragão-Rei gritando-lhe internamente que queria mais. Mais! MAIS!


Ela virou-se de costas para o círculo de dançarinos enlouquecidos, colocando ar dentro da roupa, num ventilador, para ver se conseguia se equilibrar novamente.
O destino do mundo em suas mãos e ela estava se desfazendo por causa de uma dança… Mas ela lembrou-se de que o problema era a quantidade de energia canalizada, não duas pessoas, não era um problema carnal, era que estava realmente pedindo muito de seu ser encarnado. A cada dança, a energia se potencializava em relação à dança anterior.
Seu coração começou a bater de medo e antecipação pela dança que se aproximava. Seu elemento de nascença: Água. Aquele que vibrava com todas as moléculas de seu corpo.
Ela sabia quem seria o dançarino. Ela o tinha visto no momento que entrara no salão. Quando ele chegou até ela, com seus olhos da cor de oceanos, e lhe estendeu a mão e a segurou, foi como se encontrar nos braços da própria mãe Iemanjá.

O balanço do mar, isso lhe tirou as pernas, lhe deu guelras. Se sentiu como sereia.
O dançarino ancorado ao elemento água a submergiu em seus braços e lhe levou para seu mundo, um mundo submarino, fluido, com veios de lava, com um vulcão submerso.
Essa dança era era deslizada pelo chão, com ondas de corpo e alma, em absoluta sincronia com a música. Ele foi aprofundando seus movimentos e por uns momentos acaba prendendo a mão dela na sua, sobre seu coração, ela sentiu o pulsar de seu coração batendo com o dele, seu rosto com o rosto dele.
Num outro giro, como mágica, a mão dela terminou em seu pescoço nu, quente, molhado de suor. Seus olhos se encontraram por um instante, e se perderam numa galáxia distante. Ela derreteu por dentro, em um mundo líquido onde ela não sabe onde seu mundo começa e o dele termina.
Seus pés o seguiram, os dois seguindo a música até sua última batida. Quando eles terminaram estão respirando em sincronia. Ela sentiu que seu medalhão está em perfeito equilíbrio e o portal está energizado por mais um ciclo. Missão cumprida.
O Dragão-Rei descansando silencioso.

Ela sabia que deveria agradecer a dança como havia feito com todos os outros dançarinos, agradecer e fechar a experiência, enquadrando-a no que ela é: apenas um lindo momento no mundo, uma conversa perfeita, de energias em sincronia, um presente divino, um passado.
Mas dessa vez… ela saiu andando, perdida em alto mar…

[#forromates / #sydneyforrodance]

[Imagem principal: Quadro de Leeorah Hursky / http://www.leeorah.com]

Fresh “The Dancing Bug”! From Orble to WordPress

Back in 2008 I created a blog at the the Australian Orble Community called THE DANCING BUG.

It was dedicated to writing about dancing and the Dancing scene in Sydney.

The Orble community disappeared suddenly a few years after I started writing, taking all the posts without notice.

One day it simply went offline.

I decided to move everything across to WordPress.

I was able to transfer the text, finding the images (or as close as I could) inside my old files, noting how many votes I had in Orble, the date and time they were published. I wanted to keep as close as I could from the original for historical data.

I’m keeping the new archive inside the category “The Dancing Bug” in my Taniacreations.com website.

This is the new blog, ready to receive my new writing thoughts on dancing as well…

Twice the blog was among the most voted in the whole community, once in 9th place for the day, once in 3rd place for the day:

04 Apr 2013 – 3rd Place – Directly from the Bachata Me Dance Floor

06 Apr 2013 – 9th Place – Directly from the Bachata Me Dance Floor

Here is a print-screen of the final statistics of the blog before it went awol:

46 Posts + 16 Comments +. 3,193 Votes

Improvising & Dancing With the Stars Appearances at SSC 2009

The Sydney Salsa Congress is a place so special the guests feel free and inspired to do great things on stage.

Kim, Alex, Jaime, Zoe & Dave backstage at the Sydney Salsa Congress 2009

Alex & Kim, Dave & Zoe felt inspired to improvise a show together. I thought the seriousness of performing was suddenly lifted from stage and we were seeing things that were not quite possible.

It was a game, with each couple showing off to the other, exchanging partners midair, each of the guys carrying both ladies over their shoulders as if they weighted nothing. You could see the show was more an improvisation than something rehearsed over and over and even though the tricks were ridiculously incredible, I got the feeling as if I was dreaming. 

After the shows I heard Alex saying to Jaime that it was so good, that it was great that the congress gave them the chance to have that much fun on stage, for them to meet as they would never get to meet anywhere else.

You see Dave and Zoe are not Salsa dancers and Alex and Kim are, normally they wouldn’t know about each others’ existence and here they were, showing us what “amazing” really is. 

Johnny Vasquez is always a party just by himself.

It’s a bit of a hazard to give him the Microphone, he looooves to talk. But he does well and from his hello to his singing and dancing you smile and laugh the whole time. He sang and danced on Saturday and Sunday and on the closing of the congress he made us sing my favourite salsa song, Baila Rumbero, it was the first time I saw the artists applauding the crowd.

Then he and Ramon Morales danced for a few bars with each other, and those moments are branded in my memory.

The words that came to my mind seeing them dancing were: “Puro Sangue” as in “Pure Blood” not trying to offend anyone that is not a born Latino, it’s just that those two were probably dancing in the womb.

Their genes must have been turning around each other in spins not spirals!

The sperm that made each of them was swimming and singing:

‘baila, baila, one, two, three; five, six, seven… Now on2!’ As they were swimming up towards the egg.

We have even drawn some famous TV figures to the crowd; that is because we have them on stage…

Luda Kroitor was performing with Oliver Pineda, five times Salsa World Champions so her TV partner and winner, Luke Jacobz, from Dancing With the Stars, (reality TV Show) came to watch her shine at The Sydney Salsa Congress. 

Charlie Delaney was also watching her Dancing with the Stars partner, Csaba Szirmai who was performing with Vali Damaskou. They were very graceful and smiling guests.

19 Orble Votes

Dance of Life

The other day my friend saved my life when she compared my job with a partnered dance.

‘Imagine your boss is your dance partner, and for the time being he is the leader. While the music is playing your best chance of enjoyment is relaxing into that leadership and following.’

It is very easy to follow a great leader.

But if the guy is a bad dancer, you may be in for a challenge.

You may have to step with him rather than with the rhythm of the music, endure his silly pa‐pa‐pa singing completely out of tune with the song; stop when you should move, turn to the other side, be kind to yourself when you make many mistakes and step on other peoples’ feet and, most of all, understand you will have your limits and sometimes you will say ‘NO, I won’t dip as you want because I feel that I am going to fall’.

Sometimes working is exactly like that. The best thing to do is relax as much as you can, follow the leader while the music is on, or until you reach your limit, find something to enjoy about that moment, and try not to get stuck in the sense that you should be doing something else (like sticking to the rhythm of the music).

Thinking about this, I have come to the realisation that this advice is valid for life in general.

You won’t have amazing dance partners every day, actually most of the time you will be thrown into the strange dances of the day to day life, with the girl who is preparing your coffee, the life partner, the children, the employers and the employees, and if you relax into the leadership of fate or reality, you will have a better time than resisting the movements of life.

When you resist the bad dancer, you end up in a war… it’s not worth it.

18 Orble Votes

Directly from the Bachata-Me Dancefloor

It has been a while, since I danced and even longer since I posted a Dancing Bug piece.

I’m excited about both. I’m here at City Tattersals waiting for the Bachata Month to start.

With the first party to mark the official countdown to the Sydney International Bachata Festival

The deliciously tacky bachata music is one-two-three-fouring louder and louder.

“Te aaaamooo” sings the song.

The first couples are venturing onto the dance floor and I’m on the sideline typing as quickly as I too, can be free to Bachata the night away.

There is some excitement, the feeling that reminds me of a time when I was starting to venture into the Latin dancing world. Finding my dancing feet, my heels’ balance, recovering my life’s passion for dancing. And for the first time learning that dance can encompass sensuality too. Discovering the perfection of moving in unison with a partner…

I hope this is a special night. I’ll will pray to the Goddess of Dance & Fun that a lot of guys ask me to dance, and at least one dance tonight is one of those that go into my own personal hall of fame, those that fill your mind and you keep dancing for years hoping for another one like that.

27 Orble Votes

Bachateros’ Happiness

It is with great pleasure that announce to all bachateros that don’t know yet: we will have a Bachata room at the Parties of the Sydney Latin Festival 2012!

I’m already dreaming of getting into a room and not waiting for the next Bachata, of knowing everyone there has only one thing in their minds.

For the non‐dancers it will be as if I’ve gone mad and I’m talking exaggerations and non‐sense. To the ones who, like me, are frequently in the Salsa rooms, with their eyes closed, hands together, and murmuring a prayer every time a music is ending: we are saved!

Our prayers of “bachata, bachata, bachata” will be answered without fail on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights!

The Brazilian room (Zouk and Samba) and Salsa rooms will be faithfully there, but the novelty is making me go wild!
To complete our happiness Tony Lara is back! 

To all Latin Dancers, The Sydney Latin Festival is an experience that should not be missed.

From 2 to 5 Feb 2012, at the State Sports Centre, Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia

I’ll see you there!

18 Orble Votes